With the main, does the eyelet at the base of the luff go onto the large shackle at the gooseneck? There is also a piece of cord sewn in at this point too.......what for?

At the other end, where is the reefing system tied off? I assume it goes from the rear of the boom and up to the reefing eyelet and back to the 'u' bracket hanging under the boom? Is this left rigged all the time?

I have a Stack Pak system too but this has cutouts which seem to accomodate this. There are various eyelets at both ends of the canvas which I assume are for fixing if required?

Sorry to ask basic questions, but there are no instructions for this and no-one at the factory today - I can make it work but would like to do it right!![:I]

Stephen Godber

235/51 "Exodus"

The reefing lines are correct....but you will have 3 reefs and 2 lines...I find the top reef (smallest reef) the lines are not long enough to leave attached if you are using full sail...I generally have the bottom 2 ready to reef then move the bottom one to the top if needed.....

You need to tie the stack pac at the eyelets...the gooseneck end I tie to the large shackle mentioned earlier. The other end I only use the 2 lower eyelets and tie them to a small fitting on the end of the boom.

Hope this helps...my boat is at home until the weekend...I can take pics if needed....

My signature.

Parker 235/ 40 Lady Penelope...

IF, and only IF, you get chance a few photos of the two ends of the boom would be really helpful.

So does the reef line go from the end of the boom up to the eye and then down to be tied at the boom itself?

ANOTHER question (sorry!) - there is 8" of cord at the luff - what does that do?

Stephen Godber

235/51 "Exodus"

The cord ??? Maybe it is the cord to adjust the tension in the foot...?? Does it come out of the sail through a cleat type thing. Is it attached to the sail ??

just tried taking some photos but it is to dark..will sort tomorrow..

Did you sort your engine charging ???

My signature.

Parker 235/ 40 Lady Penelope...

The engine IS sorted, thanks, had to saw off top of aluminium rail to make room for handle though! It is charging too, just that it wasn't when at tickover.

Can I ask something else? How tight is your forestay? Parker now fit the Facnor furler (yours was probably Z Spar?)and whilst the forestay length was factory set it seems a bit sloppy....hard to answer I guess as it is a bit subjective! The Genoa foot is tensionsed with a cord and shackle and I'm not sure how high to raise it, ie whether to lock it at the bottom and tension it with the halyard or vice versa. Bill did warn about overstretching the luff on a new sail...

Stephen Godber

235/51 "Exodus"

I have just finished with the initial setting up of my boat and, apart from getting all the bits of string through the right blocks etc (Bill has advised me but I have not had time yet) it all came together in the end.

Like you, my forestay was set up by the yard but seems too slack to me (when furled it flops back and for in the wind). With the jib unfurled, I can get rid of most of the slack by tightening the backstay. Bill advised me to tighten the shrouds by another 4 turns but the forestay still seems too slack. I intend doing some light sailing and then starting again. But I will study Paul's pictures with interest!

Will keep in touch.

David Pocock

Parker 235/52 Arawa

Paul's photos should be useful.

I intend to have my first sail tomorrow so assuming nothing falls off there will be some shaking down and tightening up to be done, I'm sure!

I did have one surprise - I thought I was about the last boat to have plain sails but HAVE got the Seal Logo on mine, so must be about the first boat to have that.

Keep in touch!

Stephen Godber

235/51 "Exodus"

Sorry for the delay...with the weather forecast for this weekend we launched her again on friday night so we could spend some time on the water...

Hope these help....!!!!

My signature.

Parker 235/ 40 Lady Penelope...

one hint which you may want to follow up

the main is attached to its halyard by a shackle

well returning from a day sail once , the shackle parted just as i was about to hoist the main. the halyard shot up to the mast head and had to use the jib to get home.

eversince have always tied head of main [ through cringle] to halyard by some twine in addition to shackle in case shackle fails again.

had to use a crane to get my halyard back when it happened as i had no bosun chair.

good luck

charles

charles clements

Spartacus 285

Apart from the main reefing eye sewn into the luff and the eye in the leech there are also two other eyes sewn in line with these in the middle of the sail - do you thread a cord through these too or is fixing the ens sufficient?

Charles - thanks alot, very good point, will 'belt and brace' that today!

Stephen Godber

235/51 "Exodus"

Paul Burton.

Parker 235/ 40 Lady Penelope...

Paul Burton.

Parker 235/ 40 Lady Penelope...

I assume you are referring to the camcleats in the forward end of the boom near the goose neck. I use one to tension the outhaul on the foot of the sail. You could use the other two to lock the reefing pennants at that point instead of taking them back to the coachroof. This would free up a clutch each side on the coachroof if you needed to.

Graham Ebb

235/25 Blue Jazz