How to improve single-line reefing

Martin Watts explains how to reduce the friction on the reefing lines of newer yachts and improve your single-line reefing

The trend in recent years is for newer yachts to have smaller just-overlapping jibs, even non-overlapping self-tacking jibs, with the mainsail area increased in compensation. Since the introduction of jib furling gear, the general initial response to an increase in wind strength has been to pull a few wraps in on the jib. Now, though, on newer yachts the response to an increase in wind speed switches to reefing the mainsail, and quite often the small jib is not furled until three reefs have been put into the mainsail.

Single-line reefing systems are therefore now the norm on newer yachts. However, having one line running from the base of the mast, up to a luff reefing cringle, then back down to the boom, through the boom, then up to a leech reefing cringle and finally down and tied off at the boom has one basic problem – friction.

So much friction at the luff can make it almost impossible to pull the leech cringle out in order to tighten the foot and flatten the sail. Alternative systems include pulleys on sliders in the boom, but here we look at what can be done to improve the basic system.

At the luff reefing points, you can fit swivel-eye ball bearing pulleys (size 4 for a 10m yacht). Try to obtain a design where the pulley’s wheels are covered on both sides to reduce the risk of trapping the sail in the pulley. An additional mast slider is inserted into the mast to match each of the reefing cringles. With the pulley on one side of the sail and a 50mm stainless steel ring on the other, they are fastened together with a thin Dyneema line from the ring, through the sail eye and then to the block. Another line fastens the ring to the new mast slider.

In the photo above, there is an extra line from the mast slider to the cringle. Thus, the luff is fixed to the mast when you tension the foot of the sail. The reefing lines now go up and down on the same side of the sail, so the reefing lines will need re-routing.

If your sail drops in a fixed set of folds, then try to match the side the pulleys are on with the folds of the sail.

Reducing friction at the leech reefing point

For the reef leech pulleys, use lightweight soft-attach or tie-on pulleys (size 40mm for a 10m yacht) and secure them to the leech reefing cringles eyes with loops of Dyneema around 20cm long. There are different versions of these blocks so ensure you get the ones with the highest breaking loads.

The blocks will have minimal impact on the normal set of the sail and with correct positioning of the boom slider, you can achieve good tension on the foot of the mainsail.

Adding in a single-line third reefing system

When it’s time to put in a third reef, it will also be a time when you’ll prefer not to leave the safety and security of the cockpit. If you have a boom with four pulleys at the aft end and two pulleys on top of the boom and two pulleys underneath the boom at the gooseneck end, then there is a way of setting up a single-line reefing system.

Working from the stern, the third reefing line is fastened towards the aft end of the boom, in a similar manner to the other reefing lines, running up to the leech third reef pulley, back down to the boom end, through the pulley set, and into the boom.

At the front of the boom, the line then comes out through a turning pulley on the underneath of the boom, round a new turning block plus becket positioned underneath the boom, then up to the third luff reefing point, down through a reefing lead to the mast foot in a conventional manner.

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If you do not have enough pulley attachment points at the base of the mast run the third reef line and another reef line through a block and fiddle pulley, rather than a double pulley as these do not work when only loaded on one pulley. You can then run the new reefing line through an upgraded deck organiser and into another clutch near the cockpit.

In the photo below, you can see the third reef turning pulley just underneath the gooseneck and the white/blue rope secures it to the kicker base mast fitting. So that this pulley does not fall when not under load, a piece of shock-cord (white/blue) is fastened to the pulley becket loop, goes through a micro-pulley fastened to the mast gooseneck fitting and down to the mast kicker fitting.

For the third reef leech point, if you attach the pulley to the sail with a long soft shackle then you can disconnect the leech third reef line in light weather and sheltered waters, stow it laid out in the stack pack and so reduce the amount of rope dropping into the cockpit when you lower the mainsail.

If you are ordering a new sail with integral pulleys, it may still be worthwhile having the third leech reefing point as just a cringle for the same reason.

Improving reffing operation

There are two potential problem areas when reefing. With the setup described above, the luff pulley is kept clear of the boom pulley. However, if the pulley is on the pull-down fold of the mainsail, then the pulleys at the luff can come so close together that the lines do not run smoothly. The second problem is overloading the plastic mast sliders causing them to break. The solution for both problems is to not lower the mainsail completely, so it is worth establishing a reefing setup as follows.

On a light wind day, with the boat moored, hoist the main completely and mark the reefing lines at the clutch and at the front and rear of the boom. Doing this means that if you moor up with the mainsail reefed, you can pull out the reefing lines before your next sail.

Then lower the mainsail down towards the first reef position but stop lowering the sail with the mast slider near the reefing point around 5cm above the slider below it. Pull the first reefing line tight and adjust the lines to maintain that 5cm gap. Now mark the mast on both sides around 1m above the gooseneck opposite a distinctive point on the sail, such as a batten car and mast slider. It is also useful if you pull in the other reefing lines and mark their positions at the clutches. Repeat the procedure for the other reefing points.

The reefing operation starts with easing the kicker and, if necessary, tightening the topping lift. Then lower the mainsail under control with one turn of the halyard around the winch, whilst pulling in the reefing lines. Always pull the reefing lines in simultaneously, otherwise the loose leech lines can tangle themselves. Having lowered the sail to the correct place according to the mark on the mast, clutch off the halyard and then pull the active reefing line in tight on the winch.

Having clutched off the active reefing line, tighten up on the main halyard the final couple of cms to tension the luff. Then adjust the kicker and the topping lift. On the first couple of times you reef the yacht, check the mast marks are in the right place.

On some yachts, you can ease the main halyard whilst it is wrapped around a winch on the cockpit coaming, whilst using the coachroof winch for tensioning the reefing lines.

Newer yachts with their large mainsails really benefit if you follow the old saying, ‘Put in a reef when you first think about it,’ so reef early. Making sure your reefing system is efficient will reduce the number of times you delay putting in a reef because it seems such hard work.

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