There is a lot of bad information there about what a reef hook is and how they're used. The purpose of this thread is to discuss the proper use of a reef hook. If you want to add on yet another "My condolences to the family" post, please do that here: There are many varieties of mainsail reefing. The purpose of this article is to help you choose which is the best for you Reefing can be a struggle, but that’s not inevitable. The wise skipper will make life easy as possible for the crew. Done properly, it only takes thirty seconds or so to put in a reef.

A reef hook can be a key piece of equipment in an underwater photographer’s arsenal, especially in strong currents. With the thousands of dollars in photo gear you likely lug around, it’s smart to invest in a quality reef hook to bring with you. Exporting quality and performance from Norway to the U.S One of latest additions to the upffront.com sailing hardware line-up are the Polyform fenders from the original Norwegian manufacturer - Polyform AS. Established over 60 years ago, Polyform AS is renowned for inventing the modern plastic buoy. Posted on 18 Oct Electric Furler from Facnor I have also seen reefing systems where they feed heavy monofilament up through the sail in lieu of reefing lines. It’s not my favorite design because again, it is never rigged correctly after the first day it is installed. I'm always a little scared that these points will fail in a heavy breeze, but engineers with much greater intelligence than me put them there, so I tell myself I am being ridiculous. But this where the failure will take place if and when it ever happens. And we’ll talk about that more in a few paragraphs. But for now have faith that the sail manufacturer knew what they were doing by putting these reef points in your sail. Reef hooks are destroying the reef. It's possible, but not if you hook properly. Find a dead spot. I've always managed to find one there.An ingenious addition to their portfolio, Karver’s KHR Reef Hook offers an unconventional way to reef your mainsail.

Reef hooks are safe, but you need to think about what you're doing. It's a change to your normal dive setup so you have to make adjustments.Know what reef systems your boat may have. Jiffy reefing systems, when they work, can be a great asset, but if they are rigged wrong, as they almost alway are, they can be a nightmare.

Divers are apt to get up close and personal with the reef in the process, possibly grabbing onto the reef, snagging their wetsuit or bumping their lights against the reef. Hooking in as you drift past is the easiest way to hang out and spare your gear from the trauma the reef can inflict on it. I also have seen skippers confuse their halyards with in-mast roller furlers with cataclysmic results. First sail close-hauled or on a very close reach. The helm’s attention should be focused entirely on maintaining the course.

Originally designed for ocean racing multihulls, reef hooks are now being adopted by more and more cruising sailors, who are choosing to replace their current pennant reefing system with a hook. While you may not need to use it for most destinations, it can be a lifesaver—especially when your liveaboard or dive operator does not provide the opportunity to rent or borrow one. Freeing up your hands is a key step in taking better images in current-ridden conditions.

Strong currents are the life-force of vibrant reefs systems and they are at their strongest around the edges and at their most manageable in the center. By lowering the center of gravity and depowering the boat, we had less force aloft pitching the boat side to side and fore and aft. In addition, sailors that have sailed with the Karver Reef Hook have stated that its simplicity and high performance make it an efficient reefing system with provides complete satisfaction out at sea, never letting a reef drop out. Gather up the sail and as neatly as possible tie those lines around the bottom of the boom using a “reef” or “ square” knot. It is said the reef hook is invented in Palau, but this 100 % sure. Other places in the world, where reef hook diving is common, are The Maldives, Komodo, Raja Ampat and French PolynesiaAdd all these things and you get an incredible dive at incredible locations watching some of the nature’s most incredible animals. With no reef hook, you would be fighting in vain for a glimpse as we hurtled over the reef. And all because we used a simple stainless steel hook and some rope responsibly. Excellent post, charlesml3. I'm sure this thread is going to attract a lot of "to hook, or not to hook, that is the question." I'm not even gonna go there. Picture a large submerged bommie or pinnacle that rises up from the deep and faces into the predominant current – where that current hits the reef first is where its velocity is low and the deeper you go at that point, the less that velocity will be.