I’ve seen photos and drawings of 2 reefing methods. In one the boom is lowered parallel to the deck and the reef tack and clew are also parallel. The other way is the boom stays elevated at an angle and the reef tack and clew match that angle. Both had wrap around sails. What is going on? Is one American and the other British?
Is the Sail outhaul and boom snotter one continous line and no independent boom Halyard on American Cat Ketches? Do the British boats have independent outhaul and boom snotter plus an independent boom Halyard?
I don’t have wrap around sails but I think the challenge in keeping the boom at the same angle is the same. Basically as the sail is dropped to reef, the relationship between the snooter and the sail drops, too. My sails are laced onto the mast, and if I were to want to lift the boom back up after reefing, I need to disconnect either the snooter from the boom, or some of the laces. No quick reefing for sure. On a wrap around sail, I could imagine a zipper at the front of the sail to allow you to raise the boom back up.
We’ve sailed with our boat reefed and the boom parallel and she sailed just fine. One looses some of the “vang” that the sail below the boom provides then the boom is raised, but that is more of an issue on a reach or run.
As to the rigging lines. We rigged our outhaul Wyliecat style and it goes from the boom front end around the mast. Pulling on it, pulls the boom aft. The clew is fixed. Seperately, the boom also has snooter that is on a topping lift and holds it up/changes the elevation. The problem with the stander outhaul to the clew was that it comes down on one side of the boom up front. Pulling on it tweeks the boom. Similarly, our reefing lines go through sheet stoppers near the clew. The reefing lines still get pulled at the front of the mast, but then they can be released to unload the front of the boom. Gotta open the sheet stopper to shake out a reef though, and for that the boom must near midships.
Thanks for the reply. I now realize that my sails were rigged correctly for the American way. I was confused because my reef clew and tack were parallel with the deck not the boom. Not realizing that you drop the boom when you reef losing the vang effect. Before I changed to the British system it took heavy wench work to get the sail up and 2 people on the fore deck to get it down…in 5kts of wind. With the British system I now have I can quickly hoist sail without a wench and drop sail with no one on the for deck pulling down (in light air). The adjustable choker and no outhaul with sail on track works great on Wylies. But the wrap around sail with adjustable choker, no outhaul and no boom halyard has way to much friction in my opinion.