I can see Paul’s point in fitting a few downhauls before his big voyage. I, of course, need not have such worries. My reasons for reefing downwind are rather that I have no room to move, being surrounded by other boats or by rocks  -  or  I just want to try it out of curiosity. I have said it before and I repeat it. If you have room for it, I suggest you try moving the halyard’s slingpoint a bit (3 – 5%?) aft of the middle of the yard. With a light tug in the THP and YHP, the sail is then more likely to come down nicely. I have no fixed luff parrels to add friction.

When hoisting the sail, I head up a bit if ever I can, but the sheet forces don’t point that much downwards on a dead run, so I have found that I can haul up a panel or two in this position without having the sail tilting aft (much unlike on Johanna). Again, I think the aft-set position of the slingpoint has much to do with this.

Arne

 

Graham, I'm a pretty windy sailor and am not prepared to bring the wind on the beam unless the seas are pretty small.  I think part of your issue might be all those years of sailing bermudan rig: it gives you a tidy mind.  JR is often a bit untidy looking, but still works.

The first thing, and I can't emphasise this too much, is too reef as soon as you think about it.  Junk rig is very powerful downwind and the habit formed from sailing other rigs, of thinking you need to hang on to the mainsail, is one that needs shaking off.  All your sail is working, don't forget.  Not just some of it.

The second thing is, perhaps, not to hurry the process.  You are, after all, working from a sheltered position and have all the time in the world.  Ease down a bit of sail.  Haul in a bit of sheet.  Repeat the process and keep slacking and tightening the YHP, which helps shake them battens down.  From my own experience, alloy battens are a very mixed blessing and certainly are more reluctant to come down then wooden ones, due to their lack of mass.  Is your anti-chafe made of a slippery material?  That might make a difference.

Gybing my low-aspect rig, has given me some grief, with the sheet wrapping around everything in sight (including me).  I'm in the process of fitting Arne's fan-up preventer and contemplating an arch.  But I honestly have to say that reefing, or shaking out reefs, hasn't been an issue.

Graham Cox wrote:

The consensus seems to be that for reefing downwind it is best to bring the wind onto the beam and feather the sail/s, if possible.  Alan on Zebedee told me once he usually does this.  It would be interesting to hear from David how he reefed Tystie's junk sail when running in big seas, as he has so often.  For times when it is impossible or dangerous to round up and lie beam on to the sea, PJR suggests that reefing on a run with the sail full of wind is "just about possible, although not easy, with good downhauls."  Batten and yard downhauls are recommended for this, though it is noted that for most cruising scenarios, this gear is not really necessary.  I have two downhauls fitted, on the second and fourth battens up from the boom.  They are a bit further aft than shown in PJR (40%) as I also use them as fan-up preventers.  I would also fit a yard downhaul if making long ocean voyages, even tradewind passages.  If you do reef without rounding up, PJR cautions that you must control the sheet carefully to stop the yard and battens getting forward of the mast (because, of course, the sheet goes slack as you lower the sail).

Reefing a bermudian mainsail off the wind is not easy either, though my tendency was to reef or furl the main early and sail mostly on headsails, which were fitted with roller-furlers.  That makes reefing easy but if it is necessary to pole out headsails much of the advantage is lost.  As I have stated before, all rigs are compromises.  Reefing downwind is not one of junk rig's best features but this is outweighed by numerous other advantages.  I sometimes curse junk rig when running in a rising wind with developed seas, and even more so when the wind drops off and leaves you wallowing in a leftover sea, with the yard and battens crashing around and making the mast twang like a fishing rod with a big fish on it (normally my mast hardly flexes).  People talk about junk rig being a poor choice for windward work but I am happiest when the wind is forward of the beam!  The sail is so docile and easy to reef, it's time to bake cakes and dance in the cockpit.

Speaking of which, I never leave the cockpit at sea these days except for recreational purposes and that is enough to make me love my rig despite my dislike of reefing it downwind.

I've never had much difficulty taking the first few reefs in a junk sail when running downwind. I just ease the halyard and trim the hauling parrels and sheet. OK, so the battens don't drop so readily when deep reefs are taken with the sail full of wind, but they will usually drop when the yard hauling parrel is taken in, or after the boat's motion has shaken them to and fro a bit. Heavy battens will help, of course. This really is one of the good features of junk rig, and I'm left wondering why you find it problematic, Graham. I would certainly want to avoid rounding up to reef, when there is a sea running. I also routinely reef on a run when I need to slow down a bit to enter harbour. If it's blowing hard, I would certainly want to trim the sheet before easing the halyard, so that the sail does not go forward of the beam, which puts an unnecessary load on the battens as the sheet makes more of an acute angle to them.

The consensus seems to be that for reefing downwind it is best to bring the wind onto the beam and feather the sail/s, if possible.  Alan on Zebedee told me once he usually does this.  It would be interesting to hear from David how he reefed Tystie's junk sail when running in big seas, as he has so often.  For times when it is impossible or dangerous to round up and lie beam on to the sea, PJR suggests that reefing on a run with the sail full of wind is "just about possible, although not easy, with good downhauls."  Batten and yard downhauls are recommended for this, though it is noted that for most cruising scenarios, this gear is not really necessary.  I have two downhauls fitted, on the second and fourth battens up from the boom.  They are a bit further aft than shown in PJR (40%) as I also use them as fan-up preventers.  I would also fit a yard downhaul if making long ocean voyages, even tradewind passages.  If you do reef without rounding up, PJR cautions that you must control the sheet carefully to stop the yard and battens getting forward of the mast (because, of course, the sheet goes slack as you lower the sail).

Reefing a bermudian mainsail off the wind is not easy either, though my tendency was to reef or furl the main early and sail mostly on headsails, which were fitted with roller-furlers.  That makes reefing easy but if it is necessary to pole out headsails much of the advantage is lost.  As I have stated before, all rigs are compromises.  Reefing downwind is not one of junk rig's best features but this is outweighed by numerous other advantages.  I sometimes curse junk rig when running in a rising wind with developed seas, and even more so when the wind drops off and leaves you wallowing in a leftover sea, with the yard and battens crashing around and making the mast twang like a fishing rod with a big fish on it (normally my mast hardly flexes).  People talk about junk rig being a poor choice for windward work but I am happiest when the wind is forward of the beam!  The sail is so docile and easy to reef, it's time to bake cakes and dance in the cockpit.

Speaking of which, I never leave the cockpit at sea these days except for recreational purposes and that is enough to make me love my rig despite my dislike of reefing it downwind.

This thread started in the "JRA Magazine No66" thread I've deleted those entries and reposted them here where the members would expect to find it.

Graham Cox wrote:

I'd particularly like to read an article about reefing with the wind aft of the beam, perhaps a compilation article drawing on the experience of numerous contributors.  I'll even volunteer to compile it if people will send me their material!

Ketil Greve:

Graham,