Reefing a lanteen sail

Angélique's link to the Calidris A-frame mast & rigging solution and the picture of the YS 175mm Reefing Claw set me thinking about how to minimise wear on the sail. Angélique suggested double rollers and that prompted me to look at boat trailer rollers and brackets. They are much wider and with a bit of creative welding, a cage to hold & support the latten spar could be fabricated.

http://www.leisure-mart.co.uk/shop/Vprod2.asp?cat=232004519
http://www.leisure-mart.co.uk/shop/Vprod2.asp?cat=232004025

This could be scaled up for very large spars and electric roller reefing without going fo'ward would seem to be possible.

For a dingy, there could be another solution. One could insert a zip in the sail and partially divide it into two sections, to allow the spar (made from a vaulting pole) to be revolved in a rope sling to roll up and reef the sail by hand. :?::?:

 

I'm thinking of two horseshoe plates connected by two axles at the horseshoe ends, and the boat trailer rollers on those axles so they become between the horseshoes. In the middle of the horseshoes a connection* to hang it in the A-frame.


^ click to enlarge

A bit like this but much bigger and two horseshoe plates with the boat trailer rollers fit between them and a connection* between the plates where now the hole is.

* the middle connection could be a same axle as the two roller axles.

I'm thinking of carbon horseshoe plates and axles of alu or titanium or carbon tube to keep the whole thing light high up there..

Cheers
Angel

PS

The rollers in a big reefing claw could of course also be other wide large diameter rollers, but better lighter as boat trailer rollers as they seems to be a bit heavy for the job aloft.

 

Looks like Calidris has the spar fitted on a adapted jib furler at the front of that swiveling boom.

- - -
Lateen spar -- A frame leg -- swiveling boom.




(see details here)

Cheers,
Angel

 

Looks like there is a lot of creativity out there.