Thank you for that insight Mike. Interesting way to look at the reefs. Has anyone in a NS30 done anything similar?
David Godfrey
NS30 #145 Thursday’s Child
RNSYS Nova Scotia
Like Mike mentioned I too find reefing a subjective thing. If it’s very gusty 14K could be the number if heading down wind or beating to weather. I find when reaching the number could be 17 - 20 depending on gusts and sea state. But early is better. It’s plain annoying to do it too late and the admiral gets very annoyed .
Practising in very calm weather is a great way to get it down pat beforehand. We were approaching the Clapperton Channel once where it looked pretty sporty , we rounded up into the lee of a small bay off Bear Island and punched in a reef inside less than 3 boat lengths and turned and headed out. The same manoeuvrer had we waited would have been very ugly.
Its also hard on sails to delay reefing