Episode 49, Singlehanded Reefing in 1-min

This is a question I get often: “how can I depower quickly and safely?”  Let me go through though the method I have successfully used with many types of boats. 

A few items you will need for this method.

1. A good pilot
2. All mainsheet controls easy to use from the steering position.
3. Mainsail slide system (this will not work with just bolt rope) sees this episode for a great system to convert your boltrope. 
4. Continuous reefing lines
5. Jammers for halyard and reef lines,

Biggest problem I see shorthanded is we don’t reef early, or often enough.  I tell my self this all the time.  An analogy I use is riding bikes.  I love road and mountain biking.  When you approach a hill, do you push the big gear hard, downshift late, and find you having to catch up the next few rotations.  The most efficient way is to stay at the same cadence, shift often, shift early, and use all your gears to stay efficient.  This is the same with reefing.

As soon as I feel the main luff going light, when I am maxed on backstay, cunningham, and traveler is down. I need to reef, and in a lot of circumstance it should be sooner.

Even though I practice this all the time, I still go through all the steps in my head before I start.

1:  Main off to remove all the load

2.  Vang off

3.  Halyard down to the mark as I pull reef line slack in other hand.

4.  Jam halyard

5.  Reef line on winch, and crank to mark keeping an eye of foot so it lays properly on boom.

6.  Main on

7.  Vang on

8.  Clean up

With practice using continues reef lines, I can reef in less then a minute each time.  To pullout the reef is the same sequence in reverse.  You can still do this in less then a minute, if you have great position over the winch when cranking the main halyard back up to the mark.  When reefing the load is easier, since the load is so light I do 95% of it by hand.  Remember the tack and clew are each 2:1.  Even if you have a 2:1 main halyard which I always like, you are still pulling the luffing sail up.

To view this process step by step, check out Episode 49 below.  And below that is the retro fit mast car system I have use with great success.

Hope this helps you set up your boat for fast reefing, and makes your shorthanded sailing more enjoyable.  If you have any questions or comment, please contact me. 

Thank you for being a valued subscriber, and happy December.

See you soon, Paul