AppendixI:JiffyReefingtwomoresystems

AVeryNiceSetup

ReefingtheNetherlandsway,asdemonstratedbyTonJaspers,isefficientandwellthoughtout.ThefollowingphotosareofTonsW10445Swiebertje.

Fig. 1: Shown is Swiebertjes single deep reefmain combinedwith aBartels genoa reefingsystem.Ton,anavidraceraswellascruiser, ispleasedwiththisarrangement. Notethetwointermediatereefingpoints,plusanadditionaltiewhichhehasaddednearthemast.

Fig.2:Themainsailwiththereeftakenin.Notetheintermediatequicktiesusingbungeeswithballs.Theaddedtienexttothemastkeepstheluffofthesailfromdrooping.

Fig.3:Reefingclew,starboardside.Thebulletblockisneededbecausetherunningpartofthereefinglineleadstotheendoftheboom(seefig.4).Notethisisalatemodeltypeboomwhichismore angular in cross section. Ithas substantiallymore internal space and is stiffer thanoldergenerationcircularbooms,manyofwhicharestillseenintheUSandCanada.

Fig.4:Hereisagoodviewshowingthecrosssectionofthisboom.Anoptionalfeatureisthedoubleblockendfitting.Theredlineisthereefingline.SimilartohowtheBritishdoit,thelinerunsinsidetheboomandexitsnearthemast.ItisinterestingtonotethatTonsaystheouthaul(purple/pinkline)hasa4:1purchase,whichseemslikealot.

Fig.5:Reefingclew,port side. Tonpointsout that it isbetter tohave thebitterendof thereefing linetiedonthebottomoftheboom inordertoallowenoughroomforgatheringthesail. Adjustableslideswhichfit intoatrackonthebottomoftheboomcanbeobtainedfromthemanufacturer, but are pricy. So instead Ton used an inexpensive deck clip (eye strap?)rivetedinsidethetrack.

Fig.6:HereSwiebertjesreefing lineexitstheboomclosetothemast. Theclamcleat isrightthereforlockingthelineaveryneatarrangement.Also,notethereefinghookforcapturingthenewtackgrommet,aswellastheaddedbungeequicktie.Thishasbeensewnontothesailbecausethereisnogrommetatthislocation,butitiswithintheareaofthereinforcement.

Fig.7:Apopular schoolof thoughtpreaches takingupmostof thewayon the reefing line,raising theendof theboombeforebeginning to lower the sail. This is a safeguard againstaccidently hitting the helms head with the boom, which has been known to happen. Adrawbackisthatinmanycasesthevang(kicker)needstobedisconnectedfirst.Retrievingthevangandreconnecting itcanbeahassle ifconditionsarenasty. TomaketheprocesseasierTon has attached a short piece of line from the boom to the vang to keep it handy anduntangled.Heusesahighqualitysnapshackletoreconnectthevangtotheboom.

Fig.8:Acloseup lookatSwiebertjesreefinghook. Theboomsforwardendfittinghasaxlesforthreesheaves. Onesheavehasbeenreplacedwiththereefinghook. Thehookhasbeenmodifiedbytwistingitinavicetomakeitpointoutwardforeasierattachmentofthesail.

Fig.9:Closeupviewofabungeewithballsquicktie.Bothsidesareidentical.Thelengthofthebungee(approx.68)needstobeshortenoughtoprovidesometensionwhenconnected.

DickHarringtonssetup:Lesssophisticatedbutfullyfunctional

ThereefingsetuponBlueMistisfarlesssophisticatedthananyoftheabove.Herboomisanolder generation,1970s circular type and careneeds tobeexercisedwhendrillingholes inordernottoweakentheboom. Therearesomeshortcomingswhich Iwillpointout,butonthewhole,thissetuphasservedmewell.

Fig.10:CritiquingBlueMistssetup. TheHarkinsize01cheekblocksforthereefing linesareslightlylargeandwilloccasionallysnagthemainsheet.Asmallersizeblockwouldworkbetterandlooknicer.Bothofthereefinglines(1streef,yellownearsideand2ndreef,greenfarside)coulduseadditionalfairleadstopickupsomeoftheslack(ofwhichtherewillalwaysbeasmallamount).Theshockcordwithhookssailgatheringsystem(thelinewoventhroughthereefinggrommets)hassincebeenreplacedwithbungeewithballsquickties.Thelongloopsofshockcordwiththeoldsystemtendedtocatchonstuffwithinthecockpitwhenraisingthesail.

Fig.11:BlueMistscritiquecontinued.Bothofthereefinglineclamcleats(fortheyellowandgreen lines)shouldbe locatedclosertothemasttobemoreaccessible. NotetheadjustableCunninghamreefinghookwhichisshownlocatedintheCunninghamgrommet(seefig.12).

Fig.12:Thisisanotherwaytosetupareefinghook.Sinceitisadjustableitcanbeeasilymovedandhooked into thenew tack grommetonce the sailhasbeen lowered. Sometimes this isquickerandeasiertodothantwistingtheluffofthesailtogetitontoafixedhook.

Fig.13:Makeyourownquickties.Materials:a)(1)bagof1diameterbrightlycoloredwoodenbeadsfromalocalcraftstore.b)Approximately36(each)of3/16shockcord.Thelengthofthebungee(perside)shouldbe68.Sincethepaintontheballsmaybleed,itissuggestedthattheballsbelightlysanded(mountonaboltchuckedinanelectricdrill),thencoatedwithepoxyorvarnish.(Alsnote:Acheap(er?)plastic,lesslabourintensivealternativetothebeadsisavailablefromRWO(http://rwomarine.com/):themidsizedropestopperballs(imagebelow)invariouscoloursR1991throughR1998.)