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Vangs & Reefing Systems for the 382,3,4

C

captrob

Robert Cohen
<div>As most of you know by now I am a new owner of a 382 and am
therefore limited in experience with her charistics and systems.I have a couple of questions and would like to survey you guys
that have some experience under your belt.1. What type of vang do you have and how is it setup? Mine had
no vang what so ever. How anyone could sail a boat with as
large a main as ours without one is beyound me. 2. My main has 2 reef points but only the second reef point is
run. Is there a reason to start by bypassing the first reef and
going straignt to the second? What type of set up do you have
for reefing your mains?I know that's really 4 questions but I never could count. Thanks, for your help.Vic Copelan
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Vic,
It sounds like you have the same Jiffy reef system as most stock boats. There is no reason you should take the 2nd reef first unless conditions warrant. There should be two reef points run on your main, reefing first 1/3 the main, then the second reef as winds build. On my boat, the first reefing line is internal to the boom and run from a connecting point on the aft portion of the boom up through the reefing cringle on the sails leech then back down the other side of the main to a pulley at the end of the boom, under the bottomside of the pully and into the boom, it's led internally forward, exits the front of the boom on the port side close to the reefing hook. At this point on the boom there is a worthless one armed jam cleat which is supposed to bite (hold) the reefing line as you pull it down over another worthless pully. This system (works well if there's no wind) is not a good design because there is no purchase and I can never get the foot of the main tight without tremendous effort, even with the mainsheet slack!. I believe it would be better to just lead the first reefing line outside the boom like the second and mount a small reefing winch on the boom. The second reef is lead outside the aft part of the boom through a cheek block and fwd on the port side to a cleat which makes more sense but looks less tidy. By the way, your topping lift should run the same as the first reef line but on opposite side of boom .
Just for info, IF the wind is building, I take my first reef at 15 knots apparent and leave about 130% on the gib. I find that the boat is much easier to handle, no speed lost, and much easier to reef in 15 apparent than 20+ knots. I prefer less main to jib, COE moves forward, less heel, weather helm eases. This is personal preference.
The vang I use is a block/tackle arrangement like your main sheet tackle. One end is mounted to the bottom of the mast on a bail, the other end connected to a through bolted bail on the boom. This bail is located about the first 1/3 distance of the length of the boom.
Enjoy your new boat!
Fred
 
My vang system is the same as Fred's. My main sail has full battens for the top two, and standard remainder. The reefing also is slightly different with three reef points. The first two are both internal to the boom. The third point (which is quite deep - about equivilent to a storm main, I only rig when heading off shore and it is obviously external. Like Fred, I prefer to reef early and find no appreciable loss of boat speed by doing so. Hope your new boat meets your needs as well as ours has.
 
<div>I usrd the original schaefer main sheet blocks for the vang and replaced them with Harken equipment in 1978 when new. Don't remember the Harken #s but has worked since then. The vang is used acctually as a vang/preventor with the open end secured to the center dockline cleat and the other to the schaefer gear secured to the boom via SS jaws secured to the sail track on the boom. A friend drilled and secured a bale and broke his boom! Reefing is as described, first is internal, second external, third external. In reefing I have found securring the boom end first and halyard second makes life much easier. Enjoy</div>
 
<div>I have a Hall Spars rigid vang on my M-383, which the former owner installed about four years ago. I don't know the exact cost, but I believe that it's in the ballpark of $300. The rigid vang comes with fittings for the boom and the base of the mast; it has a four-part tackle (as I recall); and it supports the boom so that there is no need for a topping lift. It works quite well and is, I believe, well worth the price -- especially if you have no vang and would have to spend a couple hundred dollars on a decent vang system anyway.I also have dual preventers rigged. They go from about two-thirds back on the boom to a stanchion base on either side and give me full control of the boom from the cockpit. (The lines are long enough to reach into the cockpit even with a preventer fully extended to the opposite side of the boat from its stanchion base.) The drawback is that they are in the way going forward and clutter things up a bit. We usually take one off for racing or when sailing in light airs.
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I agree with Lenny, If I had no vang I would spend my money on a rigid vang which also does away with the topping lift. I also use preventers rigged much the same way.

 
I have a Morgan 38-3 and have not added a vang system yet. I thank every one for there comments, especially about the ridgid vang system. Regarding reefing I have not none as much of it as I probablyly should and do know better since I have raced on other large boats for many years. Reef don't heel go fast.What I did was drop sail, Jib alone isn't bad. I have recently replaced my reef lines (the ones that came with the boat were to thick). Repositioned the position on the boom there they were fastened (to far forward ment smaller sail but big draft). My question is how do you tension the reef line. A winch needs to be added either on the boom or the mast to properly tension the reefline because you not only want to shorten sail, but also flaten it.To the sailor who tensions his reef line before tacking down the new tack, you are putting a great deal of strain on your luff attachments, and they may pull out. You may be fine and I will learn something new, but I was taught tack it down and pull it out.
 
For the existing reefing system you can use the winches on the mast if you run a turning block of the deck and install rope clutches on the mast for all or some halyards. These clutches work extremely well to free up winches.
 
You are right, and I should have mentioned it in my original posting. I do have an additional winch just below the mast to tension the reef. It sits on a stainless bracket, and seems to work fine.
 
I am about to put on a soft vang--gauhauer blocks, plus a Lewmar 16 for reef line controls. the internal reef lines are useless, since I cannot get a purchasse to pull the. I am putting them all outsidethe boom, with access to the new winch. Has anyone done an analysis of whether the boom is really strong enough to handle a vang? And, how far back on the boom are you placing the vang? The attachment to the deck/mast is a problem for me. I am puting a padeye on the deck, just back of the mast, then I am backing that with a plate, which is in turn attached dto the mast below deck with a turnbuckle. I am a belt and suspenders kind of key.
 
<div>Thanks to every one's advise I elected to do almost exactly what you are considering for your reefing system. I added a small winch on the starbord side of the boom and a track for the reefing blocks - the track will make simple work of re-locatiing the blocks when I replace the main. It works great - easy to handle in almost any wind and sea conditions. The vang is a bit different. I elected to not install it permanently because the angle of the boom to the base of the mast was so shallow it would create a very high load on the boom. What I am doing is useing a webbing saddle with D rings attached at both ends. The saddle slips over the boom and the vang attaches to the D rings. The other end of the vang attaches to any convient stantion base. Therefore, the vang preforms a second function that of a preventor. Yes, it is a little less convient than a fixed vang but it does work well with only minimal extra effort. It's also a cheap and simple solution.
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