Bad slides?

pompeydave

pompeydave

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Hi all, I’ve got a Trapper TS240 with a new mainsail just fitted. The sailmaker fitted new slides also and they slide up and down the mast slot ok, but any breeze pushes the sail away from the mast and seems to jam the slides in the slot making raising the sail a difficult two man job with one on the winch winding hard and the other at the mast trying to ease the slides through the gate at the bottom of the mast and further up as the sail is raised. The halyard is in good condition and when disconnected from the sail goes up and down with ease. Do the slides need lubricating? Are there any better slides out there than the usual white plastic ones I’ve got?
 
I would recommend Tidesmarine’s sailtrack system. I think you would find the difference remarkable.
No connection- I have it as recommended by my sailmaker and find it takes a lot of effort out of sail hoisting and lowering and certainly you would not need a hand at the botto: of the track as the slides are contained.
 
PeteCooper said:
Are you head to wind as you hoist the main?
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I'm assuming he is head to wind but the problem is the angle as the slides get to the gate. It is hard to assess without a picture but getting it right is going to be an important part of getting his sailing enjoyment. My guess is that there are one or two bits of track/gate that are not smoothed off enough. Slides with rollers, such as we tend to have with a fully-battened sail will normally pass through a gate smoothly but plastic is less forgiving. I would try to smooth off anything sharp in the way and put some Teflon grease liberally on the slides and gate before trying anything radical.
 
pompeydave said:
The slides jam even when just testing the sail on the berth in zero wind. Starting to think it’s a lubrication issue.
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Might be worth checking the slides against your old main just to make sure they are the same.

I've found Mclube about the best for both sail track and ok to use on genoa luff tape and track.
 
You shouldn't need to lubricate slides - if the track is clean and smooth.

And if the old ones worked properly then you need to change the new ones. (I've put a lot of new sails up new masts and the only problems were with incorrect slides).
 
Try hoisting without the top slider inthe mast .
If the slides work without the sail being pulled up ,it’s quite often the alignment of the headboard slider .
It tips and jack knifes and jams .
There should be two sliders to position the board correctly parallel to the mast groove .
 
The sail isn’t full battened is it ? You wou need a pressure slide with rollers fitted at each batten end .

One other thought ,how were the slides attached on the old sail .? webbed on or shackled.
If shackled on now ,they may be too loose and get dragged up to tip .
If webbed on that’s a more rigid mount,often slides easier.

There are many slides now that are designed to stop the angle change ,they have a rockered back face.
Do you know your mast manufacturer?
 
I bought a new fully battened main to replace the old baggy thing.
At first i though that either I or the sailmakre had made a mistake, cos it was a bit ch to raise and lower.
One can of silicone spray later, it was a completely different story.
I use the silicone spary into the track as far as i can reach and onto the slides when the sail is down, but only once or twice a season.
I can now hosit the main by hand, only needing the winch to apply final luff tension.
 
Cardinal said:
I would recommend Tidesmarine’s sailtrack system. I think you would find the difference remarkable.
No connection- I have it as recommended by my sailmaker and find it takes a lot of effort out of sail hoisting and lowering and certainly you would not need a hand at the botto: of the track as the slides are contained.
Click to expand...

I second that. I fitted a Tides Marine track system last year. Not cheap but well worth it for me as I have a poor sense of balance and didn't like having to balance on the coach roof in choppy conditions to pull the last few metres of sail down. With the Tides track it comes down like a runaway train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVEX4DCfCYE
 
JimC said:
I second that. I fitted a Tides Marine track system last year. Not cheap but well worth it for me as I have a poor sense of balance and didn't like having to balance on the coach roof in choppy conditions to pull the last few metres of sail down. With the Tides track it comes down like a runaway train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVEX4DCfCYE
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Thanks for that. I think i am heading that way too - old circular section mast track for a luff rope main, cars jam unless heading straight upwind etc. Cheers for vid.
 
pompeydave said:
The slides jam even when just testing the sail on the berth in zero wind. Starting to think it’s a lubrication issue.
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Incorrect slides if jamming like that. My main was getting difficult to raise and lower and I found that the masthead shaves had corroded after 40 years. Cleaned them all up during a re-rig so hopefully back to undoing haliard and main drops down .....
 
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