posted April 14, 2002 09:28 PM            

Part I:

My sail seems to have a second clew about two feet up the luff. I can let down the halyard and attach this upper clew to the boom but I don't see any grommets or other fittings along the foot or leach of the sail for gathering up the extra material to complete the reef. Any idea how this is supposed to be done? What's the extra clew for if the rest of the reefing points aren't there? Is this a Cunningham? What's a Cunningham?

Part II:

I know the CL14 boom rotates so one can reef by rolling the foot of the sail around the boom. Since the sheet block is attached to a bail at the middle of the boom I gather I need to first unhook the sheet block, lower the halyard and then start rotating the boom. What stops the stainless steel bail that remains attached to the boom from chafing through the sail? How do I reattach the sheet block to the now-reefed boom (since the bail is now covered by several wraps of sail)? I've seen pictures of something called a reefing claw that slips over the boom for reattaching the sheet block. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it an expensive/difficult item to buy?

Part III:

I've seen a description of another way of attaching the sheet block. It involved attaching a grommet to a rectangular piece of dacron and rolling the dacron up with the last couple of turns of the reefed sail. The last 6" of dacron with the grommet in the middle get attached to the sheet block. Anyone every use this set-up?

Part IV:

The Javalin has a similar rolling boom which seems to use a spring-loaded gooseneck to keep the boom from unrolling (until you pull it aft first). My CL14 has a gooseneck with a square fitting that requires that you pull it aft to roll the boom- but no spring. Is mine broken or is the spring unique to the Javelin and not other boats?

Part V:

If the mainsail isn't up (motoring, sailing with jib alone, moored, etc.) there's nothing to support the boom. Should I be letting the boom rest on the bench or should I be doing something else? It seems pretty likely to scratch the transom badly. Should I be using the halyard (not being used if the sail isn't up) as a topping lift? What would I attach it to?

Part VI:

The aft end of my boom has a small protrusion/pin sticking out. Any idea what this is for?

For reefing procedures, I would recommend you look in a sailing manual as they will provide both directions and pictures for reference. I highly recommend you get your hands on anything written by John Vigor. He is quite knowledgeable and explains various procedures in detail. He deals with big boats but the principles are the same.
You're quite correct in assuming that the upper grommet is for the cunningham. The CUNNINGHAM is a line that is attached to the upper grommet at the luff (Forward edge). All that does is flattens the front of the sail when you pull down on it. I use it extensively on my Laser but seldom on my CL 16. (I pull the entire boom lower to flatten the sail and rake the mast aft at the same time.) A flattened sail is termed to be "depowered" meaning you are not over-powered by the wind. ONE THING I FIND ABOUT SAILING IS THAT EVEN THE SMALLEST ADJUSTMENT CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN BOAT HANDLING ABILITY. I'm not entirely sure about this, but I think that the cunningham grommet is placed as a guideline for the future installation of reefing points. If you wish to have reefing points installed have it done by a professional sailmaker. A mainsail provides 70% of your power and you don't want to screw it up. I've seen some guys try the do-it-youself technique and they quickly had to replace their shredded sails.

To answer parts 2 and three of your question, I suggest you go to the "Online Manuals" section of this site. Cody did a superb job with this section. On "Celtic Kiss" I have reefing points in my main as well as roller furling for the jib. This set-up allows me to go in a lot of heavy weather. (25 knots plus) I am also interested in the "reefing strop" mentioned in that section. That will protect your sail from chafing on the bail.
Another option I have, a probably my favorite, is using a smaller sail from a FLYING JUNIOR. If I see its a heavy day I simply bend that sail on and I'm off.
With regards to your question about the spring loaded goose-neck. The goose-neck in my CL 16 is NOT springloaded. I can only assume that this is standard with CL products.
To answer parts 4 and 5 of your question, like you I can also use the halyard as a topping lift. But I find that my halyard is a hair too short to attach nicely to the boom. Being the semi-ingenious person that I am, I attach a bungee cord to my halyard which is then attached to the protruding gizmo at the end of the boom. I find that by using the halyard and bungee combination for a topping lift and, snugging the boom down with the mainsheet, I can place the boat cover over the boat to protect it from heavy rain and provide me with a little tent.

I've used this set-up go overnighting as well. It is possible to sleep in the boat. I find that when at anchor, the bungee cord acts as a shock absorber in waves, thus putting less stress on the masthead.

I hope this helps you.

When I sleep in the boat I place an old sleeping bag on the floor (for padding) to stretch out. I would think that an air matress would a bit bulky for storage purposes. You'd also have to deflate the thing after every use. My other thing about an air-matress is that it could be a tight fit, when it's jammed between the centerboard trunk and the sides, thus giving you an uneven sleeping area.
My thoughts are similar with wooden planks. They would take up alot of room and I wouldn't stretch them between the seats either, with my luck I'd fall out of bed.

posted April 17, 2002 10:22 PM            

Your advice is most certainly appreciated. It's been 20 years since I took sailing lessons (a sunfish) and since then I've only been sailing a half-dozen times on fairly large boats. My father-in-law past away recently and I've been working my way through his books on sailing. I haven't read anything by John Vigor yet so I appreciate the tip. I'll see what of his I can track down.

I'm comfortable with basic theory (and have a fair number of reference sources) but in general I've reached the point where I need to do less reading and more doing. That's why I bought the CL14 recently. I expect it will be a summer of practical experiments and to the extent this board can tolerate it- quite a few questions. It's a huge help to read about other people's experiences with the same or similar boats.

Much of my confusion around the question of reefing comes from the fact that most of the books I've read assume traditional reef points not rolling booms. I haven't happened across many good sailing books for CL14-sized boats. It seems like there's a lot out there for the tiny boats and a huge amount for yachts not much for the in-between. I may just not be looking hard enough or long enough though. I've been spending an increasing amount of time of the trailersailer website and I was very interested to learn about the Wayfarer site.

At your suggestion I read Cody's manuals for the CL14 and CL16. The manual for the CL16 seems much more extensive than the one for my CL14. I guess size really does matter . There may be some critical differences between the 14 and the 16 when it comes to reefing. It sounds like with the 16 you have the option to attach your mainsheet to the end of the boom. The standard for the CL14 seems to be mid-boom. This creates the problems I was describing (the need for a reefing strop, etc.). The only mention I see in the CL16 manual of the reefing strop was with respect to the boom vang, which seems like an important, but lesser issue (less force, less frequent use, etc.)

I'm the type to try and do something myself, so your warning about do-it-youself reef points is well-taken. If that's what I do,I'll go to a sailmaker. I do think I'm going to take a crack at making my own reefing strops for the sheet and vang. I think that could be a cheap/easy/temporary fix to my reefing problem. How much damage could I do with a triangle of canvas and a grommet tool? On the other hand, I've done quite a bit of damage with far less...I'll relay any good disasters stories that follow.

Interestingly, the CL16 manual references a spring-loaded goose-neck. Sounds like both your and mine are not, however.

I'm curious what you mean when you say you attach a bungee cord to the protruding gizmo at the end of your boom. You can't use such highly technical terms with a novice such as myself. By gizmo do you mean the hole at the top of the casting (I thread my outhaul through this hole) or do you mean the little protrusion/pin at the center of the extreme aft end of the casting? If you mean the pin- how do you keep the bungee from slipping off? My pin doesn't have an holes in it and doesn't protrude more than 3/8".

I was thinking of hanging a small metal plate from that pin to hang the sheet block from when reefed. I think I would have to drill a small hole near the end of the pin for a split ring to hold the plate on. Then I could hang the sheet block from this plate. I'd have to fashion a traveler at the stern, however, since my sheet currently attaches to the centerboard trunk. As always, any thoughts before I go drilling holes is greatly appreciated.

We must have different hardware on the end of our booms, but since you're in the mood for drilling holes, you can add a topping lift to your list.

I'm interested in your plan for putting a block at the end of your boom. It sounds like a good idea to me. The only advice I can give you is that after you have marked where you want to drill the holes, be sure to DRILL HOLES THAT ARE SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE POP-RIVETS.

The reason for this is you want the pop-rivets to have something to grab onto.

And while your in the mood, you can also install your own topping lift.

Lay out your mast on the ground and connect the boom as it would be on the boat.

Install as semi-circle piece at the top of the mast and an identical one on the side of the boom. Attach a length of and between your new hardware, and you are the proud owner of a topping lift.

I find that when I reef the main, which is seldom because I opt for a smaller sail, the boom tends to sag into the cock-pit. A topping lift will alleviate this problem.

Please keep us updated on your trials and tribulations. You learn best by doing and then sharing with others.

Your comment about the lack of books is quite interesting to me. I feel the same as you. Currently I am writing a book about dinghy cruising in a CL 16 "LITTLE BOAT, BIG SEA" I have lined up a printer and have 40+ pages written so far. (A first time author foots the entire bill and is responsible for distribution) I don't plan to do a "glorified logbook" as that has been done to death. I plan to be a bit more technical and have already shared some of the technical aspects with the board and seem to be getting a positive response.

Realistically, I don't think LITTLE BOAT,BIG SEA will be completed for a few years yet but I'm convinced there's a market and the more questions you have the better. I may incorporate some of them into the book.

P.S. The bungee cord idea came as a total fluke to me.

Robert

To add a couple of pieces from my own experience with a CL16, first, my boom also seems to have a spring loaded gooseneck for roller reefing, however my solution to the reefing problem was to go with having a sailmaker install reefing points for jiffy reefing (basically you pull down the cunningham at the clew, tighten an outhaul from a gromet installed farther up the sail at the tack, and tie up the loose ends of sail in the middle with some rope). It has worked well, and maintains sail shape better than rolling. It should work on the centre sheeted CL14 with no trouble. My boom is aft sheeted, which allows for roller reefing, but I was concerned about loosing the vang when I reefed, particularly as the time I would be reefing would be the time I wanted the vang, ie. high winds when I wanted the flatten the sail. Jiffy reefing and reefing points allow me to keep the vang as well. I would agree with Robert about a sail maker, don't try and do it yourself.

In terms of changing from mid-boom sheeting to aft sheeting, again, I would be inclined to be careful with drilling holes. I had a proper boondoggle this summer when I misjudged the force of an onshore breeze when launching from a marina. I ended up on the windward side of a dock, my mainsheet got wrapped around a pier, and it broke the casting at the end of the boom where the main sheet block was attached. The lesson (aside from giving myself more searoom) is that the casting isn't as strong as it looks, and drilling could easily weaken it enough that it breaks.

A possible solution is that if the boom on the CL14 is the same size as the CL16, you could remove the casting from the end of the boom, and install a new casting with a bolt and an attachment for the sheet block. Check with CL sailboat works and see if such is available for the CL14. Its easy to install, just need a pop riveter and a drill and they will give detailed instructions if you ask them.

On another topic area, I am wondering about easy ways to move a CL16 around when getting it out onto the lake. I find it takes a lot of work moving it with paddles, and works best with two people, which makes it hard to move it if planning to sail single handed. A motor is a bit dear if I buy one new (about$800.00), and the brackets for the motor would cost about $150.00 from CL sailboat shop. I know the smaller CLs have oar lock options, but don't know if the CL16 can have them. Any suggestions?

Also, I would be interested in any adaptations people have made to sail single handed (which I haven't tried)? I find the CL16 with my relatively novice skills is a handful to get straightened out and under way with two people leaving a dock or returning. How do others handle this? I know some ideas would be leading lines aft, perhaps a downhaul for the jib. I don't have roller furling on the jib (and the roller furling in the CL16 manual I have says it isn't for roller reefing, so I don't know how it would handle being under load if used when under sail). Are there other types of roller furling? Costs? Other tips for single handing?

posted April 30, 2002 09:19 PM            

From what I've read on the web there seems to be a strong camp heavily in favor of avoiding a motor (generally the more experienced and presumably better sailers).

Take a look here: http://boonedocks.net/talkboard/talkboard.php3?mode=read&group=daysailer&msgid=40

If you read some of the other threads on this board you'll find advice about oarlocks and paddles. For me, the choice to at least try a motor was pretty clear. A number of places I want to sail require 1-2 mile stretches before you reach open water. I also don't want to get stranded with my wife and kids.

While a new motor may cost too much, what about a used one? I was able to pick up a next-to-new 2hp johnson for less than half of what you mentioned without too much trouble. For a bracket, I simply cut two pieces of 1/2" thick pressure treated scrap and sandwiched them on the transom with two stainless steel bolts. CL has been great about parts- so I can't say enough good things about using them to buy a bracket. On the other hand, my crude attempt couldn't have cost more than $2 (sorry Cody) and took about an hour.

I may ditch the motor after a season or two when I've either found a more convenient place to sail (or get significantly better).

posted October 15, 2002 10:13 PM            

I went for a trial cruise this weekend in much heavier winds than I would have been comfortable with before. No problem- what a pleasure to be under control and not overpowered.

All I needed to do was replaced the stock mid-boom sheeting arrangement on my CL14 with an end-of boom sheet. It took a minimum of equipment and no permanent changes to the boat. It's completely reversable and worked like a charm. The sail shape looked good and I didn't see any signs of chaffing or strain.

I took an extra pair of fiddle blocks (thanks e-bay), a new sheet, and a traveler made out of an old dock-line and pulley.

I ran the traveler between the aft chocks (over the tiller) with the pulley free to slide side-to-side on it. I attached the fiddle block (with a cam cleat) to the pulley so it hangs just above the tiller and ran the sheet up and back to the upper fiddle block twice. I think I'm getting two-to-one mechanical advantage plus the added leverage of being at the end of the boom verus the original three-to-one advantage but with half the leverage at mid-boom.

On my trial run I attached the upper fiddle block to the boom end with a piece of line tied around the boom (under the outhaul). In the future I'm going to try and find a stainless steel hoop instead (so that I don't have to untangle the sheet when I rotate the boom). I think that will be easy to find.

After removing the vang (no vang is a drawback) and the original mid-boom sheet, I'm ready to go. I'm able to reef (and unreef) the main by simply easing the halyard and rotating the boom. Takes only 10 seconds and works great. The beauty is that I can use the mid-boom sheeting 90% of the time and just attach the extra hardware for the end-boom sheeting on very heavy weather days.

I suppose the other drawback is that the lower fiddle block (the one with the cleat) is located in an arc over the tiller. That's a little awkward. But it seems well worth the sacrifice to be able to reduce sail.