Single Line Reefing

[BOAT]

Here we go again - does anyone have the dope on the modifications that Mike Inmonn made to the BWY single line reefing kit?? Rumor is that he added pulleys and a few other things to make it work better - I have the BWY kit and it really does need some improving but I can't seem to figure out the best way to do it.

Anybody out there remember how that mod worked??

[pitchpolehobie]

Following for similar interest.

[kurz]

I do not use the bwy single line... Anymore...

[BOAT]

I do not use the bwy single line... Anymore...

Yeah, Hey kurz - nice to hear from you - I don't use that thing anymore either because it don't work so well but rumor is that there is a way to mod that thing so it does work well.

So tell me kurz, do you just reef the old fashioned way now or have you found a better way?

[kurz]

Well nice your Back Old guy!

With the new headsail I do have 2 reefing points... So the single reefer would just help for on e reefing point.

So what is new so far I added a clew quite more in front of the boom so that I can sit on the cabin and can reach this clew to fixe the reefing line at the back end of the boom.

In adition I added a clew at the mast so I can tighten halyard but still I can get it out the in the cockpit...

Before this I fiddled around with a system not to pull the single reefing line at the end of the boom but from the cockpit like the line of the dagger board. First the boom slacks arount our head... or second is way far out when not motoring but using the headsaill and then reef the main.

So I put violingblock down at the mast, well I stop here... couse I cannot explain in your language ....
Maybe I can take a pic next time. But still I do not use this maybe smart system becouse you have to fiddle around with this single reefing line... and as I am too lazy... you know...

[BOAT]

Romansh? Or is everything French now? I'm just a stupid American so I only speak one language - I'm not smart enough to do four languages like you guys. All I know is that kurz figures out stuff real good so I want to see how to do reefing better than the way I do it now.

Also I am going to talk to the sail making people about some more sails for 'boat' I think we really need to go to heavier sails because now that we are retired we are going much further out to sea than we did before and the wind is really crazy way out there. The wind is blowing out my sails.

I might switch from genoa to working jib + asymmetrical kite also because it seems like we are on such long legs now and they all go either upwind or downwind as we go up and down the coast.

kurz, do you have opinions on sails?

[JeffJuneau]

I also have a difficult time managing the BWY single line reef from my cockpit. The reefing line always gets caught in the clam cleat at the end of the boom when I try to remove the 1st reef. I saw a video of DogYears 2-line reefing system, and it seemed to work smoothly. He was using it on his 2nd reef point. Since I only have the single-line reefing set up for my first reef point and nothing so far on my 2nd reef point, I am thinking of trying his 2-line approach for my 2nd reef point. The challenge with his approach in my view is that he had to replace his mast base with something that had mounting holes in it, and could take pulleys to make the first turn to the port/starboard side of his 26M. DogYears has tested his 2-line reefing system in a lot of sailing conditions, and he seems to be happy with it. In-any-case, I would like to see images of what Kurz has come up with too. Jeff

[kurz]

Give me some time with photos. It should work, and you don't have to pull the line at the boom but from the cockpit...

[BOAT]

Thanks Kurz - You would really help a lot of us out who are struggling with the reefing setup. I think this is an issue for MAC people because most of us trailer our boats and we are struggling to get a system that is easy to set up.

I'm at the point now that I am actualy planning a trip up the coast in our van to visit Todd at BWY to talk to him about addressing some of these unresolved issues for the X and M boats. We also need a better designed genoa or headsail for the M boat - along with a proper system for handling an asym on the bow.

There is a way to make the M boat point better than other boat by fixing the sail plan. The main is already set up for pointing because of the traveler and it points very well but there is no power. The headsails need work - it's hard enough to get a fractional headsail to point but add in a furler on top of that and it gets near impossible unless you can trim it perfectly and that's too much work. I think I know what might work but I need to talk to Todd because I am no expert.

[kurz]

Here some ideas to make life easyer:


Here you see the clamp in the Mast. By reefing you can easily fix the halyard at this clamp on the Mast

When you are back in the cockpit just pull the line hardly and the clamp comes out of the Mast clamp

[kurz]

The clew more in the front makes reefing easyer, especially when you reef without the motor and the genny still sails your boat.



A way to improve the Bwy single reefing system, the following I tried:
You see the violin block, that rotates together with the Mast. Instead of pulling the single reefing line at the boom end, that dances over your head, you easily can pull the single reefing line from the cockpit. When pulled enough, you fix it in the violin block. Fix and loos the rope in the violin block can be done from the cockpit. But I have to say that I do not any more use this single reefing system becouse I am too lazy to prepare and make clear this line before hosting the main. But I think the system could work fine so fare. Take care to use a line that is very smooth, otherwise you have too much Friction in the system...

[BOAT]

I like the blocks - they are a good idea. There are a lot of lines in the picture so I am a little confused but I do see the advantage of the blocks.

[kurz]

Yes too many lines...
The violin block rotates together with the Mast.

The small blue line is the single reefing line.

[PhysicsTeacher]

BOAT:
With regard to the asymmetrical spinnaker . . . at our club Regatta this past May, Todd demoed a furling spinnaker that he's been working on. They hope to offer it for sale sometime soon.

We also need a better designed genoa or headsail for the M boat - along with a proper system for handling an asym on the bow.

[BOAT]

I sure would like to know about that sail - thanks.