On Booms and Sails

From Port Antonio, Jamaica.

The main sail on my last Hunter 46 furled (rolled) into the boom. This was a perfect system for me then because as a novice, I didn't have to worry about different reefing points, all the reefing lines or adjusting a boom vang or outhaul for the various wind conditions. I only needed to release the one 'furling' line and either pull up the main halyard or let it down, stopping at any position I thought was safe but fast for sailing. The boom vang that holds the boom in a horizontal position was 'fixed' and I could do no wrong.

I now have a 'standard' full sail that shortens (reefs) by taking down some sail from the topped out position. You do this by pulling on one of the 3 'reefing' lines and fixing the chosen 1, 2, or third reefing point and fixing that line before tightening up the main sail again.

This needs to be fixed at 2 positions, at the end of the sail on the boom and at the bottom of the sail at the 'gooseneck on the mast/boom connection. That's 6 different points on the main sail plus adjusting the angle of the boom to the mast with the vang.

I never had to deal with this before and it needs some learning time for me to handle all this alone.

That is what I am doing in the following photos in front of Errol Flynn Island in Port Antonio.