Good Morning, we survived Christmas....

I am considering adding reef points to the main of the ARC21. What other mods are needed to the halyard etc?

I forgot to mention that it is boomless.

Thank you,

Not related to your question, but...

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?

because of the same reason that you drive on parkways and park on driveways.....

Like I tell my employees and kids, "There's no reason for it. It's just the policy."

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."

"rif" or "rib"?

I like "riff" better. As in, did you hear how Bob James was riffing along on that keyboard?!

How do you rib/rif/riff/reef a sail without a boom? Hobie does a zipper reef but it is more a hypothetical thing.

Yeah, but how do I take an old main and add a reef system to it? Should I just shorten it and use it in special situations?

Eric,
Check out the "which cat do I buy" thread. There's talk about a using a smaller main.
Reef points and new reinforced clew and tack can easily be added to to an older, preferably Dacron sail. The bunching up of the excess sail required when reefing would be hard on mylar films.

dave

I am no expert, but if you have no boom... and shorten the sail by removing bottom panels... your mainblocks... traveler will have different angles and you will need to have allot more main sheet to handle the extra space. If it is a foot higher and you have an 8-1 block.. you will need 8 feet more sheet.

another consideration is the hook on top. If you have a hook and ring system (and you wish to lower the top of the sail down) you will have to either flip the boat to take the ring off... or come up with some way of twisting the ring for lowering the sail. Perhaps a small line tied to the bottom of the ring....

Instead of going through putting reef points in your main, wouldn't you be better served to find a main from a N6.0 or 5.8 that is smaller than your sail and already set to accept a boomless set-up? Maybe a little more costly up front, but I think you'll end up with a better set-up.

Good point. I may even have one in the attic.

I have a reefable boomless main on a C Class, the sail was built with a single reef point. I use a long pennant on the main halyard (no masthead ring lock) and a small pennant with a hook on the mainsheet to clear the bundled foot. If you are retrofitting an existing main it will need new tack and clew grommets with added cloth reinforcements and a line of grommets for sail ties. The mylar bundles up fine, the boat is much faster in 20+ with a reef rather than ragging the main.

I like the idea of putting a reef in the sail better than purchasing a smaller sail. When you are out sailing & the wind becomes too srtong for the full main you simply reef where you are on the water ,at a mooring or on the beach ! Reeffing your main will require you to always carry a rigid extension that attaches inbetween the sail head & the shackle & ring .The rigid extension will permit you to raise & lower the sail without having to flip the boat on the beach to release the ring . If you have a roller furling jib , when the wind is too much for sailing de power by furling the jib . If you need a more specific description of the rigid extension that i made for my P-19, ,i will post it . Bill

I would love to learn more about your rigid extension (and see a pic or 2)

thanks

Track down HobieGary (aka Gary Freisen; sometimes on this forum...always on So_CA_Beachcat_Sailors yahoo forum) as he has worked out reefing on his Mystere.

i saw pics of HobieGary's set up and even talked to him a little about it.. i would still like to see whr241's rigid extension