Reefing Hook

A hook used to secure a mainsail’s reef tack or cringle near the gooseneck.

Often called a ram’s horn, it holds the selected reef cringle at the forward end of the boom while the reef clew is tensioned aft. Some systems use a tack line or single-line reefing instead of a hook.

The cringle must be fully engaged and kept clear of obstructions before the halyard is retensioned. Fingers should be kept away from the hook and loaded sail hardware, particularly while the vessel is moving.