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Reefing 101: How to reef a mainsail and when to do it

17 September 2019

Ask Precision Sails , Design , Featuring - Partners , Hardware , Headsail , Mainsail , Sails , Technical Tags: furling headsail , How to , reduce sail area , reefing headsail , reefing mainsail , sail area , sail reduction , sailcloth durability , sailcloth stretch resistance , sailcloth weight , sailing uma

Reefing is meant to increase your ease-of-use, flatten sail shape, reduce sail area, and re-position the boat’s center of effort. This reduces heeling and de-powers your sails to improve safety and stability in rough weather.

Reefing is an important part of sailing to learn and understand how to do efficiently and effectively. This guide is meant to give a general overview of the process and discuss the preparation a sailor should take. There are various methods of reefing and each sailor has their own process. Nonetheless, whether you are slab reefing, in-boom reefing, in-mast reefing your mainsail, or furling in your headsail the principles remain the same.

Preparation is essential

Being prepared for heavier winds and identifying when to reef is key to maximizing the performance and safety of the boat. Here are several things every sailor can do to be prepared:

Keep lines organized

Make sure to have your lines organized beforehand and a reefing plan in place. This will assure that each time a crew member reefs the same actions are taken to re-organize the lines so no time is lost figuring out what the preceding person has done.

Practice Makes Perfect

Taking time to exercise your reefing routine will ensure that your crew is ready when that gale approaches. Additionally, having a plan in place will keep your crew focused during turbulent weather by overcoming their hesitation with confidence to handle the situation swiftly and correctly.

Check the Forecast

With the multitude of devices and apps which show weather patterns, wind speeds, and forecast predictions available today no sailor should be fully unprepared for the weather they are going to face.

Reef Before You Need To

When it comes to knowing when to reef, not every sailor, boat, sail or breeze is equal.

“It depends on the boat, and the sailor,” says one of our designers, Jeremy Roszmann, “more cautious sailors will reef earlier, and some boats will heel more in different winds”. A boat’s design, sail inventory, and crew experience are all factors in determining when reefing should take place.

“It’s pretty difficult to give an ‘at 15 knots take your mainsail to reef 1’… headsails sort of follow the same line. You can theoretically run your 150 Genoa up to 20 knots, and I’ve had clients ask for extra reinforcements because they do, but you risk causing undue stress on the cloth, running into shape issues quicker and in-time sail failures”.

One common saying about reefing is that if you think you need to reef, you should have already reefed. “I avoid telling clients when to reef because if they feel they should reef, they should. Until either, they are more experienced sailors or they are more comfortable sailors”. Every boat is going to handle wind speeds differently due to their design and sail inventory. It is important to practice reefing so that you can be fully prepared and know when to reef before you need to.

How to Reef

While there are many methods to reefing the core concept is the same: to efficiently reduce sail area in order to stabilize the boat in varying winds. Sailing Uma has made a wonderful video on how they go about reefing their mainsail, watch the video below and visit Sailing Uma’s partner page , and website to show some support.

Reefing your mainsail

Ease the main-sheet. This will cause the mainsail to luff, stabilizing the boat by reducing heel and easing the tension on the mainsail making it easier to drop.
Lower the main halyard, and hook the reefing point onto a carabiner or ram’s horn to set the new tack position of the sail. Tie sail ties around the boom through the grommets if necessary to contain the loose material left over. If you use a stack-pack the loose material will be gathered inside the folds.
Haul in the first reef line.
Tension the main halyard. Don’t be afraid to crank it tight, your sail is reinforced at it’s Cunningham.
Tighten up the boom vang in its new position.
Trim the main-sheet.
Bonus Uma Tip : Stow your main halyard and lines, in the same way, each time. Then no time is wasted figuring out what the previous person had done.

Shaking Out a Reef

Follow the above steps in reverse order, making sure to re-tension and trim for the new position of the sail.

Don’t Forget Your Headsail

Adjusting your Genoa or Jib can help balance out the boat and reduce heeling. Furling in your headsail is a great way to reduce sail area.

Simply furl in your headsail as you normally would but stop prematurely to determine the size reduction you want to make.

For areas with seasonal variance in wind strength or for those sailors traveling to areas with different conditions, if you find yourself constantly furling your 150% down to 115% that you might want to consider increase your sail inventory. When you constantly are partially furling your headsail you are doing two things:

Furling away sail shape which causes a decrease in performance compared to a sail meant for the conditions.
Increasing the pressure applied to the unfurled portion of the sail while the other portion remains untouched from the stretching causing your sail to become “baggy” over time.

How Many Reefs Should a Mainsail Have?

Again, this will be different based on the sail inventory, experience, boat, and sailing conditions for each person. Ron, our Lead Sail Consultant regularly recommends that “one reef keeps you sailing, two gets you home safely”.

Can Reefing Damage Your Sails?

The size of the sail, cloth weave, weight, and design will all play large factors in determining how fast a sail will stretch. As Jeremy said earlier, “you can theoretically run [a] 150 Genoa up to 20 knots… but you risk causing undue stress on the cloth, running into shape issues quicker, and in-time sail failure.”

Think of it this way, if you have a 150 Genoa and you are furling it to a smaller size constantly due to the wind conditions where you sail you are not only furling away sail shape (making it less efficient) but you are also using the sail outside of its intended conditions. Having a few sails in your inventory, like a 115, 150, and a Trysail is a great option as it allows you to reduce sail area more efficiently depending on the conditions.

“Reefing sails to induce the qualities of another sail, i.e. reefing to third reef instead of a Trysail on-board, can damage specific areas of the sail, damaging the smooth vertical representation that we design in the sail. In the example above you would slightly bag out the top of the sail which means that you have a deeper top which encounters higher velocities, and could cause weather helm in the boat.”

Likewise, if you are constantly reefing your mainsail to the first or the second reef the exposed area is being stretched at a greater rate than the hidden section. This can cause the sails to become baggy and impairs the efficiency of the design of the sail.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t reef. Well built sails will be able to handle the strain that comes from sustaining a reef and there are many ways to reinforce your sails to prolong their lifespan.

Panel Layout and Sailcloth Weight Are Important

Higher quality Dacron sailcloth has increased resistance to stretch and UV damage to prolong their shape-holding life. Meaning you can sail more aggressively without being concerned about stretching too early. Tri-Radial Dacron sails have greater resistance to stretch due to their design and the load-bearing properties of the seam layout. Laminate sails are the complete solution to stretching, but unfortunately, lack the resistance to UV that is needed for longevity. You can learn more about sailcloth and crosscut vs tri-radial designs in our blog.

Cloth Weight

For a long time it was thought that the heavier the sailcloth, the better the sail. We still get asked this question everyday but heavier cloth does not mean that it will last longer. Here is what our designer Jeremy had to say about it: “Cloth weight is determined on the size of the boat, usually in LOA (ft/m). Larger boats induce more displacement and require a larger sail which will have to undertake more force to move the boat. Too light of cloth, while providing superior performance, risks tearing or warping very quickly. ”

Design is Crucial for New Sails

The design of your sail is a crucial step in preparing your it to perform well in heavier winds. Precision Sails prides ourselves on our leading design consultations to build the best sail possible for your boat. Our designers get to know you, your boat, the conditions your sailing in, long term plans, and experience level to select the best cloth, weight, and features for your sail. Here are some of the features your new sail can have:

“A foam luff allows you to furl in the sail partially and maintain lift in the front camber of the sail, this allows someone with a 150 Genoa to furl it into a 140 and sail in higher winds.” Think of a sail like an airplane wing, it has a specific curved surface. When you furl you are changing the draft of the sail, the curve, which causes it to be less efficient.

Navigator package

Designed for the blue water sailor, the Navigator Package represents the pinnacle of superior quality and custom design. This package includes:

Double Tapes along the Leech, Luff, and Foot of the sail.
Triple Row of Triple Zig Zag Stitching.
Tie-in, Velcro, or Flip-Flop Batten Pockets
Dyneema Leech and Foot Lines with Covered Cleat.
Premium UV Treated Thread: - Tenera, Serabond, Serafil, Lifetime

You can learn more about our Navigator Package here .

Mariner Package

Our Mariner Package is defined by its customizable options and hands-on approach to sail design. This premium package allows sailors to upgrade everything from their hardware to points of attachment of the sail, while working one-on-one with their sail designer

Learn more about our Mariner Package by submitting a quote request.

Helmsman Package

Our Helmsman Package is designed to check off the fundamentals on every sailors list. This package offers the perfect collaboration of choice from trimming tools to finishing options, allowing sailors to design their ideal sail knowing Precision Sails craftsmanship ensures perfection every step of the way.

Learn more about our Helmsman Package by submitting a quote request.

Block and Radial patching:

These corners have been designed to better distribute the load. Our unique radial corner design is stronger and more durable than the competition and prevents premature material failure.

And Many More

Precision Sails prides ourselves on building custom sails for your boat and sailing conditions. Our sails are fully customizable and we have many other sail enhancements and customization options for you to consider.

Thinking about getting new sails?

Start the conversation by scheduling an appointment with one of our sail consultants.

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Reefing: How, Why and When to Reef

When I was starting out sailing, “reefing” was one of those subjects that scared the hell out of me. First off, if you were reefing you were likely going to be in nasty weather.

Second, if you had to reef, it meant touching all sorts of things on the boat that I might not be able to put back when I was done. It all seemed a bit too technical and it was intimidating.

That was until I moved to the coast of East Carolina and to sail meant not only to reef, but reef regularly, if not every day.

In Long Island Sound we were lucky to even have wind, let alone a need to reef, but in East Carolina, the winds regularly blew 15 to 20 directly off the North Atlantic and would top out in the 30s almost daily.

Sailing, and more to the point, teaching sailing, became a challenge to say the least and to reef was not just an option, but a necessity.

So let’s clarify our terms on what it is to “reef” a boat and then we’ll discuss why it is so intimidating.

Table of contents

What is Reefing?

To “Reef” a sail means to shorten it. And really nothing more. It is the simple act of reducing sail area, so as to reduce the surface area and thereby reducing power. A sailboat is powered by the wind and when there is too much wind it is overpowered.

An over powered boat becomes difficult to steer, has excessive heel and can be quite scary.

With newbee sailors in my little hunter 26, an over powered boat taught the student very little.

The student would fight the helm incessantly and the boat would constantly round up or turn to wind with gusts of heavier breeze.

Thankfully the Hunter 26 is built for overweight adults so it doesn’t heel excessively, but in a heavy breeze, that little boat was no picnic.

On bigger boats like the Endeavour, a reefed main means a lower center of gravity in addition to reduced sail area.

That boat with a full keel and relatively light build danced on top the waves like a hobby horse.

On one run I made up Pamlico Sound to Ocracoke, I had my wife blowing chunks for six of the seven hours we were out there.

By lowering the center of gravity and depowering the boat, we had less force aloft pitching the boat side to side and fore and aft.

So now we know what reefing is: shortening sail to depower the boat and lower the center of gravity of the boat to make it more comfortable for the crew.

When should we reef?

If you think you need a reef and don’t already have one in, it's too late. Reef early and Reef often. Reef your boat at the dock or on the hook well before you ever head out. You don't want to be dancing on the fore deck with lines flying and sails dropping in 25 knots of breeze with a six foot chop. As with all things regarding water safety, if you think it might be dangerous, it is.

Reefing at the dock is actually harder than reefing a boat on a mooring.

On the dock your boat could be 350 other degrees than upwind.

On a mooring, odds are your boat is head to wind at all times and that is how your boat should be when you start to reef, head to wind.

How To Reef

With your boat head to wind, slack your main sheet and raise your main, all the way up. This will allow you to see the reefing points on your sail.

Many bigger boats have at least two sets of reefing points which includes corresponding tacks and clews. For these purposes however, let's just talk about using the first reef points.

About 4 feet up from the foot or bottom edge of the sail, you will see two or three or more holes sewn into the belly of the sail. These are your reef points.

Follow them fore and aft and note that there is another hole sewn into the leading edge of the sail that corresponds with these reefing points and that is your new tack or front corn of the sail.

There will be another on the aft edge of the sail or the leach of the sail which is where you will attach your outhaul making that the new clew or back corner of the sail.

I'm always a little scared that these points will fail in a heavy breeze, but engineers with much greater intelligence than me put them there, so I tell myself I am being ridiculous. But this where the failure will take place if and when it ever happens. And we’ll talk about that more in a few paragraphs. But for now have faith that the sail manufacturer knew what they were doing by putting these reef points in your sail.

Now that you have found your reef points take a reefing line or sail tie and feed it through the holes.

Some boats have what they call a jiffy reefing system and lines are pre-fed through these holes.

Other boats have lines permanently sewn into the sail.

But for clarity take a small line and stick it through the hole. Now you can lower your main four feet so that the reef points with the lines fed through are sitting on your boom.

This is where it can get very messy and can be very difficult.

A sticky mast track or a stiff halyard or block at the mast top can make lowering your main four feet nearly impossible.

If you have a friend or crew member, this job will be much easier, but all too often a sailor finds him or herself on deck alone, so we will assume you’re by your onesies.

With your main lowered a small fraction, cleat it off and attend to those reef lines.

Gather up the sail and as neatly as possible tie those lines around the bottom of the boom using a “reef” or “ square” knot.

If you have a hook on the front of your boom you can hook your new tack to it, or otherwise fasten your tack to the front of your boom, or “gooseneck” with whatever system you have.

Take the outhaul and tie it or fasten it to the new clew at the back of the boom and make all those attachments as tight as you can.

Once you're satisfied that your attachments will hold in heavy breeze, go back to your halyard and haul away.

You will note that your sail looks a bit smaller and perhaps even a bit awkward with all that extra fabric bunched up at the bottom and a bare pole at the top.

If your sail looks like a smooth airplane wing, rest assured you have done it correctly. It's the shape we are going for and there are no style points deducted for an ugly reef.

Functionality is key.

You're ready to hit the waves now.

There are no hard and fast rules about reefing. Every boat is different and every skipper has a different comfort level.

My rule is anything over 15 I would prefer to have a reef rather than not. But your boat might love a stiff breeze and only wake up at 20 so don’t go by my rules.

But listen to that little voice inside you that says, “it’d be a good idea to reef.”

When they start talking to you, it’s time to reef.

When Things Go Bad

Now let's talk about when things go bad. Sails rip, masts fold in half and lines break, It’s what they do and when the wind picks up, the chances of bad things happening increases exponentially.

That is why some skippers don’t ever reef, because they don’t want to be out there when the seas turn gloomy.

But if you have to go and you have to reef, there is always a chance that things could break.

Think about your mast like a soda straw.

When you hold it at the top and bottom, it is quite strong. But when you apply just a little pressure to the middle, it can fold in half easily.

That's the same thing as your 65 foot aluminum mast.

When you lower your main and reef your sail, you are changing the application of force on the mast.

Smart people took this into consideration when they designed your boat, but then again Mother Nature is a fickle sort and can do things those smart people never considered.

So it is always a risk that things can break when you decide to reef.

Know Your Boat’s System

And another point: know your boat. Practice reefing on a calm clear day when you have lots of time.

Your first time reefing your boat should not be at midnight 25 miles out to sea with a freshening easterly.

Know what reef systems your boat may have. Jiffy reefing systems, when they work, can be a great asset, but if they are rigged wrong, as they almost alway are, they can be a nightmare.

I have also seen reefing systems where they feed heavy monofilament up through the sail in lieu of reefing lines. It’s not my favorite design because again, it is never rigged correctly after the first day it is installed.

By learning the system you have on the hook with lots of light and little stress, you will have the skills you need to have when the need arises.

Roller furlers are also great, if they are rigged correctly. A simple pull of the roller furling line can shorten a jib or a main and reduce sail quite nicely.

But again, you're changing the angle of force on the stay or mast and when the wind blows harder things are easier to break.

I also have seen skippers confuse their halyards with in-mast roller furlers with cataclysmic results.

Taking the tension off the halyard allows the main to drop just enough to jam the head of the sail at the top of the mast. Then the sail will not go in or out and you are stuck with an overpowered main and no way to douse it without climbing the mast.

Not an enviable position.

Whatever reefing system you have and whether you are a fair weather sailor or a crusty old salt, reefing is a great tool to make an unsafe voyage safe and an uncomfortable crew comfortable on a windy day.

But when the wind abates and you're ready to shake out your reef, there are a few things you ought to do.

Bring your boat head to wind once again.

Untie all your reef lines and reattach your tack and clew to their normal positions.

You will likely have to lower your main a little to get these fastenings loose, but once the sail attachments have been returned to their full normal positioning, you can haul away on the main and feel the boat wake up once again, with a full throated breath of breeze.

The first time you shake out your reef, you will notice the advantage of a full sail and it will feel like you stepped out of a car after a long road trip, ready to stretch your legs and run.

Nothing beats the feeling when your boat wakes up and all the forces at play work together to make your sails sing and your hull hum.

And quite frankly, the sense of accomplishment and confidence you will have when you have navigated your vessel through your first heavy weather, successfully reefed sail and made it to the safe side of the storm to see the sun shine again, can not be overstated.

Good weather never makes a great sailor, so reef early, reef often and take the longest leg with confidence, knowing that you have the tools you need to get your boat home safely.

Capt Chris German

Capt Chris German is a life long sailor and licensed captain who has taught thousands to sail over the last 20 years. In 2007, he founded a US Sailing-based community sailing school in Bridgeport, CT for inner city youth and families. When Hurricane Sandy forced him to abandon those efforts, he moved to North Carolina where he set out to share this love for broadcasting and sailing with a growing web-based television audience through The Charted Life Television Network.

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How to Reef the Mainsail: A Step-by-Step Guide

by Emma Sullivan | Aug 4, 2023 | Sailing Adventures

== Short answer how to reef the mainsail: == Reefing the mainsail is a process of reducing its area to cope with strong winds. It involves lowering, securing, and re-hoisting a smaller portion of the sail. This is typically done by gathering excess fabric and fastening it to the boom or mast using reefing points or a reefing line. The exact method may vary depending on the specific boat and its rigging system .

Understanding the Basics: How to Reef the Mainsail Step by Step

Title: The Sailing Essentials Unveiled: An In-Depth Guide on Reefing the Mainsail, Guiding You Step by Step

Introduction: Whether a novice sailor or an experienced seafarer, understanding the fundamentals of reefing the mainsail is vital to ensure safe and successful sailing. This technique, reducing the sail area in high winds, helps maintain control and stability while powering through adverse weather conditions. In this comprehensive guide, we unveil the step-by-step process of reefing, empowering you with knowledge to master this important skill.

Step 1: Gauging the Need for Reefing The first step towards effectively reefing the mainsail requires assessing whether it is necessary depending on current wind conditions. As a rule of thumb, consider reefing when winds reach around 15 to 20 knots or if your boat feels overpowered and challenging to control. However, keep in mind that sea state and boat size can influence this decision as well.

Step 2: Understanding Your Sail Plan Before diving into reefing details, let’s familiarize ourselves with sail plan terminologies for a better grasp of our subject matter. The mainsail possesses crucial components including reef points and tack hooks. Reef points are small lines sewn into the mainsail to secure its rolled-up portion when reduced in size. Tack hooks are metal fasteners attached near the foot of the mast used to tie down clews during reefing.

Step 3: Preparing for Reefing To ensure smooth execution during adverse conditions at sea , there are several preparatory measures worth considering. Start by decreasing tension in halyards and vang (a rope controlling mainsail’s leech), as it eases stress once pressure transfers solely onto these components upon reducing sail size. Additionally, secure loose items on board to prevent accidental damage.

Step 4: Identifying Appropriate Timeframes Timing plays a pivotal role when reefing, and it’s essential to wait for a lull or relative calm in the weather. Attempting reefing during vigorous wind gusts can be dangerous and significantly hinder successful execution. Patience is key; keep a watchful eye on changing conditions before proceeding.

Step 5: Lowering the Headsail Reefing greatly relies on reducing sail area, so if you have a headsail deployed, take this step first. Lower the headsail completely to ease wind pressure as the mainsail reduction progresses. Be cautious during this process and ensure the sheets are properly secured to avoid any complications.

Step 6: Slowing Down Your Boat To reduce tension on the mainsail while preparing for reefing, shift your boat closer into the wind by turning either upwind or downwind slightly. This maneuver minimizes stress when taking actions involving unfurling lines and maneuvering around sails at heightened speeds . Keep adjusting until you find an optimal sail balance.

Step 7: Securing Reef Points Now comes the crux of reefing – securing the mainsail at designated points laid out by your sail plan’s reef points. Typically located towards mid-luff section of your mainsail, these points are connected with reef lines responsible for pulling down excess material once in use. Carefully thread these lines through designated cringles (small metal rings) while remaining mindful of potential entanglement risks on board.

Step 8: Reducing Sail Area With reef lines securely bar-tightened, start feeding them through their respective cleats located near your cockpit area. As you pull down each line, observe how gradually but surely your mainsail loses excess exposed area while retaining desired shape and functionality.

Step 9: Tidy Up Loose Ends Once you’ve successfully completed all reef point tie-downs and ensured a snug reduced configuration, tidy up loose ends by neatly stowing any leftover slack from the reef lines. This diligent step ensures unimpeded movement on deck and enhances overall safety.

Conclusion: Congratulations! Equipped with this detailed, witty, and clever understanding of the reefing process, you are now armed with the knowledge to handle reduced mainsail situations with finesse. By gauging the need for reefing, comprehending sail plan intricacies, and meticulously executing each step outlined in this guide, you can confidently navigate adverse weather conditions while ensuring smooth sailing experiences. May favorable winds always grace your seafaring adventures!

Common Questions Answered: Your How to Reef the Mainsail FAQ’s

When it comes to sailing, one crucial maneuver that every sailor needs to master is reefing the mainsail. Reefing refers to reducing the sail area in order to maintain control and balance in strong winds. It’s a technique that ensures safety and prevents potential damage to both the sail and the boat . However, even experienced sailors may have questions or uncertainties about how to properly reef the mainsail. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive FAQ guide, addressing common questions and providing professional tips and tricks.

Question 1: What exactly is reefing?

Reefing involves reducing the total area of your mainsail by either partially lowering or folding away a portion of it. This is typically done by attaching additional lines, known as reefing lines, to specific points on the sail . It allows you to adapt to changing wind conditions while maintaining control over your boat .

Question 2: When should I consider reefing?

Knowing when to reef is crucial for maintaining optimal performance and safety. As a general rule of thumb, if you find yourself straining at the helm or your boat starts heeling excessively, it’s time to consider reefing. Additionally, if winds exceed your comfort level or you are expecting increasing winds ahead, taking precautionary measures by reefing early can prevent potential problems later on.

Question 3: How do I properly set up my mainsail for reefing ?

Before attempting any maneuver on the water, make sure you familiarize yourself with your boat’s specific rigging setup and consult its user manual for instructions tailored to your vessel. In most cases, preparing your mainsail for reefing involves identifying designated attachment points (usually located near the luff and leech), securing appropriate length lines (reefing lines) onto these points, and running them back through specific blocks or pulleys towards your cockpit area.

Question 4: What steps should I follow when actually reeving my mainsail?

Reefing often requires the coordination of multiple crew members or efficient solo maneuvering. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Prepare your boat: Steer into the wind as closely as possible (heading upwind) to reduce pressure on the sail.

2. Release halyard tension: Ease off halyard tension to allow for easier attachment or detachment of reefing lines.

3. Attach reefing lines: Securely tie reefing lines to their designated points on the mainsail using appropriate knots, making sure there is enough tension without risking damage to the sail.

4. Lower the sail: Gradually lower the mainsail until it reaches the desired reefing point, carefully guiding it down using both hands and avoiding any snags or entanglements.

5. Securely fasten clew and tack: Once you’ve reached your desired reef point, secure both clew (the rear corner of the sail) and tack (lower front corner) using reef ties or hooks designed for this purpose.

6. Trim and hoist again: Lastly, trim the freshly reefed sail by adjusting its sheets accordingly and gradually hoist it back up while keeping an eye out for proper alignment and tension.

Question 5: Are there any specific tips for single-handed sailors?

Reefing alone can be challenging but is entirely achievable with practice and careful planning. Consider implementing these strategies:

– Practice beforehand in calm conditions until comfortable with all aspects of reefing. – Pre-mark your mainsail at predetermined intervals corresponding to various levels of reefs to facilitate quicker decision-making. – Utilize autopilot or self-steering devices to maintain control while taking care of multiple tasks simultaneously. – If conditions allow, heave-to (a sailing technique slowing down forward progress) before attempting any maneuvers, allowing more time to focus on handling sails.

In conclusion, mastering how to properly reef your mainsail is crucial knowledge for any sailor. By understanding the purpose, procedure, and best practices involved in reefing, you can ensure the safety of yourself, your crew, and your boat. Remember to always consider the specific characteristics of your boat when reefing and consult with experienced sailors or professionals if in doubt. Happy sailing!

Getting Started: A Simplified Guide on How to Reef the Main Sail

Introduction:

Reefing the main sail is an essential skill for any sailor. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to sailing, understanding how to safely reef the main sail can be a game-changer when it comes to maintaining control in strong winds. In this comprehensive guide, we will simplify the process of reefing the main sail , breaking it down into easy-to-follow steps and providing you with valuable tips along the way.

Step 1: Assess the Need for Reefing

Before diving into reefing, it’s crucial to assess whether it’s necessary. Keep an eye on wind speed and direction to determine if conditions warrant reducing sail area. If gusts are becoming increasingly powerful or your boat is heeling excessively, it’s time to think about reefing.

Step 2: Preparation

Once you’ve decided that reefing is required, take a moment to prepare yourself and your crew. Communication is key here – make sure everyone understands their respective roles and responsibilities during the process. Check that all necessary equipment is easily accessible and in good working condition; this includes reef lines, jiffy reefs (if applicable), and cleats.

Step 3: Head into the Wind

To safely reef the main sail, position your boat so that it heads directly into the wind. This maneuver allows for greater stability and ease while handling the sails .

Step 4: Ease Halyard Tension

Start by easing halyard tension gradually while holding onto both sides of the boom securely. The goal here is to lower the mainsail smoothly without any sudden drops or jerks.

Step 5: Secure Reef Cringle

Once enough tension has been released from the halyard, secure one of the reef cringles (small loops found on either side of your mainsail) with a sturdy line called a reef line or jackline. Ensure that this line passes through both cringles before tying off at an accessible cleat or winch.

Step 6: Tension the Halyard

With one reef cringle secured, start tensioning the main halyard again to create a smooth and wrinkle-free shape on your reduced sail . This step ensures efficient airflow and maintains optimal sailing performance even with a smaller sail area.

Step 7: Repeat for Second Reef Cringle (if applicable)

If conditions require further reduction, repeat steps 4-6 for the second reef cringle. This double-reef configuration provides an additional safety margin in extreme conditions.

Tips and Tricks:

1. Practice Makes Perfect: Smooth execution of reefing maneuvers takes practice. Familiarize yourself with the process during calm weather so that you can perform it confidently when things get rough.

2. Maintain Communication: Clear communication among crew members is crucial throughout the entire process. Ensure everyone is aware of each step and their roles to avoid confusion or mishaps.

3. Regular Inspection: Make it a habit to inspect your mainsail’s reefing gear before setting sail . Check for any signs of wear or damage that might compromise its functionality.

4. Optimal Timing: Don’t wait until winds become dangerously strong before deciding to reef. Reefing early ensures better control over your boat , allowing you to enjoy sailing while maintaining safety.

Conclusion:

Reefing the main sail may appear challenging at first, but by breaking down the process into manageable steps, anyone can master this vital skill. Remember to assess when reefing is necessary, prepare yourself beforehand, position your boat correctly, secure the reef cringles, maintain proper tension on the halyard, and repeat if needed. By following these guidelines and taking note of our tips and tricks, you’ll feel confident in safely handling your main sails regardless of weather conditions – ensuring enjoyable and secure sailing adventures!

Mastering the Technique: Expert Tips and Tricks for Reefing the Mainsail

In the exhilarating world of sailing, there is one crucial technique that every sailor must master: reefing the mainsail. Reefing refers to reducing the sail area to manage strong winds, ensuring optimal safety and control while out on the open water . For novice sailors, this may seem like a daunting task, but fear not! We have compiled a handy guide filled with expert tips and tricks that will turn you into a reefing aficionado in no time.

First and foremost, understanding when to reef is pivotal. As a general rule of thumb, if you find yourself heeling excessively or struggling to maintain control due to overpowering winds, it’s time to reef. However, keep in mind that different boats and sailors have varying comfort levels, so don’t be afraid to reef earlier than others if you feel uncomfortable or uncertain.

When it comes to actually executing the reefing process, preparation is key. Before heading out onto the water, familiarize yourself with your boat’s specific rigging setup. This includes identifying your reefs and their corresponding lines or straps. A well-prepared sailor should be able to locate these quickly and efficiently when needed.

Once you’re ready for action, start by easing tension on halyards and topping lifts before attempting to reef. This reduces strain on your equipment and makes it easier to lower the sail smoothly . Next up is securing the luff (front) of the sail. Using leech (rear) lines or reefing hooks provided by some modern sail designs, gather excess material towards the boom end by pulling horizontally towards you.

Remember that teamwork makes dream work – especially in challenging situations like reefing during strong winds. Communication between skipper and crew members is essential for a smooth operation. Establish clear signals or commands ahead of time so everyone knows their role when it’s time to drop anchor…no wait – drop sails!

Now let’s dive into some clever tricks that can enhance your reefing technique. One such trick is the “Jiffy Reefing” method, a popular choice among experienced sailors . This ingenious system incorporates small reefing lines and rings that make it effortless to quickly reduce sail area in increments. By using this tactic, you can gradually adapt to changing wind conditions without having to go through the entire reefing process at once.

Another nifty hack involves utilizing a “reef point pinger.” This smart little device emits an audible sound when your sail is properly secured into the reef cringle – ensuring accuracy and reducing chances of error. Don’t be surprised if fellow sailors start wondering how you effortlessly nail your reefs every time!

Last but certainly not least, always remember that practice makes perfect! Head out on the water regularly to fine-tune your skills and develop muscle memory in reefing maneuvers. Experiment with different techniques, adjust for various wind strengths, and don’t shy away from seeking advice or feedback from seasoned sailors.

So there you have it – a comprehensive guide on mastering the technique of reefing the mainsail. With these expert tips and tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be prepared to tackle any gusts that come your way while maintaining control and safety on the high seas. Happy sailing!

Safety First: Essential Considerations When Learning How to Reef the Mainsail

Safety on the water should always be at the forefront of any sailor’s mind. Whether you are a seasoned sailor or just starting your sailing journey, it is crucial to understand the importance of reefing the mainsail safely. Reefing refers to reducing the sail area to maintain control and stability in windy conditions. While this skill is vital for any sailor, learning how to reef the mainsail requires careful attention and consideration to ensure everyone’s safety on board.

One of the first things to consider when learning how to reef the mainsail is knowing when it’s time to do so. It’s essential to gauge weather conditions accurately and have a solid understanding of your boat’s capabilities. Wind can be unpredictable, and sudden gusts can turn a pleasant sailing trip into a dangerous situation if not properly prepared. Therefore, keeping an eye on wind speed through reliable weather forecasts or using onboard instruments is crucial.

Once you determine that it’s time to reef, the next step is selecting which reefs will be necessary. Most modern boats offer multiple options for reef points – positions along the luff of the mainsail where additional lines can be attached to reduce its size. Choosing which reefs to use depends on multiple factors such as wind strength, boat type , crew size, and experience level.

Before attempting to reef, make sure you are familiar with your boat’s rigging setup especially precise points where lines need attachment during this process. This knowledge helps prevent confusion or mistakes while executing this maneuver, ensuring a smooth operation even in more challenging situations.

Now comes one of the most critical considerations: crew communication and coordination. A clear plan needs to be established before initiating the reefing process – every member onboard should know their respective roles during this procedure thoroughly. Assign tasks such as helm control, managing halyards and sheets, releasing tension from battens (if applicable), and controlling mast furling mechanisms (for furling main systems) efficiently distributed among the crew.

While executing the reefing process, it is crucial to pause and reflect on safety precautions. A common danger during the process of reefing is getting tangled in lines or sails; thus, wearing appropriate safety gear such as harnesses and life jackets is essential. It’s also essential to stay vigilant about keeping the cockpit tidy and free of loose ropes or clutter that could cause accidents or entanglements.

Furthermore, remain attentive to potential hazards above deck. Pay close attention to any overhead obstructions like lazy jacks or bimini tops that may interfere with proper sail handling . Taking note of these potential obstacles beforehand can save you from unnecessary complications when attempting to reef.

Finally, practicing reefing techniques in calm weather conditions before venturing into more challenging situations is highly advisable. Repetition builds confidence and muscle memory among the crew, making this critical procedure feel more routine when sailing in inclement weather .

In summary, learning how to reef the mainsail requires a meticulous approach centered around safety first. Understanding weather conditions, determining when it’s time to reef, selecting appropriate reefs based on various factors, knowing your boat’s rigging setup inside-out, establishing clear crew communication protocols, and using safety gear are all crucial aspects to consider before embarking on a sailing trip. With careful planning and practice, you’ll be well-prepared to handle any situation that arises while safeguarding yourself and your fellow crew members at all times.

Troubleshooting and Solutions: Overcoming Challenges While Reefing the Mainsail

Reefing the mainsail can be both a thrilling and nerve-wracking experience for every sailor out there. As you navigate through unpredictable winds and challenging weather conditions, it’s not uncommon to encounter various obstacles that may require quick thinking and problem-solving skills. In this blog post, we will delve into some common challenges faced while reefing the mainsail and explore clever solutions to overcome them with ease.

Challenge 1: Strong Winds Causing Difficulty in Controlling the Sail

Sailing enthusiasts often find themselves struggling to maintain control over the mainsail when strong gusts start hitting their vessel. The excessive force of the wind can lead to overpowered sails, causing difficulties in steering and maneuvering properly.

Solution: The key lies in proper sail trim. By easing out the main halyard slightly and tightening the boom vang, you can flatten the sail’s shape effectively, reducing its power without sacrificing too much speed or stability. Additionally, adjusting your sheet tension accordingly will help you regain control by depowering the sail .

Challenge 2: Getting Stuck with Jammed Slides While Lowering or Raising the Sail

Jammed slides on mast-track systems are a widespread issue encountered during reefing maneuvers. These frustrating obstacles can significantly slow down your progress or even prevent you from safely deploying or stowing your mainsail.

Solution: A simple yet effective solution is lubricating your mast track system with silicone spray or dry lubricants before setting off on any sailing adventures . Regular maintenance like cleaning debris or sand from individual slides is also imperative for smooth operation. Furthermore, inspecting your sail’s cars and attaching points can help identify any damaged components that may be hindering their movement.

Challenge 3: Difficulty in Finding Appropriate Reef Points

Deciding when and how much to reef requires careful consideration under ever-changing conditions. Making this judgment call accurately ensures optimum sail control while avoiding potential damage due to excessive strain on the rigging.

Solution: A smart practice is to mark your sail with reef points in advance, enabling effortless and quick identification when it’s time to reef. Using grommets or webbing loops strategically placed along the luff and foot of the mainsail will provide clear reference points for reducing sail area. Additionally, investing in a well-designed reefing system that allows for easy adjustment can enhance your ability to make timely decisions in challenging situations.

Challenge 4: Tangled or Misaligned Reefing Lines

Tangled or misaligned reefing lines can be a frustrating setback while attempting to quickly secure your reefed mainsail. The confusion caused by these entanglements may result in prolonged exposure to adverse conditions, compromising safety.

Solution: Regular maintenance and organization of your reefing lines are essential. Ensuring proper alignment and untangling any knots beforehand will save you precious time when under pressure. Furthermore, consider using color-coded or labeled lines to distinguish between different reefs – an ingenious technique that eliminates confusion during hurried moments.

By understanding these common challenges and equipping yourself with clever solutions, you’ll become a more confident sailor capable of overcoming obstacles encountered while reefing the mainsail. Remember, sailing is an ever-evolving journey that demands adaptability and active problem-solving skills. Embrace the thrill of troubleshooting, as it further enhances your expertise on the water!

Reefing a Sail: A Comprehensive Guide

Reefing a sail is a critical skill every sailor should master, ensuring your boat’s safety, stability, and performance in various weather conditions. In this article, we’ll delve into the factors to consider before reefing, different types of reefing systems, step-by-step guides for reefing both mainsails and headsails and best practices to ensure a smooth and efficient reefing process. By understanding and mastering the art of reefing, you’ll be well-prepared to handle various sailing situations, enhancing your overall sailing experience.

Key Takeaways

Reefing is an essential sailing skill that helps maintain stability, balance, and control of the boat in various weather conditions.
Different types of reefing systems cater to different needs and preferences, so choose the one that best suits your boat and sailing style.
Recognize the signs of overpowered sails and act promptly to reef, ensuring a smoother and safer sailing experience.
Practice reefing in different conditions to build confidence, competence, and familiarity with your boat's reefing setup.
Maintain proper sail shape after reefing for optimal performance and control, and conduct regular inspections and maintenance to ensure your reefing system's reliability.

What is reefing a sail?

Reefing is the process of reducing a sail’s area to decrease the force of the wind on the boat, thus improving stability and control. This is achieved by folding or rolling a part of the sail, securing it with reef lines or other mechanisms, and adjusting the remaining sail to maintain optimal sail shape . Reefing is an essential skill for sailors, as it ensures the safety and performance of the boat in various weather conditions.

Importance of reefing in sailing

Reefing plays a critical role in sailing for several reasons. First and foremost, it helps maintain stability and balance, preventing excessive heeling (leaning) and ensuring a smoother, safer ride. By reducing the amount of sail, reefing also lowers the risk of damaging the sails, the rigging, or even capsizing the sailboat.

Moreover, reefing allows sailors to adapt to changing weather conditions, such as increased wind speeds or unpredictable gusts. Mastering the art of reefing is essential for long-distance cruising, racing, and even casual sailing, enabling you to sail efficiently and safely in various situations.

Factors to consider before reefing

Identifying weather conditions that necessitate reefing.

Wind speed thresholds : It’s essential to understand your boat’s capabilities and limitations regarding wind speed. Generally, reefing is recommended when wind speeds exceed 15-20 knots, but this can vary depending on your boat’s design and sail configuration. Pay attention to how your boat handles different wind conditions and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Sea state : The size and frequency of waves can also impact the need for reefing. In rough seas, reducing sail area can help maintain control and stability, making it easier to navigate through waves. Keep an eye on the sea state and consider reefing when the waves become challenging to manage.
Gale conditions : When gale-force winds (34-40 knots) or higher are forecasted, it’s essential to take extra precautions and reef your sails accordingly. In these situations, reducing the sail area is crucial to maintaining control of the boat and ensuring the crew’s safety.

Boat and sail characteristics

Sail type and material : The sail’s design and material can impact the need for reefing. Heavier sailcloth and those with a more aggressive cut may require more frequent reefing, while lighter ones with a more conservative design may be able to handle higher wind speeds without issue.
Boat size and design : The size of your boat and its design will also affect your reefing strategy. Smaller boats may need to reef earlier than larger boats, as they can be more easily overpowered by wind. The hull shape, keel design, and rigging configuration can also impact performance in various wind conditions, so it’s essential to understand your boat’s characteristics.

Recognizing signs of overpowered sails

Excessive heeling : If your boat is leaning excessively to one side (heeling), this can be a sign that your sails are overpowered, and it’s time to reef. Excessive amounts can lead to losing control, decreased speed, and increased risk of capsizing.
Difficult steering : When it becomes challenging to maintain a straight course or make necessary maneuvers, this could be a sign that your sails are overpowered. Reefing can help improve steering control and overall handling.
Sail fluttering or flogging : If your sails are fluttering or flogging (flapping violently), this can be a sign that they are overpowered and unable to maintain proper shape. Reefing can help to reduce sail area and restore proper shape, improving performance and reducing the risk of damage to the sail.

Types of reefing systems

Slab reefing

Also known as single-line or jiffy reefing, this is the most traditional and straightforward reefing system. The technique involves lowering the mainsail by a predetermined amount and securing it to the boom with reefing lines, creating a smaller sail area.

Advantages: Slab reefing is time-tested and reliable, offering a simple and effective way to reduce sail area. It typically has fewer mechanical components, which makes it easier to maintain and repair. It also allows for more precise control of the shape after reefing.
Disadvantages: Slab reefing can be labor-intensive, particularly on larger boats. It often requires manual adjustments to the sail, which can be challenging and time-consuming in rough weather conditions.

In-mast furling

This more modern reefing setup involves rolling the mainsail around a drum inside the mast. This allows you to reef by pulling on a line, reducing the sail area without securing the sail to the boom .

Advantages: It offers a quick and convenient way to reef, particularly on larger boats. It can be operated from the safety of the cockpit, reducing the need for crew members to go on deck in rough conditions. In-mast systems also streamline the sail’s appearance, as the excess sail material is hidden within the mast.
Disadvantages: They can be more complex and expensive than other systems. Additionally, they may have more moving parts, increasing the potential for malfunctions and maintenance requirements. Some sailors also find that they can negatively impact sail shape and performance.

In-boom furling

This allows you to roll the mainsail around a drum inside the boom. Like in-mast, this enables you to reduce sail area by pulling on a line.

Advantages: In-boom offers a sleek and tidy appearance since the excess sail material is concealed within the boom. This system provides quick and easy reefing from the cockpit, improving safety and convenience during the reefing process. In-boom also allows for better control over shape than in-mast versions.
Disadvantages: They are more expensive and complex than other reefing options. They have more moving parts, leading to increased maintenance and the potential for malfunctions. Additionally, the added weight in the boom can affect handling and performance.

Headsail reefing systems

Roller furling: This is a popular option for headsails, such as jibs and genoas. It involves rolling the sail around a drum at the base of the forestay. This allows you to quickly and easily reduce the sail area by pulling on a line without removing or replacing the sail.
Hanked-on headsails: These are a more traditional option that involves attaching the sail to the forestay using hanks or clips. To reduce sail area, you must lower the headsail and replace it with a smaller sail, such as a storm jib. This system is less convenient than roller furling but can provide better sail shape and performance.

How to Reef a Sail

Preparation.

Safety considerations: Before attempting to reef, ensure that all crew members wear appropriate safety gear, such as life jackets and harnesses, if necessary. Double-check that all lines are securely fastened and that no loose objects on deck may pose a hazard.
Crew communication: Ensure all crew members understand their roles and responsibilities. Establish a set of standard commands or signals for various steps so everyone is on the same page.
Sailing position (leeward, upwind, point of sail ) : Choose the most suitable position for reefing, depending on the conditions and the type of system used. Typically, reefing is done while sailing upwind or on close reach to maintain control of the boat and minimize heeling.
Cockpit organization: Organize the cockpit area by ensuring all necessary lines, winches, and cleats are readily accessible and free from tangles or snags. This will make the reefing process more efficient and reduce the risk of accidents or damage to the boat.

Step-by-step guide – Reefing the mainsail

Ease the mainsheet to release the tension on the sail and reduce heeling.
Lower the main halyard to the desired reef point, taking up slack on the reefing line as the sail descends.
Secure the new tack (front corner) of the sail with a tack hook, reefing hook, or by tying it to the boom using a reef knot.
Pull the reefing line tight and secure it to a cleat, ensuring the sail’s new clew (back corner) is snug against the boom.
Retighten the main halyard and adjust the outhaul to maintain proper shape.
Re-trim the mainsheet and resume sailing.

In-mast furling:

Ease the mainsheet and head up into the wind to reduce tension on the sail.
Release the main halyard while simultaneously pulling on the furling line, rotating the mast, and rolling the sail into the mast.
Stop furling when the desired amount of sail is rolled up, and re-tighten the main halyard.

In-boom furling:

Ease the mainsheet and head up into the wind to reduce pressure on the sail.
Release the main halyard while simultaneously pulling on the furling line, rolling the sail around the boom.
Stop furling when the desired sail is rolled up, and secure the main halyard.

Step-by-step guide for reefing the headsail

Roller furling:

Ease the headsail sheet to reduce tension on the sail.
Pull on the furling line while releasing the headsail sheet, rolling the sail around the forestay.
Stop furling when the desired amount of sail is rolled up, and secure the furling line.
Re-trim the sheet and resume sailing.

Hanked-on headsails:

Lower the headsail, secure it to the deck, or stow it below.
Hoist the smaller, reefed headsail, ensuring all hanks are properly attached to the forestay.
Trim the new headsail and resume sailing.

De-reefing or shaking out a reef

To de-reef or shake out a reef, reverse the process for the specific method. Communicate your intentions to the crew and ensure everyone is prepared for the changes.

Crew roles and responsibilities

Assign specific tasks to each crew member during the reefing process, such as handling the halyards, lines, or winches. This ensures a smooth and efficient reefing experience, minimizing confusion and the risk of accidents. Practice these roles in various conditions to build confidence and competence.

Reefing Tips and Best Practices

One of the most important tips regarding reefing is to do it early. Waiting too long to reef can be challenging and potentially dangerous. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and observe changes in wind speed and sea conditions. Always try to anticipate the need for reefing and act accordingly. Remember, it’s easier and safer to shake out a reef later if it wasn’t necessary than to struggle with an overpowered sail in worsening conditions.

Sail Balance

Achieving proper sail balance is crucial for maintaining control and stability while sailing. When reefing, ensure that the reduction in the sail is proportionate between the mainsail and headsail. This will help maintain a balanced helm and prevent excessive weather helm or lee helm , which could make steering difficult and reduce performance.

Practice Reefing in Various Conditions

To become proficient in reefing, practicing in different conditions is essential. Begin by practicing in light winds and calm seas, then gradually progress to more challenging conditions. This will help build your confidence and skill set, ensuring you are prepared when it matters most.

Regular Maintenance and Inspection

Properly maintaining and inspecting your reefing setup is vital to ensure its reliability and performance. Regularly check all components, such as lines, hardware, and sail attachment points, for signs of wear and tear or damage. Replace worn or damaged parts as necessary to prevent potential failures while underway.

Importance of Maintaining Sail Shape after Reefing

When reefing, it’s crucial to maintain a good shape to ensure performance and control. A poorly shaped reefed sail can lead to excessive heel, poor pointing ability, and increased wear on the sail. Ensure that the sail is properly tensioned along the luff and leech, and adjust the outhaul and vang as needed to maintain a smooth and efficient sail profile.

Troubleshooting common reefing issues

Jammed reefing lines.

One common issue is jammed reefing lines. This can occur for various reasons, such as knots, twists, or tangled lines. To prevent this issue, regularly inspect your reefing lines for wear and tear, and replace them as needed. Keep the lines organized and neatly coiled when not in use. If a jam occurs during reefing, carefully assess the situation and gently work to free the line without applying excessive force, which may cause further damage.

Tangled sail material

Tangled sail material can hinder the reefing process and, in some cases, can lead to sail damage if not addressed. Ensure the sail is properly folded and stowed when not used to avoid tangles. When reefing, ensure the sail is evenly tensioned and avoid pulling the reefing lines too tight or too quickly. If you notice any tangled sail material, pause and carefully untangle it before proceeding.

Sail damage and repair

Sail damage can occur due to various factors such as age, wear and tear, or incorrect reefing techniques. Inspect for signs of damage, such as frayed stitching, tears, or worn areas, and address any issues promptly. If sail damage occurs during reefing, it’s essential to assess the extent of the damage and determine whether it’s safe to continue sailing or if immediate repair is necessary. Sometimes, temporary sail repair kits can be used for minor repairs while at sea, but professional sail repair services should be sought for more extensive damage.

Final Thoughts

Reefing a sail is an essential skill for any sailor, and understanding the intricacies of the process will significantly enhance your safety and performance on the water. By recognizing when to reef, choosing the appropriate reefing setup, and mastering the techniques, you’ll be better prepared to tackle changing weather conditions and maintain control over your vessel.

Remember to practice reefing in various conditions, maintain your equipment, and prioritize safety during the reefing process. With knowledge, practice, and experience, you’ll be well-equipped to handle any challenges the sea may throw.

Reefing is recommended when wind speeds exceed 15-20 knots , but this can vary depending on your boat’s design and sail configuration. Also, consider reefing in rough seas or when gale-force winds are forecasted.

Signs of overpowered sails include excessive heeling, difficult steering, and sail fluttering or flogging. If you notice any of these signs, it may be time to reef your sails.

The main types of reefing systems are slab reefing, in-mast furling, in-boom furling, roller furling, and hanked-on headsails. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages, so choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.

Ensure that the sail is properly tensioned along the luff and leech, and adjust the outhaul and vang as needed to maintain a smooth and efficient sail profile.

Some best practices include reefing early, maintaining sail balance, practicing in various conditions, conducting regular maintenance and inspection, and prioritizing safety during the reefing process.

Boat Transom: A Comprehensive Guide

Whisker pole sailing rig: techniques and tips, related posts, sail trim: speed, stability, and performance, storm sails: heavy weather sailing.

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How To Reef Your Sails (Mainsail, Jib, Furling, Loose)

Learning to reef your sails is a critical skill for on the water safety and enjoyable sailing. When the wind picks up, you want to know the best way to keep your boat under control, and reefing is your first response to building breeze.

What is reefing your sails? Reefing is reducing sail area in the sail without removing or dousing the sails. Depending on your boat, you can reef sails by partially furling them, or the halyard and tying them off. With reefed sails, your boat will be easier to handle in heavier weather.

Because we had furling main and headsails, reefing was quick and easy for us so we reefed early. After all, you can always shake out the reef if conditions don't continue to deteriorate. You can't really reef too early. If you are uncomfortable with what you see happening on the water, reef the sails.

Reefing early when you're learning is smart because it takes time, especially if you have to leave the cockpit to do it. While you work, the wind may continue to build as conditions deteriorate, so the longer you wait the harder it may be to reef. You'll get faster as you do it more often, but when you're learning it's better to get an early start.

Specific signs that it may be time to reef:

Sustained increase in wind speed, especially with large, powerful gusts.
Out of control feeling to the boat that you can't ease by de-powering the sails.
Storm/dark clouds on the horizon, especially in the direction you're sailing.
Building wind-lashed waves and chop

Situational awareness when you are sailing into big breeze is critical. You don't want heavy wind to sneak up on you.

A reefed boat will sail well with a balanced helm, so get in the habit of reefing when you feel you're fighting the boat and the wind. Once you've mastered the skill you'll know when it's time, and you'll know when it's faster and more in control to reduce sail.

The aim of reefing is to reduce the sail area that you expose to the wind. This lowers the forces on the boat, reduces heeling, and restores control to the helm and sail controls in overpowering conditions. You are reefing so you can keep sailing, but with more control and less power in the rig.

One downside to this is that you often lose some sail shape. Sails are cut to be flown full, but shortening sail can impact the efficiency. When you need to reef there's usually enough wind to keep the boat moving, even with a suboptimal shape that's harder to trim. The major performance impact is on upwind sailing. Without that nice headsail shape, you may not point as high.

You'll often find that sailing reefed is as fast as sailing with all your sails out, because the boat is in control and spends less time with the rail buried, rounding up, and sailing all over as you fight the rudder to keep the boat straight. And you'll be more comfortable.

To reduce your main, you either furl it in if you can, or you drop the halyard to a set point and tie the main off on the boom with sail ties and reefing lines. The specifics vary with your rig, your equipment, and your boat and how you've set things up beforehand.

Reefing the main sail with jiffy or slab system

For boats without furling or sail handling systems, jiffy or slab reefing is the most common and easiest main reefing. You will need to leave the cockpit and work on deck to use most of these setups.

Your sails will have one or more reef points on them. Each reef point is a row of holes with grommets (called cringles ) through the sails and parallel to the foot, with a larger hole on the luff and leach of the sail. Many boats will have a reef hook , a metal hook with the end facing the deck, on the boom or near the gooseneck. Reef lines are rigged through the large cringles on the leech and tie to the boom, with one line per leech cringle. Some sails may have tie-down lines at the cringles, but this is less common on newer sails since they add weight and drag. For most sails, you will also need sail ties - short lengths of line or web meshing - for each cringle between the leech and luff.

The basic process for most mainsails follows these steps. Follow this for any reef point on the sail.

Sail upwind to center the main and take the load off. You can work with the main to the side, but it's more difficult.
Snug up the topping lift (if needed) to keep the end of the boom from dropping.
Ease the mainsheet and vang a little.
Ease the main halyard until it's far enough to attach the luff cringle to the reefing hook (if there is one) or until it's at the boom if you need to tie it.
Hook the luff cringle to the reefing hook, or tie it firmly to the boom with a sail tie.
Pull the matching reef line down until the leech cringle is tight to the boom and tie it off.
Gather the body of the sail into folds.
Put a sail tie through each sail body cringle and around the boom and tie them off so the sail is tight against the boom.
Snug the main halyard to add appropriate luff tension, ease the topping lift, and trim the vang.

The sail is now reefed, and you can sail normally and trim it again.

To "shake out the reefs" or unreef the sail, reverse the process. Ease the halyard, undo the ties, ease the reef line, undo the reef hook, and hoist the main halyard back up.

Reefing an in-mast furling main sail

In mast furling has a lot fewer steps, since you're just putting the main partially away. It’s like fully dousing the sail, but you only go partway and stop.

Most in mast furling systems have a way they like to be put away to avoid jams going in and out, and it's important that you keep this in mind when you reef. Our furler liked the boom centered and parallel to the deck, and a little tension on it as we furled. If we reefed with the boom way out over the side on a broad reach, we were taking our chances if we didn't shake the reefing out before we furled fully. We also eased the backstay before furling in or out normally, which isn't practical when the wind is hooting up.

As a good rule of thumb, always take the reef out of your main and stow it normally after you reef . Don't just keep furling the sail in if you've reefed with a different boom and sheet tension than usual, as you may end up jamming your sail.

So keep in mind how your furler works and what you need to do for smooth furling, and don't violate those guidelines as you do these steps.

Head upwind to take tension off the main.
Center the boom as much as is practical.
Ease the outhaul as you furl the sail to reduce sail area. You may have to get a little ahead with the outhaul as you ease.
Trim the outhaul properly after you finish furling.

That's all there is to it. To unreef, just ease the sail back out all the way while unfurling. If possible, do this without changing sheet or vang tension from when you reefed in, just to be sure the sail doesn't bind.

Reefing a boom-furling main sail

When boom furling, you'll need to ease the halyard as you furl the sail to the reefed position. Because the sail furls on the boom, the foot stays taught just like a slab reefed sail, but you don't need any lines to hold it.

Like main furling, if there are any specific steps you need to take like setting the boom height or position on the boat, take care to do as much of this as possible when you reef.

Different boom furling systems have different tolerances for furling and reefing at different wind angles. Some furlers do not work will furling off the wind, while others are fine on almost any point of sail. Consult your manual for your model boom furler for directions about furling and unfurling on different points of sail, and follow them when reefing.

Head upwind to take tension off the main halyard.
Ease the halyard to the desired height while furling the sail.
Check halyard tension in case you got ahead furling.

Just raise the sail again to shake out the reef when the wind drops.

Headsail reefing is easier with roller furling, but hank on sails have a few challenges if they aren't set up for reefing.

Reefing a furling headsail

Like furling mainsails, reefing a furling headsail is just putting the sail partially away. Sine the sail isn't attached to the boom, it’s even easier. All you have to change are the jib cars.

To reef a furling headsail:

Head upwind to take load off the sail.
Furl the sail partway to the reefing point.
Adjust jib cars forward for new sail length.

Removing the reef is just unfurling the sail and moving the jib cars back.

Reefing the headsail with hank-on sails

Most sailors with hank-on sails "reef" by swapping the headsail out for a smaller sail. But if a hank-on headsail has reef points, it may be less work to reef it then douse and bend on a new sail.

A jib rigged for reefing will have a cringle on the luff to attach near the deck, and a cringle at the leech for a second attachment point for the sheets. Note that most hanks are not strong enough to handle the load as the tack attachment point on the sail. You want a dedicated cringle with a sturdy grommet to attach the new tack point while reefed.

To reef a jib with a hank-on headstay:

Ease the jib halyard so the cringle in the reef point is near the deck.
Attach the luff cringle to the reef hook or tie it to the base of the forestay.
Move the sheets from the normal clew and tie them to the leech cringle, or use a second set of sheets if you have them.
Bunch up the sail under the reefed areas as you can and tie with sail ties or bungees so it doesn't flap.
Re-tension the halyard to the new position and trim the sail.

As you can see, there's going to be extra sail on the deck, which isn't as easy to contain without a boom to tie it to, and moving the sheet takes more work than main reefing.

With no preparation, boats without furling systems cannot reef those sails at all. And if you have everything you need, if you don't prepare it in advance, reefing will be much more work.

Adding foam strips to furling sails

Furling headsails lose shape and get baggy when reefed, but a sail with foam strips to stiffen the luff keeps its shape better. It won't be perfect, but it will reef in a better shape with the support.

Getting hank on and track sails

For non-furling sails you will need:

Reef points on the sails.
Reef lines.
A reefing hook is best, but you can tie the sail.

In addition, you'll need to run the reefing lines through the sail before you can reef. Where the reefing line runs to on your boat varies, but the far end of each line must go through the leech cringle for that reef point then down to the boom, where it ties with a bowline around the boom or to an installed block or ring.

Most sailors don't leave reefing lines rigged because they flop around and add drag to the sails. They aren't used often in fair weather sailing and many just don't go out when a big breeze is expected. But if there is wind in the forecast, take the time to rig one or more reef points so you don't have to do it in building seas and heavy wind.

Mark your main halyard for each reef point to save time and make it easier when you're dropping the halyard. Iit will get you close enough to get the job done before you do the final trim. Use a sharpie or put a few stitches of high visibility thread in the cover at each point.

Reefing sails is the same on monohulls and catamarans, as it's the sail and rig you're worried about and the hulls have little to do with it. But other rigs and configurations beyond a sloop rig may require different or extra steps.

How you can reef when solo sailing

Reefing takes a lot of steps, and it's not always easy to do with one hand. Sailing by yourself, there won't be anyone to hold the wheel or ease lines as you haul others and tie things off.

For furling systems, the easiest way to reef with one hand (or person) is to do it step wise. As you head upwind, wase the outhaul (main) or sheet (headsail) a little, pull in the furler. Ease again, pull in again, until your sail is reefed where you want it. You can use the autopilot or your other hand to keep you on course.

For non-furling sails, single-line reefing systems can simplify the operation, as does running your reef lines, halyards, and topping lift to where you can reach them from all one place or with minimal movement.

Bring a single-line reefing kit

A single-line reefing system is a kit you install with several blocks and lines on the boom and mast to pull the tack and clew of a sail down together. It gets you out of hooking the luff cringle onto the reefing hook, since it pulls the luff down with the leech. If you need to tie down the middle of the sail, you still will need to move forward, but with the right setup, you can reef from the cockpit. It is more complex to install, but can be faster to use.

Yachting Monthly

Digital edition

Essential reefing tips for cruisers

Chris Beeson
December 1, 2015

Reefing: how, when and why do we do it? The answers may not be as straightforward as you think, says James Jermain

Reefing need not be onerous and doing it well makes an amazing difference to the way your boat handles strong winds Credit: Graham Snook/YM

James jermain, boat test guru and former editor of YM, has sailed hundreds of yachts all over the world

Why do we reef? Simple. We reef when conditions are such that to do otherwise would risk blowing out the sails, bringing down the mast – or driving the boat under.

But stop there and you’ll have only half-answered the question. You will have missed out the most important factor – the crew. You may well also be guilty of not understanding your boat and the way she behaves. Most boats, particularly modern boats, share with their crews a liking for sailing upright, under good control and comfortably.

With too much sail up, the mainsheet trimmer will be worn out working the traveller – and one lurch away from a fall across the cockpit

In short, thrashing to windward at 30 degrees, tiller under chin, main flogging and spray sweeping the cockpit, may be exhilarating and macho for a short time, but your crew will quickly lose the will to sail with you ever again. You will also be shortening the life of your gear and, you may be surprised to see, the nicely snugged-down boat that was somewhere over your leeward quarter is now stretching away on your weather bow.

Newcomers to sailing often take a while to shake off the notion that the stronger the wind and the bigger the sails, the faster you can get the boat to go. But that’s definitley not the case.

Take a moment to consider the shape of your boat underwater when she’s sailing on a more or less even keel – she has nicely flowing curves, well balanced on both sides. The rig is standing over the boat with the centre of effort driving forward more or less along the centreline and over the bow.

Upright, water flows evenly around the hull. When heeled the water flows very differently, encouraging her to round up

Now picture the boat heeled to 30°. On one side the waterline is a sharp curve, the other almost straight. The hull is trying to hook up to windward and to compensate you have to pull the rudder hard over across the water flow, where it acts more as a brake than a steering foil. The keel is no longer as deep, has less grip on the water and its centre of resistance (drag) is to windward of the centreline.

Heeling increases weather helm due to different waterline profiles (see above) and the turning moment that results from the separation of the Centre of Effort and Centre of Drag. Reefing reduces heel, bringing them closer, so reducing weather helm and improving waterline profile

Meanwhile the rig is well over to the lee side. The centre of effort is somewhere over the sea to leeward and is also dragging the boat round into the wind. You are having to stall the main and lose drive just to keep the boat under control. You are going slowly, sailing further in a series of curves, and leeway is carrying you off your course.

And we haven’t even started to consider the lot of the poor crew hanging on by their fingertips, wet, tired and considerably below mental and physical par.

So the answer to ‘Why do we reef?’ on a cruising boat is to:

Preserve and protect the crew
Preserve and protect the boat and equipment
Sail faster and more efficiently

When to reef?

Few people relish crew work in lively conditions. Reef early and there’ll be no complaints

An old adage states that: ‘The time to reef is when you first think of it.’ And it’s true. In a cruising context, you will seldom regret reefing early and you will almost always regret reefing late. In practice choosing the right moment to reduce sail is a matter of knowing and understanding your boat, your crew and the conditions – in other words it’s ‘experience’. However, here are some reasonably reliable guidelines for a typical modern, medium-sized cruising yacht:

Wind speed Most boats are designed to require the first reef in around 18 knots apparent wind when sailing to windward. Some lighter, more coastal-orientated boats may struggle in 15 knots while heavier offshore designs will still be happy at 20 knots or more.

Heavier displacement boats like this Hallberg-Rassy can wear their canvas longer than lighter boats, but she still seems heavily pressed

Sea state The sea state can have an important bearing. Short, steep seas can stop a boat in its tracks and one that is over-pressed will drive its bows into the face of a wave. Reducing sail, particularly the headsail will allow the boat to ride over the waves comfortably and keep up speed. However, there is another side to this – by reducing sail too much you may not leave enough power to make way against big seas. Knowing your boat will allow you to balance these factors.
Crew ability As the wind builds so do the loads on the control lines – sheets, halyards and reefing pennants. A thoughtful skipper will know the strength of his crew and won’t hang on to sail beyond their ability. This is especially true if it’s necessary to go up to the mast or foredeck as part of the reefing process. An over-pressed boat is a much less safe working platform. The thoughtful skipper will also bear in mind the possibility that things might go wrong and need time to resolve – do you have this time and can your crew work in the current conditions?

How to make reefing easier

One reason people delay reefing is that it can be hard and potentially dangerous work. Make it quicker and easier and it will be done sooner.

Marking the genoa foot creates ‘gears’ that can easily be reefed to

Mark the sheet car position for the same reason

Mark where everything needs to be for each reef – main halyard, kicker, reefing lines, sheet cars, genoa foot, backstay

Doing all you can to make reefing easier and quicker, which includes servicing winches and furlers, will be popular with the crew

Service, maintain and lubricate (as appropriate) all reefing equipment – roller furling gear, winches, jammers, sheet cars, batten cars, main traveler

Car tweakers help you get the right sheeting angle for the reefed genoa without going forward

Fitting full battens and ball sides means the sail sets better and is easier to haul down to reef

Consider equipment upgrades: blocks instead of cringles, stack pack and lazyjacks, full length battens (that reduce flogging and noise and set flatter), better luff cars/slides, more powerful roller furling

The best way to trim reefed sails

Just because there is plenty of wind and the boat is making good speed doesn’t mean sail trim can be ignored. On the contrary, the boat will be operating close to its limits so every scrap of sail efficiency will help. Poorly set sails will add to leeway, which is probably already quite significant. They will also reduce the drive available to cope with big waves while increasing the yacht’s heeling and crew’s discomfort.

When the headsail is half-furled, the slot between the sails is much bigger, so you can ease off the traveller or mainsheet

The big thing to remember is that, with less genoa overlap (assuming it has been partly rolled), and a more open slot, the mainsail can be eased out significantly. Drop the traveller down as far as you can without stalling the luff and even be prepared to accept a bit of lifting here. This will keep the boat more upright, reduce leeway and increase forward drive.

Increase backstay tension when close hauled in strong winds to stop the headstay from sagging

Keep the sail flat. Make sure the leech cringle is hard down to the boom to stretch out the foot, harden up the halyard and increase backstay tension.

With the car forward, the sheeting angle of a well-set headsail bisects the clew, balancing the load along the leech and foot of the sail

The important thing here is the sheet lead. As the sail is rolled the lead needs to be moved forward to maintain the angle through the sheet, roughly bisecting the clew. The aim is to balance the load along the foot and leech, so that there is not too much twist in the sail or too much fullness. Make sure you have tell-tales that are still visible when the sail is well rolled so you can position the sheet car accurately. There is not much you can do with the halyard once the sail has been rolled, but before you start, do check that the luff is well tensioned to flatten the sail and remove luff wrinkles. This will make the sail roll more easily and set flatter. Backstay tension will also improve set, by reducing forestay sag.

How to reef when sailing off the wind

It is all too easy to ignore a rising wind in the thrill of a high-speed downwind sleigh-ride

So far we have looked at reefing with the boat hard on the wind, round to a beam reach. From this point on you need to consider some extra factors.

For one thing, once you are running off downwind, apparent wind drops away, the boat comes upright and all seems to be well. Always be aware of the true wind speed. It is all too easy to ignore a rising wind in the thrill of a high-speed downwind sleigh-ride. Never lose sight of what conditions might be like if you suddenly had to turn into the wind.

I’m not suggesting you should run with a sail plan reduced to cope with an upwind beat (although on a catamaran it’s not bad practice), but remember it’s not always easy to reef downwind and you may have to round up at least to a beam reach before you can manage it.

The problem with reefing downwind is that you can’t depower the mainsail. Luff slides can jam and the main will drape over the spreaders

The problem with reefing downwind is that you cannot depower the main. As soon as you ease the halyard, the sail will tend to fall across the shrouds and spreaders, particularly if they are swept well aft. The pressure in the sail will also be forcing it forward onto the mast and the slides/cars will tend to jam in the track. Dragging a sail down over the spreaders and shrouds, even if it is possible, will almost certainly cause damage.

Reef the mainsail early and deep. Use the genoa to fine-tune the sail area

The genoa is much easier to reef downwind. The loads are light and the reefing line will be easy to pull in. The genoa also tends to pull the boat along, rather than push it, so it generates less broaching movement.

Everything, therefore points towards reefing the main early and deeply and then fine-tuning the total sail area with the genoa.

But, you may say, on a deep run, the genoa won’t stand well. The answer is to pole it out or sail high enough to keep it filled and stable. Tacking downwind not only keeps the genoa filled and stable, but it can also be faster, or as least as quick as, a dead run. This is particularly true of lightweights and catamarans, but less so for heavy displacement long-keelers.

Reefing theory in practice

Too much heel: we’re powering along but it’s hard work and she’s going sideways fast

As all sailors know, the theory is only half the story. Things can be a lot less predictable out on the water. We went sailing in the Solent in perfect wind conditions for reefing research. The breeze built from nine to 24 knots apparent to windward (three to 18 knots true or Force 2 to 5), giving realistic conditions for taking in one and then two reefs. More to the point, it showed exactly why early reefing really works.

Our boat was a Jeanneau Sun Fast 37 on loan from the Hamble School of Yachting: a fast cruiser-racer with a roller furling headsail and a slab reefing mainsail.

As the apparent wind rose above 18 knots, we suffered the first of a series of broaches. While maximum boat speed remained reasonably high (just over six knots), the average course to windward fell from around 33 degrees to closer to 40 degrees as leeway increased, and continually rounding up lowered our average speed.

The mainsheet trimmer was having to work hard dropping the traveller and easing the main to keep the boat on her feet and all control lines were fully loaded.

Much better! Less power, but less hard work, more boatspeed, a lot less leeway and a happier, more comfortable crew

As soon as we eased off the main in preparation for reefing, the boat came upright and the cockpit was a nicer place to work. The first reef dropped in quickly, and six rolls of the genoa brought it down to working jib size. We sheeted in, trimmed the sails and immediately the boat gained half a knot top speed. More importantly, she was able to maintain that speed and hold a wind angle of 33 degrees without rounding up. She still had the power to drive through a short chop, the mainsheet hand could relax and life in the cockpit and below was much more civilised. As the wind approached 24 knots, the same procedure was repeated, with similar results – easier motion, increased speed, more comfort, less leeway, less work.

Reefing on cats, cutters, ketches and yawls

This Mahé 36 needs less mainsail to reduce power and more jib to provide some lift at the bow

The problem with cats is the stronger the wind, the faster they go, until…

The signs that a cat is over-pressed can be subtle and take some experience to sense. So reefing a cat is largely a numbers game – first reef at x knots in flat seas, x-y knots in heavy seas, x-z in breaking seas. Sea state is almost more important than wind strength. The big danger is burying the lee bow and pitchpoling. Reduce the often large and big-roached main area ahead of the smaller jib and you will keep the downward pressure to a minimu

Cutters and ‘slutters’

If the wind picks up, just furl the yankee and the staysail will keep her pointing

Twin headsails allow great flexibility in reefing. Traditional cutters with a high-cut yankee jib and small (self-tacking) staysail, can be reefed by dropping one or other sail, the remaining one being left in conditions up to gale force. Modern ‘slutters’ with a big, genoa-sized headsail and a smaller staysail are usually sailed single-headed, with the genoa often full cut and used only in light airs or off the wind. In wind of 15 knots or more, the headsail is furled and the small, tough staysail can again cope with winds up to gale force.

Ketches and Yawls

Ketch advantage: in moderate to strong winds you don’t need the mainsail at all

Although out of favour for good reason, twin-masted boats are often perfect for heavy weather sailing, being able to set or dowse a number of sails in many combinations without having to reef or roll any of them. The boat can always be well balanced and the sails set most efficiently.

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Seamanship 101: Reefing the Main

By Bruce Bingham
Updated: May 20, 2015

A few years back, on a gusty day with winds over 40 knots, my 34-year-old Cape Dory 28, Nikki — a cruising boat I live aboard — won the coveted Michelob Cup on Florida’s Tampa Bay, topping a fleet of more than 40 other yachts, most of which were hard-core raceboats. Not coincidentally, Nikki’s crew had trained in heavy weather and could reef the mainsail in 40 seconds or less, and shake it out even quicker.

Nobody in Tampa Bay racing circles had ever seen or competed against Nikki . She was the oldest and smallest boat to race that day. Though we were later accused of cheating by a disgruntled opponent (and quickly exonerated), Nikki continued her winning ways and was later named Southwest Florida’s Cruising Boat of the Year by the West Florida PHRF Racing Association. Proficient and rapid reefing remained a key to our success. In fact, unlike many of our competitors, we always hoped for strong winds on race days.

Of course, there are lots of reasons to reef that are more important than winning races. Well-executed, timely reefing has a positive impact on your boat’s performance and safety in heavy weather. A well-balanced sail plan also keeps your crew and passengers safer and able to move about more comfortably, increasing their level of confidence in your sailing abilities and attention to their welfare. There’s nothing that will ruin a day on the water faster than a partner or friend screaming, “We’re tipping over!”

Here are a few more ways reefing promotes better sailing:

Keeps the boat “on its feet” and more efficient in terms of hydrodynamics and aerodynamics.
Increases speed potential in rough conditions.
Reduces adverse weather helm (unnecessary drag).
Dramatically reduces leeway when pointing and close-reaching.
Reduces wear and tear on sails and equipment.
Makes sails easier to trim and handle.

Setup and Sequences

It’s important that all the hardware and running rigging for reefing maneuvers are close at hand. For a classic plastic cruiser like Nikki , the reefing-control gear — the bitter ends of the reefing tack and clew lines and their respective cleats or clutches — should be situated on the same side of the mast and/or boom as the main halyard winch (usually on the starboard side). On more contemporary cruising boats, this gear is often led aft to the coachroof, flanking the companionway. The main topping lift should also be readily close by. This way, the crew tucking in the reef needn’t move from one side of the boat to the other to complete the task. Topping lifts and clew lines should never terminate at or near the end of the boom; these would potentially require the crew to hang dangerously over the lifelines to access them.

Because they’re quickly made, saving valuable time, I prefer cam or clam cleats for all reefing control lines. On the boom, reefing clew lines are best installed internally to keep the spar uncluttered. Alternatively, these clew lines can be routed through three or four small strapeyes that are machine-screwed to the boom.

Many booms are equipped with reefing tack hooks integral with the gooseneck; others have dedicated tack lines. Nikki has both, and I’ve found that the tack line is much faster to use, saving precious seconds.

Whether you sail a sloop, cutter, yawl or ketch, the traditional jiffy- or slab-reefing sequence is virtually universal. Practice it with your crew until reefing becomes a streamlined and habitual process. Eliminate confusion, yelling and mistakes. The job should be smooth and rapid. The following is the correct sequence for all boats that do not employ a single-line system (more on those in a moment). On Nikki I’ve actually printed out and laminated two copies of these instructions, and taped one to the mast and the other in the cockpit.

Here’s the drill:

Ease the boom vang and then the mainsheet so both are slack.
Take up the topping lift so the boom is stabilized.
Lower the main halyard until the desired reefing tack cringle is in position.
Tighten and make fast the reefing tack line, or put the tack cringle onto the gooseneck hook, ring or shackle.
Hoist the main halyard until the luff is firm and wrinkle-free.
Take in the reefing clew line, or luff cringle, via a boom winch or tackle as much as possible, and make fast.
Ease the main topping lift.
Trim the mainsheet.
Tighten the boom vang.

Personally, I find this slab-reefing system, with separate controls for the leech and luff of the sail, to be preferable to single-line reefing systems. First, due to the friction and loads caused by a single-line system running through multiple sheaves and leads before terminating in the cockpit, those sheaves are not timesavers. Also, because the reefing line is so long, it may develop kinks in the line that delay the maneuver until they’re straightened out. Finally, single-line reefs eliminate the ability to adjust sail draft and leech tension separately.

So now that your sail is reefed, what do you do with the lowered panels of the sail that are no longer set? On Nikki , I use dedicated buntlines: small-diameter lengths of line that pass through a horizontal series of cringles in the sail, between the reefed tack and the reefed clew, and tied with reef knots. Their only purpose is to store the “bunt” — that excess sailcloth that hangs down from the finished reef — to increase visibility from the helm and reduce flopping. For mainsails without buntlines, the sail can be gathered and secured with sail ties rove through the appropriate reef points, or through cringles in the sail, which serve the same purpose. Either way, buntlines or sail ties should never be pulled tight before tying, because they will strain and eventually tear the sail at the cringles. Your reefed sail should be left loose-footed, although the buntlines or ties can be knotted under the boom or only around the bunt itself, which I prefer. When I race Nikki, I leave the bunt untied because it doesn’t get in the way and it reduces the time to take another reef in or shake it out.

Over the years, I’ve heard some sailors say they don’t know how or when to reef, justifying this confession by stating that they don’t sail when it’s too breezy, or they simply bear away as the wind stiffens. This is shortsighted and even dangerous, for the day will come when you’re caught in a rising squall or changing weather, and there are few choices or tactics other than reducing sail.

So practice with your family and regular crewmembers, and you’ll soon discover how easy reefing really is. Keep a stopwatch handy and try to beat your best time. This skill will broaden your sailing horizons and increase your self-reliance dramatically as you discover what you and your boat are capable of when conditions deteriorate.

Learning to reef quickly will also teach you what needs to be corrected or modified on your boat to make reefing more effective and convenient. Boat manufacturers are not necessarily heavy-weather sailors and often take shortcuts. What they install is not always ideal in terms of hardware or deck layouts.

In my experience, sailmakers, mast and boom assemblers, and yacht designers aren’t always on the same page either, and the result can be reefing systems that just don’t work.

So let’s delve a bit deeper and focus on some of the finer points of the design and installation of reefing hardware.

End-Boom Dilemmas

If you have a boom with an internal reefing system — with sheaves for the clew(s) installed at the outboard end of the boom — you’ve probably ascertained that something wasn’t right when you tried to set a reef. Most likely, your boom drooped to an odd angle and may even have ended up on top of your bimini or dodger. If your boom has external clew reef lines with cheek blocks and dead-end padeyes installed at the end of the boom, the same thing will happen.

To make matters worse, if the clew reef lines are led to cleats that are also near the end of the boom, you can’t reach them unless you are either sheeted in and sailing to weather or luffing head to wind.

Clew reefing lines emanating from the end of the boom are not only inefficient; they can be hazardous for anyone who has to make them up while hanging over a lifeline or under a thrashing boom.

In other words, there’s really no excuse for this system on a well-found cruising boat.

The angle of that clew line, when reefed, is a related issue. When a mainsail is reefed, it essentially becomes a loose-footed sail (even if the actual foot of the sail is slotted into the boom). A reefed sail’s draft and twist control is not unlike a headsail’s; in other words, the angle of the jib or genoa sheet and the angle of the clew reefing lines determine the sail’s twist, while the tension on these respective lines controls the draft. So it is vital that the position of the clew reefing hardware is correct, and this is easily determined.

With your mainsail lowered to its reefed position and the new tack placed into its reef hook (or, similarly, with the tack reefing line taut and made fast), pull on the clew reefing lines and manually change their angle. When you pull downward, hard, the sail’s leech tightens and its twist is reduced, while the foot of the sail loosens and develops more draft. Likewise, when you yank the clew reef line upward, the foot of the sail becomes tighter and flatter, while the leech loosens and develops more twist.

Ideally, you want to strike a balance so the leech and foot tensions are about the same. The angle for this clew reef line might not be perfect for all points of sail, but you will need to reef most often when sailing to weather, so I recommend adjusting the clew hardware accordingly.

Many older boats have the cheek block for the reefing clew on a track so small adjustments can be made to accommodate changing wind velocities and points of sail. If you want to split hairs, a block on a track is the way to go. Clew reefing hardware at the end of the boom will never result in a reefed sail that is well trimmed.

Tacks and Leeches

When reefing a mainsail, the first reef-point connection to make is the tack cringle. But this can be difficult if the sailmaker has not made adequate accommodation for the stacked-up luff on the mast that occurs when lowering the sail.

If you are using reefing tack hooks, a major problem can occur if there is a slug-entry closure in the mast that prevents the luff from dropping fully to the gooseneck. A ring pendant may be added to the reefing tack cringle so the tack hook can be reached. Cringles for second or third reefs will also require pendant extensions.

If your mainsail is set up with reefing tack lines, rather than gooseneck hooks, the problem of sail stacking is greatly reduced. But the height of the reefed tack position still causes distortion with the sail. My recommendation is to close the slug entry with a semipermanent cover that will allow the sail stack to be much lower. If using tack reef hooks, you’ll still use extension pendants, but that stack will be much shorter.

Along the trailing edge of the main, chances are that your sail has a small-diameter leech line that begins at the head of the sail and extends all the way to the foot. The leech line exits the leech hem through small cringles just above the boom and at the respective patches for each reefing clew. A small cleat will be situated at each reef point. Once a reef is tied in, you should apply just enough tension on the leech line to stop any flapping or movement of the sail’s leech, and then make it fast. When shaking out a reef and before you fully hoist the main, always remember to slack those leech lines to prevent a series of distinct hooks in the sail. Not only do they look bad, they’re also inefficient.

Boatbuilder, naval architect, author, illustrator, marine surveyor and long-time CW *contributor Bruce Bingham is also the proprietor of Bruce Does Boatwork, a yacht repair and refit business in St. Petersburg, Florida. *

More: How To , reefing , seamanship
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SLAB REEFING SYSTEMS & TIPS FOR REEFING

It’s all about efficiency and effectiveness.

Sailing in big breeze can be fun, exciting, maybe stressful, and sometimes expensive when things go wrong. Shortening sail quickly and easily when the breeze comes on is key to looking after your sails and your crew. In the lead up to your next offshore race, here’s a look at a typical mainsail reefing system and some tips for looking after the mainsail when reefing.

There are many different reefing systems for the mainsail; most are pre-determined by the mast manufacturer, while some are customized by the crew to make reefing faster and safer. Here’s what to look out for when reefing to ensure you are looking after the sail, mast, boom, and fittings.

Practice first

Reefing needs to be both safe for the crew and fast, because the more time the sail spends flogging the more likely it will be damaged. The best way to achieve reefing efficiency is to practice, practice, practice, both at the dock (to get all the lines, knots, and clips positioned correctly) and on the water. Take the time with the whole crew to go through the process in moderate conditions. Check everything under load, and mark the main halyard so you know how much you’ll need to drop the sail to get the luff on the reef horn or clip. Measure out the reef ties for tying up the reefed section of the mainsail, and check the mainsail has the spreader chafe dots fitted in the correct place. It’s great for the whole crew to do this together, as the next time will be under pressure and no doubt dark and windy! You might even take photos as a reminder of what setup worked best.

Slab reefing

There are many different systems for reefing the mainsail these days, but the most common system is slab reefing. This is the way that 90% of the fleet will reef their mainsail, and when done correctly it is the simplest and most reliable system. First the luff’s reef point is secured, and then the clew’s reef point is pulled toward the outboard end of the boom until the foot of the sail is nice and flat. Below is a description of each step that will work on most boats; if you are not 100% sure of your setup, ask your sailmaker or rigger for help.

Secure the luff

The forward end of a slab reefing system consists of either reefing horns, a cunningham hook, or a luff-line on the boom. The sail will have fittings that must match the boat so they will hold the luff end secure: web loops, floppy rings, or press rings. Whatever system you have, it must be easy and fast to secure the reef point on the luff. The luff must be held both down and forward, to keep the load off the boltrope or slide; if the tack drifts too far aft, the sail can pull out of the track or tear.

This photo shows the luff end of a reefed offshore mainsail. A cunningham is fed through the mast eyelet and is pulled through the gooseneck to secure the reefed tack. Note on some boats, the boltrope will be all in line with the rig and not angling backwards, loading up the feeder. If the cunningham hook/eyelet is not held forward, the slide above the reef point will take all the load. Eventually the slide will break or the sail will tear.

Tension the outboard end

The outboard end of the first reef is generally controlled by a reef line run through either a pressed ring or a webbing loop on the leech. The reef line itself is either secured by a ‘running bowline’ or ‘buntline hitch’ tied around the boom. It’s ok to use a knot on an alloy boom. On a carbon boom, a ‘reef nappy’ is recommended to prevent point loading.

The position of both the knot and the reef nappy relative to where the clew will end up is very important. Try to end up with the line around the boom about 50mm behind the ring in the sail when it is fully tensioned, which will help keep the sail close to the boom but still allow it to be flattened out properly. Note also the second reef line, which is ready for the next reef but ttailed up so it won’t get caught on anything.

Reefing step by step

The process itself should be performed in a specific order and overseen by the mainsheet trimmer. Once the call is made to reef, here are the basic steps:

Flake out main halyard to ensure no twists or knots will slow the drop and increase flogging time. Load halyard on winch.
Load up the outboard reef line, and check all is clear on the leech.
Ease vang off completely and ease outhaul off a few inches.
Mainsheet trimmer eases the mainsheet and calls, “Drop Halyard”.
Mast pulls down the luff and secures the sail onto the horn or cunningham clip.
Mast ensures the cunningham is max on, calls “Made”, and signals to the pit to hoist the main halyard. Watches bolt rope feed into the rig in case of snags.
Pit hoists the halyard until the luff is firm, then signals for the pit to grind in the outboard reef line.
Mainsheet trimmer watches the reef line, calls how much is left to grind in, and makes sure the reef line is not crushing the sail. The sail can be pushed out to leeward or pulled over to windward of the boom, depending on how the reef line is run and what tack you are on. Remember we are bringing the boom up to the sail, not sheeting on the sail with the reef line, so make sure mainsheet and vang are eased.
Mainsheet trimmer calls “ Made ” on the reef line and sheets on the sail.
Mast and bow secure the reefed section of the sail, tying only around the sail and not around the boom. (If the reef line breaks, the sail will tear at the next reef tie if it’s secured around the boom.)
Mainsheet checks leech line tension. Spilts in the leech are where the tears usually start during reefing.

While reefing, good clear communication is very important, so consider removing jacket hoods. If it’s dark, make sure the mainsheet trimmer has a torch to watch the part of the sail being winched, to ensure there is no tangle or over-tensioning.

As with anything in sailing, practice and good equipment are key to success, so get out there, pull in a reef, and check everything is in order.

Remember : to finish first, first you have to finish. So look after your sails!

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Simple Reefing System for Sailors

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Reefing the mainsail involves lowering the sail part way to reduce its size when the wind increases. A reefed sail reduces heeling of the boat and makes the boat easier to manage. It also reduces the risk of capsizing in a gust. Reefing the mainsail is like partly furling the jib when your boat has a furling jib.

Why and How to Reef the Mainsail

Tom Lochhaas

The classic sailor’s saying is that if you are asking whether it’s time to reef the main, it’s already past that time. This refers to sailors who are having difficulty controlling a wildly heeling boat because the wind has gotten up and is putting a lot of pressure on too much sail area.

A prudent sailor reefs the main when the wind starts to build before things get wild. When the wind is blowing more than twelve to fifteen knots, depending on the boat, conservative sailors will start out with a reefed sail. Over twenty knots on many boats and it can become difficult to control the boat for smooth reefing, especially when short-handed.

When you’re sailing downwind and the boat is not heeling, you may not notice at first that the wind is increasing. Since you have to turn up into the wind to do the reefing, things may get dicey if you wait too long to reef.

How to Reef

With the common slab reefing system, reefing is fairly simple, though it’s a skill that requires some practice. The basic steps are:

Turn the boat toward the wind and ease the mainsheet to reduce pressure on the sail.
While slowly easing the main halyard, take in the reefing control line. This pulls the bottom of the mainsail down toward the boom.
When the sail reaches the desired reef point, secure the halyard and the reefing line, go back on course, and trim the sail .

Slab Reefing System

International Marine

This is a simple slab reefing system you can easily install on your boat if you do not have one. If you already have a reefing system, be sure you understand how it works before you need it in rough conditions.

The illustration shows a single-line system. Larger boats often have a double-line system, in which a second reefing line is added on the other side of the boom to the second higher set of reef points. There are also variations in the use of a hook, or reefing horn, at the forward reefing point on the sail’s luff.

How the Reefing Line Runs

From a fixed point on the port side of the boom, the line rises to the aft grommet in the sail, called a reefing cringle.
The line continues down the sail on the starboard side to a turning block mounted on the boom, then forward along the boom to another turning block.
The line rises up to the cringle on the sail’s luff edge. In the illustration, the line passes through a block on a reefing horn and then back down. Alternatively, the line may pass through the cringle and down on the port side in the same manner as it did through the luff cringle. The advantage of the horn with a block is reduced friction, and the horn can be raised to a higher reef point as well. The disadvantage is that a crew has to go forward to position the horn.
Finally, the line comes down to a turning block at the base of the mast and back to the cockpit, where it can be taken in for reefing.

A Reefed Mainsail

Tom Lochhaas

A reefed sail using a slab reefing system is illustrated in the photo shown. On this boat, the reefing line runs through the cringle at the sail’s luff rather than using a horn. The position of the aft turning block on the boom is a little back from the cringle when the sail is reefed. This helps keep the sail taut for better trimming when reefed.

The Second Reef In

This mainsail has the second reef in. If you look carefully at the leach of the sail where it lies against the boom, you can see the cringle of the first lower reef point.

Depending on the conditions, a boat with two reef points and a double-line system allows you to reef the mainsail in stages from the first to the second reefs. You can also go all at once to the second reef if needed.

This boat has lazy jacks in place that help hold the lowered part of the sail on the boom. No additional securing may be needed. Without lazy jacks, the bottom of the sail can blow about and get in the way.

Tie Up the Reefed Sail

Most sails with reefing cringles also have smaller grommets across the width of the sail at the same level as the reef points. After reefing, you can secure the loose part of the sail to the boom by passing a sail tie through the grommets and tying it off around the boom, as shown here. It’s not a coincidence that the best knot used here to tie the reef in place is called a reefing knot .

Some sailors prefer not to tie off the reefed main at these smaller grommets because of the risk of forgetting them later when you shake out and remove the reef. If you loosened the reefing line and started raising the mainsail back up without first removing these ties, the mainsail may rip.

To Shake Out a Reef

To remove the reef and raise the mainsail back up, simply reverse the basic reefing steps:

While slowly easing the reefing line, pull in the halyard to raise the mainsail back up.
When the sail is fully up, secure the halyard and the reefing line, go back on course and trim the sail.

Other Reefing Systems

With larger cruising sailboats, manufacturers are increasingly offering in-boom and in-mast reefing and furling systems for mainsails. Such systems essentially involve a roller inside the boom or mast with an electric motor that rolls up the sail to reduce its size (reefing) or to stow the sail away after sailing. While such systems certainly add convenience when they’re adjusted and everything is working well, many experienced sailors still prefer slab reefing, which doesn’t depend on an electrical system, multiple moving parts, and a fine-tuned rig.

Slab reefing does require some practice and careful installation of the basic system. Once the line is rigged, it’s always ready for use and comes close to being foolproof.

Monitor changes in the wind so that you can reef early when it's easy, rather than late when it's difficult or dangerous. You can learn to read the wind or use an inexpensive handheld wind meter. Additionally, you can use the traveler and other sail adjustments for strong winds .

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When to Adjust Sailboat Sails for Stronger Winds
How to Tack a Sailboat
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Home » Blog » Sail » Sailing knots – the ones you need to know

Sailing knots – the ones you need to know

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: December 13, 2021

If you’ve ever found yourself fumbling over a basic sailing knot in the early season, you’re not alone. As the saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” and it’s not unusual to be rusty after a landlocked winter (Floridians have no excuses). Fortunately, once a knot is committed to muscle memory, it should come back much more quickly than learning from scratch.

Staying practiced is key. I keep a piece of rope at my desk and use a knot-tying app to stay motivated and learn new rope work (decorative Carrick Bend rope coasters, anyone?). Read about my favorite knot-tying apps at the end of this post. If you prefer to learn on paper, check out the classic knot-tying tome, The Ashely Book of Knots .

If this is your first sailing season, don’t be overwhelmed by the thousands of knots you could possibly learn. You really only need to know a few of them.

Whether you’re new to sailing or just feeling a bit rusty, these are the essential sailing knots to know before stepping aboard.

WARNING: always verify your knot tying technique with a skilled instructor, especially when knot failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.

8 ESSENTIAL SAILING KNOTS

The most commonly used and versatile sailing knot is a bowline . It’s been used on ships for hundreds of years. A bowline knot creates a fixed loop at the end of a line. The great advantage of using this knot is that it can always be easily untied by turning the knot over and “breaking its back,” bending it downward

Uses: fasten sheet to a clew, put a loop in a mooring line, fasten a mooring line to a post or ring

How to: I ’ll spare you the story about rabbits running around trees and show you a video.

CLOVE HITCH

A clove hitch is a quick and flexible knot that allows you to speedily tie, untie, and adjust – perfect for shuffling fenders when you could have sworn the dockmaster said port -side tie!

Uses: Tie fenders to just about anything: life lines, stanchion bases, toe rails.

How to:

CLEAT HITCH

The cleat hitch, as the name would suggest, is a sailing knot that really only has one purpose: tying a line to a cleat. Simple though it may seem, a quick walk down any marina dock would suggest that many boaters get it wrong.

Make your first turn on the opposite horn to which the line is coming in. When you go to make a locking hitch by flipping a loop away from the side of the entering line. Sound confusing? Watch this great video on how to tie the perfect cleat hitch.

Uses: Tie dock lines to cleats

TWO HALF HITCHES

It’s all in the name – one half hitch, followed by another. This is a great hitch for tying a line around a piling or some other object.

Uses : Secure a dinghy painter to a piling, secure a clove hitch and prevent fenders from slipping.

ROLLING HITCH

The rolling hitch is a nonslip hitch that can get you out of a serious jam . The hitch tightens down on a line or cylindrical object. It can be used to free a line from a winch drum when riding turns have rolled under. Use a spare line to tie a rolling hitch on the jammed line, tension the spare line to relieve pressure on the jammed line and remove the jam.

Uses: Free a jammed line, put a snubber on an anchor rode

SHEET BEND (WEAVER’S KNOT)

The sheet bend is considered so essential that it’s the first of 4,000 knots listed in The Ashley Book of Knots ! It’s used for tying two lines together . The lines can be the same or different diameter. It’s considered more secure than a reef knot but it can loosen without tension and should ideally be used on a load-bearing line.

Uses: Tying two lines together

REEF KNOT (SQUARE KNOT)

The reef knot is a “need-to-know” sailing knot that you’ll rarely use. As the name suggests, it’s great for reefing, when you’re “binding” or tying down the slack sail to the boom.

However, it’s important to know their one great limitation: they will come loose when not under load . For this reason, a reef knot should NEVER be used to join two lines together because the knot can easily “capsize” and come undone. For joining two lines together, use a sheet bend.

Uses: Reefing, joining two ends of a single line to bind around an object

How to: “ Left over right and under, right over.…” – oh wait, there’s YouTube!

FIGURE EIGHT (STOPPER KNOT)

Figure eight or stopper knots are used to prevent a line from pulling through a block or clutch . They’re a good idea to tie in the end of your halyards (unless you relish the idea of spending an afternoon trying to fish the halyard out of your mast).

Uses: Tie in the end of jib sheets, main sheets, and halyards

KNOT-TYING APPS

What’s the old saying about idle hands? Keep a piece of rope handy and download one of these knot-tying apps.

Animated Knots by Grog ($4.99).

The U.S.-based Grogono “Grog” family have a long history in Olympic sailing and their app will walk you through tying 196 different knots , everything from a basic bowline to a Brummel splice, using 3D animations and high-definition videos.

This has become my go-to app when I need a mental break between Zoom calls. Unlike watching knot-tying videos on YouTube, the app makes it possible to slowly toggle through each knot, step-by-step . I keep a list of my favorite knots, which makes it easy to quickly practice a series . Knot nerds will appreciate the informative and well-researched write-ups (in the “details” section) which describe the knot’s uses, variations, and alternatives.

Knots 3D by NyNix ($5.99)

This app has instructional animations for tying 140+ knots, organized by activity (e.g., boating, fishing, camping) and type (e.g., bends, hitches, lashings). Brush up on your basic knots (or learn something more advanced) with knot tying animations that you can slow down or speed up to suit your learning pace.

Useful Knots – Tying Guide (Free with ads)

Useful Knots is free but it isn’t as intuitive as the two apps above. The knots are organized by type (loops, hitches, bends) but not by activity. The app includes a series of photos for each knot along with text instructions.

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

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Also known as: Square knot

This is an ancient knot, which was known during the Late Stone Age. The Ancient Greeks knew it as the Hercules knot, and it was also tied in Ancient Rome. It is often the only knotapart from the granny knot - that many people know, and when the ends are only partly drawn through the knot to leave loops and to form a double reef bow, it is frequently used to tie shoe laces. Its traditional and proper use is to join the two ends of a rope when reefing a sail.

Both short ends of the knot are on the same side-if they are not, it is a thief knot-and the knot is flat-if it is not, it is a granny knot. The reef knot is more secure than both t he thief knot and the granny knot, but it should be used only as a temporary measure and with lines of the same diameter that will not be subject to strain. If it has to be used with lines that will bear considerable weight, stopper knots should be tied in the short ends.

Continue reading here: Capsized reef knot

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The 8(ish) Most Important Sailing Knots

How to tie a good sailing knot and become the captain’s favorite

Knots and sailing are really tied together — I couldn’t help myself. If you sail, you absolutely need to know how to tie sailing knots and tie them well. This is the kind of skill you will use constantly and can practice really easily when you’re not on the water. In fact, there’s really no excuse for not knowing how to tie knots because you can practice while watching TV (or your favorite sailing movie ).

Of course, tying a good knot is important for securing all kinds of things while you’re sailing and though a knot staying tied is obviously the goal, how easily a knot can be untied is really what makes it a good knot. Messy knots tied incorrectly over and over can be dangerous because in sailing, as quickly as you need to be able to tie some knots, you need to be able to untie other knots.

Anyone who sails likely has countless stories about knot mishaps (and we want to hear about them), but here’s a knot-related blunder when a stopper knot (or lack thereof) created an embarrassing call back to the Moorings Base.

There are a ton of sailing knots you can learn and use, but many find the options a little daunting. The truth is that there are a handful of knots that are especially helpful and most of these are actually the easy ones. Below are what we would consider to be the first 8 sailing knots you need to master (with two bonuses at the end).

Need a quick gift idea for the sailor in your life? Sailing education bundles (or single courses) make for perfect last-minute gift ideas. You can gain access instantly and if you wrap up a book on knots with some rope along with it, they will be all set!

Knot Basic Components

Like most things in sailing, there’s a name for practically everything! When learning knots and following directions, you’ll likely come across these basic terms (beginning with the Standing Part in the diagram):

Standing End (not pictured): the end of the line not involved in the knot.
Standing Part : simply the section of line between the knot and the Standing End (i.e., the rest of the unused line).
Bight : a fold or U-shaped part of the line used in making a knot.
Loop : a full circle formed by passing the line over itself.
Elbow : two crossing points created with an extra twist in a Loop .
Turn : a single pass around or through an object. *Note: a “Round Turn” is a complete wrap/encirclement around an object (i.e., 2 passes).
Working Part : the section between the knot and the Working End .
Working End : the end of the line used when making a knot. Also called a “Tail” or “Running End”.

Click to enlarge

8 Most Common Sailing Knots for Beginner Sailors

*Caution: some modern line materials (such as polypropylene, Spectra, or Dyeema) may be slippery, so much so that these basic knots may not perform as intended. For those materials we recommend testing as well as researching alternative knots…

Cleat Hitch:

The longer you sail, the more cleat hitches become second nature. You use them constantly to secure lines to cleats, such as dock lines and halyards. To tie one, you will go around the base of your cleat with your line, then come up and across the cleat, under one horn, and then before going over to go around the other horn, you make a loop with the working end under so that when you hook that loop on the other horn, the line is underneath. One quick note about this knot is that because you’ll be tying it in multiple places, you need to remember to always start going around the base of the cleat on the opposite horn to where your line is coming from.

Tip: a common mistake with tying a cleat hitch is overdoing it! It’s important that you be able to undo a cleat hitch quickly, whether it’s docking or a halyard/sheet. So don’t overdo it! Seriously, most experienced sailors will attest to when you need to undo a cleat hitch, you really need to undo it quickly.

Reef Knot/Square Knot:

Also a common knot for non-sailors, this knot involves taking two line ends, crossing the left over the right and twist. Then do the same thing, but right over left. This is called a reef knot in sailing because it’s used to reef sails.

*Note: if you do left over right and then left over right again, it’s called a Granny Knot (which is a little insulting to grannies because this is a terrible knot).

A double-slipped reef/square knot is otherwise known as a bow knot. You may recognize it from your shoelaces or all of the gifts you’re likely wrapping right now. We should mention that this knot can’t carry a significant load, so consider it for your holiday wrapping, but not for holding anything heavy.

Sheet Bend:

If you need to tie two lines together and they are different sizes/weights, you can use a sheet bend. This is quite similar to the Reef Knot, but better for combining dissimilar lines. Notably, many experienced sailors prefer the Sheet Bend to the Reef/Square Knot.

Make a loop with the bigger/thicker line. Take the smaller line and go through the loop and around the back of the bigger line and then pass it underneath itself. For a stronger hold, go around twice with the smaller line for a Double Sheet Bend .

Clove Hitch:

Sailors use clove hitches a lot, especially for securing fenders quickly (the cushions to prevent boat damage when docked or docking). Because you typically need to secure your fenders while on the move, this needs to happen quickly and smoothly. If you want to become your captain’s favorite crew member while on a sailing charter vacation, this knot is your ticket.

To tie a clove hitch, take your line around the rail, back up (hold it out), cross over the rope, then bring the end of the rope up through the middle. Note: this knot can slip, so once you’ve docked, we recommend that you go back to those fenders and retie them with a more secure knot.

One of the things we encourage anyone going on a sailing vacation to do is get their entire crew to play knot-tying games right away. Our favorite is the Fender Rodeo! Everyone needs to be able to tie a clove hitch knot to secure a fender, so make it fun and gain competence with sailing knots.

Round Turn and Two Half Hitches:

If you handed the average person a single line and asked them to tie a knot with one end, they would probably tie you a half hitch. With a single line, you make a loop, tuck the end of the line through that loop and pull it tight. Half hitch! This is NOT a secure knot, so if you need to tie a line to a stanchion (mast, piling, whatever) for example, you might use a round turn and two half-hitches.

To tie a round turn and two half hitches, you would wrap one end around the object (the working end), cross it behind the standing end (leaving a loop), go around the front, through the loop, and then tighten it to the tree. To make the second half hitch, you would take the working end again (which is now on the other side) and bring it behind the standing end (forming a loop), over the standing end, and through the loop. Tighten that up to the object.

Alternatively and for anchoring, you can use a similar knot, the anchor hitch/anchor bend .

The Bowline is known as the King of Knots , essential for any sailor! And for good reason: the bowline is strong, secure, versatile, and relatively easy to undo. Bowlines are typically used to tie sheets to the head and mainsail, but otherwise are used for hitching, mooring, and lifting.

This might be the most fun knot to learn because it has a fun little illustration to help you remember, the popular rabbit-comes-out-of-the-hole-and-runs-around-the-tree method. Make a loop with one end. Pretend your other end is a rabbit. From the bottom of the loop, have it poke up like it’s coming out of a hole. Go around the other end (the tree) and then back down into the hole.

Tip: if tying up to a piling in a tidal area or in stormy conditions, use a bowline on the piling so that it’ll ride up and down the piling…

Figure 8 Stopper Knot (or double overhand stopper knot):

The stopper knot, if you remember from the blunder blog post we mentioned above, is often used to stop a line from pulling through an object. Or, often you may want to finish another knot with a stopper knot at the end for additional security. It’s an easy knot (as long as you remember to make it!). Make a loop so that the standing end is on top. Bring the working end around the standing and then up through the loop. When you pull it tight it starts to look like a figure 8.

Note: some sailors prefer the Double Overhand Stopper because it can be little beefier and less prone to jamming, but the figure 8 knot is popular and works well. The difference is really application and preference…

Rolling Hitch:

If you need to take tension and strain off a line, like if you’re dealing with a jammed/fouled/overlapped jib sheet, you will want to use a rolling hitch. Or, another common use is attaching a line to a pole. Hopefully, you won’t need to use this knot often with fouled lines, but when you do, you’ll really need it and will be glad you know how to tie it.

This sailing knot starts with a half hitch and then go back around the main line, passing over the first turn. When coming back around, make sure the line goes between the standing line and the first turn. Tighten up and then go back around the main one more time with another half hitch.

Tips: (1) be cautious when tying a rolling hitch to stainless steel as it may slip, and (2) a rolling hitch is typically used to tie a line to another line (or pole). If tying the line back onto itself, then a Midshipman’s Hitch (in bonus section) is recommended!

BONUS SAILING KNOTS

Midshipman’s hitch:.

This knot is useful for when you need to make an adjustable (but still secure) loop around something. The Midshipman’s Hitch is similar to the Tautline Hitch, a Boy Scout favorite, except that the Midshipman’s Hitch is considered more secure. It’s also similar to the Rolling Hitch described above – a notable difference with the Rolling Hitch is that the Midshipman’s Hitch is better for tying a line back onto itself (as opposed to a Rolling Hitch being tied to a pole or to reduce strain on another line).

Again, the advantage of a Midshipman’s Hitch is that it is secure under load and meanwhile adjustable. For example, in a pinch (or on small boats) a Midshipman’s Hitch can double as a Boom Vang (and throw in a Trucker’s hitch below to add a mechanical advantage).

Trucker’s Hitch:

The trucker’s hitch looks a lot more complicated than it really is. It’s used to tightly secure things, like a dingy to the deck, but the reason that it’s a common knot is that there are so many non-sailing uses as well. Once you learn the trucker’s hitch, you’ll find that you use it a lot. The knot creates a mechanical advantage (like a block and tackle, about 2:1 to 3:1 depending on fixed points) for greater tension, so use caution, as it can also break things with the mechanical advantage. You can finish the trucker’s hitch with other knots, like 2 half-hitches (like they do in the video below).

You’ve got your plans for the holiday season all sorted out now, don’t you?! Make sure you have some rope around and challenge family members to a knot race! See who can tie the fastest Bowline and let the winner eat the last piece of pie.

Guide To Buying a Boat

Know your knots? Know the rules? Know how to sail (including all the theory knowledge)? Got a NauticEd skipper certification? Then maybe it is time to buy a boat. Read the Choosing the Best Beginner Sailboat Guide written by our friends at RightBoat. At Rightboat you can buy an existing boat that is listed or you can list your own boat for sale.

Did you know that sailing education makes for a great gift idea for sailors? Whether the goal is to be able to sail on a nearby lake or charter a boat in the Mediterranean, our sailing education bundles have options for everyone.

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No experience required. If you're just getting started in sailing and want to dip your toes in, then this course is for you. We'll "show you the ropes" so to speak - but actually, we'll show you a lot more than just the ropes.

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COMMENTS

Reefing 101: How to reef a mainsail and when to do it
Reefing your mainsail. Ease the main-sheet. This will cause the mainsail to luff, stabilizing the boat by reducing heel and easing the tension on the mainsail making it easier to drop. Reduce Tension on the boom vang. This will allow the boom to move up or down dependent on where the reefing points are located on the mainsail.
How to Reef a Sail: A Step-by-Step Guide
Begin by easing the halyard (rope used to hoist and lower the sail) while simultaneously tightening the reefing line, which pulls down a section of your sail. This action reduces its overall size and alters the shape, allowing you to control the power generated by strong winds. Step 5: Secure and Fine-tune.
Reefing: How, Why and When to Reef
To "Reef" a sail means to shorten it. And really nothing more. It is the simple act of reducing sail area, so as to reduce the surface area and thereby reducing power. ... Gather up the sail and as neatly as possible tie those lines around the bottom of the boom using a "reef" or " square" knot.
Sailing Basics
Visit http://www.skippertips.com for more sailing basics and cruising tips like these. Imagine sailing down a narrow channel in 25 knots of wind under reefed...
How to Reef the Mainsail: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Gauging the Need for Reefing. The first step towards effectively reefing the mainsail requires assessing whether it is necessary depending on current wind conditions. As a rule of thumb, consider reefing when winds reach around 15 to 20 knots or if your boat feels overpowered and challenging to control.
Reefing the Sails
At the front (luff) of the sail, there are usually two reefing points, the first and second (aka primary and the secondary). The primary is the first reef you'll put in for wind speeds of approximately 12 to 16 knots. The secondary reef will need to be put in at about 18 to 22 knots. You can reef the mainsail while sailing with just the headsail.
Reefing a Sail: A Comprehensive Guide
Slab reefing. Ease the mainsheet to release the tension on the sail and reduce heeling. Lower the main halyard to the desired reef point, taking up slack on the reefing line as the sail descends. Secure the new tack (front corner) of the sail with a tack hook, reefing hook, or by tying it to the boom using a reef knot.
Essential Sailing Knots
https://halcyonyachts.com/How to tie a Reef Knot... The third in our series of short knot tutorial videos. The reef knot (or square knot), is a simple bindin...
How To Reef Your Sails (Mainsail, Jib, Furling, Loose)
Head upwind to take load off the sail. Ease the jib halyard so the cringle in the reef point is near the deck. Attach the luff cringle to the reef hook or tie it to the base of the forestay. Move the sheets from the normal clew and tie them to the leech cringle, or use a second set of sheets if you have them.
HOW TO REEF A MAINSAIL
Here are the basic steps to reef your mainsail: Assume a close-hauled or close reaching course. Set the autopilot to maintain your course under jib alone, or heave-to. Release the mainsheet and vang. Lower the main halyard. Pull slack out of the reef line so it won't tangle. Secure the reef tack.
Essential reefing tips for cruisers
How to reef when sailing off the wind. ... So reefing a cat is largely a numbers game - first reef at x knots in flat seas, x-y knots in heavy seas, x-z in breaking seas. Sea state is almost more important than wind strength. The big danger is burying the lee bow and pitchpoling. Reduce the often large and big-roached main area ahead of the ...
Conventional Mainsail Reefing
Just make sure that it meets the rope diameter requirements found on your boat's reef lines. ... The line starts with a knot in the outboard cringle in the sail. Down to a sheave near the rear boomend. Ahead to a sheave on the boom front. Up to a block in the sail inboard cringle. Down to a block on deck and then aft. That would make a sum of ...
Seamanship 101: Reefing the Main
Tighten and make fast the reefing tack line, or put the tack cringle onto the gooseneck hook, ring or shackle. Hoist the main halyard until the luff is firm and wrinkle-free. Take in the reefing clew line, or luff cringle, via a boom winch or tackle as much as possible, and make fast. Ease the main topping lift.
Slab Reefing Systems & Tips For Reefing
Reefing needs to be both safe for the crew and fast, because the more time the sail spends flogging the more likely it will be damaged. The best way to achieve reefing efficiency is to practice, practice, practice, both at the dock (to get all the lines, knots, and clips positioned correctly) and on the water.
Reefing
Tying the reef knots. Clew outhaul. 3 Refasten the clew outhaul and the tack downhaul (if necessary). Tack downhaul 93. 1 Before starting to roll the sail, tuck about 2 Helmsman and crew 15 cm (6 in) of the leech under the boom rotate the boom and pull to help it roll evenly. the sail out at both ends.
Traditional Slab Reefing for the Mainsail
Updated on 02/02/19. Reefing the mainsail involves lowering the sail part way to reduce its size when the wind increases. A reefed sail reduces heeling of the boat and makes the boat easier to manage. It also reduces the risk of capsizing in a gust. Reefing the mainsail is like partly furling the jib when your boat has a furling jib.
4 Important Boating Knots and How To Tie Them
The square knot is one of the most useful knots for boaters. It is simple to tie and can attach two lines or tie them off securely to a dock cleat. To create a square knot, hold the two working ends of the line in one hand and make four alternating crossings with each end. Pull the lines in opposite directions to secure the knot. (2) Reef Knot
Sailing knots
REEF KNOT (SQUARE KNOT) The reef knot is a "need-to-know" sailing knot that you'll rarely use. As the name suggests, it's great for reefing, when you're "binding" or tying down the slack sail to the boom.. However, it's important to know their one great limitation: they will come loose when not under load.For this reason, a reef knot should NEVER be used to join two lines ...
Sail Like a Pro: The Top 9 Knots You Absolutely Need to Know!
3. Square Knot (Reef Knot) Use. Ideal for joining two ropes of similar thickness, the square knot is used for securing packages, bandages, or tying off sail lines. However, it is not recommended for joining ropes under heavy load or critical applications due to its potential to slip when not under constant tension.
Reef knot
Its traditional and proper use is to join the two ends of a rope when reefing a sail. Both short ends of the knot are on the same side-if they are not, it is a thief knot-and the knot is flat-if it is not, it is a granny knot. The reef knot is more secure than both t he thief knot and the granny knot, but it should be used only as a temporary ...
Most Important Sailing Knots
This is called a reef knot in sailing because it's used to reef sails. *Note: if you do left over right and then left over right again, it's called a Granny Knot (which is a little insulting to grannies because this is a terrible knot). A double-slipped reef/square knot is otherwise known as a bow knot. You may recognize it from your ...
Seven Essential Knots for Sailors
Form a closed loop in the line, with the working end passing over the standing end. Pass the working end through the loop, around behind the standing end, then back into the loop. Give a hard pull to close the knot up tight. To untie a bowline, turn the knot over and break its back by bending it downward. Stopper Knot.
Reef Knot
Cross the lower end down over the upper end. This will be the 'working end': Step 6. Thread the working end though the hole and straight out of the knot: Step 7. Pull on both ends to tighten the knot: The Reef Knot should look something like thi s when made and used properly: reef knot final.

Reefing 101: How to reef a mainsail and when to do it

Preparation is essential

Keep lines organized

Practice Makes Perfect

Check the Forecast

Reef Before You Need To

How to Reef

Reefing your mainsail

Shaking Out a Reef

Don’t Forget Your Headsail

How Many Reefs Should a Mainsail Have?

Can Reefing Damage Your Sails?

Panel Layout and Sailcloth Weight Are Important

Cloth Weight

Design is Crucial for New Sails

Navigator package

Mariner Package

Helmsman Package

Block and Radial patching:

And Many More

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How to Reef the Mainsail: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Recent Posts

Reefing a Sail: A Comprehensive Guide

Key Takeaways

What is reefing a sail?

Importance of reefing in sailing

Factors to consider before reefing

Boat and sail characteristics

Recognizing signs of overpowered sails

Types of reefing systems

In-mast furling

In-boom furling

Headsail reefing systems

How to Reef a Sail

Step-by-step guide – Reefing the mainsail

Step-by-step guide for reefing the headsail

De-reefing or shaking out a reef

Crew roles and responsibilities

Reefing Tips and Best Practices

Sail Balance

Practice Reefing in Various Conditions

Regular Maintenance and Inspection

Importance of Maintaining Sail Shape after Reefing

Troubleshooting common reefing issues

Tangled sail material

Sail damage and repair

Final Thoughts

Boat Transom: A Comprehensive Guide

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