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Another reefing question


Joe

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I followed the recent posts on reefing with sprit rigs and am a bit confused. To rig, do you drop the sail down the mast and then gather the bottom portion of the sail to be reefed, or do you leave the sail in place and gather from the bottom? How do you compensate for the change in the placement of the sprit at the lower corner of the sail? Do you need to change the placement of the snotter on the mast? I chose lace on sails with reefing points so I could reef when needed. Any help or suggestions appreciated. Also, re: sails moving up and down the masts, no one has suggested hoops. Any reason they are not applicable, especially if a transition between mast sections has been provided.

Thanks,

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Guest ricardo de oliveira

Yes, yes, Joe mentioned mast hoops. What about mast hoops? What if you take some thick s.s. wire and stuff it inside some soft braid to slide nicely on the mast , roll it into rings with "ears" for the grommets and voil

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Ok guys, Let me explain how I handle reefing.

First, the sleeve luff gives a very very nice clean airfoil. I don't sail with racing boats, but of the boats I do sail with, none has outpointed me. The sail is an exceptional clean airfoil. Keep in mind, I have no shrouds or halyards.

If I'm caught out far from land when the wind picks up I just spill the sail during gusts and sail to a place where I can reef. I prefer to roll up the main and place the mizzen in the center mast step. I'm aware this looks like a rodeo event, but the sail windvanes and doesn't flog itself to death.

I have a reinforced patch sewn in my sail about 1/3 of the way up and about 18 inches back from the luff. There is a hole burned through the sail where I can pass a strap. The sail is rolled around the mast, the strap put through and around the mast and tied. The snotter is attached to this strap.

The one time I tried it in heavy conditions I didn't ease the downhaul and the mast kept it's slight bend, leaving a large wrinkle along the luff. It worked, and I'm sure it could have worked much better. However, to reef, I had to loosen the snotter, which allowed the sail to flap severely. Remember, we're doing this BECAUSE the wind is too strong. Wrapping the sail tightly would be easier if there were someone to hold the clew. Of course the end of the sprit came out and has to be reset.

Personally, I'll continue to just move the mizzen.

On a CS 20 it might be different. On a Belhaven or a CS 20 I think I'd have a sail track and a (shudder) halyard.

I WOULDN'T have the sail lashed to the mast. Just me, but I think that's for dingys and leaves a very clumsy airfoil. If you lash tightly enough to keep the luff tightly against the mast I think you'd have trouble lowering the sail for reefing anyhow, so why not just go with the sleeve?

For years I had a two-part mast and took everything apart every time I was done sailing. Now my masts are one-piece and the sails are rolled up on them and they stay much cleaner and it's much easier.

I'm a "Quicker and Easier" kinda guy.

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