Why Reefing Early Beats Reefing Late

Along the UK coast, the wind rarely arrives politely. A brisk south-westerly that fills in off the Cornish cliffs, a gust funnelling down a Welsh valley, or the nasty acceleration of tide against wind off a headland can turn a comfortable reach into a handful within minutes. Reefing is not about going slowly; it is about keeping the boat upright, balanced and easy to steer. A yacht heeled past 25 degrees drags her rudder, makes leeway and exhausts her crew. Take the sail off before that point arrives and the whole passage feels steadier, drier and often faster.

Reading the Signs: When to Take in the First Reef

The figures below suit a typical 30 to 40 foot cruising yacht sailing to windward. Treat them as prompts rather than rules, and remember that sea state, hull form and crew experience all shift the numbers.

• Heel angle: if you are consistently past 20 degrees and still pressing, it is time. Comfortable cruising lives between 10 and 20 degrees.
• Weather helm: when you need more than a few degrees of rudder to hold her straight, the mainsail is overpowering the rig.
• Wind strength: 15 to 18 knots true with more forecast usually means the first reef, 20 to 22 the second, and 25 plus the third.
• Boat behaviour: slamming off waves, burying the lee rail or rounding up in gusts all point the same way.
• Gusts: watch the water upwind for dark patches. If you reef in a lull, you will be comfortably set before the next one hits.

Beating to windward, apparent wind exaggerates everything, so reef sooner than you would on a run. Sailing downwind with the boom squared off, you can often carry more sail, but the mainsail will still need reducing once the gusts start to roll the boat.

Preparing the Boat and Crew Before You Start

Reefing is far easier from a settled position than from a panicked one. A minute of preparation saves ten minutes of fumbling.

• Brief the crew. Agree who is on the halyard, who is on the reefing line and who is steering.
• Lifejackets on, harnesses clipped to jackstays, one hand for yourself at all times.
• Choose a clear stretch of water with sea room. Doing this off a harbour entrance or in a shipping lane is asking for trouble.
• Ease the mainsheet and the kicker so the sail is not loaded up, then take the strain on the topping lift if you have one.
• Check the reefing lines run freely and are led correctly, and note the halyard mark for the first reef.
• Keep well clear of the boom. It can swing hard when the main is eased.

The Reefing Sequence, Step by Step

Slab reefing is the most common set-up on British cruising yachts, and the sequence is straightforward once it becomes habit.

• Ease the halyard down to your marked point, letting the luff cringle drop to the gooseneck. Keep a turn on the winch so nothing runs away.
• Secure the tack by hooking the luff cringle onto the gooseneck, or hauling the tack line tight.
• Haul the clew reefing line until the leech cringle comes down to the boom, then winch it firm. Do not over-tension it yet.
• Re-tension the halyard properly. A slack luff makes an ugly, inefficient sail, and the reef will work loose.
• Tidy the bunt with sail ties, using a reef knot, and clear the loose folds away from the kicking strap.
• Ease the topping lift and re-trim the mainsheet and traveller for the new sail area.

After the Reef: Trim and Balance

Reefing changes the balance of the rig, so a little retrimming pays dividends. Flatten the sail with the outhaul and cunningham, set the traveller slightly to windward if the boat still wants to round up, and ease the kicker so the leech opens in the gusts. Look at the headsail too: if the main has come down a reef, the jib may now be dominant, so consider rolling away a few turns or changing down. The goal is a boat that steers with fingertip pressure and holds her course without constant correction.

On long coastal passages it is worth noting in the log what wind speed and point of sail prompted each reef. After a season you will have a personal table far more useful than any generic guide.

Shaking Out the Reef

Shaking out follows the reverse order, usually once the wind has dropped below the strength that made you reef and the sea has settled. Take the sail ties off first, ease the clew reefing line, release the tack, then winch the halyard back up to its full hoist while watching the luff for snags. Tension everything again, retrim, and check that the reefing lines are flaked and ready for the next time. Around the UK, the next time is rarely far away.