Fully Battened mainsail

[frank65]

Any opinions regarding using sliders (slugs) as opposed to a bolt rope . Slugs do tend to jamb but the sail lays tidily when down. Use of boltrope means that the sail has to come out of the mast slider which is tricky when singlehanded. What do you think?

 

[DoctorD]

IMO sliders the best. Make sure track is lubricated with some grease if sliders sticky. Should then work well.

 

[claymore]

Agree with that - I also have a stacpac so when I let the halliard go, the main drops down instantly into it and I'm not having to gather armfuls of errant sail - very handy when singlehanded or under pressure - or both!
regards
John S

Sans Signature

 

[Chris_Stannard]

Fully agree. I am on my second boat with fully battened main and sliders. If you can afford it the Selden track system which goes over the bolt rope groove in your mast means you can let the halyard go and drop every thing into the stacpac.

Chris Stannard

 

[Gordonmc]

Tell me more.

My fully battened main has sliders and batten carriages but is an effort to raise. Inevitably bringing it down means going forward to pull it down to the boom. Should I lubricate? Presumably silicone grease would be best (?)

 

[ccscott49]

I use aerosol furniture polish, works great!

 

[dickh]

I had truoble with the small white plastic slides on my mainsail. My local sailmaker(Sanderson & Kay) at Suffolk Yacht Harbour fitted larger Black plastic sliders at each batten with white sliders in between. The secret is to have the main & intermediate slides on a 'loose' piece of tape so they don't jam as they are raised & lowered. Works a treat, even my better half can raise the main without winching and it just drops as soon as released. Best money I've spent at a sailmaker for long time.

 

[Guest]

For a fully battened main, the battens induce great pressure at the luff. going head wind to drop could help but the remaining pressure may still great enough to affecting the dropping. Greasing the track could further help but it require repeatly greasing with time.

Ideally, apart from using slides along the luff, a roller fitting should be added at the head (luff end) of each batten instead of a slide. This can change the friction pressure to sliding power. The sail drops smoothly after released the halyard cleat.

I have this roller arrangement which has been working excellently for the past 7 years, without greasing !

 

[cynthia]

We used liquid silicone from Lakeland Plastics when we had a fully battened main - excellent stuff and lasted for years.

 

[Boathook]

I use Mr Sheen (furniture polish) on my fully battened main sliders/cars. Works wonders, cheap and nearly lasts a season per application. I seem to remember that a sail maker recommended it.