I bought a new mainsail last year with two reef points including dogbones in the cringles. And I bought a gooseneck pin with ram's horns. Problem is the dogbones aren’t long enough, so I can only hook one ring, and I have to remove the sail stop to let a slug out of the track to do so. Easily fixed by my local sail repair guy after proper measurement, but just a PITA. Using the Cunningham with strong tackle / deck hardware seems like an efficient alternative. My Cunningham just has a cheek block and jam cleat on the mast - I’d prefer something beefier for reefing.
Cheers, Randy Stafford S/V Grenadine C&C 30-1 #7 Ken Caryl, CO > On Jun 19, 2019, at 8:13 AM, David Knecht via CnC-List > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > I have a slightly different system for reefing. I have a 4-1 downhaul with a > stainless hook for attachment to the cringle and led back to the cockpit > stopper. I have the main halyard premarked for a height that allows me to > move the hook from the normal downhaul position to the reef point cringle. > So I drop the main to the designated spot, move the hook, tighten the main > halyard, then the downhaul, then the leech reefing line and ready to go. The > position of the main halyard is much less critical with the hook because it > does not tend to fall off the cringle like the dog bone rings fall off the > horns. With lazy jacks and a Mack Pack, I don’t bother to tie the main > around the boom. It is not much different in time and effort than attaching > the dog bones to the horn, but since my main did not come with dog bones, > this was a simple alternative. Dave > >> On Jun 19, 2019, at 9:54 AM, Shawn Wright via CnC-List >> <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: >> >> Thanks, John, for this excellent write up of reefing - very helpful. >> Although we did go through reefing several times on our recent ISPA course, >> the boat was rigged a bit differently, and we also had a crew of 5, so >> things were much easier. The instructor's boat (a Formosa 43) used something >> similar to dog bones - just short pieces of rope - but they were very >> effective. He also added a rope wrapped around the mast and through the >> reefing cringle after the reef was in, and this is what I did when I had to >> reef on Monday. It seemed to work well, so I will measure space needed to >> clear the sail folds/slugs and make a short loop of rope to stay in the >> cringle for now. I like the strap and SS ring idea even better so I will >> look for the right size rings. And now is also a good time to mark the >> halyard since the reef is still in place! >> >> >> -- >> Shawn Wright >> shawngwri...@gmail.com <mailto:shawngwri...@gmail.com> >> S/V Callisto, 1974 C&C 35 >> https://www.facebook.com/SVCallisto <https://www.facebook.com/SVCallisto> >> >> >> On Tue, Jun 18, 2019 at 3:46 PM Josh Muckley via CnC-List >> <cnc-list@cnc-list.com <mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: >> If you stay around the list long enough you'll hear people refer to "dog >> bones" in the reef cringles. They are short pieces nylon webbing passing >> through the sail grommet at each of the reef points along the sail luff. On >> each end is a SS ring. The rings keep the dog bones captive. The length of >> the bones is designed so as to accommodate the stack height of the sail >> slugs in the mast - shorter bone for the first reef and progressively lo ger >> for the second and third. A sail maker can make the bones for you the next >> time the sail is in for service. Alternatively you can make them yourself >> out of some amsteel or other small stuff. If you have a cunningham you can >> even arrange them so that one ring hooks on the horn and the other is >> positioned to be hooked by the cunningham. When going for the reef I've >> found it very effective to turn off the wind but not down wind. Maybe 60° >> to 90°. Release the traveler all the way so that the main luffs straight >> back in line with the boom. Simultaneously ease the halyard and take in the >> reefing line. It helps to have the halyard premarked so you know that you >> have lowered it enough. Once down, hook the dog bone. Harden the halyard >> and then the reef line. Remember to ease the mainsheet and vang too so that >> the boom can rise up to the new clew. Once it is all hardened up then you >> can lash the sail as needed and come back up to the wind. >> >> Josh Muckley >> S/V Sea Hawk >> 1989 C&C 37+ >> Solomons, MD
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