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Half-jiffy reefing


sanmi

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Out here on the Pacific coast, every day starts out with fog, light and variable winds. By noon it has jumped to 10 to 15 mph steady northwest or westerly, and by 4:00 pm winds are 20 to 30 mph. Almost every day out, I have started out with no reefs and finish up with both reefs tied in. On Wren (the Core Sound Mk 2) I don't look forward to my trip to the foredeck amid big ocean swells to tie in the second reef on the mainsail. I should have added jiffy reefing a long time ago, and now I will finally do it.

 

I've watched the video that @Alan Stewart made of Carlita's jiffy reefing system (around 20 minutes in) but I don't have enough cabin top space to follow them exactly. Here are my ideas:

Mizzen

* same as in the video

Main

* instead of bringing the clew downhauls forward and then back down to the cabin, just cleat the clew points to the boom using clam cleats, one on each side of the boom (see sketch below). 

* I suppose I could add more control lines outboard of the hand rails, but it isn't my first choice.

* Tack downhaul for both reef points since I use them every time I am out

 

Since I'm leaving the clew downhaul on the boom, I have to have a system to manage the coils of extra line that are dangling there when I set each reef. I'm thinking about stretching a piece of bicycle inner tube as a rubber band just forward of each cleat and then stuffing the coil underneath after I'm done reefing.

Are there any Core Sound boats out there with a similar setup?  Are there any other ideas or variations I should consider?

 

Photos and video of my sailing arrangements https://photos.app.goo.gl/C6ZMdpgNgzTRDAzL8

 

--Frank San Miguel, San Jose, CA


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After recovering my lost password, nice to be back. 
 

I tried the jiffy reefing setup, but have now gone back to moving the sprit up to the next clew loop.  With crew, no problem and easier to explain.  I always rig with a reefing hook on the next tack hole up before setting up.  Dip the sail, ease the snotter, move the sprit, pull the new tack line, then re-raise and tension snotter.  
 

we found the less line hanging around the better for crew.  Every line is color coded for the uninitiated. I added a tensioned ring to each boom To retain the clew on the sprit when the snotter is eased. Photos later.  This worked well in today’s sail.  Needed to reef when the wind went from 3kts to 18 in the course 0f an hour. Highly localized conditions.. 

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I cleat my clew reef lines to the boom, like you're showing.  I don't run them forward first; just up from the boom, through the reef clew, back down to the boom, thru a turning block forward and into a clam.  I do that on both main and mizzen sprits.  I hadn't thought too much about the line that accumulates, but I guess I'd just coil it up in a bundle, clove hitch it, and let it hang from the sprit.  

BTW, I treat the cringles at the main mast like you do:  rig a hook, lead the line up, down and then back to the cockpit.  The whole reef takes easily less than a minute.  The mizzen holds the boat's head sufficiently close to the wind while I reef the main.  For the reef at the mizzen mast, I just reposition the mizzen downhaul hook, since it's right there.

I have tied the loose sail up with reef lines when possible, for instance if I reef before setting out, but I have not found it to be a crucial step.  It's more for visibility than anything.  I would make an extra effort to tie up if i was going to be sailing reefed for a long period.  If I have a crew on board and reef, the crew has (thoughtfully) tied in the reef points.  :)

I have not tried moving the sprit to the next cringle.  On my boat, at least, I would worry some about the forward extension of the mizzen sprit catching in something in the main sail rig, but I have not measured it. That is, as noted,  I leave the sprit shackled to the sail in at the clew and, as described, use the clew reef lines to pull the sail down taut.

 

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@Dnjost It must be fun sailing around Cape Cod. Definitely on my bucket list. The biggest things we have to watch out for are whale watching boats and the occasional whale ?.

 

@Paul356 It is good to hear that you have had success with this setup. I just got my cleats and blocks in the mail from the B&B store. I'm going to do some drilling and gluing this weekend! (As it usually goes with me, I forgot a few items so I'll need to make another order).

 

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The mainsail reefs are mostly complete. 
 

Getting the four new lines set up properly will increase the time to launch, but hopefully I’ll improve. First few times I kept getting lines tangled.

 

I used bungee to collect the coils of extra line but I think Velcro will be even faster. 
 

Those two extra downhauls make it harder  to raise the sail. It already take a lot of force because of the stainless steel tracks so the extra effort need is noticeable. I really have to pull to get that sail up. (Sail track lube helps a little).

 

Has anyone here upgraded their old SS tracks to the new aluminum extrusions? 

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I'm not sure how it will work on your rig with the tabernacle,  but since my main mast steps thru the deck, I'm able to leave the two reefing downhauls lying with extra slack on the deck (with the hooks in place).  Then when I hoist the main, there's no extra tension.  I pull the slack out of downhauls once the sail is up.

You're right that it all adds some minutes to setup and requires some care, but for me the peace of mind is worth it.  So is the knowledge that my little ship is properly rigged.

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  • 1 month later...

I tried out the new jiffy reefing system during a long weekend cruise in Tomales Bay, CA last weekend. I love it!

 

* As usual, I had the opportunity to sail with no reef, one reef and two reefs

* It is so much faster and easier than before.

* I was able to reef the main entirely from the cockpit and cabin companionway

* Like @Dnjost I found myself using the reef points, but only one per sail.

* I used wrap-it stretchy velcro ties to capture the loose coils of clew downhaul lines along the boom. These let me gather up the coils and tie them down with one hand.

* Video of sailing with one reef tied in https://photos.app.goo.gl/oWCU1cRRzB6b8BkZ9
* I added a few more pictures to this folder https://photos.app.goo.gl/C6ZMdpgNgzTRDAzL8 


image.thumb.png.d989487e8c176e5502424f92a4d02f5d.png
 

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