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 Post subject: Reefing Question
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 7:40 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:11 pm
Posts: 41
Location: Southern Saskatchewan Canada
Good Morning,

Living where we often sail in some pretty horrendous winds it would be very advantagous to reef the main.

Problem: My sail has no reefing holes in the sail. (it is new last spring)

Question: Would it be sound to punch holes in the sail using a hot punch and then place grommetsd over the holes?

Where would the ideal points for hole placement be?


Our most often condition:

I sail a 90 mile long lake that is about a mile wide.

Often the prevailing winds come straight down the lake creating 2 to four foot waves maybe every 15 to 20 feet. It is a wild ride.

Winds are often at 20+ miles per hour often much more.

It is a blast but a slight mistake and you are over everytime.



Open to suggestions

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:05 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
Quote:
Question: Would it be sound to punch holes in the sail using a hot punch and then place grommetsd over the holes?


Not without having the appropriate reinforcement patches sewn in before you install the grommts. If you just stick the grommets in the existing single layer of sail material, they will almost certainly pull out and tear the sail. This is especially important at the luff and leech where there is a lot of load and therefore necessitates a considerable amount of extra reinforcement.

sm


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 Post subject: reefing question
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:28 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:10 am
Posts: 366
Location: Black Hills South Dakota
Definitely have a pro sail maker ad the reef points. Also get a hold of an old 16 assembly manual to show how to properly reef the main. It was not very popular, that is why Hobie stopped adding the reef point. I believe in a points race you have to race all the races with the sail reefed if you start with it reefed, so if the wind dies you are screwed. Also ,most of the time they will not race, if the wind calls for a reefed main. This is why i do not points race. Also most folks did not reef the thing properly. In those high winds you have ,take your jib down roll it up put it under the front foot straps, in case the wind goes down, you will have it with you. But to get good performance without the jib you will need to use the jib halyard, take it forward to the chain plate on the bridals and tension the boat. This should depower you to still have a great time.

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 Post subject: Re: reefing question
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:52 pm 
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Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:04 am
Posts: 818
Location: Clinton Lake Kansas
Little Wing wrote:
I believe in a points race you have to race all the races with the sail reefed if you start with it reefed, so if the wind dies you are screwed.


Old wive's tale...not true (at least not in Kansas). At an early 80's regatta (non-reefed) we had a near-death, turtle experience before the first Saturday start, returned to the beach, reefed the main and took a third in the next race. Primary reason we took third was that out of thirty some-odd boats only two were left (under full main) that made it around the course without flipping, and they beat us by a mile. Primitive wind measurement of the day said 35 gusting to 50 mph wind. A few others reefed that day and on Sunday we were all back to the full setup.

The next time I reefed a 16 main, to relive that 80's experience with my son Paul, I didn't lash the points to the boom tight enough and destroyed the sail (a sail from the 80's BTW) and wind was only gusting to the lower 40's. :oops:

For the wind speed you're describing sounds like perfect 16 weather! 8)

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 Post subject: reefing question
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:17 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:10 am
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Location: Black Hills South Dakota
I am sure the racing guys can set us strait on the reefing thing. Done correctly it is very effective. I would think it a good idea with 15 to 20 foot waves . Also it is why I like a 16 so much, they are very versatile. I love my 18 also, but I am looking for another 16 to sail also !!!

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 Post subject: Reefing
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:17 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:21 pm
Posts: 379
Location: Winston Salem, NC
When the comptip mast was introduced, they did away with the reef points. Reefing required that the halyard had a longer section of wire with 2 "slugs" on it. This would have defeated the purpose of the comptip to insulate from overhead electric wires. The second position, of course, was the reef point. You will need to change the halyard to accommodate a reef. My '85 H-16 still has the old halyard. I never had the comptip retrofited to my mast but the newer sail I bought has no reef points.

I did reef one time but felt like it was a waste of time. It may be possible to use jib furling but I have no experience with it. I have been sailing the boat since it was new in '85.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:23 pm 
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Location: Saskatoon, Sk. Canada
I'm with Howard, I reefed my main twice in winds around 20 mph, I just didn't feel it made any difference. I guess in big winds solo it best to take down the jib, I never tried that but I just don't think i would steer real well as you would create a fair bit of upwind helm.

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 Post subject: reefing question
PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:31 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:10 am
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Location: Black Hills South Dakota
Taking down the jib is great but you have to tension the rig, or the boat will not sail properly. As for reefing the main It would be a hassle in a race situation, but on those days, maybe a few times a year, when the wind is howlin ,gusts to 40, the wind is blowing the sand into you legs so hard it hurts, a couple tents just blew down, most boats won't go out, those that do get blown down , even the 18's; that is when you reef, and find someone to crew who knows what they are doing. You can sail and even have fun.

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 Post subject: reefing
PostPosted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:56 pm 
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Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:37 pm
Posts: 188
Location: Sechelt, BC, Canada... Sunshine Coast
this is what i ended up doing.... found an old sail and boom.. cut down the sail to the reef points ... now i can change sails fast if i decide to go out alone... i have also added a furling jib setup... i sail in the ocean... on the west coast and feel comfortable going it alone......

http://www.waldorfs.com/CutDownWEB2.jpg

http://www.waldorfs.com/miniSail1Web.jpg

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 Post subject: Re: reefing
PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:38 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:10 am
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Location: Black Hills South Dakota
waldorf wrote:
this is what i ended up doing.... found an old sail and boom.. cut down the sail to the reef points ... now i can change sails fast if i decide to go out alone... i have also added a furling jib setup... i sail in the ocean... on the west coast and feel comfortable going it alone......

http://www.waldorfs.com/CutDownWEB2.jpg

http://www.waldorfs.com/miniSail1Web.jpg


Sounds great, I am looking for an old 16 to do the same thing.

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 Post subject: reefing question
PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:40 am 
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Location: Black Hills South Dakota
WOW had to post again, photos look great, I have to get me one of those !!!!

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:39 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:17 pm
Posts: 119
Location: Saskatoon , Sk
Hello Guthermsen. Another Sk hobie sailer!!! Other than Roy and myself I have never seen anyone from Sk on this site. Were do you sail? What year is your 16'? I got my 16 last year and am loving it! Only three more months and the ice will be gone!

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I wish winter was not so long in Sask. Canada. It's hard to sail on ice! 1984 16' hobie cat Sail# 84848


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:14 pm 
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Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:11 pm
Posts: 41
Location: Southern Saskatchewan Canada
Burley,

I sail mostly at long lake (las mountain lake) we put in about 5 to 7 miles north of regina beach.

My cat is a 2008 model I got last spring.

we sail thre hobies out of kedelston.


where to you sail from?

this summer I want to get up to deifenbaker for bigger water!!!

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2008 hobie 16


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:30 am 
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Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:17 pm
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Location: Saskatoon , Sk
Good to hear back from ya. I live by Rosetown and sail on a little 80 acre lake near by. It is small but help me to learn how to tack well. I also sail at Deifenbaker. Do you know were Hitchcock Bay is? It is north of Elbow. Great sailing, Big water, Always wind! We sould get together this summer. Are you new to Hobie cats? I have never sailed with another hobie. [email protected]

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I wish winter was not so long in Sask. Canada. It's hard to sail on ice! 1984 16' hobie cat Sail# 84848


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:58 am 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
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Location: Jersey Shore
Quote:
My cat is a 2008 model I got last spring.


Since your boat has a comptip mast, you have more reefing issues to contend with besides just adding the reef points to the sail.

If you decide to set the boat up for reefing, you'll have to make a custom main halyard which has a longer wire section and a second "slug" so you can latch the main at it's lower setting.
Also, the mainsail will probably want to pull out of the plastic comptip luff track when it is run at it's lower reefed setting. So you'll probably have to get a 12" section of aluminum luff track and install it where the head of the main ends up when reefed in place of the plastic track.

sm


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