Lubrication for Plastic Sail Runners

lancelot

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Hi
Could someone offer advice regarding the best lubricant for plastic sail sliders. My head sail will not reach right to the top of the mast, probably about a foot short. I thought it may need lubricating, however, I don't want to damage the plastic sliders.
Any ideas, please?
Also what would be the best cleaner for the sails, they have a few stains/ mould on the material.
Fair winds,
Lancelot
 
Best thing for slides is dry teflon lube,or maclube wont damage slides or make a mess on the sail like silicon sprays and grease.
Mold and mildew stains can be improved with a bleach rinse which will kill the spores and lighten the spots.Unfortunately this may not remove Black mold stains completley.Sunlight does a good job on a cleaned sail in fading mold spots.
Cindy
 
Try a dry teflon spray. Works well and, unlike grease, will not catch dust, grit, flies etc which then undo all the good the grease did in the first place.
 
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I think someone recommend the silicon spray you get for use on the needles and foots of sewing machine - I gather this does not leave any stains.
 
use only DRY TEFLON as any other type of lubrican will attract Dirt,dust,salt and all of those will cause your sliders to jamb. If you want to drop the sail in an emergency the last thing you will want is a jammed sail.

Good luck

Peter
 
Lubrication for plastic sail sliders

Many thanks everyone for the informative replies. I will go armed with some Teflon next weekend.
What a forum!
Fair winds,
Lancelot
 
Caravan shops have special brushes for cleaning the grooved rails where an awning is fitted. A similar approach might be a good precursor to lubricating the mast track.

Rob.
 
Or, you could be a 'tightwad' like me and just rub the slides with a candle!

If you work the candle in the groove at the bottom of the mast as well, the sliders then carry the wax up to the top for you.

I do mine once a year at the most. Whizzes up and down a treat.
 
Many thanks everyone for the informative replies. I will go armed with some Teflon next weekend.
What a forum!
Fair winds,
Lancelot

I've also found that my main will not go right to the top of the mast tightening the luff, and in my case I think it is the length of the splice on the halyard that is stopping it. I am going to see if the rigger can make a slightly shorter splice.

For lubricating the track and slides, I have used Holts Plastic and Rubber Lubricant from Halfords.
 
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