Reefing the main sail on FS

Submitted by Jay Carlson on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 19:15
Can the main sail on a FS be reefed and if so what is the best way to do it?
‹ dropping the jib. Anyone know of a model of the FS ›

Comments

Yes, the main can be reefed in two ways.

Submitted by bigpapaporsche on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:08.
Yes, the main can be reefed in two ways. 1. The sail can be rolled up around the boom, but this method has some disadvantages. 2. You can install the Jiffy Reefing kit that FS sells, I put one on our boat this spring, and it works great.

In all my years of Scot sailing.

Submitted by sungberg on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 10:11.
In all my years of Scot sailing.....I have never had to reef my main....the early scot had roller reefing but you had to disconnect the vang .....also early Scot's had no mid boom sheeting for the main.....When the wind pipes up,flatten that main with outhaul , cunningham, and heavy vang......I have also heard that some people use a Snipe Main as a storm sail.......Steve Ungberg

This subject of reefing has been discussed before in Scots and W

Submitted by karafiath on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 12:03.
This subject of reefing has been discussed before in Scots and Water with pictures etc. The wrapping of the main around the boom destroys the sail shape and does not really work. the JIFFY REEF works great! Ask the sailmaker to put in the needed grommets, three large ones and some small ones parallel to the boom. Shurr did mine and it works great and well worth the money. Put the amount of reef to be below the lowesat mainsail batten . Even just 24 inches above the bomm and still well below the batten line makes a difference, partly because with a reef in the main you can drop the jib and have a very well balanced boat that is a pleasure to sail. The factory reefing is the deluxe way to go, however Shurr sails will put a reef gromet near the outboard boom end just above the bolt rope. This grommet eliminates the need for a turning block on the boom. I have a stainless steel vee jamb cleat for the reef line located on the boom underside about halfway between the mast and the vang fitting. This fitting and a reefing rope are the only pieces of equipment you need. Gabor Karafiath 301 681 6340

I have never needed to reef but someday I may.

Submitted by JHS on Sun, 08/24/2008 - 20:47.
I have never needed to reef but someday I may. My question is when you reef by wrapping the main around the boom, what happens to the main sheet? There's a block there midway on the boom that will interfere, right? I've never been able to understand how to sheet the main once it is reefed. "If the sea did wild or wicked things, it was because she could not help them." - Hemmingway

The original Scot rigging did not have a mid-boom block.

Submitted by fssaeditor on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 16:21.
The original Scot rigging did not have a mid-boom block. Sheeting went from the aft end of the boom to a winch mounted at an angle on the centerboard cap. The gooseneck still is built with a pin and spring so you can pull the boom away from the mast and turn it to roll the main (as, from your comments, you already know). That original rigging allowed roller-reefing the main. You can also envision that the boom vang would have to be removed. So, today you could roller-reef the main if the mid-boom block and vang were removed. I would proceed with caution, unless some of our good forum folk can offer encouraging advice. My reason is that if you are reefing, you're doing it for control in stronger winds. To forego the control advantages of the mid-boom block and vang would make me nervous. Flying Scot Inc. offers a jiffy reefing kit ($68.30) which includes the mainsail grommets, line and other hardware needed to reef the main while still having the mid-boom block and use of the vang. I don't have jiffy reefing now, but did at one time, and it worked very well. FSSA Forum editor

quote:[i]Originally posted by fssaeditor[/i] [br]The original S

Submitted by JHS on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 17:24.
quote:
[i]Originally posted by fssaeditor[/i] [br]The original Scot rigging did not have a mid-boom block. Sheeting went from the aft end of the boom to a winch mounted at an angle on the centerboard cap. The gooseneck still is built with a pin and spring so you can pull the boom away from the mast and turn it to roll the main (as, from your comments, you already know). That original rigging allowed roller-reefing the main. You can also envision that the boom vang would have to be removed. So, today you could roller-reef the main if the mid-boom block and vang were removed. I would proceed with caution, unless some of our good forum folk can offer encouraging advice. My reason is that if you are reefing, you're doing it for control in stronger winds. To forego the control advantages of the mid-boom block and vang would make me nervous. Flying Scot Inc. offers a jiffy reefing kit ($68.30) which includes the mainsail grommets, line and other hardware needed to reef the main while still having the mid-boom block and use of the vang. I don't have jiffy reefing now, but did at one time, and it worked very well. FSSA Forum editor
Ah that makes sense now and your cautionary notes are noted and appreciated. I've heard good things about the jiffy reefing so it makes sense to get on that now so I don't find myself in a pinch later. Thank you! (Great forum btw, I am learning a lot!) "If the sea did wild or wicked things, it was because she could not help them." - Hemmingway