Cal 2-27 Reefing Ram Horn Hook

This weekend we planned on reefing the main and jib to make sure we could. Practice I guess you would say. I could not get the main tack reefing grommet to go on the rams head hook. It just would not reach it with enough slack to go around the horn. My neighbor suggested changing to a hook. Another more experienced sailor said the rams head was better and just rig up a soft shackle to leave in the sail. Wondering what everyone else uses?I do have a turning block at the clew side and a cleat near the mast.

If I understand your post, mine has two reefing hooks where boom meets the mast. And the grommet on the mainsail tack grommet has webbing through the grommet with rings sewn to each end of the webbing. The rings on each side of the sail slip onto the reefing hooks. I have found that the rings want to slip off the reefing hooks, so I get the rings hooked in place, then run a cord through the rings, so as to secure them in place. We were reefed Saturday using the upper most reefing point in the 20 knots winds while crossing the Bay. Was a fun ride. This site has some pictures. The next to the last image on the page is similar to my arrangement. He's calling them 'Floppy rings' on the sail secured to J hooks. http://joecoopersailing.com/sails-mainsail-measuring/ In the end you find what works best for your boat. Leslie Puffin Cal 33-2 On Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 2:06 PM, david howe tr… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] < Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > This weekend we planned on reefing the main and jib to make sure we could. > Practice I guess you would say. I could not get the main tack reefing > grommet to go on the rams head hook. It just would not reach it with enough > slack to go around the horn. My neighbor suggested changing to a hook. > Another more experienced sailor said the rams head was better and just rig > up a soft shackle to leave in the sail. Wondering what everyone else uses? > I do have a turning block at the clew side and a cleat near the mast. > > >

There are lots of things you can do and I venture to say I have tried a good number of them over the years. Getting a grommet to go over a hook is not one of the ways I would recommend. The solution I like best is what my new sail has and it is a strap with a ring on it instead of a grommet. You can also put a soft shackle through the grommet with a ring on each end large enough so they will not go through the grommet and then put the ring over the hook. The other things I have tried don't work as well so I won't confuse the discussion with them. You can have a sailmaker add a strap and ring which will give you the best control over the positioning of the sail or you can go with the soft shackle which might give some offset issues that may or may not be an issue. Changing the hook seems like a poor idea. Allen On Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 11:06 AM, david howe tr… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > This weekend we planned on reefing the main and jib to make sure we could. > Practice I guess you would say. I could not get the main tack reefing > grommet to go on the rams head hook. It just would not reach it with enough > slack to go around the horn. My neighbor suggested changing to a hook. > Another more experienced sailor said the rams head was better and just rig > up a soft shackle to leave in the sail. Wondering what everyone else uses? > I do have a turning block at the clew side and a cleat near the mast. > > >

Thanks for the help. Going to check on adding rings. Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone On Wednesday, September 6, 2017, 2:32 PM, Allen Edwards al… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: There are lots of things you can do and I venture to say I have tried a good number of them over the years. Getting a grommet to go over a hook is not one of the ways I would recommend. The solution I like best is what my new sail has and it is a strap with a ring on it instead of a grommet. You can also put a soft shackle through the grommet with a ring on each end large enough so they will not go through the grommet and then put the ring over the hook. The other things I have tried don't work as well so I won't confuse the discussion with them. You can have a sailmaker add a strap and ring which will give you the best control over the positioning of the sail or you can go with the soft shackle which might give some offset issues that may or may not be an issue. Changing the hook seems like a poor idea. Allen On Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 11:06 AM, david howe tr… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: This weekend we planned on reefing the main and jib to make sure we could. Practice I guess you would say. I could not get the main tack reefing grommet to go on the rams head hook. It just would not reach it with enough slack to go around the horn. My neighbor suggested changing to a hook. Another more experienced sailor said the rams head was better and just rig up a soft shackle to leave in the sail. Wondering what everyone else uses?I do have a turning block at the clew side and a cleat near the mast.