[Ian McColgin]

Ahoy Chris,

You don't normally need a winch to tension the reefed foot. Take up on the topping lift a bit. Bring the reef tack down and secure that. Then tension the foot by hand. Once you re-tension the luff and then slack the topping lift, the foot will be fine.

The little fair lead you describe really was meant for the reefing line. If it's set at an angle off vertical, like /, with the holes about in line with the strain when the reef is taken in, then it will surely be strong enough assuming the bolts, screws or rivets were set correctly. If it's taking a side strain, remove or ignore it.

I prefer to take the reef pendant either from the brace post at the back end of the pendant's turning block 'round under the boom and up, or just around the boom as you have it but with a snugger knot. The net pull of the pendant when snugged down should be about 45 degrees or shallower but not so shallow that it goes past bisecting the clew angle. If the turning blocks are right under the reef clews, you'll need to reposition them. If they are too close for the 45 degree but not really under, just secure the bitter end of the clew reefing pendant a bit further back on the boom to net pull about 45 degrees.

On to your mast winches: Given one problem, you may want to check them all.

The winches should be on some sort of pad to insulate them from the mast and to give them a truly flat landing. Sometimes you'll see a folded stainless pad with four or more rivets into the mast on the vertical flanges that attach it to the mast. The winch is bolted to that. Alternatively, you may have a shaped bit of wood or plastic as the pad with the winch bolts tapped right to the mast. With a pad, by the way, the tapped and threaded holes in the mast will be normal to the winch base and thus, excepting the top and bottom holes, not perpendicular to the mast's surface.

From your description, it seems that your winches were attached directly to the mast with no pads. Not good.

The cause of your winch pulling free may be either a very bad pad installation or no pad at all coupled with a little electrolysis weakening the whole. I recommend removal of the other winches and a careful survey.

From your questions, I'm not sure that you have the skills to be sure of what's needed to get this right. Hire a pro to go over it with you as well as to advise on any repairs the mast itself may need.

G'luck

Ian