Dear Steve, We are building a 46ft cat for live-aboard offshore cruising and have been studying and contemplating your writings with relish…We are ready for rig quotes and have been considering single line reefing – mostly to reduce the number of lines in the cockpit. Our last cat had simple slab reefing with luff & leach lines returning to the cockpit, and it worked very well.
We are concerned about adding complications and are unsure how to do it so, & that if anything goes wrong inside the boom we can fix it easily. Most people we have asked have thought it was OK in smaller boats, but weren’t confident to recommend it for as powerful a rig as ours.
Our cat is ‘a mainsail boat’ with 75sqm main with big roach like Beowulf, and self-tacking jib.
I am wondering if you could tell us how you set up single-line reefing in Beowulf and whether you have any more information or impressions that would help us.
Best wishes with your new project. – Sandy S
Hi Sandy: I’m of mixed opinion on single line reefing. I have tried it myself, and seen it used on other big boats. A couple of issues to consider:
1-I would not put the lines inside the boom if there are any tackles involved. If this is just a single line running from the clew forward, it is OK. However, be sure to have a couple of messenger lines to use if the line fails.
2-Set up the system so you can change back quickly – at sea – if the need arises.
3-Be sure to work with a sailmaker who has experience in single line systems on boats of similar loads. This adds a lot of load to the luff of the sail and needs to be dealt with in terms of structure and angle very carefully.
Having used both, my preference for big loads is slab reefing with separate clue and tack. This offers more flexibility and less hassle with the main. But, as you have pointed out, more clutter in the cockpit. – Steve
Posted by Steve Dashew (November 30, 1999)
