Mainsail batten Car’s sticking .

[tsekul]

I was so exited about ordering my new north sails 3di main.

I ordered it in November last year for delivery at the beginning of April.
I had an email saying they were having a few delivery issues and could they deliver end of April. Ok I thought ,I’ve declared the new main for the first series I’m going to miss the first 3 I can use the last to get used to the new sail. End of April passes no sail. May starts not to fussed as second series doesn’t start till mid May.

I start chasing again. Apparently it’s been ready and it is sitting in the warehouse but no one contacted me for payment so had not been released.

I receive the new sail it looked awesome, I never thought I could get so excited about a bit of cloth .



Friday night racing comes along. I get down early to fit the sail. I try installing the top batten into the batten box..... for two hours. It’s to long by about 2mm, and that’s really trying to force it into position. I figure it must be me so try the next one down and it slots in perfectly. Not me then.
Back to the old main for race 1 series two

Pack main away and sulk. The following week I trim 2mm of the batten .
Friday night race 2 go down a lunch time to fit new main. Battens fit into the top two boxes perfectly. The lower two are loaded from the leech. Looks quite complicated and I can’t work it out. I know this is me but can’t find any installation instructions time is ticking I decide not to do it incorrectly so bail and use the old sail again.

Series 2 race 3
Get to the boat lunch time. Get all the battens in, as after much googling I have worked it out how the bottom battens should be fitted.

Yes '!!! Raise the main , or at least try to. The two batten box cars are jamming in the mast track. After many expletives and a winch handle and about 45 mins I get the main up.
Hmmm that top batten looks a bit close to the back stay.

Really want to try my new sail heart says sod it give it a go. Head says what happens if you have to reef and it gets stuck coming down. I then spend an hour + trying to get the main down again.

Just manage to get the old main back on in time to make the start. Go home sulk.

Any advice on sticking batten cars. The plastic ones go up fine and have straight channel. The batten cars have a radius on the channel and are alloy and as you hoiste they just rotate slightly and lock. Help.

Couple of pics to follow
T

 

[tsekul]

 

[Steve The Seagull]

Hi there,

I have messaged you.

 

[tsekul]

Alloy cars

 

[wilkinsonsails]

They look like a Selden Teflon coated slide .They also can articulate up and down a bit too much and jamb in the groove .You need a more sophisticated slider ..Another type of slider such as the Rutgertson version has wheels which bear on the aft face of the mast and take the batten compression would be a better bet .Google Sailman ,and Rutgertson to see the difference

 

[tsekul]

That is exactly the issue. Hopefully North sails will send something appropriate. It has only been the weekend since I contacted them so we will see.

 

[awol]

I find a wee squirt of silicon spray on the Seldén slides stops the coggling, also dropping the halyard a little before the next heave helps.

 

[grafozz]

Have a look at Tides Marine sail slide system , I fitted this system last year after endless trials and years of car , breakages of different makes of cars , now its a thing of the past , it is such a simple system and sail can be pulled up with a strong arm , to full hoist . before less than halfway . not cheap but such a good product .

 

[CCJ]

Never had issues with Friedriksen cars over many yrs

 

[tsekul]

Here we are another week on and still no nearer going sailing with a nice new main.

Utter shambles at North Sails and no attempt at an apology for a 2.5 month delay.

 

[Yacht Yogi]

I think you need to swap that molded slider for a little car with balls or rollers since it's taking all the end-load from the batten and making lots of friction.