By reefing is meant the means by which a sail is reduced in size by rolling up and tying part of it down to a spar. The sail that you will have to reef is the mainsail, as the jib on a small boat is generally too little to be bothered with in that way. You will notice on a sail, stretching across it from luff to leach, a band, or sometimes two or three bands, in which are inserted short lengths of small line. This is the reef band, and the small lengths of rope are called points, or knittles. At either end of the band in the edge of the sail you will find a hole—or cringle, as it is called. The hole at the after end in the leach of the sail is for the pendant, a small rope that hauls the canvas aft or back towards the stern. The hole at the fore end in the luff of the sail is for the tack, a short length of rope that ties the luff of the sail down to the boom.

There are two ways of reefing. The first and easiest way, which can be performed when the boat is at anchor or lying to a dock, is to hoist the sail up until the reef band is as high as the boom; then take the tack and pass the ends round the boom, pass the ends back again through the cringle several times, if it will go, and then tie hard. Having the tack fast, haul out on the pendant, which should be rove through a beehole or cheek block on the boom; pull on this until the sail’s foot is out taut, but do not pull until the cloth is strained. When the foot is out taut make the pendant fast; then take a short piece of rope and pass it round the boom and pendant just at the cringle and through that hole. Tie this down hard. This is called the clew lashing. Always put on a clew lashing, as it will save the sail from being torn.

Having the tack and pendant fast, begin to tie in the points. Get all the slack canvas on one side and roll it up tight; then pass one end of the reef point through between the lacing and the sail, not round the boom. Tie the point ends together with a bow knot, which is a reef knot with the loop caught in the tie. Pull all your points taut, but be sure and put the same strain on all. Begin to tie in the middle first, and then work toward both ends.

To shake out a reef reverse these operations. First untie the points, then the clew lashing, then slack in the pendant, and last cast loose the tack lashing. Be careful to untie all the points, because if you do not you are liable to tear the sail when hoisting it. Before shaking out a reef, if you have a topping lift fitted pull up on that so as to take the weight of the boom off the sail. If the air is damp, or rain or spray knocking about, don’t haul the sail out very taut or tie the points down hard, as the wet will cause the rope and canvas to shrink and strain the sail out of shape. Never leave reefs tied in sail when stowed, as the canvas will mildew and rot.

Jibing is the operation of passing a boom sail over from one side of the boat to the other when sailing off the wind. A great deal of nonsense has been written and talked about jibing, and it is commonly supposed to be a very dangerous maneuvre. So it is, if carried out by incompetent persons or reckless fools in a bad boat, but if common sense and caution are used there is no danger whatever in jibing a sail at any time.

The first and most important thing is to keep control of the sheet, and to have as little of it out as possible when the sail goes over. In order to do this you must use the helm with great care to bring the boat slowly round. If it is blowing hard top up the boom and lower the peak; in this way you can always safely jibe.

To jibe: Haul in the sheet slowly but steadily, and when well aft carefully put the helm up until the wind strikes the fore side of the sail. As the boom swings across right the helm and then put it the other way, so as to catch the boat as she swings off.

If you have to jibe all standing—what is called a North River jibe—that is, with the sheet all off—just as soon as boom goes over put your helm hard the other way; this will throw the boat’s head so the wind will strike the fore side of the sail and break the force of the swing. It is a very dangerous method, unless you are a skillful skipper, and should never be employed except in an emergency. Never jibe in a seaway with the sheet off; at such time it is better to lower the peak.