I agree with Gene. The Catalina 27 is a wonderful boat and it can be sailed
rail down to the point where the rudder will not hold heading, and the boat
will round up into the wind (which kind of works as a safety feature). With
that said, it doesn't necessarily mean that is the safest or most efficient way
to sail the boat. A rough rule of thumb I use is if the wind gusts above 20
knots, or if I notice a thunderstorm with a gust front coming, I'll put a reef
in it. Those are just my standards; you need to set your own limits taking into
consideration the condition of the boat and rigging, and the experience of you
and the crew.
Another item to consider is the jib. When reefing the main make sure you also
take in the jib or reef it also. The danger is if you get the sail area of the
jib too large in comparison to the main, you can get a condition where the boat
will not round up, but broach with the possibility of not being able to recover
due to the center of force being so far forward of the mast and keel (center of
resistance). Basically, the force in the front of the boat is greater than the
force the rudder generates in turning the boat. There are a whole bunch of
other factors such as rudder angle of attack, boat speed, weight, etc
but for
all practical purposes, when you "think" you should reef
do it sooner than
later.
Cool Running
Milwaukee, WI
