I’ve watched the video that Wayne posted on reefing in windy conditions several times now. It really is exceptionally helpful and I think I’ve got his routine now. Head into the wind, tighten mizzen, cast off jib sheets and furl jib. Ease the downhaul; ease the main halyard and move the downhaul up to the first reefing grommet at the tack and clip in. Re-tension the main halyard; re-tension the downhaul; ease the snotter on the sprit boom and pull reefing lines at clew until you can tighten up on the reef grommet at clew end. Make everything fast and re-tension snotter. Finally tie all loose sail below boom using the sail reef ties.
It sounds so easy when you say it like that......but to see it done under trying circumstances and a full cockpit go and admire how Wayne does it. Anyway practice makes perfect and it will be the first thing I spend time doing if I can ever get out on the water this side of our summer!!!!! You can find Wayne's video on a previous post of mine at
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6263863416874538973#editor/target=post;postID=950442140502530688
His lovely website is found at
http://donumvitae.wordpress.com/ and it is well worth visiting frequently and bookmarking
Steve
1 comment:
Wayne makes it look easy too!
My Gunter rig is a bit easier to reef than the lugsail rig. After I furl the jib and sheet in the mizzen, I loosen the throat halyard and drop the gaff a ways (it remains vertical). Tighten and cleat the reefing lines at the tack and clew, tie the loose sail with the nettles, then re-hoist the gaff. Basicly the same procedure minus the snotter and downhaul. Very very useful information guys! Well done.
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