reef point ties?

[brackish]

Well it is the slow sailing season for me due to the heat, general lack of wind and the lake being crowded with ski boats, party barges, and those pesky PWC's.  My mainsail is off to Sailcare for a clean and inspect so I'm cleaning up some loose ends while it is gone.  Making new sail ties with snap clips for speed of flaking, considering a true multipart downhaul, and making up some reef point ties.  In the past, I've always just used lengths of webbing strap or small diameter rope knotted on each side of the reef point that had to be tied around the boom when reefing.  I wonder if Velcro would hold under the pressure to make the reefing process a little easier and quicker.

So what do you use?

[Jon898]

I've always used "small stuff" (typically 1/4" or 3/16" line) to tidy up the reefed sail, mainly because that's what came on the sail.  Typically, the clew and tack are taking the bulk of the stress of the reefed sail and the reefing lines are only tidying up the loose sail bundle...the sail works pretty much like a loose-footed main.  If I thought that I'd be shaking out the reef soon, I've sailed without bothering with the reef points and didn't really notice any drawbacks (not that I was racing).  IMHO, unless the main is completely blown out (and needs the reefing lines to hold any shape), I see no reason why velcro ties would not work.

[tmorgan]

I use 1/8" line.  If I have to reef underway, I turn on the motor to keep the boat into the wind and I can do all the reeding from the cockpit.

[capt_nemo]

brackish,

I have typically used light line for reef point ties also, but recently saw an alternative that intrigues me so much that I might just try it.

The sail had what looked like ball bungees employed to do the job but I could not determine exactly how they were rigged from what I saw. May have to try a Google search before I do my own experimenting.

The obvious advantage, which really appealed to me, was the quick fasten ability of a ball bungee versus tying a knot in a pitching rolling sailboat.

capt_nemo

[Jon898]

The caution with ball bungees is that, if the ball slips out of your fingers, the balls seem to have an internal homing device cunningly designed to knock out your teeth (I'd insert an emoticon here, but they've disappeared again).