Main sail slide Mast Plug?

steveej

steveej

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Hi all,

New boat has a track in the aft mast whereby plastic sliders on the main sail luff are fed into a widening in the track in the mast above boom height.

Problem I have, is every time I lower the main halyard, the sliders fall out.

Is there some kind of rubber 'plug' that I can fit in the track widening to be able to stop this happening?

It seems like something is missing, I ve only just bought the boat.

Cheers
Steve
 
fredrussell said:
You should have two rectangular pieces that attach each side of the widening, leaving a gap the same width as the main track.
Click to expand...

That's one option, or the Selden version is a casting that sits in the gap and has a springloaded ramp through which to load the slugs.

The generic term for you to google for is "mast gate".

Pete
 
prv said:
That's one option, or the Selden version is a casting that sits in the gap and has a springloaded ramp through which to load the slugs.

The generic term for you to google for is "mast gate".

Pete
Click to expand...
That sounds a lot easier than the removable plate I have on a 15yr old Selden track. Last year I lost a screw down the track, which is probably still there.
 
On my mast there is a length of rod ( could cut down a bolt) through which there are 2 grub screws
the rod is placed in the groove, The grub screws sit in the slot & are tightened to stop the rod falling down
Quite easy to make if you have a drill & tap
 
You might find drilling 2 holes just above the gate and putting a split pin in will be the easiest way. Tie the pin on so you don't lose it.
 
Tranona said:
You might find drilling 2 holes just above the gate and putting a split pin in will be the easiest way. Tie the pin on so you don't lose it.
Click to expand...

That will stop the sail coming all the way down, though. Might not matter, depending how far above the boom his gate is, but mine is about two feet up so this really wouldn't work.

A pair of stainless strips with holes in the ends, holes drilled and tapped in the mast, and four machine-screws seems like the best home-made approach.

Pete
 
If the pin is immediately above the gate it is just the same as a stop in the gate. Just take it out when you want to drop the sail. Worked well when I converted my Seawych from bolt rope to slides. The OP has an 18' boat so not a big mast.
 
I have a similar problem so I found a small bolt(4 mm I thing) put two washers on it and a wingnut. The washers sandwich the slot edges, tighten the wingnut and it stops the slides falling out - a poor man's version of the £12 device in the link above?
 
Tranona said:
You might find drilling 2 holes just above the gate and putting a split pin in will be the easiest way. Tie the pin on so you don't lose it.
Click to expand...
That's what I've done - easy and cheap, have to remove it to get the 3rd reef on the hook but if it gets that bad I don't care if a sail slide is flapping about.
 
I had that arrangement on my Hurley when I bought it. It worked but was crap when I needed to reef. I bought one of those things steveej linked to and it is much better. There is a hole to put a string through so it doesn't escape too.

Tranona said:
You might find drilling 2 holes just above the gate and putting a split pin in will be the easiest way. Tie the pin on so you don't lose it.
Click to expand...
 
In my-not very extensive experience-surely it depends where the gate is?

For example, on our current boat with Sparcraft mast it is about two feet above the boom.

Fixing a split pin here would mean the bottom slide would stop there and the sail would then pile up on top,which would mean that as I am a a Shorthouse It would be out of my reach for reefing and halyard attatching.

In this case a S/S shaped plate is attatched with two 5mm screws so the slides can pass and stack up above the boom.

Even so its a tip toe job for me-not easy if its a bit lively!

The Hartley 30 we keep in NZ has the split pin, but has roller boom reefing so there are no issues-as long as the pin is removed while reefing so the slides can exit the mast all is OK. The gate is within easy reach for me also.

My two pennyworth anyway.........................
 
Tranona said:
If the pin is immediately above the gate it is just the same as a stop in the gate. Just take it out when you want to drop the sail.
Click to expand...

If you take it out when you drop the sail, what use is it? When the sail's up, the slides will be nowhere near the gate.

Pete
 
prv said:
If you take it out when you drop the sail, what use is it? When the sail's up, the slides will be nowhere near the gate.

Pete
Click to expand...

On mine I feed the slides in above the gate and then fit and tighten my bolt and wingnut before I set off. Then once clear of the marina I can hoist the sail without having to feed the slides in. On return I drop the sail and the slides gather above my bolt which is fine, and then when I am moored again I remove my bolt and flake the main on to the boom.
 
PeteCooper said:
On mine I feed the slides in above the gate and then fit and tighten my bolt and wingnut before I set off. Then once clear of the marina I can hoist the sail without having to feed the slides in. On return I drop the sail and the slides gather above my bolt which is fine, and then when I am moored again I remove my bolt and flake the main on to the boom.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Seems a faff compared to a gate that the slugs can slide past, though :)

Pete
 
prv said:
Fair enough. Seems a faff compared to a gate that the slugs can slide past, though :)

Pete
Click to expand...
Yes it is - but when I bought my boat it had a stackpack which is a bit OTT on an 18 footer and caused more issues than it was worth so my wee bolt was a quick and easy solution. Longer term I will make a plate to go over each side of the slot so that the slides can just drop right down to the boom.
 
PeteCooper said:
Yes it is - but when I bought my boat it had a stackpack which is a bit OTT on an 18 footer and caused more issues than it was worth so my wee bolt was a quick and easy solution. Longer term I will make a plate to go over each side of the slot so that the slides can just drop right down to the boom.
Click to expand...

...and to be fair Pete it also depends what kind of gate profile you have - on mine, the gate has a raised lip on either side which makes it damn near impossible to engineer the plates to give a close fit to the mast....
 
PeteCooper said:
I have a similar problem so I found a small bolt(4 mm I thing) put two washers on it and a wingnut. The washers sandwich the slot edges, tighten the wingnut and it stops the slides falling out - a poor man's version of the £12 device in the link above?
Click to expand...

+1 I had the same problem, this worked fine for me. A split pin would have been messy, trying to line up the two holes on a curved surface.
 
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