hello, long time since I've posted............any suggestions on reef point locations? got caught out in stiff winds and had to duck behind Jones Island for a while and eventually doused the sails and motored in........bruce wheeler
The first reef in the main should knock about 20% - 25% of the area down, same for the jib. A second reef point should reduce the sail's area by half. These amounts aren't written in stone, but a good starting point.
If you are slightly over pressed often, you might consider a 15% - 20% reduction on the first reef.
I'm also thinking about reef points in my Pocket Cruiser. Any recommendations for installing reef points in a polytarp sail? My simple plan is to reinforce each point with duck tape and install grommets. I also suspect that this won't last very long. But I'm just looking to use polytarp for my first season...
Paul
Duct tape will last a season or two, depending on how much sailing time you force it to tolerate. It'll wrinkle up a bit, but it'll hold. A more permanent method would be to use double sided tape and some poly tarp patches (usually 6" - 8" circles) on each side of the nettle points.
When reefing, don't lash the sail to the boom with the nettles, just bunch up the sail and tie the reef points around the gathered up sail. The new (reefed) tack and clew points will hold the sail in place. Of course, these new attachments (reefed tack and clew) will need extra reinforcements so they don't pull out in heavier winds.
Lastly, a poly tarp sail will not like being in heavy winds. This material is stretchy and this makes for a very poor sail shape in wind strengths over 15 knots. This tends to increased heeling, hard steering and generally more work then necessary, trying to sail her. Often the reinforcement patches and grommets (cringles) will tear out. So, if facing building wind strengths, look for shelter in the lee of something or head for shore, if you want your sails to survive.
I put two lines of reef points in my tarp sail. I reinforced both side with patches of duct tapes before grommets and all works well.
I made a reefing system for the first stage as described in
http://www.wayfarer-international.org/WI...lips04.htm
with the difference that I inverted the command line that works pulling from the mast toward the boom end.
I never suffered for a particular wear due to reefing, except in grommets near the mast, due to excessive pull in reefing system while the throat halyard was not loose enough. That was a mistake I made only once, but it was sufficient to pull out a couple of grommets.
I agree that polytarp sails last a couple of season, This is my second season and they are going to die. The wear is also due to direct sun rays in the summer and breeze and frost in the winter. If you recover your boat or your sails in a garage or under any sort of roof, they probably survive longer, proportionally to effective employ. Anyway it is a temporary sail set. I made them in polytarp, because I had intention to launch my Weekender as soon as possible and to cut costs. In Italy and Europe commercial Weekender Sail sets are not available, therefore I should order them to a sail maker or import a set from USA (paying a sensible quote of tax) and both choices require time and money.
If for you commercial sails are availble, consider the time you save and also costs you have not (grommets, mast hoops, hanks...)
Gianluigi
Thank you, both. I'll follow your advice--and sail with care.
Paul
I haven't been out all that much and my tarp sails are in the process of being replaced. However, I did notice that a workable solution is to spill a bunch of air. Last summer that seemed to help a lot. I wasn't roaring down the lake like a fire truck, but my sails appreciated it.Â
I also just finished adding reef points to my tarp sail just in case I get caught out over my head.Â
Al Stead