Mast vs cockpit reefing

[Rod]

Just bought another toppie, a Mk 1 Reefing is set up at mast with lazy jacks and sail bag.
All my previous boats have been setup with lines to cockpit for safe reefing. My question is, for those with reefing at mast have you found it to be any more of a safety issue or problem

[bearmcnally]

Hi Rod.
Egret II is set up as per sail plan 1964 ,one row of reefs slab ,all down at the mast. I have never been caught out ! One thing I caught taught was be prepared ? As it was always easier to shake a reef out than put one in . Another point made to me by Jim Swanson and Laurie Mitchel many years ago now, was if your rig did disappeared over the side it didn't remove your coachouse at the same time ,as nothing was fixed to the coachouse. If you look at any well known pre 70's yachts you will see everything is deck or mast fixed.So I like do like working at the mast

Regards Bear

[Phillip]

Rod,

I've just brought everything back to the cockpit and will enjoy very much not having to go forward and stuff around with the old winches at the mast.
As a solo sailor staying in the cockpit makes things a lot safer and easier.

Mind you it was not cheap to do as it happened when I re-rigged Seaka, taking the opportunity,
as I had the mast out, to remove the wire halyards and replace with rope.
Also had to remake the mast head for the new rope sizes.
The other issue was that the mast winches had reached their end of life after 40 years service and it was time to replace them anyway.

I've posted photos on the site album.

[rob.lovelace]

I have all the reefing lines in the cockpit, but I have to go forward in any case to open the sail track and let some slugs out also hook the reefing tack on the horn. then go back to the cockpit to hoist the sail again to find the bloody tack has dropped off so back forward again and secure it in place so it will stay while I go back again re hoist the tighten the jiffy line. SOMETIMES I think it would be easier to do it all at the mast. My mates boat has it at he mast and although she's a bigger boat it's no trouble doing all the work up there. This would free up the cabin top for stowage if needed. I reckon the mainsail halyard is harder to pull as well because it goes through a series of deck organizers and eyes. KISS is usually the best.

[bearmcnally]

Hi Rob
I agree ,I've raced on small and big yachts over the years , with some with everything leading back to the cockpit and some with everything on or around the mast .But,like you say you still have to go foreward for some reason . And think what Phil says is correct about it being a little safer doing it solo.

Bear

[Troppo]

Boat design is often daft. Why don't they just put the mast in the cockpit and be done with it? Makes it much safer going up to the mast if it is right there beside you. In my experience, it is very scary going from cockpit to mast with the boat moving and water sloshing, trying to do rope stuff with one hand because I am clinging on for dear life with the other. And this is all while my boat is tied up at the marina, I imagine it would be way worse actually out on the water.

troppo

[bearmcnally]

Hello Troppo that's why people sail lasers

Cheers Bear

[steve]

Hi Rod,

Glad to hear that you have got another top hat.

I think the usefulness of leading the lines back to the cockpit depends on whether you sail single handed. If you sail single handed without an autopilot then even raising the mainsail at the mast is a challenge as it is hard to keep the boat aiming into the wind.

As Rob points out, if you have to go to the mast to put the reef cringle on the horn, leading the lines back to the cockpit does not help greatly when reefing. However, if your sail track goes down to the boom and you can close off the gate, you can leave all the slides in the track and pull each reef cringle down with a line. Attaching a slide (preferably a metal one) to the cringle will keep it at the mast so you do not need to use the horn. This is definitely an arrangement worth having if your track goes down to the boom.

Steve

[RodM]

I like sailing solo including overnight coastal passages but still prefer to keep main halyard and winch at the mast. Fewer sheets to tangle in the cockpit. You're always going to have to go forward occasionally either to sort a rope jam in the furler or change shank on sails, depending on your setup, or to take some photographs:)

I'm also a fan of good strong safety lines!

RodM