by Guest » Wed Jun 30, 1999 12:00 am
Mike: Here are the instructions we give to our students. They are a bit simplistic, but I hope you find them helpful. Also, see the message thread titled 'reefing claws: are there any out there?"
"The 17' O'Day Daysailors use roller reefing for the mainsail. The mainsail is rolled up onto the boom. The mainsheet is trimmed from a block in the center of the boom. If we just rolled up the sail, the block and the mainsheet would also get rolled up and we could not use them. We use a "reefing claw" to hold the mainsheet block to the boom. This claw is placed in the center of the boom, and the sail is rolled under it. The gooseneck has a square key that is held in the forward end of the boom by a spring. This arrangement allows you to roll the boom. The mainsheet blocks are attached to the end of the boom by a tang and a pin that allows the boom to rotate.
1. Remove the mainsheet from the blocks on the centerboard trunk and the middle of the boom. Remember to untie the stopper knot from the end of the sheet. Remove the block from the boom and put in a safe spot- the cabin shelf or the sailbag.
2. Place the reefing claw over the aft end of the boom and slide it to about the center of the boom.
3. Tie the forward line from the claw around the mast below the gooseneck. Use a round turn and two half hitches.
4. Tie the aft line from the claw to the mainsheet block attachment at the aft end of the boom. You want these lines to not get wound up in the sail as you roll the sail onto the boom.
5. Lead the mainsheet through the block in the claw and through the block on the centerboard trunk. Remember the stopper knot!
6. Raise the mainsail, but do not cleat it. Have one person tend the halyard. They will ease the halyard while the other person rolls up the sail.
7. Begin rolling the sail onto the boom. Pull the boom aft to release the gooseneck. Work carefully to roll it neatly and keep the sail under the claw tie down lines. Keep pulling the sail aft to prevent it from getting wound up in the gooseneck. If you aren't careful, the sail will prevent the gooseneck from locking after reefing. The halyard tender should keep a light tension on the halyard. This person can also help keep the gooseneck rotating.
8. After you have rolled up enough sail, make sure the boom has rotated so that the square key on the gooseneck will fit into the boom. Push it all back together.
9. The roller reefing of these sails allows the aft end of the boom to hang pretty low. You can raise the boom up by raising the whole sail. The gooseneck may be a foot higher on the mast than it is when the sail is not reefed."
Blue Waters Sailing School (bluwtrss-at-aol.com)