MEMBERS

New sails are expensive, here’s how to get the most for your money.

Relevant reefing tips, which we will add to over time.

How many reefs are optimal? Two, three or four? If we think about this the right way, for most of us the answer is simple. We also tackle the relationship between reefs and whether or not we have a storm trysail, also much misunderstood.

Carrying on from the last chapter in our Rigging and Sails Online Book, here are a bunch more curated and relevant rigging tips.

More about how to decide when to reef, including a mental hack and specific true wind speed examples, as well as more tips, including which sail first.

Boom brakes have never looked right to me, but now I have solid numbers, together with other reasons, to strongly recommend against them. But if you still insist on a boom brake, I have some recommendations.

Consistently reefing at the right time, particularly when sailing offshore, makes passages easier, safer, and, above all, more fun.

Now we understand the forces at work, John looks at the details of rigging a strong and easy-to-use preventer system.

Now that we understand the forces and angles at work, Kurt shares a method and spreadsheet to calculate the actual forces on our own boats so that we can build a safe preventer system.

To build a safe preventer system, we must first understand how the forces combine and multiply to turn the boom into a potential killer.