Reefing Blocks in Boom

tnltracy
Posts: 117
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 10:45 pm

Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by tnltracy »

Thanks Rick. My setup sounds like yours, although there's one shieve behind that plate on the lower part, so I could run around that and behind the upper piece, which while not a shieve, seems to be a spacer that does rotate. From the block on the sail down to the boom, that should also work fine, where running the line under the shieve as it enters the boom, actually provides more room for the line.

Regarding the outhaul, I can see that there's a cable that ends above the center shieve at the mast end of the boom, but can't see what it's connected to , if anything. Currently the outhaul is a line which connects to a cable mid boom, and then run back to the cockpit. I was thinking that if there is a block in there, I could just run the outhaul back to the first cleat attached to the bottom of the boom and attach there, since the block making it 2:1 would at least give enough power to keep the foot of the sail sufficiently straight from the clew. Does yours end in a cable where the outhaul attaches to the clew, or just a good quality line?
1984 Freedom 32 #28
Warwick Cove, Greenwich Bay, RI

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Rick Simonds
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Location: Tallahassee, FL

Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by Rick Simonds »

The final connection leading from inside the boom to the clew of the sail is wire, not rope, leading around the center sheave. My outhaul seems to be fairly strong, maybe a 3 or 4 to 1 advantage. The working end of the outhaul comes out the forward, bottom sheave on the boom as rope. I did change the rope once but its been so long since I've been in there messing with that mechanism, I really don't remember exactly how many blocks or how it works. My very hazy recollection is there are blocks on the end of wire leaders from each end of the boom with the rope running between them 3 or 4 times. From memory, the forward wire is held with a clevis pin of some sort, near the gooseneck.
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Rick
Tallahassee

tnltracy
Posts: 117
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Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by tnltracy »

Thanks Rick. I'll see what I can figure out in there, your description is helpful in what I need to look for. Not a lot of room to work in the mast end of the boom!
1984 Freedom 32 #28
Warwick Cove, Greenwich Bay, RI

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mike cunningham
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Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 11:21 am
Location: Jacqueline, F30 #3, Discovery Bay, California

Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by mike cunningham »

Rick's description of his reefing setup reflects how mine is rigged too. I do a lot of reefing in the SF Bay. I have blocks at the tack and clew of each reef point to reduce friction but I constantly experience twists in the reefing line which force me to go forward and sort things out. That s certainly my fault but I have tried a variety of coiling approaches for the stored reefing line and I can't seem to find a way to prevent the twists.

With regard to the outhaul. Mine is semi jammed and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get at the block in the boom. How do you get at that darn thing? Does the boom end cap have to be removed?
Mike Cunningham
Freedom 30 (Mull) Hull #3
Build date...June, 1986 . Freedom Yachts USA, sloop, shoal keel
Gun Mount and pole retrofitted (purchased from a Hoyt Freedom 32)
Yanmar 2gm20F , 1600 hrs fixed two blade prop
e-rud and ocean racing equipment

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rvivian
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Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by rvivian »

I took my boom end cap off last weekend to look at the outfall arrangement.

The outfall wire from the clew runs over the center sheave into the boom and is shackled to a becket on a single block. A line runs forward from the mast end of the boom and is routed through another becket on the other end of the block (not through the pulley) and thence forward to exit the boom near the mast. I could pull the block out of the boom when I un-cleated the mast end of the outfall line and pulled the block out.

I plan on pulling the outfall line back from the mast end with a follower line attached and re-rout it through the pulley. I also plan on installing a 5" Harken magic box (no longer available as far as I know) that I happen to have in the boom between the wire from the clew and the becket on the pulley. Should give me plenty of mechanical advantage but I'm wondering if the 5" adjustment length will be enough.

Thoughts?
Heart's Desire
Freedom 30
Shelton, WA

Meltemi
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Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:08 am
Location: Rhode Island, USA

Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by Meltemi »

Looking for some info on replacing my Reefing lines. I have also had problems shaking out a reef. I have an F35 (Pedrick) with the butterfly block in the boom. I usually need to haul the Reefing line out of the aft end of the boom when raising the main from a reefed main to a full main. It's inconvenient and a bit dangerous. Jlodolce has the same setup on a 40/40 and replaced his lines with Samson lines. It really helped.

Anybody know what the best brand, size and lengths are for the F35? I looked in the owners manual but there was no specs. Slippery and flexible is what I think I'm looking for (without spending a fortune).

I really want to make shaking out a reef easier/safer.

Thanks
Mike O
F35 - Pedrick
1996 Hull #60
Newport, RI

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folotp
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Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by folotp »

I replaced all my reefing lines with ¼" Amsteel Blue uncovered spectra lines. What a difference! The low friction of the spectra makes raising the sails so much easier. I installed covers only on the part of the lines that go around the winch and line blockers. Highly recommended upgrade.
Pierre-André Folot
s/v “Farfelu” - Freedom 39 PH 1983, hull #14
Sailing the Thousand Islands and Lake Ontario
Canada

Mark K.
Posts: 60
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2016 4:32 pm

Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by Mark K. »

folotp wrote:I replaced all my reefing lines with ¼" Amsteel Blue uncovered spectra lines. What a difference! The low friction of the spectra makes raising the sails so much easier. I installed covers only on the part of the lines that go around the winch and line blockers. Highly recommended upgrade.
had the same problem shaking out the reefs on my F35 and was thinking about replacing the part of the line that is on the rig with Amsteel. Then splicing Sta-Set from the turning block at the mast base to the rope clutches.
Question:
To replace the lines in the boom is the procedure the same as replacing a halyard? Sew the end of the new line to the end of the old line and just pull the new one through?

Thank you,

Mark K.

Mark K.
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Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by Mark K. »

1994 F35 Reefing lines. On this boat each of the single line reefing consists of two lines - one for the out haul and one for the clew. Inside the boom they reverse direction with the use of a butterfly block. So I went ahead and replaced the 7/16" stay-set but only the outhaul line with 1/4" Dyneema (aka Amsteel) for my reefing lines. The Dyneema is a smaller diameter and slippery so it glides though the butterfly block and up through the outhaul grommet in the sail rather easily. For the clew half of the reefing line I washed the existing 7/16" stay-set line and treated it with fabric softener and reinstalled it. All the lines run according to the manufacturers diagrams and specifications with this exception. I can now raise/reef the main sail as it was intended without having to tug on the reef outhaul lines to get them moving through the system. I am pleased with the result. I was worried that if I changed everything over to Dyneema (which is essentially zero stretch) it might rip out or damage hardware when the boom moved around so I kept the stay-set for the clew half of the reefing rather than converting it all to Dyneema. This way there is still some stretch in the lines to accommodate the movement of the boom. I have sailed with this system several times now and the system now works as it was intended.

lee
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Re: Reefing Blocks in Boom

Post by lee »

I also have the butterfly reeling system on my f30. One of the lines is off on one end and will need to be replaced and the other is pretty twisted up inside. How do I access the blocks in the boom to replace the line that is not run and to not get the one that is in there all twisted and to inspect/lubricate the blocks? My end cap is rivited on (though I will remove if needed). How do I rerun new lines?

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