Main Sail Reefing

[slode]

While bobbing around Lake Waconia Friday morning waiting for the wind to fill in I noticed that the bolt rope along the foot on the main sail stops directly below the leech reef cringle.  So I tried running the reefing line through the cringle and tied the end around the boom under the loose foot of the sail.  It worked wonderfully.  I'm not certain if this is the intended "factory" setup, but it cinches the sail down much better than having the lined tied of directly through the cringle. 

[Cpy23ecl]

Good info.  Thx.

Fred

[FiguredItOut]

I recently had a 2nd reef added to my main and the local sail maker instructed me that the method you're showing is exactly how it should be done.  He set up the 2nd reef to be handled the same way.

[johnno]

I hope you don't mind my adding to this thread under the same topic - main sail reefing.  Boat is still new to me and I haven't needed to reef yet but I'm going out on Thursday and I'm going to go through the exercise.

One thing is bothering me though. I've not had a gooseneck that is so moveable on a boat before.  As a consequence, when getting my main up, I tend to raise the gooseneck manually a bit higher than where it would normally sit, which seems to make it much easier for my wife to be able to raise the sail fully. I then get the luff set using the downhaul. 

So my query is when reefing, if I simply drop the halyard a bit to lower the clew reefing cringle down to where I can clip it onto the hook on the gooseneck, isn't the gooseneck going to drop?  That would mean having to again manually hold up the gooseneck while I pull the clew reefing cringle down to the hook.  Is that what everyone does?

[Bob23]

I'm not familiar with the Eclipse but on my 23, I added a second sail stop to support the boom while reefing. I hope this helps you.
Bob23

[johnno]

Sounds like a good plan. Thanks.

[slode]

johnno,

There should be a long pin that goes through the mast hinge.  This holds the boom and sail slugs below the hinge points for mast raising/lowering.  Once you have the mast raised you can pull the pin, slide the sail and gooseneck up past that point, then stick the pin back in to hold the gooseneck at the hinge point.  Raising the sail from there is pretty easy.  And when you go to set a reef you just let it drop back to the pin, leave the downhaul set so when you hoist it back up it doesn't go further up than normal.  The tricky part is the back end of the boom.  Without a lazy jack you need to make sure that comes to rest in one of the gallow saddles.  I've found it works to go to a close hauled course with the jib in tight, then let out the main sheet and when you lower the sail guide the boom to rest in the far side saddle on whatever side it's on.  With someone keeping her on a close hauled course with the jib barely filled you can put in the reef while still underway.  But with any boat it's always easier in lighter wind, plan ahead....

In place of a pin you can use a mast track stopper.  It will fit below the gooseneck even with everything fully dropped.
https://www.sailrite.com/Sail-Track-Stop-Round?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZGYBhCEARIsAEUXITU5zEi0FHELRCImwulh_d7fjx8kO9NZ142p4_XW5kW2YfP8xJhPwSYaAjaQEALw_wcB

[johnno]

Thank you, that's all very interesting.  Likewise, thanks for your comments on the outhaul.

I already use the long pin just as you suggest, but for some reason it's still hard (impossible) to get the main right up just using the halyard.  I always have to just lift the gooseneck 6" or so manually.  For some reason it's quite easy to do this but hard to haul it up via the sail/halyard. I'll have to do more investigating.  I need a dead calm day at the dock to really look into it. Thanks also for the link to the mast track stopper.  I'll see what I can find here in Aus.

[bruce]

This probably isn't it, but if the mainsheet (or boom vang) is cleated the boom can't raise and the main won't raise all the way with the halyard. Although, the gooseneck probably can still be raised manually (if it's the mainsheet).

Something to check.

[johnno]

Yes thanks Bruce, simple little things can be all it takes to make it difficult. I usually check those lines but they need quite a bit of slack in them not to interfere with the raising of the sail, I agree.