What's your opinion on the reefing arrangement best suited to Aventura Trois?
I would appreciate your opinion on the reefing arrangement best suited to Aventura Trois. The standard Alubat reefing set-up is to provide single line reefing back to the cockpit, I very much wish to have the reefing lines led back to the cockpit. We have been contemplating having separate lines for the leach and luff reefpoints on the first two reefs, all four lines led to clutches on the stbd side cockpit cabin top. I am hoping that this will ensure that we would end up with less friction, lower loads, more control and perhaps better sail shape. We have already picked up on the need for a fully battened main and are having Harken's Batt Car & track to ensure friction is kept to a minimum.
Single-line reefing has great advantages - and works well provided you use good quality lines and blocks. On my boat I have the 1st reef set up at the foot of the mast. The 4th is only set up in emergencies.
The most important reefs are 2nd and 3rd as it is very convenient to be able to deal with them from the comfort of the dry cockpit, when the wind comes up! My single lines run through blocks on the luff and leach of the sail, through the boom., and back to an electric winch in the cockpit. There is naturally some friction but this is not too bad if you use large blocks, and ideally bring the mainsail as close as feasible to the centreline of the boat. I managed to take in a reef often when running, but it has to be done very gradually, by easing the main halyard bit by bit. Needless to say both the main halyard and reefing lines are next to each other right by the electric winch, which makes it very easy for one person to reef in normally less than one minute.
Using two lines would not work so well from the cockpit, in which case you might as well use the classic system and do the work from the foot of the mast.
Lectures and seminars 2010
