How to Reef your Mainsail on a Catamaran

[@ToddBryantsr]

Thank you! A lot of videos talk about reefing but don't explain what it is. Your video is very informative. Thank you!

[@TMGYachts]

I'm glad you're enjoying our content.

[@InformedKiwi]

Doing it this way will have problems on most yachts. When the halyard is being lowered the reef line should be taken in at the same time or there is loose reef lines hanging off the boom and quite likely to get caught. If skipping a reef, like going straight to reef 2 then as the halyard is slowly dropped both reef lines 1and 2 need to be bought in taking up the slack as the sail comes down then reef 2 is tightened down. What was completely omitted was the halyard needs to be tightened after the reefing.

[@oldmayyyte]

Great video, I’d love to see an example under way, say where you’re off shore and strong winds have crept up and you need to reef in a hirry

[@SailingJoy]

Lots of people have questions about reefing correctly. Great job with the video. All the best Greetings from Greece. Best Ed and Patricia

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Thank you so much for explaining the terminology! I always hear these terms on the videos that I watch and everyone assumes that we all know how to sail, but we don't all know how to sail!

[@TMGYachts]

We are so glad we could help. We try to create videos that beginners through to advanced sailors will all value.

[@dontraeger4325]

Great video, thank you. Very clear explanation makes the complex topic easily understood. Now we need to practice, practice and practice

[@TMGYachts]

I'm glad you liked it, practice will certainly make things easier for you. Best of luck!

[@geoff850]

Really enjoy your videos. Very easy to listen to as you speak so clearly and explain things with such clarity. Would love you to do the B&G chart plotter.

[@TMGYachts]

Thanks for your kind feedback Geoff. We find that people use chart plotters in many different ways however, we are thinking of interesting ways to integrate the plotter into a video that will be instructional and interesting.

[@yvonnenystrom]

Excellent step-by-step instructions on reefing!! Thank you for the video!!!

[@jonas8075]

Good and informative! To make it 100% you should have gone the other way around as well and hoisting the sail again.

[@TMGYachts]

Thanks for your feedback Jonas. I think we assumed that undoing the reefing lines and hoisting was straight forward but possibly not. We might consider this in a future video.

[@seeuathebeach]

Hey Jonas he has actually done it, but you couldn't see it because you were too focused on your SELF.

[@mr.nieves4344]

Totally AMAZING video! Just got my lic and these videos you have uploaded, are Wonderful!!! Thanks a LOT!!!

[@grandpalarry9389]

Fantastic Video, Thanks

[@kaylaandjimbryant8258]

Easy peasy! I like the fact that you guys do this, so many dealers don't go the extra mile like this. We'd be half tempted to go through you when we do it, and we are actually leaning toward Lagoon's offerings, with Fountaine-Pajot as our second choice now.

[@TMGYachts]

Thanks for your kind words and we are glad you like these. If you are from Australia or plan to spend a significant time in Australia please feel free to reach out to our team directly on [e-mail] when the time is right and we would love to talk about your options.

[@Dubya9W9]

wow this makes sense now! i was wondering what the hell is a Reef, i understood it was basically lowering the mainsail but what i didn't getis, how low do you go? but this helped out a lot!!!

[@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643]

Great job in explaining and demonstrating reefing. Something any sailor had better know to keep them and the crew out of a really bad situation.

[@TMGYachts]

Glad you liked it!

[@kingdommindset1462]

Well done! I have never sailed, so this was so informative!

[@laurence9695]

Lots of info missing. Do you head into the wind, do you start the engine? What do you do with the Genoa? Furl it in? Let it flap?

[@briangray6461]

Great videos and super helpful ! Thanks!!

[@brucewelsh1707]

Great video on reducing sail to a reef point.please do a video on the opposite putting in a reef from no sail raised. Is it the same technique using the main halyard to raise?

[@TMGYachts]

Thanks so much Bruce, we really appreciate the feedback. We will try to incorporate this into one of our future videos.

[@hatemtawfik]

Great video. Thank you very much. i practically learned sailing through your videos.

[@bigrich2581]

Excellent instructions, thank you very much for this video!

[@TMGYachts]

Thank you.

[@StartVisit]

so when you moving from reef 1 to reef 2 what do you do with reef 1 line? just keep in the same position or release? thank you.

[@brentbiz]

Keep reef 1 locked.

[@LIVE_AT_FULL_SAILS]

This is really useful presentation how to do reefing. Great job with the video 👍👏

[@richarddoherty842]

I notice you did not mention tightening the topping lift before dropping the halyard. Is this not something you need to do on the 42? On my lagoon, if I fail to tighten the topping lift then when i lower the halyard the back of the boom will start to fall.

[@andreashechtl2272]

Great video. Thank you 😊

[@xaltyhimself2593]

love these videos as we are thinking of buying a lagoon cat so its great to see it done on a lagoon.

[@jackhedley232]

Perfectly explained - thank you

[@normshifferd9728]

Thank you for this information, it’s been great!

[@alexkrok8334]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Couple of questions. As you put consecutive reefs on do you recommend easing the previous ones? i.e. after reef #2 is one do you ease reef#1 to take it easy on the sail? and what is ballpark proportion to take reefs on the jib as you do reefing on the main ? ie as you take reef#1 on the main - how many round on the jib furler you take to reduce the jib sail area?

[@ConstrianedVideo]

Get tutorial. The closeups of the reefing points and angles of the reef lines were very helpful to verify a good reef position with minimal chafe.

[@focus9120]

Thank you very much, this was really useful to me

[@fthurlow]

Excellent video, very informative, very easy to follow, thank you so much!

[@TMGYachts]

We are glad you enjoyed!

[@BarracudaHawk]

Very well done. Clear and concise. Useful topic too just to refresh the procedure. Would you tighten the main halyard after taking the reef or accept it as good after taking a particular reef. Great work thank you.

[@TMGYachts]

Yes, correct, if you set the reefing line and the luff is still loose you can tighten the main halyard.

[@michaelfard1519]

Nice job

[@nickrea2869]

Excellent videos but reefing is often the other vagary around.You leave the dock in strong winds and immediately pull the sail into a reef,rather than dropping down.

[@brienw8800]

Excellent, do you need to reduce tension in the previous reefs when enacting the next reef or just leave them be?

[@jamieosh70]

When putting in another reef (say 2nd after 1st) you do not need to shake out (reduce tension) on the previous reef. However, you should consider what will come next - likely reefing more or less. Personally I would ease off tension of non working reefs a little to reduce chafe on lines if I did not expect to change the reef again soon but I would leave them in and the clutch on. If I then need to go back from reef 2 to reef 1, it’s simply a matter of retensioning them. If I expect to go from reef 2 to 1 soon, I’d just leave the tension on.

[@leaveyourlover]

Great video. Are there no ties/lines attached at the boom on those reefing points?

[@KANALOAWWP19]

Should you take up The slack on reef one and two lines to or should you leave them in their reefed position? On my monohull, Iused to pull them in just to keep everything tidy.

[@aalmond925]

@The Multihull Group I had a similar question, do you need to release the tension on reef1 (or 2) when going to the next reef, or when you have reef3 in are the lines for 1 and 2 on tension locked in the cleat still? Thanks

[@davidfromocmaryland8190]

Is there slack in reef lines 2 and 3 that needs to be pulled in also when setting up reef 1? Thanks for the video!

[@TMGYachts]

Once reef 1 is set, you will need to pull through the slack in reef 2 and 3. This is best practice.

[@jimzessin8889]

Great video. Thanks.

[@AlexJunq]

Dear friends, what is the best technique to reef when is sailing downwind?

[@dontraeger4325]

Great question and I second your video request.

[@markthomasson5077]

…you are only supposed to reef in calm conditions at anchor! Did you not watch the video

[@lolonav]

Thanks a lots I had to rig a lagoon 42 (helping a neighbor in the ponton)and I caught a lot of details in this video if you see this comment I would like to know how the clew is attach at the bottom of the sail . By advance thank you

[@hanshuygens1348]

Question: I would like to sail solo a lot of the time. Are in mast or in boom furling main sails an option for catamarans?

[@TMGYachts]

They are certainly are. Not always out of factory but retrofitted. When looking at items like this always consider safety. Remember with in boom if the mechanism ever fails, there is no means to drop the sail, as it is wrapped up in the mast, you essentially have a flappy hanky until it's fixed. In boom, you still have access to a halyard to lower the sail any time. It's easy to lash a sail to a boom, much harder to lash a sail to a mast.

[@ricabude]

Congrats for the video, very clear and informative. One question - under even more severe wind conditions, say 40-50knots, could you go beyond reef 3 or even lower the main completely? I've seen a video on such a situation where the crew lowered all sails completely. Thanks again

[@TMGYachts]

I have not experiences these kinds of winds but I would say taking the sails down completely in these conditions would the the safest scenario. As always these will be based on the vessel and information will be available in your manual.

[@brienw8800]

Did you have to release the other reef lines when you went to 2 & 3?

[@garyminnaar7876]

I notice that you don’t use the topping lift at all when reefing Would the boom not drop too much without its use I always lift a bit then reef and adjust then ease the topping lift again Is this wrong??

[@antoniocapomagi5778]

thank u very much indeed !!

[@jbrownson]

Thanks for your videos btw, great work

[@TMGYachts]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@dylantantuico8210]

I really enjoy watching your videos. I just took delivery of a new L46 from France and have quickly grown to enjoy sailing it. Im quite new to catamaran sailing and the slab reefing system. I have a question regarding how to stow the reefing lines when I bring down the sail. Some sailors I talked to told me to just let the reefing lines hang down as I bring down the sail and just pack them into the sailbag with the sail after anchoring. The problem I have with this is there are occassions where the reefing lines gets entangled with each other or with the lazy jack lines or the sail bag straps so that the next time i raise the sail i have to deal with these tangled lines in the middle of raising the sail. Would it be better to pull down the reefing lines at the mast end while I bring down the sail? But will be needing an extra hand if I do this approach

[@JoeFox_TMGYachts]

Hi Dylan, Firstly congratulations on the delivery of your new L46 - Great model! Both ways that you describe are fine, however each has its pros and cons. For a faster drop and easier hoist again later then leaving them loose (and tucking them into the sailbag) is better, though it is important you are carful when hoisting so as not to get them tangled like you mention. Pulling them through is great, and looks neat but can a hassle pulling through and would be a slower dropping process, also a hassle raising as there is a lot of friction and "drag" when pulling the 3 reefing lines back through the jammers, spectacles, pulleys and blocks. There is no hard a fast rule so long as you are away of the limitation of each method.

[@markdunstone2922]

A couple not picking comments. Marking halyards is a great idea but in my experience whipping doesn’t go through my Lewmar clutches. Second point, one often has to reef (or drop) the main on a broad reach particularly if you are a gentleman sailor who avoids beating to windward. On my first boat, a Crowther tri, one could drop or reef the main by first loosening the halyard, and then turn downwind accelerating, which would unload the slides and the main would fall down to whatever you loosened the halyard. This can avoid having to turn the boat across swell and increase apparent wind, which can be scary. Unfortunately my current boat with batten cars refuses to co-operate with this technique. Finally, I’ve always found jiffy reefing less effort than anticipated, but still it’s a lot different and more difficult doing the reefing when the boat is rocking around with a combination of rising wind waves, swell and 35kts+ real wind. The BIG thing about reefing is that you never regret doing it.

[@TMGYachts]

Thank you so much for your informed comment. Our intention is to reproduce this in various conditions at another point in time, it is just difficult to film this. Really appreciate your experience and knowledge and for sharing it in the comments.

[@vladanos]

Awesome

[@nickthequick]

Try reefing and tying up the sail on a three mast topsail schooner with heavy, wet, cotton sails as the wind picks up in the dark on the middle of the Atlantic. I did that, and as you can see I am very proud of it 😁

[@makinandrew]

... and rightly so!

[@saildriverwalls8632]

Good explanation. Thanks. Question... I keep hearing not to run a double reefed main with 100% jib. Do you know why that is said. It is in the Lagoon owners manual and I’ve been told by several people. I’m thinking some structural reason but I’d like someone in the know to lend some input. Thanks so much.

[@TMGYachts]

Hi, this may be to do with uneven load applied to the rig with the sail set up. We always advise to follow the manual as this does vary from boat to boat.

[@andrewbradnan]

If you don't pull in the jib, then your bow will blow you around and you'll have to steer into the wind to keep straight. Not terrible, but not the fastest or easiest way.

[@paulhaywood706]

Great tutorial.. thank you. We had lots of problems with the reefing lines on our 42. Nothing in this video tells me we did anything wrong. Eventually we changed all the reefing lines for 10 mm Dyneema and replaced the six rings on the sail for 50 mm blocks. We still have a slight chaffe at the front of the boom and have fitted Dyneema sleeves at those points. Hopefully sorted now !!

[@TMGYachts]

Thank you for this. Without seeing it, it is hard to say the issue but I am glad you think you've found a solution.

[@ushi120]

If you have still problems to reef your mainsail, maybe you should replace the 10mm reefing lines with 8mm Braided-Dyneema lines (SK 78 or better SK99 extrem). The strength of this lines will be far more then enough for this application. 8mm xtr = break strength approx. 6200 daN = aprox. 6200 kg 😉

[@000gjb]

Is the topping lift at the end of the boom opposite the mast always connected or is it only connected prior to reefing?

[@JoeFox_TMGYachts]

Hi, thanks for your comment. The topping lift should always remain connected. When the sail is hoisted, the boom will raise slightly a take the weight of the topping lift. When you lower the sail, the boom drops slightly and is caught by the topping lift. The topping lift is also a good safety system in the event that you halyard gives way to prevent the heavy boom and sail from landing on the deck.

[@anthonybisset1512]

? No mention of first tensioning the topping lift and releasing it when the process is done to regain control of the leech? Your comment please.

[@TMGYachts]

Hi Anthony, if set at the correct height when the mainsail is lowered the topping lift can catch the boom at the right height. When the mainsail is raised the last tensioning of the main halyard can lift the boom a few inches thus slackening the topping lift enough so that it does not affect the sail. However, you are right and if the topping lift is too tight when the mainsail is up, it should be released slightly.

[@waltobringer2928]

Thank you!

[@TMGYachts]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@raflanz6770]

great video guys, as always. just a question, if I may... I thought the 3rd reef on the L42 was not single line, but rather an eyelet at the luff that hooks to the mast? did they change this recently?

[@TMGYachts]

Historically this has been the case but with the new generation that have changed it to the set up in this video.

[@lolonav]

I have the old setup for reef 3 need to figure it out

[@FlesHBoX]

Would love to see information on other reefing methods, even if it's just a comparison against single line, maybe with some diagrams, if not on actual boats (since I believe that single line is far more common than other methods). Also, I would love to see talk about main furling options. Boom furling seems considerably uncommon on cats (presumably because of the need for a vang), but I would love to see it compared with in-mast and the non-furled options.

[@TMGYachts]

Thanks for your feedback, this definitely gives us something to consider making in the future.

[@jbrownson]

What's the best way to mark a halyard that doesn't jam stuff up and doesn't come off?

[@TMGYachts]

Hi Jake, at 5 min 15 seconds Joe explains that whipping twine is the best method for marking the halyard. I hope this helps.

[@jbrownson]

Ahh wow, totally missed that somehow :) Thanks!

[@garyminnaar7876]

On my lagoon 39 I don’t have a spectical or what ever you call that

[@stephenbradshaw5311]

Im Envious that the Lagoon has single line reefs for the 2nd and the 3rd reefs and do not have to go to the mast to put in a strop.

[@karlgiel8891]

Thanks I like.

[@gasgas1000]

Definite!

[@ushi120]

02:30 Boom-Bag? As well known as LAZY-BAG!

[@kenjohnson6573]

do you have a school that someone can attend? If not can you recommend a school. My experience is KZbin only.

[@TMGYachts]

Hi Ken, where are you located? We can probably get you in contact with someone if you are a Sydney local. When you purchase a boat through us we do provide training as part of the handover process and can also provide additional training following this with our marine partners.

[@andyvan5692]

one "gaff" i have noticed here!!- at 6:34 you just drop the halyard!!- you forgot to tension the Topping lift, if you DON'T do this the boom will crash down to the deck, ( the LEACH of the sail is what holds the boom up while the sail is raised {100% up}), SOME boats have a ROD or hydraulic boom vang, which negates the above steps to some degree, you do NOT say if this boat has a fixed vang or not, HAVE to assume a rope vang in this case :-) .

[@TMGYachts]

Hi Andy, thanks for your comment and good spot! On this boat, Joe had set the topping lift in a "set and forget" position. Loose enough so that when the sail is hoisted the boom lifts slightly, slackening the topping lift so as not to impact the shape of the sail, yet tight enough so that when the main is dropped, the boom lowers fractionally and is caught by the topping lift in a level position. Generally, catamarans of this sort do not feature a vang as on this Lagoon 42. When sailing a catamaran the main sheet is predominantly used for controlling sail shape, while the traveller is used for trimming the sail depending on wind angle. Hope this helps :)

[@andyvan5692]

@@TMGYachts yes, this does help, I just mentioned it, as for mono-huls, boats under 30' long and 'Private', non-charter boats they DON'T normally have this "easy rig" like the 50 footers do, as their mains/jibs arn't as big, or the masts as tall, so no need for electric winches, self tacking jibs,etc. Most boats, esp. of the 60's and 70's era have "on-mast" equipment, ie: winches, cleats that are mounted on the mast,or cabin roof at the mast foot and hence need a crew to tend to them, and "old fashoned" slab reefing systems which have a separate topping lift, rope style Vang, multiple reefing lines and an outhaul; all of which have to be manipulated individually, and in the right sequence, to avoid accidents with the boom, or ripping sails, etc. I am only a "beginner" keel boat sailor, and was just putting in my thoughts, as I have only sailed on monohuls.

[@stevenr8606]

WOW COOL, THANKS Now I know how to REEF @ Anchor 🙄

[@scottmarkham9466]

This sounds like Elayna from LaVagabond !

[@TMGYachts]

Hahaha, sadly it is not. My name is Marnie and it just so happens I am also a female from Australia. :)

[@kajbergman6709]

ELEYNA???

[@petergarland7995]

Enjoyed this but didn’t mention shaking out reefs when you don’t need them which can be awkward and tiresome .

[@TMGYachts]

This is a good point, thanks for pointing it out. When returning the sail to full hoist or going from reef 3 to reef 2 etc. it's important to have the reefing lines ready to run and the clutches open.

[@markthomasson5077]

Well if you have to read the manual to know when to reef you are far too inexperienced to take charge of a big catamaran like that.

[@SirBitchalot]

Firstly, it seems a fairly safe bet that this video may well be directed at the less experienced sailor. Secondly, if you don't own your own boat and usually charter when on holiday, then reading the manual for the specifics of that particular vessel is a very good idea.

[@TMGYachts]

Thank you, great response.