Hi MoneyPenny, been using single line reefing on the ocean for 2 decades. Mark your halyard for the position for each reef. 1) Release the vang and mainsheet 2) [most important] Use the topping lift to raise the boom to the leech reef cringle 3) pull in reefing line to tension leech [no pressure on the line as boom is at cringle] 4) lower main halyard to reef mark 5) Pull reef line again to tension luff to set halyard tension [pull sail down to set halyard tension, not up. It is way easier.] 4) Reset vang and mainsheet. Doing this any other way will create a lot of drag and pressure, making things a lot harder than they have to be. Also, if you tie the line to the leech cringle and then run it through the aft cheek block, you have less drag and less line to deal with and less line hanging off the back of your sail. One quick note about sailing conventions. Usually, all lines that have to do with the mainsail are run to the starboard side of the boat/cabintop. All lines dealing with sails forward of the mast are on Port Side. I even keep all mainsail lines (Halyard, Reefing, Mainsheet, Vang ,Topping lift) with a "Red" color basis and all Jib Lines with a "Blue" basis. Spinnaker or Satysail is "Green" color basis. Makes life simple and helps in storms. By the way, I got rid of the mainsheet and Vang years and years ago. I now have Preventers run from two places on the boom to the Port and Starboard toerail and then aft into the cockpit. Infinitely better, more control and incredibly safer.

this is the best explanation and example of single line reefing I have seen. Very timely for me too. I have been trying to figure out a simple reefing system for my Cal 20.

I know it's been 2 years but I just found this while searching how to do this on my Catalina 30 out of Muskegon in Lake Michigan. Thanks for a clear description and video. I will be doing the same soon. Subbed.

One of the best/simplest descriptions of single line reefing. Many thanks! Gerard (Oz)

Man! THAT is a tutorial!! And God knows (if he'd existed) I watched many. The fact you're filming litterally every bit of it, teaches my immense ignorance so much: lines, thickness, knots, blocks,... and much more: HOW you did it all. Your tutorial is perfect! 100%! I've been breaking my egg head on reefing too and you just showed what goes and what probably won't. The result was top btw. The bottom of yr MS was neatly folded. Maybe luck, but it was. My boat is smaller and racier. THEY say one line is not precise enough for the the luff, but you got me hesitating. 👍

MAN! this is exactly what i have been looking for , I'm looking into building a small boat for long term solo cruising , this reefing let me really visualize !

Love the slo mo bouncing up and down. I put on my 3-D glasses and I ended up falling out of my office chair. I subscribed because I also like to learn things while drinking beers ! ! ! ; )

Brilliant. Best video explanation I have found. I’m going to do this. Thank you

Looks like an effective reefing system and certainly important when dealing with the changing weather conditions on Lake Michigan. Really appreciate your posts from the Great Lakes. Cheers.

Great video. I like your detailed presentation on actually reefing using a continuous line. Thanks for sharing.

Yes those darn day jobs. Glad it all worked out. Nice sailing.

You have a clean method of explanation. Good job

Tack så mycket, jag hade svårt att förstå när någon förklarade, men nu har fattat.

Excellent clear explanation and instruction. Thanks for posting

I sail a Tayana Vancouver 32 on Lake Superior. It has a Selden boom, and even with that there was significant friction. I added blocks at the leech and luff cringles which has made for a much happier lazy crew! Keep on keeping on! SV Northern Dancer

Finally somebody that explained it properly. Thank you so much.😊 I just subscribed to your channel. Cheers.😀

Great explanation and good shots. I'm thinking this method would work nicely on our Catalina 25 on SF Bay. Not a great deal of sail area to contend with, so resistance would be lessened. When you're 70, any way to avoid going forward in a blow is a good thing. Thanks for filming this!

Thanks for sharing, looks like a good idea.

Genius idea. That would be perfect for me.

Great work showing how it all came together and how it all works!! And yay for sailing!! :-)

Nicely done! Always thinking of doing the same and the same way. Thanks for sharing!

Very good. That is exactly what I am doing on my boat.

Nice to see you back. The upgrades look great. Seems to work quite well also. For singlehanding I like not having to go up on deck to reef. Great job . Want to see more Great Lakes sailing. Keep them coming.

Thanks again for your videos. I just completed this same project and your videos were a great help.

this is a great video, thank you for posting.

yes nice to see you back cheers from SV Outlandish

Thanks. I’m about to install a single line reef system on my boat. This helps a lot.

I have this "continuous reefing line" installed on my beauty but liked the ideas to better the project as I still have quite a lot of friction. Really liked your video! Cheers

Have had my boat four years(macgregor19, fantastic boat for small lakes) and had the blocks for single line reefing on the boom the whole time and never used them , set it up last week for the first time , worked well but was all backwards! We were trying to operate it from the end of the boom in a blow ! was going to give up on it for that reason , Now going to add the deck hardware you have and run it back to the cockpit from the mast, great video thanks

I like that idea, very well explained

WOW, step one should read: tighten the topping lift, which controls the boom, and stops it crashing down to the deck ( as it is the sail shape (leach) which holds up the boom while sailing). removal of halyard tension causes the leach to slacken and hence not support the boom any more!

Nice Video!! I plan on doing the same thing to my boat this summer. I have been wanting to get my "continuous line" reefing working for years. This year I will do it! I really like the way you did it, installing jam cleats on your boom is a brilliant idea!! I had my main sail made with 'dog bones' to attach sheaves to. I think that will decrease friction. My boom is set up or one internal reefing line I will use your idea of a cheek block for the second line.

Was just thinking yesterday "what happened to the chap from Chicago?" and voila! Thanks!

Nice. Easy to follow

Thank you so much for this I needed to know how it was done

Excellent how too.

here are some useful tips for those that would like to try sailing one day - Thanks

Good visuals and explanations for a beginning, wanna do it sailor in waiting!! Thx

Excellent video, and an excellent job fabricating a set up to fit such needs/requirements. Excellent job. Good luck with Coors! If they ain't interested in being a wee sponsor for you, check out Molson Canadian. A bit north of you but, you may find an interest from that brewery/corporation. They got enough money to keep the pope awake most nights... Good luck with that, and safe, healthy, happy sailing!!!

New to your channel so this may already have happened but for a beer sponsorship you should obviously approach the good people at Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland. Best beer on the lake.

Life's too short to drink Lite Beer!

I wonder if these things attached to the boom could be trusted to survive a storm, especially with loose sails fluttering while tacking.

Please remind folks to slack off the toping lift before Vang and Main Sheets are trimmed. Bad juju for the boom if you don't.

Just came across this and wanted to say how clear your description of this system is. Nice job. Could you maybe be a bit more layed back? :-)

Tomorrow is "Labor Day," so I know I will be checking how this rig would work on my Pacific Seacraft 25.

There are no videos out there showing how to actually attach the hardware to the boom! How does one do that?

Cheers your video is helpful

I like your idea. I watched a video where the reefing lines were inside the boom. By the time he had finished explaining where all the lines went, I was really confused. His diagram looked like a plate of spaghetti

I've watched this video at least 20 times and I believe that this is the solution for my problems. I've got most of the parts either from a used chandlery here locally or on order. What I couldn't find was the unit at the base of the mast that holds the 4 blocks. Can you tell me who makes it? Where you purchased it? And approximately what it costs. I know there are other options, ie; spring loaded standing blocks and such but that arrangement looks so neat and clean I really want to dupelicate it if possible. I would greatly appreciate this info if you have the time. Thanks again! Bill s/v ODIN

Hello! Is this boat in the video a Pearson. Coachtop looks a lot like my Pearson 30.

looks great, but watch the position of the luff cringle...having it so low is putting some severe strain on the mainsail, and on the first sail slide below the reefing cringle.

Great video wondering would the lines sear the mainsail.?

Do you ever tie off the reef points between the luff and clew?

Nicely done Love your vids. Used to sail out of Burnham Saw your comment on Never Monday's blog. Any hook ups yet?

Seems like it would be a lot less work and faster to just have a hook at the mast. Don't you need to go on deck to tie the excess sail around the boom anyway ?

May want to learn the difference between Luff and Leach, 4:06

Fuckin sweet !!!

thats a standard single line reefing the world ovet

Good job,never believe the nay sayers.

You never did answer “why single line reefing”

Drinking and sailing is just the same as drinking and driving. And just as stupid. Drink when the day is done.