With a one line reefing system, we drop the halyard until the target cringle is about one foot above the boom. We then tighten the reefing line and finish off with adjusting the halyard (usually not necessary) This avoids damaging the block in the reefing line near the mast.
Simple slab reefing isn’t so quick when you are single handed in a seaway… Eventually I will rig some bungees to keep the cringles on the ramshorn until I get back to the cockpit and get some tension back in the halyard. Eventually.
Useful, but this video desperately needs the addition of some sketches or graphics to show the components and steps referred to. Without it only experienced sailors can follow.
Can you pre reef your sail with 2 line reefing? If you know you will end up reefing can you raise the sail at the dock and put a reef in, lower it back down and then when you get out raise the already reefed sail?
Real nice video, Tom. You said there may be a snag in shaking it out. I've never had a snag in slab reefing. I had considered converting to single line and would have like to see you shake it out and possibly explain that bit of potential bother.
„For not everybody it’s easy, so let’s make it easy.“ Thanks! That should be the attitude of every experienced sailor who explains things. You don’t talk down to beginners just because they are beginners.👍
Thanks for sharing such an informative video. If you were contemplating getting back into sailing where you will be sailing single handed, I get the impression that of the 4 options, the slab reefing is the one that you really don't want. I watched the in boom reefing video you also did, and I really liked that, but it's expensive to retrofit to a boat. Can a boat that is currently setup for slab reefing be easily converted to single line reefing?
Of course not many boats have a winch to pull in the tack or the clew. My tacks go to pennants, so I can leave the sliders in place. My reef line come through the boom and are tightened by hand. If you raise the boom on the topping lift before pulling them in, when the boom drops they tighten. I like to tidy the loose sail, yes I ripped a tie point. In future I shall change to elastic cord. Best is to have a short pennant with eyes each end,then tie the elastic cord to that. Saves those untidy lines hanging all over the sail.
Excellent advice! Thank you! Old Contessa here and do most of the reefing work at the mast (ram's horn and outhaul/reefing jams). As I've heard and experienced, if you have to put a reef in, it should have been done and hour ago. Cheers Tom and crew.
It's bit chicken and egg isn't it. Turning full sailed from running into wind isn't a great prospect. So for single line reefing.... I reef the genoa sheet in to close-hauled-tight first. Then turn almost to wind with the main loose sheeted as Tom has here. Then do what Toby did,... but helping the drop by reef hauling and ASAP cause it'll likely be noisy. We keep the boom leeward and the sheet just slack by keeping the jib just filled. Depending on conditions you might aim to skip straight to reef 2 and adjust up or down in a 2nd operation in 10 minutes or so.
On the other hand, if you are aboard a Herreshoff 'Marco Polo' (55' Three Mast schooner, 10' beam) you'll never actually HAVE to reef. The sails on Valkyrie had reef points and I used them once....to be sure I knew how....and after that, for the 12 years I lived aboard and sailed ~50,000miles...we never reefed again, seldom did more than hand the mizzen. Had everything up once in 35-40kts on a beam reach.....9kts pretty steady but it was in flat water in San Francisco Bay. -Veteran '66-68
Not really a very effective video for novices. Using lots of sailing jargon without giving time for people to understand doesn't help. I was stopping and starting like mad as I tried to remember what a luff is and what sailing like a shoe means. (Good, or bad?) Also it's great to see a man work, but I can't see what's happening with the sail. The rope he's got in the winch is not visible anywhere on the sail. So I can't see the 'effect' of what he's doing. So I'm sorry to disagree with so many people but I have no clue what is happening really except someone is winching a lot.
It would be even more confusing if he tried to explain it in generic terms. This is a great way to learn the terminology without apology. My MacGregor sailboat manual is confusing as hell because they tried to dummy it down in layman’s terms. Take the time to learn the language and you’ll be much better off.
Dear Tom, always very nice to see and learn a lot. What is your opinion about in mast furling system. I hear you saying that you have in boom furling. Best regards
Hi Jorge, I'm pretty sure I can tell you what his opinion is - it's that they have their place and are convenient to use, particularly for short handed, or less agile crews, but they don't provide the same ability to get good sail shape - I.e. they generally can't be battened, and they lose their shape significantly as they're furled. If you do have in-mast furling, then once you have the topping lift in the optimal place to ensure that the sail is furled evenly then leave it there and cut anyone's fingers off if they touch it, because otherwise the sail will furl into the mast thicker at one end than the other, and you may not be able to get it out again.
The crinkle is simply an eye in the sail near the luff that the reefing line runs through; or it is a frictionless ring on a webbing pennant sewn onto the luff of the sail. At the back of the sail, the leach, I a crinkle (ring); the reefing line goes through this crinkle and down onto the boom when it is secured with a bowline knot. As the front and back of the boom the reefing line runs over little wheels (shelves) . It is simple when you see it.
@@andrewbrown2063 had the same question, thanks for the explaination. Instead of attaching the krinkle to the reefing horn at tge mast, it's held down by the reefing line, much like the leech reef point at the aft end of the boom.
