The Reefing horns on my mast have bent I didn't think to take a picture of them but they are similar to these but have longer shanks. And the plate is on the opposite side as the are riveted to the mast.
I am wondering if it is possible to straighten them? If so do I need to heat them or just use a large bar on them?
Or am i better off just getting something like this to replace them?
Just bend them cold - with a bar if necessary as you say.
The question to ask before that, of course, is why did they bend in the first place? If they bent because they were not strong enough then you should replace them with something much stronger.
Ive got some that are just a horn and a small plate with 1 hole. Im on board now but ill take a pic in the am.
Select to expand quotezilla said..
Just bend them cold - with a bar if necessary as you say.
The question to ask before that, of course, is why did they bend in the first place? If they bent because they were not strong enough then you should replace them with something much stronger.
I have no idea of how this would have happened they were already bent when I purchased the boat.I have been thinking I should do something about it but I was unsure if straightening would weeken it or if it would need heating but would that weeken it so did nothing. I don't know if it has got worse but the crinkle came off today when I put a reef in. So thinking that I really do need to fix it .
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
Ive got some that are just a horn and a small plate with 1 hole. Im on board now but ill take a pic in the am.
Thanks Steve if I need to replace I think I will change to the shakel type. Would prefer to straighten the ones I have if possible first.
More info would be gr8. I have bought my boat from a power boat shop (it took 5 of them to drop the mast a job I do on my own now) no hand over and had to work the rig out peace by peace.
the foot of the mainsail is still a mystery to me it works but it is not how it was designed to work pics of a reefing horn riged correctly would be gr8. Can they be riged to the side of the mast?
Select to expand quotew8ingforwind said..
More info would be gr8. I have bought my boat from a power boat shop (it took 5 of them to drop the mast a job I do on my own now) no hand over and had to work the rig out peace by peace.
the foot of the mainsail is still a mystery to me it works but it is not how it was designed to work pics of a reefing horn riged correctly would be gr8. Can they be riged to the side of the mast?
Here are two different ways there are numerous ways to rig them you would need to post a picture of yours to tell you how to rig it. They are not usually mounted directly to the mast so maybe that is why mine have bent.
Since Zilla has said they can be straightened I will try that first and see how it goes.
So how do you blokes haul the luff down ? No haul down ?? Blasting along on a beam reach, breezes and seas get a little bit to much fun 
do you have to heave to ? To get the reefing horns hooked in ? I have a line that runs from the boom / gooseneck up thru the luff cringle and down the other side of the sail, from there it can be hauled on via a mast winch as the halyard is eased away. No need to luff up at all. The reefing line negates the need for the horns / hooks, just make it of. The leech has the same set up. Can reef on all points of sail, so far !
Select to expand quotewoko said..
So how do you blokes haul the luff down ? No haul down ?? Blasting along on a beam reach, breezes and seas get a little bit to much fun do you have to heave to ? To get the reefing horns hooked in ? I have a line that runs from the boom / gooseneck up thru the luff cringle and down the other side of the sail, from there it can be hauled on via a mast winch as the halyard is eased away. No need to luff up at all. The reefing line negates the need for the horns / hooks, just make it of. The leech has the same set up. Can reef on all points of sail, so far !
I ease the mainsheet ease halyard put cringle on horn. Tension halyard then reefing line. I always have the topping lift on it has a bit of slack when main is tensioned.
Select to expand quotetwodogs1969 said..woko said..
So how do you blokes haul the luff down ? No haul down ?? Blasting along on a beam reach, breezes and seas get a little bit to much fun do you have to heave to ? To get the reefing horns hooked in ? I have a line that runs from the boom / gooseneck up thru the luff cringle and down the other side of the sail, from there it can be hauled on via a mast winch as the halyard is eased away. No need to luff up at all. The reefing line negates the need for the horns / hooks, just make it of. The leech has the same set up. Can reef on all points of sail, so far !
I ease the mainsheet ease halyard put cringle on horn. Tension halyard then reefing line. I always have the topping lift on it has a bit of slack when main is tensioned.
The problem with horns is you only get luff tension from the main halyard. As woko suggests if you need added luff tension as you do in fresher conditions you need to tension the main halyard and then tension the "new" Cunningham eye which is the reefing line through the luff cringle. It's far easier to get luff tension down than it it is to try and get the correct tension with the halyard.
I straightened the horns today was very surprised at how easy they were to bend. See how they hold if they bend again I am thinking of replacing them with something I can just Shackle at the boom.
Zilla are you the one with the you tube videos?
Select to expand quotetwodogs1969 said..
Zilla are you the one with the you tube videos?
No, not me.
I also reef a bit like Ramona. I thread a line through the new cringle, not so much as to get extra purchase on the luff but because I don't entirely trust the reefing horn on the boom to retain the cringle in the event of some disaster. If my gaff throat, for example, was to slip down the mast (a broken or slipped halyard perhaps) I could see the cringle slipping off the reef hook and releasing the reefs in the main. That would not be pretty.
I tie the reef cringle to a shackle on the boom even if I get it on the reef horn.
I'll add a vote to those who think the best tool for modifying a reefing horn is a grinder or hacksaw. It's much easier to just ease the halyard and then pull the luff down with a reefing line. On the 28'er I just have a very long cunningham tackle so you don't even need a specialised piece of equipment, and I'll probably fit the 36'er with something similar.
I made a video of myself dropping in a reef Saturday. I had the camera mounted on the pushpit and of course its an excellent video of mostly my back blocking out the reefing actions. I will have to make a bracket for the guardrail so I can view the back of the cabin. It did indicate to me that the whipping on the main halyard had slipped along so the reefing did not go a smoothly as it should have.
I don't use the horn, just dees pop riveted to each side of the mast that lead the reefing lines so that there is a fair pull to get the reef down with the right foot tension. The lines go back to clutches near the cockpit so I don't have to go on deck to reef, just put on topping lift, ease the halliard to the mark, haul on clew and tack lines then retension the halliard and drop the topping lift. Usually takes less than 30 seconds.
I was lucky enough to find a near new seldon boom with single line reefing on eBay for a great price!!
One line for each reef back to the cockpit through a clutch. I drop the main halyard to the mark, from the cockpit, & pull on the reefing line finishing with the winch to get it all tight.
Select to expand quotezilla said..twodogs1969 said..
Zilla are you the one with the you tube videos?
No, not me.
I also reef a bit like Ramona. I thread a line through the new cringle, not so much as to get extra purchase on the luff but because I don't entirely trust the reefing horn on the boom to retain the cringle in the event of some disaster. If my gaff throat, for example, was to slip down the mast (a broken or slipped halyard perhaps) I could see the cringle slipping off the reef hook and releasing the reefs in the main. That would not be pretty.
I tie the reef cringle to a shackle on the boom even if I get it on the reef horn.
Zilla, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only gaffer getting around, good on ya. 
The point I was trying to convey in the earlier post about luff haul down / reefing line come Cunningham, is that by being able to skull drag the luff down while the gaff and sail are leaning on the shrouds i can reef on all points of sail ( so far ) maybe a bit brutal but when you gotta reduce sail, it beats luffing up in unfriendly sea states. I've had the three sided mainsails and used the same technique.
woko, I am interested in details of the reefing line you have set up on your leech. It might be handy on my Junk rigged gaff, to prevent a "fan up" that can sometimes occur if I accidently gybe with a reefed main (& I haven't centred the main).
The weight of the reefed bundle is enough to keep it in the lazy jacks at all other times.
Have you ever had a "fan up", where the gaff goes vertical & jambs against the mast?
Its not a major problem & is usually solved by heading into the wind, the flapping sail shakes the jamb loose, or climbing the "ladder" (the lacing between mast & main).
Some simple line on the leech may be a good solution, just a bit reluctant to complicate a very easy rig, that can be reefed on all points of sail without heading into the wind.
cheers
Select to expand quoteBlueMoon said..
woko, I am interested in details of the reefing line you have set up on your leech. It might be handy on my Junk rigged gaff, to prevent a "fan up" that can sometimes occur if I accidently gybe with a reefed main (& I haven't centred the main).
The weight of the reefed bundle is enough to keep it in the lazy jacks at all other times.
Have you ever had a "fan up", where the gaff goes vertical & jambs against the mast?
Its not a major problem & is usually solved by heading into the wind, the flapping sail shakes the jamb loose, or climbing the "ladder" (the lacing between mast & main).
Some simple line on the leech may be a good solution, just a bit reluctant to complicate a very easy rig, that can be reefed on all points of sail without heading into the wind.
cheers
Bluemoon, the reefing line I use on the leech is the same as the luff line just at the other end of the boom, ie line made of on the boom up one side of the sail through the reef cringle down the other side of the sail around a cheek block and along the boom to a cleat or a winch if needed. I haven't needed to winch the leech down as when I let the peak halyard of the leech is flapping its arse of and the boom is held up in the topping lift. I've never had anything like your fan up ! I bet it would be a bit of excitement ? But I recon a a simple leech line would take that fun away.
So your luff is laced what sort of arrangement do you have for your gaff to mast ?
Thanks woko, I'll try the leech line & see how it goes.
The lacing I use is a lacing that doesn't jam, similar to the lacing pic in this link (but without the blocks)
www.thecheappages.com/boat/cob/COB_sea-boat.html
Heres a pic of the gaff jaws.
Select to expand quoteBlueMoon said..
Thanks woko, I'll try the leech line & see how it goes.
The lacing I use is a lacing that doesn't jam, similar to the lacing pic in this link (but without the blocks)
www.thecheappages.com/boat/cob/COB_sea-boat.html
Heres a pic of the gaff jaws.
We are probably losing the thread here, but I really like the way you've got modern materials doing old school work 
the mast lacing I use is straight out of the John leather gaff rigg book, same deal, gives no problems up or down. Instead of jaws and parrel I have a leather lined slide, I'm not completely sold on that idea as it has a bit of a habit of chewing on the mast when the gaff is flogging ie beam seas and light wind.
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