Single line mainsail reefing on IP35

Tom
1. removed the boom.
2. drilled out the rivits and removed the shuttles.
3. Dtill and thru bolted the front gooseneck sleaves because the pull is up now and they will lift out.
4. Run two chase lines in the boom to pull your new reef lines.
5. Remount boom
6. Measure your runs for new reef lines which depends on your sail. Simple measurements because you know the run.
7. Buy 7/16" new reef lines so they run in your 1/2" sheaves
8. Enjoy simple easy reefing

Hayden

George:
I think dyneema would work great, it is just expensive. Then I would make sure that size will work in the reefing winch. The clutch will hold it but you do need to winch in the last bit. Remember, the total line will be far less because there is no doubling back inside the boom, simple straight runs.

Yes, you are right, we did add a strong track to the new mast, but last year we had our old mast and we sailed it from Florida to the BVIs and with that mast, we had no strong track and this same system worked great. Since I have gone to this I have never taken out a reef upwind. I can shake out a reef while still sailing downwind. Usually, the breeze is not 17 and under and pulling up the main with the winch works. The reef simply pulls out as the main goes up. Just like it should.

I have thought about blocks on the sail luff, but why? This simply works, and it works easily. The biggest hassle is removing the boom end cap to get out the shuttle and drilling the forward sheaves for the thru bolt.

I would wonder with the Dyneema if the friction might be more than the standard rope. I would have to experiment with that.

On this last offshore run from Stuart Florida to Cape Lookout, 525 nm in 60 hours, we reefed down 4 times and shook out these reefs 4 times. I would have never down that with the old shuttle cars. Reef in and that woudl have been it.

For me, this has solved a big problem, that of shaking out the reef. It all was based around the silly two to one shuttle cars that are not needed and would only add load. With this system there is no load until you sail. Putting in the reef is no load, so why the extra 2:1, there is no need for power there, none. The reefing winch will apply all the force needed at the end of the reef process.

One more item:
We mark our halyards and reef lines with a black sharpie, making a good one inch band around the line. This tells me, without looking up at the sail where I am. I know how far to let the hayard down and I know when I have the reef line in. This really helps at night. Yes the lines stretch and the mark moves but at least you have a mark to tell when you are close.

Hayden

Chris
I do all the reefing and yes, I can lower the main halyard with my right hand while pulling out the slack in the simple single li e reef with my left hand. Eventually I just lower the halyard to a bit past my mark, then put the brake on it. Tgen I can focus on the reef line at this point it's usually 3/4 pulled in, so I load the wi check and bring it to my mark. Then back to the halyard.

Right now it's really clean because I only have I stalled the 2nd reef. I rarely used the first reef. So I only have the seco d reef in now.

This summer I run the first reef.

Then it's a bit trickier as I will want to pull down both reef 1 reef 2 as the sail drops. Still, I see no problem.

Hayden

Judith:
You can simply pull the sheaves out the back of the boom cap. They are riding on an axel , a rod that drops into the end of the boom casting. So you need to loosen the reef lines and then you can pull the wheels out along with the axel. Now buy new sheaves and install. It is really an easy job.

You can buy sheaves here, you will need to measure your diameter.

rigrite.com/Spars/SparParts/Sheaves.php

Hayden