I’m a Nonsuch 22 newbie but an experienced “old” sailor. These days I am content to day sail with some short over nights. The lines leading back to the cockpit can be daunting. On my former Cape Dory 25D I had slab reefing with 2 reef positions and only two control lines, each at the mast, one on each side. You only needed to handle the lines if you were reefing.
On the Nonsuch there are two reef positions but two lines for each reef. And the reef lines must be handled at the beginning and end of every trip to raise and lower the sail.
My last years with my Cape Dory as my sailing horizons shortened, I stopped rigging the 2nd reef. I still carried it on board just in case but I never needed it.
My question - is there any good reason why I can’t do the same with my Nonsuch and just not rig the two lines for the deeper reef? Like with my sloop rig, I would still carry the lines on board in the unlikely event I would need them.
This is my first post on the Discourse Hub App. Thank you Jon for your help!
Just yesterday I took the leech line off for the second reef. I left the luff one rigged and the first reef is fully rigged. My aim is for better sail shape in light winds and the weight of the second reef line isn’t helping. …we have very light winds in our area, anything helps. I left the second reef line at the turning block on the boom. Should it be required I’ll need to feed it through the eye in the sail and tie it off on the other side like it was originally. To be honest, if it’s that windy that a second reef is needed, I probably wouldn’t be going out sailing. If I do get caught out, it’s still available with a little more effort. By the way… the 25D is a sweetheart!
What’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for another. FWIW, some factors to consider that might help you decide what works best for you:
A friend asked the Nonsuch designer (the late Mark Ellis) how many reefs to order for a new sail. Mark’s reply boiled down to you can always drop your sails, so you only need as many reefs as you intend to use. Only you know what conditions you like.
Nonsuch sails are typically cut with very deep sets of reef points. Typically, the first and second reef both reduce sail area by a third of original. I.e., the nominal 306 sq. ft. sail area of a N22 would go down to roughly 204 sg. ft on the first reef, and roughly 102 sq. ft. on the second. You’re the best judge of whether you enjoy sailing your N22 in conditions where the wind speed means that 102 sq. ft. is enough.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by saying that the reef lines must be handled at the beginning and end of every trip. I’m guessing that means you’re trailering and have to raise the mast and boom and rig them ever time you go out. If you’re keeping it in the water, it’s easy to let the reef lines go up with the full sail the first time you raise it, then cleat them off a bit slack. After that you’d only have to deal with them when you actually have to reef. If you’re trailering, though, the incentive to do more than you have to goes way down.
How predictable is the weather where you sail? How big is the risk of getting surprised?
How reliable is your engine?
My $0.015 (I’ve been told my advice isn’t worth the full 2 cents.)
I am also a Nonsuch 22 owner and have been for 6 years. I purchased her as I wanted to change down to a simple single handed sail boat as I am in my early 70s and mostly sail single handed. In my case I am on the Ottawa river here in the Montreal area at the Hudson yacht club. There have been seasons that I did not rig the sail reef lines at all and most of the time only one.
However, on the Ottawa river the water does not have those heavy waves and in a hard gusty blow I usually do not go out. If you do not plan to tackle those strong gusty blows, one reef in my opinion is sufficient.
For the lines leading back to the cockpit, for simplicity, I labeled them on my first season and this helped alot until I got to know her better.
Have you ever been out on the Long Island Sound in beautiful weather when all of a sudden a squall comes out of nowhere and it’s blowing 30+ ? I know I have. You’ll appreciate having that 2nd reef available when you do. Even over 25kn that 2nd reef makes for a much more pleasurable sail. Easy enough to shake it out once the squall has passed.
I agree with #3. I have to keep an eye on the crew, some want to haul the reefing lines in when we drop the sail. I find it works best for the leech lines running through the hoops on the boom to leave them loose and pack them in the sail when putting the cover on.
Curt/Bob
So you are saying to leave the 1st and 2 reef lines, both tack and clue fully extended when lowering and covering the sail? That’s one thing I never tried. My lines are in the front locker and my sail is sleeping in its bag in my basement now but I’m trying to imagine where all that line bunches up.
Brian
The lines at the mast drop to the deck. The lines in the stern fall into the cockpit on my 26C. The Captain needs to keep an eye on that. I just grab them and stuff between the folds of the sail if they are in the way while heading to the mooring. For me, this approach is better then having the leech reefing line hang up running through the hoops on the boom while raising. We had oversized reefing lines which produced that problem. They are now 5/16’ so perhaps would not hang up, but the process is now set :-).
As long as you can drop your sail and motor in you don’t need to rig any reefing lines. On my last boat it was well known that we didn’t need the first reef till the wind was over 17kts and the second reef at 22kts. I figured at 22kts I would rather motor into a harbor so I never rigged the second set to keep sailing in higher sustained winds. In San Francisco bay it was normal to have 3 reefs in every sail. Teaching sailing in the BVIs I’ve gone a week without taking the second reef out because the wind never dipped below 20kts. Since we don’t have the option of furling a Jib to adjust for wind like we do on a sloop I’ll keep both reefing sets rigged but you don’t have to.
It would be prudent to have the second reef run and ready. If you get ambushed by 25+ knots motoring with the sail down will be very unpleasant. The 22 does not have the weight of a 26 or 30 to punch through the wind and wave that accompany such conditions. Motoring you would be being tossed about a good bit absent the sail to settle the ride when motor sailing. The way the reef lines run all you do is drop the sail and coil them at the end of the day. As for going fwd to rig the lines in such circumstances that is virtually impossible single handed and even an experienced crew would find it daunting. Not recommended.
Suggest you practice reefing at the dock on a calm day, make the lines with magic marker where the need to be tied off. Review the Nonsuch guidelines on reefing on the INA web site . Learn to reef in a gale is not a fun thing… Enjoy your new boat, I am sure she will serve you well.
I’d like to thank all my fellow Nonsuch sailors for taking the time to answer. The different perspectives are very enlightening. As with much in sailing it seems personal preference plays a part. But I certainly know more than I did before I asked!
Congrats! I’ve had my 22 for 15 years and absolutely love her! You mentioned that you plan on “a few overnights.” To me that means you might awaken on day two where the weather conditions are not as nice as they were on the way out; hence, I’d suggest rigging both sets of reef lines. Mine do not require any special handling when hoisting/dropping the sail other than folding the aft lines into the sail before tying and covering.
I sail in Narragansett Bay, and my brother sails in Clinton, CT. As Bob G mentions, winds in both these areas can spring up quickly. Safety aside, having the second reef available means a more more comfortable ride, ability to go out in conditions that you might hesitate to experience without a second reef available, and motor-sailing to get in quickly will be both quicker and more comfortable. Finally, the stress on our old masts is materially reduced, possibly extending their lives. I have found that with modern material combinations, I’ve been able to reduce the size of all the lines on my boat, reducing the weight, easing the friction around blocks, etc.
Dan Weinstein
Look Farther, 30C #205
East Greenwich RI
I pull my lines (reefing downhauls and outhauls) in and coil them onto the cleats on the cabin top when the sail is down and stowed. I just uncoil them when putting up the sail.
I keep both sets of lines rigged and leave them lack when I bring the sail down, same as Curt described. I think everybody, regardless of which side they are arguing for, has good points.
In my experience, having used both reef points multiple times this season, the Nonesuch’s reefing system is quite elegant and easy to use single-handed.
Practice reefing at the dock a couple of times before you head out. And mark the lines with magic markers to make setting them up easier. If you think it’s reefing weather out there, reef before you head out, easier to shake it out than set it up
Darrell, I don’t have instruments for wind speed on my boat so I couldn’t say for certain. But it was blowing out of the SW, >20kts steady with gusts at or over 30. We were lucky to be able to tuck in around the north coast of Cape Ann, so that the water was basically flat as the wind picked up. We buried our rail while close hauled with two reefs in during a gust. It’s the most I’ve seen our boat heel. She still handled really well – not too much weather helm.
(Side-note - during one of the gusts, all our pots and pans slid out of a left-open shelf. The cacophony of metal on metal gave me half a heart attack - it sounded like something going seriously wrong.)
