#Clew lines professional#

“It’s made in New Zealand and a really top-notch system. Stan Gauthier of Crew Service International in Vancouver Island, BC, takes the opposite stance regarding in-boom furling systems: “The top dog in my opinion is the Leisure Furl in-boom furler,” he told us. Offshore, if it hits the fan with a bolt-rope system, you’ll have a hell of a time getting the sail down same goes for a roller-furling boom, you have to turn the boat into the wind to get the sail down.” It only happened to me once, on a charter boat, and not one that was maintained to private standards. The only area you have to watch out for in the Harken gear is the way the batten end is attached to the car there’s a pin, sometimes an Allen screw going into a nylon nut that can vibrate loose. For mast track hardware, I like the Harken and Antal equipment, they’re both fabulous, especially Harken’s Bat Car system for getting the main down and being able to reef it. “The boat is stable and less likely to be pitching around in the waves. “The best way to reef is sailing dead down wind,” said Burton. He has sailed all over the world, logging some 250,000 miles in the last 30 years on boats that have had everything from iron hoops to the latest mast track systems.

#Clew lines professional#

To better understand what reefing systems work best, and what particular items of gear function and don’t function when the wind pipes up, Practical Sailor surveyed a cadre of professional delivery skippers for their insights.Īndrew Burton of Newport, RI, is like several of the skippers we queried.

All of this not only wreaks havoc on the gear and the boat’s performance, but also on its occupants’ safety and peace of mind. Getting a proper reef tucked in means getting the boat back on its feet, and how effectively each component works alone-and within the reefing system-can mean the difference between an appropriately taut mainsail or a baggy foil with scalloped sags along the luff stressing the slugs or slides and a flogging clew that causes undue wear to both the sail and the reefing gear. High winds and building seas put a premium on equipment as well as crew expertise. When a reefing line gets fouled or a halyard gets stuck or a block pulls out of the boom and colorful language comingles with the breeze, reefing the mainsail can become a high-seas calamity, and a certain precursor to unsafe situations. When done properly, reefing the mainsail can be a graceful affair, a blend of art and science that keeps strong winds from tearing the sail to pieces while bringing relief to crewmembers who have been bouncing around on deck or in the cabin below.

This article takes a more focused look at mainsail reefing from the perspective of professional offshore sailors who have to deal with reefing every day. In our August 2011 mainsail buyers guide, we looked at all the decision points that go into buying a mainsail, including material, construction, slides, and reefing systems.