Handle for roller reefing main

[Gerald]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/pccd574e6fc15f4a01dcd7b1bbc3ae328/fb01bc3c.jpg

I don't have a handle for the boom roller and am wondering if anyone can provide a description or picture of one. The receiver for the handle is 3/8" square and is cut thru for use on either side of the mast.
The small winch on the side of the boom looks like it would create a lump and put stress on the sail when rolled???
Gerald Niffenegger

[Nicholas Carey]

Check out Toplicht (http://www.toplicht.de). I believe their catalogue has the very thing. Or try Classic Marine (http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/).

[JimConlin]

Boom roller reefing didn't work very well. The sail often bunched forward and set very poorly. It fell out of favor when sailcloth got strong enough to make slab reefing practical. The winch on the side of the boom suggests that an owner abandoned roller reefing for slab reefing. If there isn't a cheek block on the same side, there should be.

[John B]

Gerald, there's no way that you are roller reefing with that winch on. The winch would have been fitted because the sail was converted to slab reefing.Have you checked it? It's got reef cringles and points I bet. Either that, or it was not found necessary to reef it. I had fittings almost exactly the same on my boat BTW. I don't like roller reefing tho and I did exactly what has been done to yours.

[John B]

SNAP!!

[Gerald]

I found Toplicht impossible to read and didn't find an English version. However, Classic Marine is the coolest site on the net. I would like to have one of everything they sell. Didn't see the handle?
Yes, there is a cheek block on the same side of the boom. The main sail is made from material that would not be very darn good for rolling. The cloth looks like the part of an onion sack where the writing is. There is a 3" diameter hole in the lower panel of the sail and I will bet it lines up with the winch???......... Will check when it gets light.
Gerald

[Nicholas Carey]

Order up the Toplicht Catalog. I don't know how Brazilian mail does, but I ordered a copy and had it in my grubby little hand within 4 days.

The Toplicht catalog is still auf Deutsche, but it has an English index. Or possibly...one of our German friends here would consent to translate where needed?

You might also check with Davey & Company (UK, http://www.davey.co.uk/). Their catalog is in English (but they are, unfortunately, wholesale-only. You might need to communicate with Davey to determine an appropriate or local distributor.) I've got a Davey catalog at work...I'll check it in the AM and see whether they list an appropriate winch handle for you.

[John B]

These are the fittings I took off. almost identical. certainly the same idea anyway. I assume you have a similar outhaul as well. beautifully made stuff.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid81/p80f1fefb66fe600355743daeb7e825f4/fb00f462.jpg

The other comment I'd make about this system is this. Imagine you are reefing the sail or you need to reef the sail. you lose the handle over the side. It happens. You then have no way to reef the sail. I don't know about you, but I always used to leave it too late to reef . makes it hard to do and that's when &*^% happens.
in other words,You need a back up way of doing it. I'm sure you could fabricate a handle out of some sort of automotive tool and adapted socket. That's what I had intended to do before I saw the light. at least with the slab reefing you can use a back up handle off a sheet winch should you lose it.

[Gerald]

The sail has reef points about 2 meters up on a 9 meter sail. I guess I won't be using the boom roller. Can't see any reason to remove it???
John .... the rig in the picture looks much stronger than mine. I will probably have a picture available in about a year of the winches laying on my shop floor.
Thank you
Gerald

[Ian McColgin]

The roller gear is part of your gooseneck. Leave it unless you're changing everything anyway.

Depending on how you use the boat you might talk to a sailmaker about adding a couple of reefs. That one seems a bit deep and you might one that takes a smaller bite out of the sail and a third really deep reef.

But much depends on the boat, your waters, and your headsail choises so get some smart help here.

[Gerald]

Since the sail will go to the sail maker in the coming week I will have him add some more reef eyes. Good idea and that change can fit into my budget.

In another area I was asking about the halyard winches and Ian was helping me understand them. I will add what I had written for the other thread.

Ian ..... You are real close to talking my into junking the winches. Also the other things that I have read here tell me that these winches are a real bad idea. However, I am at least going to get this boat back in the water with the equipment that came with the boat. I am putting trust in Campos ..... since the boat came from his yard.
Most of the people here have more time in the head of a sailboat than I do in the cockpit. I don't know the terms that you use so need to look most things up and once I learn the terms in English I also need to learn them in Portuguese. I don't lack rebuilding skill but don't always understand what the point was, 35 years ago when this boat was built.
I took one lesson in a 23' plastic boat, bought the boat from the instructor, played around till I could make the thing respond and went 50 miles off shore to build my confidence. A few months ago I bought this 32' yawl, in need of repair and sailed it for less than an hour before starting the rebuild. I don't believe that you can learn everything from books. Ya need to jump in and get your feet wet ........ wrong term .......... keep your feet dry might be better.
Thank you for your patience.
Gerald Niffenegger

[Popeye]

arrr. thars weeds off me port bow... arrr.

man the weed wacker, ...arrr.