johns
New member
i sail single handed and was thinking of changing my mainsail from rope to slides would thismake hoisting the mainsail any easier how much would it cost
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mainsail slides
- Thread starter johns
- Start date
Gunfleet
New member
Having had (different) boats with each I would say the slides are miles easier for a singlehander. As for cost you have to ask a sailmaker. Don't know of any who posts on here.
ps what vintage is yr nic?
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by JohnM on 17/06/2003 23:39 (server time).</FONT></P>
ps what vintage is yr nic?
<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by JohnM on 17/06/2003 23:39 (server time).</FONT></P>
johnsomerhausen
New member
Quite agrreed with the other john that slides are a vast improvement, especially if you put a "jackline" from the upper reef point to the mainsail's tack. It implies having two eyes for each slide in that area, the jackline passing through one eye, the slide's ring, the other eye and then down to the next slide's upper eye. It has the great advantage that you don't have to take the slides out of the groove when you are taking a reef. You should, of course, have some form of stop in the groove to prevent the slides from falling out.
Gluck with the mod
john
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Gluck with the mod
john
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jsl
New member
Re: mainsail slides:jackline
I had not heard of this trick, which sounds useful, but I don't quite understand the description. I have to remove slides from the mainsail track simply to get the reef cringle down to the gooseneck. Would your jackline do away with this necessity?
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I had not heard of this trick, which sounds useful, but I don't quite understand the description. I have to remove slides from the mainsail track simply to get the reef cringle down to the gooseneck. Would your jackline do away with this necessity?
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vyv_cox
Well-known member
Re: mainsail slides:jackline
Sorry, I didn't understand this either. But answering your question, you don't normally have to remove any slides to reef. You could experiment with removing alternate slides and see if that solves the problem, or perhaps remove the one immediately below the reefing cringle so that there is a large enough length of sail to reach the ramshorn.
One problem I have had with single line reefing is that slides can occasionally stick in the track, necessitating a trip forward to flick them down. Taking the reefing pennant through a small loop of line tied to the offending slides will pull them down also, avoiding this problem. Not sure if this is what jsomerhousen is saying, in which case I apologise for repeating his advice.
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Sorry, I didn't understand this either. But answering your question, you don't normally have to remove any slides to reef. You could experiment with removing alternate slides and see if that solves the problem, or perhaps remove the one immediately below the reefing cringle so that there is a large enough length of sail to reach the ramshorn.
One problem I have had with single line reefing is that slides can occasionally stick in the track, necessitating a trip forward to flick them down. Taking the reefing pennant through a small loop of line tied to the offending slides will pull them down also, avoiding this problem. Not sure if this is what jsomerhousen is saying, in which case I apologise for repeating his advice.
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Gunfleet
New member
ramshorn? No thanks
If his Nic is like mine he probably has a boom which is trimmed (downhauled) from the bottom of the the sail 'gate' with a pulley and line. Then the mainsail has a little 'kick' away from the mast before the sail foot starts. In these circumstances I'm not a devotee of the ramshorn. I use a stainless hook on a piece of sailmaker's tape. I undo the boom downhaul, slip the hook through the reefing eye, then adjust the downhaul again. Pull in the reef with the line from the rear reefing eye, then all is set. No chance of damaging the sail that way. All this must be done at the mast of course and it's a bit of a palaver to explain to new crew!.
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If his Nic is like mine he probably has a boom which is trimmed (downhauled) from the bottom of the the sail 'gate' with a pulley and line. Then the mainsail has a little 'kick' away from the mast before the sail foot starts. In these circumstances I'm not a devotee of the ramshorn. I use a stainless hook on a piece of sailmaker's tape. I undo the boom downhaul, slip the hook through the reefing eye, then adjust the downhaul again. Pull in the reef with the line from the rear reefing eye, then all is set. No chance of damaging the sail that way. All this must be done at the mast of course and it's a bit of a palaver to explain to new crew!.
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Hardley
New member
Yes slides are easier to hoist.
you could also try a block attached to the sail headboard, secure haliyard to top of mast, down through block on sail headboard, up over sheeve at mast head, down inside of mast and back to cockpit. Then its easy hand over hand stuff.
lots of extra haliyard of course, but that can soon be coiled up.
Bit of expense but it keeps me sailing, before doing this I could only hoist main with a strugle.
Keep on sailing.
Hardley
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you could also try a block attached to the sail headboard, secure haliyard to top of mast, down through block on sail headboard, up over sheeve at mast head, down inside of mast and back to cockpit. Then its easy hand over hand stuff.
lots of extra haliyard of course, but that can soon be coiled up.
Bit of expense but it keeps me sailing, before doing this I could only hoist main with a strugle.
Keep on sailing.
Hardley
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rex_seadog
New member
Re: mainsail slides:jackline
We converted from luff rope to slides (actually slugs) on our Delta and this greatly improved the convenience of mainsail handling. At the same time we added a third reef cringle but for this reef only we had to remove the one slug from the track immediately below the cringle in order to attach it to the ramshorn. In the conditions that demanded the third reef this was difficult as it meant undoing our rather fiddly home-made mast gate (no proprietary one being available for our mast). I use the past tense because a couple of weekends ago we blew out our elderly sail while undertaking a contolled gybe off Start Point and now have a new one on order from Jeckells. We have specified an increased spacing between the third reef cringle and the slug which hopefully will overcome the problem.
By the way, a few years ago I sailed with a friend a few times out of Plymouth on a Nic 30 called Jasrah - great sailing! This boat had also featured in a 30 minute TV documentary on Cowes week, probably in the eighties. I wonder where she is now?
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We converted from luff rope to slides (actually slugs) on our Delta and this greatly improved the convenience of mainsail handling. At the same time we added a third reef cringle but for this reef only we had to remove the one slug from the track immediately below the cringle in order to attach it to the ramshorn. In the conditions that demanded the third reef this was difficult as it meant undoing our rather fiddly home-made mast gate (no proprietary one being available for our mast). I use the past tense because a couple of weekends ago we blew out our elderly sail while undertaking a contolled gybe off Start Point and now have a new one on order from Jeckells. We have specified an increased spacing between the third reef cringle and the slug which hopefully will overcome the problem.
By the way, a few years ago I sailed with a friend a few times out of Plymouth on a Nic 30 called Jasrah - great sailing! This boat had also featured in a 30 minute TV documentary on Cowes week, probably in the eighties. I wonder where she is now?
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johns
New member
boat on tv
what was the name of the boat
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what was the name of the boat
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johns
New member
Re: what vintage
it is a nic 30 cruiser racer approx 1976
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it is a nic 30 cruiser racer approx 1976
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rex_seadog
New member
Re: boat on tv
Jasrah - or more exactly, I think, Jasrah II (i.e. 2 in Roman numerals).
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Jasrah - or more exactly, I think, Jasrah II (i.e. 2 in Roman numerals).
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345000
New member
I think you mean Jasrah III - She's Nic 30 Hull No.9, built 1972.
I know, because I own her ! ;-)
Currently in Weymouth undergoing a MAJOR refit !
I know, because I own her ! ;-)
Currently in Weymouth undergoing a MAJOR refit !
pvb
Well-known member
Resurrecting an 11 year old thread takes some beating.
345000
New member
That's me all over
Ardenfour
Active member
Just got my mainsail back yesterday for the same conversion (also Nic 30). Cost was 97+vat Had 2 reefs in yesterday without having to take any slides out. Home made mast gate performing well. I haven't tried a 3rd reef yet...
Ardenfour
Active member
Just noticed the dates,price now irrelevant��