Confused - sail slides come loose from mast track

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Usangi

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I'm a bit confused about the sail slide mast track system (is that the right terminology??) on the 1975 Jaguar 27 (bit like a Catalina 27) I've just bought. I've attached a link with a couple of photos, which should explain better than I can in writing. I couldn't seem to upload the photos.

The problem is that the sail sliders all come loose when lowering the main as there is no mast gate. But if I installed a mast gate, the sail wouldn't come down to the boom as there is a separate track.

So what happens is that as I raise the main I need to feed the sail sliders into the track which is quite fiddly. There is a little metal thing that is meant to swing loose (and generally does although it often gets stuck) which allows the slider to go up but won't let it go down again. This is fairly helpful but its not great.

When I lower the sail, what should I be doing? Should I be taking the sliders out of the main track and then feeding them into the bottom track? It all seems a bit of a palaver, truth be told! Anyone else have a similar system or any solutions?

https://imgur.com/F6XB3WV
https://imgur.com/1YyrqI1
 
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Hmm, that looks odd to me. What is underneath the lower mast track? It looks like it’s been added. Hopefully, underneath that lower track the upper (original?) track continues. If so you could remove lower track to allow sail slides to bunch up near the boom when sail is lowered.
 
Does that bottom track, which appears to be riveted on, serve any purpose? If not I suggest you drill out the rivets and remove it. There may be another mast gate lower down , if so get some thin pieces of stainless steel riveted or screwed on to stop the sliders falling out of the upper gate.
 
My previous boat was a Jaguar 27 - from memory the lower track was for a sliding goose neck, like you see on a sailing dinghy. If I remember correctly, mine collapsed soon after I got the boat and was replaced with a conventional fixed goose neck. Again from memory I just let the sail slides stop against your 'hook' but was a bit of a stretch to get the sail cover on so I replaced the hook with a stainless split pin lower down. Have you joined the Jaguar yachts owners website? Very helpful club. See Jaguaryachts.co.uk good luck - you've got a good yacht(always faster than my friends Contessa 28).
 
I'll check tomorrow, but yes, I think the original track continues underneath it. So it sounds like it might be an option to have this other one removed. I've no idea if it serves any additional purpose. This is my first sailing boat so I'm a bit new to this. Any ideas why someone would add that new track?
 
PetiteFleur said:
My previous boat was a Jaguar 27 - from memory the lower track was for a sliding goose neck, like you see on a sailing dinghy. If I remember correctly, mine collapsed soon after I got the boat and was replaced with a conventional fixed goose neck. Again from memory I just let the sail slides stop against your 'hook' but was a bit of a stretch to get the sail cover on so I replaced the hook with a stainless split pin lower down. Have you joined the Jaguar yachts owners website? Very helpful club. See Jaguaryachts.co.uk good luck - you've got a good yacht(always faster than my friends Contessa 28).
Click to expand...

Ah, that makes sense now. I haven't looked closely at the mast/boom yet, but will check out if its fixed - which I have a feeling it is.

What did you use the split pin for?

And thanks for the link - I'll go and investigate now.

Thanks for the kind words about the Jaguar 27 - she seems to be in pretty good nick. Only worry is her old engine!
 
I had a Jaguar 27 but don't recall that arrangement, but the gate (though not the lower track) is there on my current Catalina 36. I couldn't understand it either but just stuck a self-tapper in the hole occupied by the gate to stop the lowered sail falling through it and thereafter I stretched a bit when reaching up to gather it in. Designers do these things then walk off without having to live with it.
 
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Same on my Hurley 20... boom/gooseneck is on a slider... about a 9-10" gap between boom at uppermost position, and bottom of sail track/top of gate.. I've drilled either side of the track opening and use an R pin to keep the sliders in...
 
Yep ... some Jags / Catalinas were fitted with sliding boom tracks below the sail track. The hook was to stop the boom going too high ! It was actually a good idea when 'entertaining' in cockpit as you could raise boom and it stay level to carry a 'tent' and be clear of heads.

It of course then caused the sail slides to stop high up. Some boats I saw - they removed the slides (slugs) and had a luff wire inserted that matched the groove ... and a long slot to allow sail to drop out of groove at bottom. Also doing away with the boom track.

My present boat has slugs - with a nurled hand nut secured gate to allow me to remove or insert slugs .... personally - I hate slugs !! but that's how my boat is and I cannot be bothered to modify back to luff wire. My mast / boom has roller reefing - which of course is redundant with slugs unless I drop them out of track ...
 
Thanks everyone. I had a closer look today and saw the sliding gooseneck on this bottom track. I think for now we'll just leave it as it is, until I have some more time to work out the best solution. The flaked sail stays quite high up above the boom but its OK as I can still get the cover over it.

Had a lovely afternoon of sailing on the Oslofjord today. Beautiful weather and a good bit of wind. Looking forward to a summer of sailing!
 
Usangi said:
Thanks everyone. I had a closer look today and saw the sliding gooseneck on this bottom track. I think for now we'll just leave it as it is, until I have some more time to work out the best solution. The flaked sail stays quite high up above the boom but its OK as I can still get the cover over it.

Had a lovely afternoon of sailing on the Oslofjord today. Beautiful weather and a good bit of wind. Looking forward to a summer of sailing!
Click to expand...

If the goose neck slides in the lower track the solution is simple. Raise it and lock it in a position near the top of track. If it has no means of locking its position put a pin ( on a short lanyard pop riveted to the mast) through the track for the goose neck to rest on It will then be close enough to where the sliders are held in the upper track for a neat stow and for the cover to fit easily.

( level the boom up with the topping lift so that it does not look all droopy and to give you a bit of extra head room in the cockpit)
 
In my Proctor mast (Westerly Longbow) There is a hole and a split pin that prevents the slides from getting out of the track when lowering the sail. Even it doesn't sit very high, it doesn't sit low either. I am lowering with the slides in the track and secure 3/4 of the length of the foot with 2 or 3 ropes around. The sail can't fall now, so i am removing the split pin and the slides get out of the track - an additional rope around and it's done. I am not sure it's good for the sail to fold it with the slides in the track-some parts are stretching.
 
Akestor said:
In my Proctor mast (Westerly Longbow) There is a hole and a split pin that prevents the slides from getting out of the track when lowering the sail. Even it doesn't sit very high, it doesn't sit low either. I am lowering with the slides in the track and secure 3/4 of the length of the foot with 2 or 3 ropes around. The sail can't fall now, so i am removing the split pin and the slides get out of the track - an additional rope around and it's done. I am not sure it's good for the sail to fold it with the slides in the track-some parts are stretching.
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Does the Proctor mas on your Longbow not have a sliding plate that partly closes the slider entry point so that they will all side down below that point
 
I am not a fan of sliding goosenecks. However if it is OK for you that is good. Often the idea is that you haul up the main with gooseneck up fairly high When halyard is set you tension the luff of the sail by hauling the boom and gooseneck down witha tackle. . Or just by pushing it down.(hence no need to sweat up the main sail) This would imply that the boom is normally kept up high when sail is down. Hence making room in the cover for your stack of sail with sliders in the track. If you want you could make 2 plates that screw onto the sides of the slot to keep the sliders in place and allow them to come down that 10cms lower. Plates which would have to be unscrewed to remove the sail sliders from the track. ol'will
 
VicS said:
If the goose neck slides in the lower track the solution is simple. Raise it and lock it in a position near the top of track. If it has no means of locking its position put a pin ( on a short lanyard pop riveted to the mast) through the track for the goose neck to rest on It will then be close enough to where the sliders are held in the upper track for a neat stow and for the cover to fit easily.

( level the boom up with the topping lift so that it does not look all droopy and to give you a bit of extra head room in the cockpit)
Click to expand...

As I posted before ... that's literally why its there ...

BUT it also has another use ..... when reefing a main .. how many times have you found a fixed gooseneck leads to a droopy boom ? So if like mine - I have reef ties through the sail to level it all up. But with this sliding boom - voila ...

You reef the main by making fast at and of boom ... make fast at gooseneck end - then push down on gooseneck end of boom to tighten up the luff and level it off. Gather up body of sail and tie of.
 
I have a sliding boom. I worked out where I wanted it and fixed it in place The topping lift holds the boom out the way of heads when not in use. The sail sliders are, as others have described, kept from sliding out of the track with an R pin just above the wide bit, but your track doesn't look as though it will allow that. That's what the hook is supposed to do. You aren't expected to take the bottom slider any lower than the hook when putting the sail to bed; you'd only move the hook when removing the sail.
 
Akestor said:
Hi Vic. Apart from the split pin there is nothing else.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about a plate or plates as in the picture blow that would close the sail entry slot and allow the sliders to fall below it without coming out of the track.

A pin like the one you show nearer the top of the track would solve the OP,s problem by supporting the goose neck higher up when stowing the sail

IMG_0004-trimmed.jpg
 
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