Reefing grommets

[tikvah59]

I'm finally getting to the point on my to do list where I deal with reefing hardware for the mainsail. I just noticed that not only is there a grommet at the leach in line with the reefing lines, but there is a second grommet at the foot just below the leach grommet (see picture). I can imagine a line running through them both, but they don't line up exactly. The grommet at the foot is aft of the one at the leach.

Can someone tell me how I'd use those grommets along the foot when reefing? Oh, and if you have any suggestions for cringle hooks at the gooseneck that don't require me to buy a new gooseneck fitting that would be welcome, too!

Thanks,
Mark

[ILikeRust]

Is that a loose-footed main? I would have thought those grommets along the foot were for slugs to slide in the track on the boom.

You can buy after-market hooks that replace the pin on the gooseneck - or, you can buy (or rig up yourself) a separate reefing hook with a short section of line (and sometimes a small "handy billy" arrangement) that you can attach to a cleat or fitting down on the mast below the boom.

See here and here.

[tikvah59]

Is that a loose-footed main? I would have thought those grommets along the foot were for slugs to slide in the track on the boom.

I replaced the stock boom a few years ago with something beefier, and at that time I decided to try rigging the main to be loose-footed. The original boom had a slot for a boltrope, but there we no cars attached to the sail at the clew. Oh, and thanks for the links for reefing hooks.

Any other thoughts on the lower grommets near the clew?

Thanks,
Mark

[Triton106]

Mark,

I thought Bill was right on about the grommets at the foot of your main being designed for slug attachments. The slugs with the same diameter as the bolt rope can then slide in the original boom slot just like the boltrope would.

Ray

[Hulukupu]

Regarding the grommet near the clew, my boom has a jiffy reefing system set up with cheek blocks below (and slightly aft) of each of two such reefing grommets. Lines are led through the blocks to each grommet and once a given reef is tied down, I lash a second line through the grommet to absorb the strain on the clew.

[Figment]

If the sail were not loose-footed, if it had a bottom bolt-rope (can't tell from the pic) which was captured in a slot on the boom, then those grommets could be used to allow the bitter end of the reef line to be tied around the boom.

[Brodie]

The main on my Sea Sprite has a bolt rope, and has the same grommets along the foot, I also presumed they were for the reef lines... that's how I have it set up, although I haven't had to reef yet this season.