I have some questions on reefing. I know the basics, but want to get more advanced so that it's easy even in challenging conditions. Especially learning any handling characteristics that are specific to C&C's.
Difficulty reefing was the one of the few sail handling issues we had on our cruise of Vancouver Island last month. Typical Puget Sound summer winds are under 20 kts, so our practice reefing has always been relatively easy. But in 25 kts (gusting to 30?) with 6-10 foot sharp waves from current and wind driven water stacking up in the Strait of Juan de Fuca approaching Race Rocks it was a whole different experience and somewhat scary. (and yes I know, reef early, reef often, but I don't need that lecture ;) Besides, it doesn't change the fact you have to know how to reef in 25 to 40 knots, because if you're ever in those winds you'll need to put the 2nd or 3rd reef in). Anyone here have a procedure for easy reefing (or easier than what I'm doing at least), that doesn’t involve ponying up $3000 to $5000 to install a new mainsail track? (guessing it might cost that much or more if the main sail needed to be replaced or restitched with new slides) Or is that basically an impossible wish? (ie, reefing in difficult conditions will always be difficult) A few questions: - Do you use boat speed over water as a criteria for when to reef? If so what's the speed for an LF38 at which you consider it overcanvased? (keeping in mind that we're cruisers, not racers, so our priority is keeping boat speed up without being uncomfortable or expending too much energy) - The mainsail 1st reef tack cringle doesn't reach down to the reefing horn on the boom, because the sail slides are stacked up on the track stopper (which cannot go any lower, and prevents the slides from falling out of the track). So I've taken to tying a line through it and tensioning that around a deck cleat. Should I actually be removing the track stopper, moving 3 or 4 sail slides below the stopper (loose) and reinserting the stopper? That would be a major PITA, but I think the existing situation is causing the reef tack to be a bit too high, which likewise causes the reef clew point on the leech to be a bit high. - Is it essential to release the vang before reefing? What's the reason that's often recommended? Is it to make the foot of the sail slack and billowy rather than flat, in order to make the clew reef point easier to pull in? Some info on the current setup: - single line reefing with the line run back to the cockpit. Not run through the luff (tack) cringle (I may change this though), so I have to go forward to tie down the reef's tack. - It's what's shown in "Single line and cowhorn" on this page: http://www.offshore-sailor.com/index.php/seamanship-and-boat-handling/5-reefing-systems.html - I could switch to full on jiffy reefing (run the line through the tack cringle) but am worried there's already too much friction in the system. - mainsail track is built-in to the mast, standard “T shaped” track with plastic sail slides and 2 cars on the top two full battens. - I lubed the sail slides with Mclube Sailkote a few months ago. That helped, but there’s no way the sail will drop with 25 kts of wind pressure on it when sailing off the wind (below a beam reach). I’m not sure even the best mainsail tracks truly allow you to drop sail on a broad reach in 25 kts anyway. We managed to do the reef by going to a close reach or close haul with the genoa at ~100% and luffing the main. But this makes a tremendous racket as the wind slammed the boom around in the minute or two it took to get the reef in. Which can’t be good for the sail and hardware. I probably should have sheeted in a bit more so it wasn’t luffing so bad. But it still would’ve been bad. I’d rather not have to use this procedure for reefing to begin with. Is there a better strategy? -Patrick S/V Violet Hour, LF38 Seattle, WA
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