Why do they call it "reefing" the main? I assume the reef knot got its name from tying up a reefed sail with this knot. But why the name "reef"? Does it originate from sailing through a reef, with better control and less power?
Here is what I think:
"Reef" apparently is a word that originated in Old Norse, "rif," meaning "ridge." Originally, sails had strips sewn across them, which probably were ridged above the surface of the sail, and these reinforced "ridges," (which they called "rifs", probably pronounced "reefs") were used as the places at which to reduce sail.
Whaddaya think? Maybe Rolf would know, or Wouter, because "rif" also is an obsolete Dutch word. Apparently, it also appeared in Mid English as "riff."
