I have gunk in my Groove

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Euphonyx

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Previous owner of my boat converted the mainsail to mast slides. I am reverting to a bolt rope up the groove. All ready to go and last night I noticed that he's put flipping grease up the groove. He must have greased the slides individually. I hope its only gone a few feet up but how do I get that **** out of there???? HELP!
 
A bit of rag and a long stick to clear out the worst and then possibly some degreaser to get rid of the rest. If it is all the way up the mast it will mean a lot more work.

Are you sure that it is grease and not some silicone polish spray?
 
Boathook said:
A bit of rag and a long stick to clear out the worst and then possibly some degreaser to get rid of the rest. If it is all the way up the mast it will mean a lot more work.

Are you sure that it is grease and not some silicone polish spray?
Click to expand...

Looks like axle grease!
 
If the mast is up then: Roll up a triangular rag round a short length of dowel (or similar) that will slot in the grove. As it is a triangle either end should come out of the groove as the cloth won't be as thick. Tie whipping twine or similar thinnish but strong cord to both ends. Next tie one end direct to the main halyard ( plus a mousing line just in case it pulls off) to pull it up and use the other cord to pull it down. Don't make the roll too thick so it could jam. Soak rag in solvent (petrol?) and run it up and down the groove. May need to do it a few times with new rags until the rag stays clean.

Worst case will be making it too thick so it jams and the bottom line pulls off when it is out of reach. You can solve that by tying a few lenghts of garden bamboo cane together with a decent sized fish hook whipped to one end. Managed to retrieve an errant reefing line that way where the end knot had gone all the way to the top pulley.
 
Euphonyx said:
Previous owner of my boat converted the mainsail to mast slides. I am reverting to a bolt rope up the groove. All ready to go and last night I noticed that he's put flipping grease up the groove. He must have greased the slides individually. I hope its only gone a few feet up but how do I get that **** out of there???? HELP!
Click to expand...

Go along to your friendly sail maker and get him to supply you with a length of bolt rope from and old sail and with eyelets in each end. Then you run this up and down the mast groove with a halyard and a downhaul and soaking the bolt rope in paraffin etc. Wash the bolt rope bit and then repeat the same procedure with the old bolt rope soaked in PTFE

Twice a year I use just such a piece of bolt rope with PTFE to make my main easier to pull up. Works like a dream.
 
Caravan shops sell pull alaong brushes to clean annexe attachment rails. The tricky bit is going to be pouring the solvent into the top of the track! If the mast were down it would be a pretty simple job...

Rob.
 
If you have a spare sail slide wrap a rag round it soak in white spirit and run it up the slot with the main halyard. Tie anothe spare rope aroung it to enable you to bring it back down.
 
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