

Clew lines free#
Rotating mast: makes it a little trickier to lead the lines to the cockpit and almost every line changes in length with rotation and every line under load is pulling the mast back to centerline, thus restraining free rotation.

If it were a mid cockpit boat this would surely be at the mast, but it is not, so all lines to the cockpit. Singlehanded: makes you want to have one single point of boat operation.Offshore: makes you reef regularly, so there are two kinds of easy, simple in terms of non complex construction and simple in terms of simple operation.But I have additional factors to consider: I think I understand the disadvantages of single line reefing (maybe I'm wrong though). This results in a nice flat reefed mainsail. Then I pull in the reef line and set the clew. When I reef my main, I let off the halyard, hook the tack on the tack eye on the gooseneck and then tension the halyard. Regular jiffy reefing is so simple and works so well that I can't understand why anyone even wants to bother with the complications of single line reefing. If you really think about it single line reefing is the same as trying raise your jib and sheet it with the same line. The tack always gets pulled aft causing excess draft in the main. The problem is that you can't get the tack to stay close to the mast. And I have never seen a proper set on any boats that I have seen with the reef tucked in with a single line reefing. In my experience I have never been able to get a reefed main to set properly with any single line reefing system that I have used. How do the options compare? What are the benefits for the different solutions?.Are there more working options than the three I've found?.Why is always a pulley built for the clew?.Is single line reefing suitable for smaller mainsails only or is there no problems with larger sails, say more than 60sqm?.At least the solutions with the moving car inside the boom have the possibility to limit the end position of one line (B: clew, C: tack) I understand that two line reefing has the advantage that one can adjust tack and clew tension independently. C is the system which Selden uses now since years.Īll systems use a block or cringle to build a pulley for the clew line. If I got it right the purpose of those systems is to first pull in the tack and then the clew. Systems B and C are very similar, they use a moving block attachment inside the boom and can only be used for reefs which are not higher than the boom is long. System A uses two blocks in the sail and can be used for reefs higher than the boom is long. I've found three different systems so far: So far I used a few different systems on smaller boats and mainly furling mainsails on larger boats. I have a question concerning single line reefing systems for mainsails.
