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West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
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Sorry, there isn't jiffy reefing on jibs, I was talking about on the main.
For the jib, the jib reefer is a roller furler. If you don't like a roller
furler, and you don't want to go on the foredeck, you can use two
forestays, and two downhauls. Then, just raise/lower the appropriate jib
(I've only done this on 30'+ boats, so I don't know how it would be on a
potter.)
There are some other furling methods for jibs that use lines sewn into the
jib, much like the jiffy reefing system, but I've never seen or used one,
and can't find the web site information at this point (I should have
bookmarked it, but I didn't.) It still requires 2 sets of jib sheets, and
the setup is something like this:
Sail has 2 attachment points, one at the clew, and one halfway up the
leech. It also has a second attachment on the luff that gets a line up it,
similar to a down-haul (but use for reefing.)
The reefing line's bitter end is in the cockpit. From there, it goes to a
block at the foot of the forestay. It then goes up and around and back down
to the block (exactly like a downhaul, but only 1 meter or so above the deck.)
The other reefing line (can't manage with just 1 line unfortunately - there
isn't anything to pull against in the jib so if one used the same line it
would fold the whole sail) goes from the lower jib sheet attachment point
to the upper jib sheet attachment point.
Hmm - maybe if one tied a second line to the first and used it to wrap the
lower section of the jib one could manage with just one line adjustment.
It would only keep the sails wrapped if there was tension on the jib
sheets, but there would be in this case, right?
To reef, sail close enough to the wind (say broad reach or closer) to be
able to attach the secondary jib sheets to the attachment point on the leech.)
Let the primary jib sheets slack.
Pull the forward reefing line, and lower the jib halyard.
Use the other reefing line to tidy up the other sails.
It is all fairly complicated, and probably not worth the effort (which I
expect is why it didn't ever take off.)
Another system that I haven't seen, but I believe should work, is to have a
second jib halyard attached part way down the jib (say 1/3 of the way.)
It needs to be attached to both the leech and the luff in a triangular
shape matching the shape of the jib. Then, just release the normal jib
halyard and pull down on the jib downhaul. The sail shape will be
maintained by the triangular shape in the secondary jib halyard. Just make
sure the secondary halyard doesn't get caught on anything on the mast.
Still, roller furling is easy and works well.
Bill
At 09:58 AM 2/14/00 -0500, you wrote:
Bill Wallace wrote:
> ...
> The jib reefers, however, are wonderful (emptor caveat - I have only
sailed on a Siren 17, not a Potter). The only problem there is pointing in
very low winds (which is not something I usually care about as I am usually
moored by the time the winds drop around where I sail.)
Please tell me more about jiffy reefs on jibs.
I use a downhaul now, but the all-or-nothing aspect is frustrating.
Roller furlers also have drawbacks.
But I have never heard of a jiffy reef in a jib, and would really
appreciate some info on how it is set up.
-- Robert Skinner, Rockville, MD '87 Potter 15 HMS #1618 "Little Dipper"
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