Roller reefing boom

[samg]

Hi

I am new to the list. I have been looking at a Vega and am seriously considering buying it. The current owner converted the boom to a jiffy reefing system. Does anyone have any pictures of the original reefing system around? I am not sure I would want to restore it but I would like to see how it works. The second question is, how well does the MD6A engine hold up to 40 years of salt water cooling? This boat is in the water year around.

Thanks and have a good week.....

Sam

[sahona]

Vegas are common as muck in this place, so I'm sure you'll soon be inundated by a tsunami of support from the nautical equivalent of tree-huggers.
As for the roller reefing boom, I've got one (or had!) on my boat, but it must hve been converted long ago and is now seized solid - better left that way unless you get a very specialised sail made.
Engines need to be examined properly, so no point in conjecture here - it may have been looked after - or not.

[Nick]

Hi

I am new to the list. I have been looking at a Vega and am seriously considering buying it. The current owner converted the boom to a jiffy reefing system. Does anyone have any pictures of the original reefing system around? I am not sure I would want to restore it but I would like to see how it works. The second question is, how well does the MD6A engine hold up to 40 years of salt water cooling? This boat is in the water year around.

Thanks and have a good week.....

Sam

Hi Sam,

Our Vega has also been converted to slab reefing, but the original roller reefing handle is still there, built into the forward side of mast opposite the gooseneck. You just fold the handle up and wind.

I have sailed one Vega with the original roller reefing. It is not as handy as you might imagine as it takes two to keep a decent sail shape, one to wind and one to pull the leech back to make sure the sail rolls on neatly. I spent a hungover 18 hours crossing the Skaggerak hard on the wind in a F6 in a roller-reefed Vega and my abiding memory is of the constant loud noise of a furiously motoring leech.

I would not recommend changing back . . .

[ash]

The current owner converted the boom to a jiffy reefing system. Does anyone have any pictures of the original reefing system around? I am not sure I would want to restore it but I would like to see how it works.

If the boom hasn't been replaced, then the roller reefing bits will still be there. Not much to it - the topping lift and mainsheet will be fitted to either end of a plate which is fitted to the centre of the aft end of the boom such that the boom can rotate. The front end of the boom is fixed to a shaft which runs forward through the mast with a handle fitted to the forward end. The actual handle bit folds down so that it locks into a notch in the mast to prevent rotation. I don't think that you would want to revert. See this thread on booms viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5223

The second question is, how well does the MD6A engine hold up to 40 years of salt water cooling? This boat is in the water year around.

The biggest worry would be that the cooling passages are blocked / restricted by crud, reducing the water flow and reducing the heat transfer.
I cleaned out some of the gunge from mine using brick cleaner - the acid based one - not the alkali one. You need to take appropriate precautions for yourself and your surroundings. You would need to remove the thermostat to prevent damage to it, and you would need to set up a circulation system - works better if warm.
Does the boat still have the combi gearbox fitted to the MD6A? It's an added complication if it goes wrong.

Does the 6A still have the Dynastart? Is this the only means of charging or does it have an alternator too?

A lot of Vegas will have been fitted with the 13.5hp Beta BZ482 engine and conventional gearbox. I spent about £5,000 in 2007 fitting a Beta myself after living with the MD6A for 3 years.

Ask again if you more details about any particular aspect.

Ash

Edit Nick posted whilst I was still composing so some repeated info but I haven't bothered changing my post.

[samg]

Gentelmen

Thanks for the advice. I'm still in the thinking stages of buying it. The boat has quite a bit of deferred maintenance, a very big one is the motor. It will also need new sails. That is why I was curious about the roller reefing. I really like the boat though. Hope you all have a good day. Rain today on the Monterey bay in central California.

Sam

[Nick]

.
Vegas are cheap as chips now over here - you can get one that has already been re-engined for £8k. A 40 year old MD6A is not a thing of beauty, and you can be sure it will not be a joy forever.

[wully]

Deferred Maintenance

I like that - I'll use that next time I'm accussed of neglect.

[samg]

Good day Gentlemen

It looks like quite a few others are interested in the roller reefing system since there have been over one hundred lookers at this thread in just a few days. Does anyone have anything good to say about it? Is anyone still using it?

Not to many Vegas over here but they do pop-up occasionally. Still thinking about it.

"Deferred maintenance" Might as well be polite when you are being critical.

The sun is out on Monterey Bay, think I will go take a look at the water.....

Sam

[Arghiro]

My boat still has the boom RR fitted & working, but I don't remember the last time I used it as she is a ketch & the first reef is on the RR genny, then the main comes down at F6 & above.

I just shoved a sail bag in as I rolled it up, about 1/3 along the boom, the sail kept a decent shape & the boom didn't sag too far either. It's just a bit of a fag fiddling with halyard, topping lift, sail bag, handle & holding on too if reefing at sea, but easy enough before setting out.

[ubergeekian]

It looks like quite a few others are interested in the roller reefing system since there have been over one hundred lookers at this thread in just a few days. Does anyone have anything good to say about it? Is anyone still using it?

I liked the roller reefing boom on my Westerly Jouster. It was simple, it worked and I could easily reef singlehanded from the companionway. Sail shape wasn't great with a lot rolled on, but who cares about that when there's plenty of wind to make up for dodgy aerodynamics?

[ash]

The Vega doesn't use a claw to attach the kicking strap to the boom, so you don't have a kicking strap once you start reefing around the boom. It would be OK if you were hard on the wind as the mainsheet would then provide enough pull down.

You also need to release the sliders from the mast slot.

Ash

[ruaridhmaccallum]

I have a Pioneer 10 with a Sparlight (British) rig that still has the roller-reefing boom.
It works quite well. Sail shape not too bad (better I'd say than some in-mast roller reefing I've used), and I concur with the point that if you're reefing there's plenty of wind so it matters less. The Pioneer goes upwind like nobody's business so can take the lack of sail shape, not so sure about the Vega esp. if she's a bilge-keeler?
Mine has the vang (kicking strap) in a track with removable eye on the bottom of the boom, you have to remove it to reef but it's not difficult.
The boom is rolled by a worm gear at the goose-neck, turned by a removeable handle. There is only one of these on board! So dropping it overboard is not an option. This is probably the scariest thing.
The bushing at the outer end is a bit stiff but I think it'll come good with some silicone spray; it seems to have a nylon liner.
On a boat the size of the Vega I can't see any real benefit to going back to the roller boom over slab reefing, but IMO and if originality is your thing there's no reason why it shouldn't work fine.
R

[ash]

not so sure about the Vega esp. if she's a bilge-keeler?

Ouch!!!, and you're a yacht broker!!

This was Mistral leaving Kip in Oct / Nov 2003.......



.......and this is her returning on 1 February 2011.



Ash

[ruaridhmaccallum]

not so sure about the Vega esp. if she's a bilge-keeler?

Ouch!!!, and you're a yacht broker!!
Ash

No disrespect intended, Vegas are without doubt fantastic little boats. I just thought some were bilge-keelers; apparently I was wrong.
Hardly a big deal as regards brokering, and certainly not the topic in hand.
Thanks for pointing it out though

[wavelength]

Hi

I also have a Pioneer 10, with what I assume is the original roller reefing system - photo attached. You put a winch handle in the fixture on the forward side of the boom and turn. The handle on the stern side of the boom is a release handle so you can turn it back. I have had the boat a year and am wanting to convert to slab reefing as I find the system a pain - not only can you not use a kicker when the sail is reefed, but th shape of the sail is terrible too. Also, putting a reef in or shaking one out is fiddly because you need to release sliders from the slot in the mast, which at the same time turning the handle! (or put them back in - equally fiddly). Finally, it is of course impossible to use lazyjacks with this boom system, so single-handed sailing is almost impossible.

I don't suppose anyone has any experience of removing this system do they? Any advice would be welcome,

Paul Radcliffe