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by   Lisa Rambo  

To reef or not to reef, that is the question my husband, Bob, and I wrestle with every Texas 200!  I hate to reef our ComPac Suncat in the intracoastal! On the Texas 200, many miles are spent in the “ditch”. If winds pick up and reefing is needed, one has 125 feet more or less to maneuver. First, the engine must be started, then I must point the boat into the wind while Bob starts reefing. Usually, by the time he’s a third of the way through the process, we are motoring on to the bank. I then start to yell. It’s very unpleasant. I motor out into the landcut and put the boat into the wind, again, and Bob continues the reefing. The bank closes in! I’m yelling! Of course, we need to repeat this procedure before we are adequately reefed. 

So for two days during the 2025 Texas 200, I refuse to reef from Port Mansfield to PIYC. We have high winds, we did not die. The ComPac Suncat 17 has a 150 square foot gaff rig, and I have read that it’s underpowered for a boat of its size. It was a fun roller coaster ride up the Intracoastal for me. For Bob, I’m not so sure.

I heard a rumor at a few camps that I do not like reefing. Was Bob talking? Clearly, I have no problem with reefing, as long as we are not in the narrow channel.

That’s all. I just needed to get this off my chest.

During the Texas 200 2025, we made it through the storms and motored through the dugouts to the last camp, Army Hole. Not a mast was to be seen at Army Hole when we arrived. Only Doug Geis was there with his Jonboat. Later in the afternoon, a ComPac 16 with the Skrobarczyk brothers motored in. I was very surprised, so few made it to Army Hole, but after hearing all the stories of lightning strikes and demastings, I’m glad we have our trusty SunCat.  It’s the best sailboat, mostly NOT reefed in the Texas 200.