Single Line Reefing (no purchase and no block)

[Pbrenner]

So we have a 350 mk ii with a fully battened Mainsail (no furling) and our reefing (#1 & #2) are with a single line setup.
On the current setup there is is no block at all neither on the back of the boom or at the mast end.
I have attached few pictures of our current setting (Mast and boom setup) and also attachment point at the mast end

Not that we are not experiencing any friction but never tested under very strong (so far only 15-20 knots) but from experience, yes a reef should be taken ahead of time but hey who has not taken the reef a little too late And consequentely usually reef could be needed in rough conditions so the least friction the better

So I guess 2 questions for the more experienced sailors here :
- Is there anyone using blocks to limit the friction? (Aware that if a block we would complexify and potentially prevent the mainsail to go all the way down)
- At the mast end, I found is strange to have the reef line attached that way, with a simple shackle on a ring, I thought it would be more natural to have the line going down back as it would offer a purchase of 2:1 to mimic the end of boom as the line goes up the eye and comes back down as you can see on the photo

End of boom: Showing the 2:1 purchase and the potential friction as rope on rope with an angle (potential improvment with a block, or else)

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On the mast end: Showing that there is no purchase as the shackle is attached to a ring directly

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On the mast end: Showing the rings, one on each side so when pulled hard on one side the other ring is pull against the eyes on the Mainsail.

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[Wisail]

Correct me if I am wrong. I run my reef lines from the sheave at the boom end up to the sail grommet then back down, around the boom (and through the bail on bottom) then pass it through the grommet on the foot and around itself.
This pulls the sail to the boom not itself. (And the grommets on the foot) The angle out of the sheave pulls aft while the vertical line pulls down to the boom.
No friction except the grommet on the leach.

[Pbrenner]

How about on the mast end? Does the reef line goes up then back down? In order to give the same purchase as on the boom end?

Now on the friction, when a rope goes through a rope loop, there must be more friction than with a ring or a block.
See the photo showing the Boom end for illustration.

Would you have photos of your setting by any chance as a photo is worth a thousand words

[seatime2]

Here are the pics I use when I'm rigging the lines at the beginning of the season (when its often too windy to get the sail up while alongside). At the mast end the line just goes up to the reef cringle on one side only.

Richard Jenkins
Yacht Nancy Scott C439
Solent UK

[Olivia Mae]

I have blocks on all 4 reefing points on the sail. They are held onto the sail with rings like in your pic.

For each reefing line, I have it run back to the cockpit, then up through a mast base block to the block at the reef point on the sail, then down to and through another block on the mast at the boom, and into the top entry point on the boom. Some internal 2:1 or 4:1 magic happens inside the boom. Then it exits out the back of the boom, up to the block on the sail, then straight down and tied onto the boom with a bowline. This pulls the sail down to the boom when you reef. I have a loose foot main, but if yours is a bolt rope you should have a grommet at each reef point that lets you tie the line around the boom.
FWIW, the blocks on each side of the mast at the boom are Sparcraft cheek blocks (?) bolted onto the side of the mast. Assuming it came from the factory with them.

Works great and we reef on the fly in all conditions.

[Pbrenner]

Would you have photos of you setting ? As I think that is what I heard of the least friction

[Olivia Mae]

No pics. Suggest looking at your boat to see if you have the cheek blocks and mast base blocks Already installed and follow your lines as I described above. There's also a diagram in your manual but it may not tie off the lines to the boom the way I do it. This was suggested by my sailmaker and works well. You'll need to buy some small blocks for the sail.

[Pbrenner]

Will do and will update with photos

[Wisail]

Was at the boat this week took a picture of aft reef lines as I have them rigged.
Out of the boom up to sail grommet then around boom and tied to itself. With your footed main it just goes through the grommet at the foot.
You definitely want to tie to the boom instead of the load pulling on the sail itself.
Reefing an easy deal…luff slightly, drop halyard partially (I have whipping thread marking halyard, as well as topping lift proper position) pull in reef line. It goes pretty easy even with the friction of the grommets. It pulls both down and aft. Hoist halyard. I don’t bother to tie the lines along the boom as they don’t seem to make a difference and the sail laps over the boom.
While you could put blocks on the leach, I just don’t think they are needed and then become a mild nuisance when flaking the sail. What friction exists is pretty inconsequential.

[wolfe10]

Out of the boom up to sail grommet then around boom and tied to itself.

That is called "a bowline on a bight" and is the correct way to secure the outboard reefing line to the boom.

I like to see it a little further aft so the sail is not only pulled down, but back= foot tight. I run it through a SS eye strip to secure it fore and aft. There is very little pull on it, as the line does the "heavy lifting". It just keeps the reefing line from moving forward on the boom.

[Pbrenner]

I wanted to post an update as the setting from the previous owner was so so wrong and stupid of us not to have adjusted it even it looks odd.

Result is that we have reared our mainsail in July. As the effort were applied on the wrong place of the sail.

We since adjusted to the setting I knew being as per the photos shared by other contributors with the reef line going around the boom. And all fixed

Don’t worry we could continue sailing as we changed the setting to the one that I knew and was shared, only that we had partial power

And the repair was only $150 which is damn cheap for a boat repair you would all agreed on I am sure

And the sail repairer had also noted that the guide rope in our mainsail had shorten which we had noticed as we were never in a position to fully remove the crinckle in our main. He reinstalled it and now it is the right length .