Selden Boom - 3rd reef?

[Sitesurfer]

Hi folks, we put the main on this weekend, ready to be splashed on Wednesday. That was an interesting exercise, the sail is about twice the size I am used to with batten pockets that required some lateral thinking and plenty of wiggling - but I digress.

The Selden boom has 2 reef points at the goose neck, one red and one blue flecked (colours may vary of course) - which are then duplicated at the other end, so far so good. A couple of bow lines onto the respective cringles in the main and we had first and second reef sorted.

There is however a third (what appears to be) reef line at the stern end, which we can't find a use for as it has no corresponding forward line. We have the outhaul on the foot sorted so it's not that.

The only thing I can think of is that it's used for pulling the back of the sail in when dropping into the stack pack, but that's a wild theory based on nothing but speculation.

Anyone help?

[Sitesurfer]

Clearly, I need to google this stuff...

As an addendum, I've done some googling and found this ingenious method - which I think I will try.
Clearly, also I have wired up the luff cringles incorrectly,  they should be through the cringle and down to the boom and tied off? (There don't appear to be cleats for this).

I've placed the genoa halyard at the mast and will relocate the outhaul too - which will give me space in the jammers.

[dawntreader]

This is how I have done it - and used it successfully 

[Salty]

This is how I have done it - and used it successfully 

Thanks Dawntreader, I thought it was just my boom where the sheave was missing, but your diagram makes it very clear how to rig that third reefing line.

[dawntreader]

I forgot to mention that not all sails come equipped to have 3 reefs and mine was modified accordingly. Also, in answer to the question, the end of the (3rd) reef is tied off around the boom as are all the others - nothing mechanical added 

[Sitesurfer]

Thank you all, I confirm that the 3rd reef does not have the sheave installed - so I will add the turning block as per the diagram, also tying off the reef to the boom with a nifty bowline around the boom.

Brilliant info thanks!

[dawntreader]

Thank you all, I confirm that the 3rd reef does not have the sheave installed - so I will add the turning block as per the diagram, also tying off the reef to the boom with a nifty bowline around the boom.

Brilliant info thanks!

It should be one of these: https://www.netknots.com/rope_knots/running-bowline

[Sitesurfer]

oooooh! I like that one, need to show it to the Scouts next week!

[dawntreader]

I've amended my drawing to include the running bowline 

[Mirror45184]

Hi,
For tying off the bitter end of the reefing line to the boom I do not use any knot. Take the end of the reefing line around the boom and loop around the line going back up to the reef cringle. Then simply wrap the bitter end around the loop formed around the boom. There are no knots that will bind up and be impossible to untie, even a bowline can completely lock up. I'll take a photo next time I am down at the boat.

Cheers

[Salty]

Hi,
For tying off the bitter end of the reefing line to the boom I do not use any knot. Take the end of the reefing line around the boom and loop around the line going back up to the reef cringle. Then simply wrap the bitter end around the loop formed around the boom. There are no knots that will bind up and be impossible to untie, even a bowline can completely lock up. I'll take a photo next time I am down at the boat.

Cheers

That system of wrapping the end of the line around the standing part was very commonly used many years ago by “wharfies” and stevedores when unloading bundles of cargo from ships, and only came to an end when some desk bound individual from ‘elf and safety’ decided they knew better.
Personally I’m quite happy to use and keep at hand a seaman’s famous knot untying machine for such occasions when fingers are not up to the job.

[Ziffius]

My 3rd reef line just pulls down the back of the sail and I Hook the luff cringle on to the horn at the forward end of the boom - this was the set up when I acquired my Bav39. I’ll look at the set up when next on the boat in light of dawntreaders picture

[Sitesurfer]

So far so awesome folks.

I learnt a new knot this weekend, the stevedores stopper knot - was used liberally throughout my boat by the previous owner and its a corker!

Anyway back on track, the reason I mention this is because all the reefs were tied off with this knot in the end of the boom (hence my initial confusion about leading the reef line down to the boom).

[dawntreader]

My 3rd reef line just pulls down the back of the sail and I Hook the luff cringle on to the horn at the forward end of the boom - this was the set up when I acquired my Bav39. I’ll look at the set up when next on the boat in light of dawntreaders picture

Good plan - you don't really want to go forward if you need to put in reef 3 - it's already dodgy out there 

[Salty]

.
.
I learnt a new knot this weekend, the stevedores stopper knot - was used liberally throughout my boat by the previous owner and its a corker!

Anyway back on track, the reason I mention this is because all the reefs were tied off with this knot in the end of the boom (hence my initial confusion about leading the reef line down to the boom).

In my last post I was struggling to remember what that hitch was called, then it came to me and I was able to look it up, see photo below.  Amongst other names it is called a “timber hitch,” and was used by the stevedores while unloading some of the bulk timber cargoes that were carried on one of the ships where I began my seafaring career.

However, take care when you are tidying up your reefing lines if one of these hitches has been untied, it’s all to easy to start to pull on a line only to realise you have pulled the knotless end inside the boom. At that point there comes a temptation to say something not always considered polite 🤬