Here ya go, Joe -- a picture and an explanation of how I ran the lines aft to
the cockpit on my boat. Take a look at the picture before you read this,
please. Otherwise it won't make any sense to you.
There are six lines running aft on each side of the companionway (12 total) , 3
on the "top level" and 3 on the bottom level. It's a lot of extra work to get
6 lines down each side, because there's really only room for 4, and you don't
need to do that unless you're compulsive/obsessive about rigging like I am.
The really important lines are the main and jib halyards, 4 reefing lines,
vang, and cunningham (and maybe outhaul). Spinny lines can be left at the mast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the important design stuff:
I use a "double line" slab reefing system with one line for the reef tack at
the mast and another line for the reef clew at the end of the boom. I believe
it's the easiest, versitile and reliable system.
The main and jib halyards and 4 the reefing lines (6 lines in all) need to be
logically arranged to make reefing quick and efficient.
Three lines on each side lead through rope clutches to a cabintop winch.
On port, the three top lines also run through Spinlock clutches to a Harken #16
winch, and the three top lines are the jib halyard, the 1st reef clew line, and
the 2nds reef clew line.
On starboard, the top three lines run through Spinlock rope clutches to a
Harken #16 single speed self-tailing winch. They are the main halyard, 1st reef
tack line, and 2nd reef tack line.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the way we reef:
1. Reef early and make sure you have plenty of sea room in which to
heave to or sail while reefing
1. If there's a lot of boat traffic, try to be sailing on starboard
tack on a reach while you reef, so you have right of way.
2. If you're going to sail out from the lee of an island or mountian or
into a wind line, plan to reef before you cross the line
2. Heave-to or ease the mainsheet and sail on jib alone.
1. If you've got crew, have them sail on starboard tack under jib
alone, a little above or below a beam reach depending on the waves, so the boat
is steady.
2. We reef on any point of sail except a run, according to our searoom
and the waves
3. Get the lines clutches and winches ready
1. Flake out your main halyard and your front (tack) and back
(clew) reef lines so they aren't tangled up and you know where they are.
2. Close all the rope clutches securely
3. Loosely put the put the main halyard on the starboard winch and put
the winch handle in.
4. Ease the outhaul! (Otherwise you may rip out sail slides when you
ease the main halyard)
5. Ease the vang so it's not pulling the boom down.
6. Pull up on the topping lift to raise the end of the boom (or use
your rigid vang to hold up the boom)
4. On the starboard side: (this takes about 20-30 seconds)
1. Open the rope clutch and lower the main halyard so the reef cringle
is at the top of the mast slot.
1. We have a mark on the halyard so I know how much to lower it for the
first reef and the second reef
2. If you lower the halyard too far, you can tighten
it after you tighten the front reef line.
2. Close the main halyard clutch.
3. Pull the front reef line tight so the reef cringle is held securely
against the mast above the sail stop. (You don't need mast gates. It doesn't
need to go down all the way if the reef line pulls down and forward in the
right place!) The front reef line must be tight so that you don't the sail
slugs out of the sail when you outhaul the reef clew
4. Tighten the main halyard with the winch if necessary.Remove the
winch handle and go over to the port side
5. On port side (this takes less than 20 seconds)
1. Make sure the rope clutch for the reef clew line is closed.
2. Tighten the reef line so the foot of the mainsail is fairly tight
and the reef clew is held down to the boom
3. If it's really windy, you may need to use the winch to outhaul the
reef clew.
6. You're done. Sail on.
We don't bother to tie the reef point lines. The s"lab" of mainsail hanging
down isn't big enough to bother us. If we need to use the deep reef, we
usually put in the first reef as well as the second, just to keep the mainsail
slab from getting in our way. It adds less than 20 seconds to the routine to
pull the reef lines for the first reef hand tight before tightening the line
for the second reef.
For a really good article on reefing read
http://www.sailmaker.com/articles/reefing.htm
by Kame Richards, owner of Pineapple Sails. Kame is an amazing teacher and
sailmaker. His knowlege is encyclopedic. It's a privilege to hear him lecture
on currents, weather, sail trim, sail handling, driving downwind, etc. I have
learned so much from him that it's hard to describe how much I am indebted to
him.
If you want to see more pictures and to read about all the rest of the hardware
and gear I put on top of the cabin, read
http://www.blumhorst.com/catalina27/cabintop-lines-aft.htm
Please don't get confused by the typos, there are some mistakes on the page.
And, please, I'm not suggesting that anybody needs to do it the complicated way
I did! I admit, I get a little carried away sometimes.... It's a little
embarassing.
Hope this answers your questions,
Judy B
1977 C27 Tall Rig #3459, "Bijou"
San Francisco Bay, CA
http://www.blumhorst.com/catalina27/catalinahomepage.htm
________________________________
From: Joe McCaru <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 8:59:45 PM
Subject: RE: [IC27A] Judy - C27 CE
Judy, the next time you are down at your boat, could you take some photos of
your halyard and reefing line layout on the cabin top. I have been considering
adding cockpit lines to make it safer than climbing on the cabin to reef (at
the worst possible time).
Joe McCary
Aeolus II, West River, MD
www.aeoluswestriver .net
joe at photoresponse dot com
From:ic...@yahoogroups. com [mailto:IC27A@ yahoogroups. com] On Behalf Of
Judith Blumhorst, DC
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:32 AM
To: ic...@yahoogroups. com
Subject: Re: [IC27A] Judy - C27 CE
Hi jack,
Welcome to the C27/270 Association list.
I agree that it's a little crazy to fly a spinny in 30+ knots, but I think
you'd be surprised at how much canvas a C27 can carry sailing downwind in those
conditions. I've been sailing 49 years, and so far I haven't yet lost a rig,
nor twisted any hulls nor put a smile at the front of the keel.
My hubby and I regularly fly a 95% (equivalent to a 110% on a std rig) or 135%
(equivalent to a std 150%) with full mainsail downwind in 30 knots from the
Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge. That's enough canvas to get the boat
surfing on the waves. It's scarey fast. It takes considerable skill to drive
in those conditions, because you steer the boat mostly by heeling one way or
the other as the waves pass under her, with only minor correction with the
rudder. If you over react with the rudder, the boat will round up violently or
round down spectacularly and broach.
I certainly agree with you that a flat boat is a fast boat on a reach or a
beat. We reef and shake out reefs all day long depending on our point of sail
if we wanna go fast and flat. We can put one in and or shake one out in under
60 seconds from the cockpit without even rushing. It's second nature to us.
I'd go even further and say that a well trimmed boat is a flat boat is a safe
boat is a fast boat. Even though we don't race, we can shift gears with the
best of 'em. We play the traveller and the sheet leads to put twist in the
sails, outhaul to control the lower profile, backstay on for upwind to shape
the draft in the jib, cunningham for acceleration or high end speed. That's
probably even more important than reefing.
Fair winds,
Judy B
1977 C27 Tall Rig #3459, "Bijou"
San Francisco Bay
http://www.blumhorst.com/catalina27/catalinahomepage.htm
________________________________
From:Jack Brennan <jackbrennan@ bellsouth. net>
To: ic...@yahoogroups. com
Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2009 5:52:00 PM
Subject: RE: [IC27A] Judy - C27 CE
Judy:
I don't know anyting about San Francisco sailing, but a spinnaker pole in
30-35 knots of wind? That sounds like Racer's Disease to me.
In those kinds of conditions, most production sailboats under 35 feet
should be running with a double- or triple-reefed main and a spare hanky for a
jib. A decent sailboat should right properly if it's carrying the proper amount
of sail.
Trying to fly a big jib or, god forbid, a spinnaker in those conditions
will get you pinned down and maybe sunk. Even if you survive, it's boat abuse.
The standing rigging and chainplates will be shot. The boat will twist to the
point where doors don't close and hatches leak. If you have an external keel,
it will be smiling at you during your next haul-out.
An interesting point: Good racers (not me) will tell you that fin-keelers
don't sail well at more than 20 degrees of heel. The people who regularly
finish first usually are the folks who know when to reef, not those who pile on
the sail and bury the rail.
-----Original Message-----
From: ic...@yahoogroups. com [mailto:IC27A@ yahoogroups. com]On Behalf Of
Judith Blumhorst, DC
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 6:08 PM
To: ic...@yahoogroups. com; Phil Agur
Subject: Re: [IC27A] Judy - C27 CE
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