Bolt rope to slides

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CreakyDecks

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I want to change my mainsail from a bolt rope to slides for single handed sailing. What sort of spacing is required (Jaguar 21)?
 
Simplest way. Flake the sail, with the foot bolt rope in the centre of the first flake.Make sure you don't get the main reef eyes too close to the centre of the flake .Max distance is 4 ft ,between slides minimum is 18".Stick a spike through lining up with the tack eye ,just behind the bolt rope.Put the eyes in where marked with the spike,in the centre of each fold.
This allows the sail to fall and flake itself on the boom,at the luff end ,leaving you the leech to tidy up on the boom.
Cindy
 
First you need a stopper in the groove to stop the sliders falling out when lowering the sail
If this is too high in relation to the boom you may not be able to change to sliders
In addition You need to check how many slides you can stack in the groove before they become too high up the mast for sail covers etc
If using a slab reef & you have too many slides your luff reef eye may be too high above the boom because of the amount of sliders in the groove under it. This is worse when on second or third reef
Try to get the reef eye at a mid point between 2 sliders & this will allow it to come down past the slider stack when reefed
You also need to move the clew fixing point of your mainsail aft by the same distance the sliders move the luff back
 
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I did an article in PBO some years ago on this topic. Best advice is to copy the spacing off another Jag 21. Otherwise spacing of 18 - 24 inches is about right for your size. Space evenly and check that no reefing points are in the way. You'll need to sort out your reefing system and method of retaining the slides in the track I used a split pin and drilled a hole each side of the slot. It was a very worthwhile improvement.
 
Maybe some form of gate at the slider entry point that can be closed once the sliders are inserted will be needed so that they can drop below the entry point when reefing, if its slab reefing, or when lowering the sail.
A pin or track stop above the entry point may well be too high for the cover to fit over the lowered sail.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I am getting a new mast anyway, so the rope entry won't be an issue.
Am I correct in thinking that flaking the sail is what determines my spacing and that the slides don't really take a great deal of load (because the luff is pulled tight by the halyard)?
 
CreakyDecks said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. I am getting a new mast anyway, so the rope entry won't be an issue.
Am I correct in thinking that flaking the sail is what determines my spacing and that the slides don't really take a great deal of load (because the luff is pulled tight by the halyard)?
Click to expand...

My Co32 had a bolt rope & never a problem when s/h or at any time. just flake the bolt rope over the boom & then a sail tie, after that flake the leach & tie.

not very clear & also not down over the boom enough
OostendeMay1994_zpsb9e297c5.jpg
 
CreakyDecks said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. I am getting a new mast anyway, so the rope entry won't be an issue.
Am I correct in thinking that flaking the sail is what determines my spacing and that the slides don't really take a great deal of load (because the luff is pulled tight by the halyard)?
Click to expand...

Yes flaking can determine the spacing but pay attention to what was said above about the position in relation to the reefing eyes, that is important.
The slides don't take a terrific load but pay particular attention to the slides on the headboard, often there are 2 slides just on the headboard.
 
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