Help : Selden Mast track gate - cannot open

[Refueler]

Trying to remove mainsail from my 38 .... the gate is the long version that caters for both normal and batten sliders ....

Cannot get it to open ... any suggestions ?

(My other boat has the simple Proctor system of a thuimb screw and plate....)

 

[Poignard]

Is this any help?

 

[Refueler]

Is this any help?

Nope ... that's the sl;ider version ...

Mines :

Looks like two screws to remove ...

 

[johnalison]

You remove the two screws. That is not difficult, but you need to take care not to lose the screws down the track, so I am told. That, of course, is a lie. One of my screws still sulks at the bottom, somewhere. My screws on a Seldon mast need 9 1/2 and 10 turns, which information I have recorded on the plate.

 

[BabaYaga]

+1, you need a thin Phillips screw driver for this job.
If the two screws are original, they will have their thread turned down just under the head. This is to allow them to rotate freely in order to get the gate unit pulled tight to against the track 'bottom'. The holes through the gate unit are threaded, as are the holes into the mast wall. If you hook the gate unit and pull as you unscrew, altering between upper and lower, you might be able to get the gate unit to come out of the track with the screws still securely attached to it.

 

[Refueler]

Guess what job tomorrow !!

Many thanks to all.

 

[jlavery]

+1, you need a thin Phillips screw driver for this job.
If the two screws are original, they will have their thread turned down just under the head. This is to allow them to rotate freely in order to get the gate unit pulled tight to against the track 'bottom'. The holes through the gate unit are threaded, as are the holes into the mast wall. If you hook the gate unit and pull as you unscrew, altering between upper and lower, you might be able to get the gate unit to come out of the track with the screws still securely attached to it.

Yup - need  just the right size screwdriver which fits through the slot and is big enough for the bolts. My bolts have small rubber washers the other side of the removable gate to (in theory) stop them falling out of the gate.

 

[wonkywinch]

Also put a bit of blu tack on the tip of your screwdriver before starting as insurance against losing the screw.

 

[William_H]

Of ciourse every one assumes the screws will be easy to turn and loosen. I hope that is the case other wise you are looking for ways to free a stasinless steel screw form ali mast. Lubricant heat all that stuff. good luck ol'will

 

[Refueler]

Supposedly - seller of the boat put main on at beginning of this season ... so I hope screws will come out cleanly.

I have read online that one guy removed this version and replaced with similar to the Proctor design - where a plate is held by thumb screw one side of track ... loosen screw - plate slides out of way to open slot ...
If the Selden is not so good - may look at converting.

 

[penfold]

Maybe there will be star washers or o rings to stop the screws backing out and falling down the mast slot.

 

[Refueler]

Maybe there will be star washers or o rings to stop the screws backing out and falling down the mast slot.

Who knows - today I will find out !!

Not only that - but sail has a mix of standard slides and full batten slides .... which of course those battens need to come out to fold the sail ...

Boat has a number of sails in bags ... which over next week or so - we will open up and lay out to determine viability ... I'm hoping that one is the 'other mainsail' seller mentioned ... because one rigged at present is a real heavy laminate sail that is so awkward to stow on boom ... especially with that mix of full and partial battens.

 

[Refueler]

Looks like previous may have lost a screw in past ... I knew there were two different screws used on mine ... a Hex head and a cross phillips headed ...

But when I removed the gate ... the hex headed is tapered head - so is reason my slides don't run freely and need a nudge now and again ... but its good length that is just slightly more than gate depth - keeping it in place better. The original round phillips screw is short and threaded to the gate and mast - but needs to be length similar to the hex so its captive.

All done anyway ... boy is that laminate main ******** heavy !!

 

[Refueler]

Time to re-rig main ... found the other mainsail .. not much lighter !! But better overall condition - literally looks unused.

Have found the Self Tacker as well .....

 

[jdc]

<nerd alert>
Beware the difference between Philips screws and Pozidrive. Philips are American, were invented around the time of Henry Ford and are spawn of the devil and always to be eschewed, and were obsolete sometime before the Second World War imho. Fortunately Pozidrive are much more common in Europe.

The two are incompatible despite looking similar at first glance: Philips will cam out and destroy the screw head anyway, and a Philips screw-driver will probably damage a Pozidrive screw, so always use a Pozidrive screw-driver first go. If that fails probably it was a Philips so invariably would need drilling out anyway, thereby adding 10 hours to an otherwise simple job. Replace with Pozidrive or Torx.
</nerd alert>

 

[Refueler]

All done ... lost the 3mm hex key in the harbour though !!

Now to source a long batten as one is missing from the mainsail.

 

[yoda]

<nerd alert>
Beware the difference between Philips screws and Pozidrive. Philips are American, were invented around the time of Henry Ford and are spawn of the devil and always to be eschewed, and were obsolete sometime before the Second World War imho. Fortunately Pozidrive are much more common in Europe.

The two are incompatible despite looking similar at first glance: Philips will cam out and destroy the screw head anyway, and a Philips screw-driver will probably damage a Pozidrive screw, so always use a Pozidrive screw-driver first go. If that fails probably it was a Philips so invariably would need drilling out anyway, thereby adding 10 hours to an otherwise simple job. Replace with Pozidrive or Torx.
</nerd alert>

Phillips widely used at build in my Hanse 370. Slowly being replaced by Pozidrive!

 

[Refueler]

Phillips widely used at build in my Hanse 370. Slowly being replaced by Pozidrive!

Seller left a tray of stainless phillips screws of varying lengths ... reckon there's a few years worth there !!

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Seller left a tray of stainless phillips screws of varying lengths ... reckon there's a few years worth there !!

If the screw rounds off, you’ve destroyed whatever it’s screwed in to. Replace them with hex or torx, you could regret using those philips.

 

[Refueler]

If the screw rounds off, you’ve destroyed whatever it’s screwed in to. Replace them with hex or torx, you could regret using those philips.

When the gate is removed - there are 4 screw holes - not 2 .. so someones had problem in past !!