'Mast gate' - DIY job?

[SamSalter]

Here's another example of a Mastgate:
http://www.beneteau235.com/f235_mods-mast_gate.htm
They are quite easy to make too.
if your boat isn't too big, use some of that aluminum (sorry - aluminium) floor/carpet transition stuff in most hardware stores.
sam

 

[LittleSister]

Here's another example of a Mastgate:
http://www.beneteau235.com/f235_mods-mast_gate.htm
They are quite easy to make too.
if your boat isn't too big, use some of that aluminum (sorry - aluminium) floor/carpet transition stuff in most hardware stores.
sam

That's very neat, but I think wouldn't suit the OP as he needs (as I understand it) to have a section that opens readily so he can get individual slugs in and out as needed.

Aluminium would be prefereble to stainless steel in terms of avoiding corrosion, but on a small mast I'm not sure you could have the thickness you'd need for aluminium (because its not as strong) without fouling the slugs going up and down or involving overly complex shaping of the plates.

 

[SamSalter]

I know this is on the wrong side of the pond, but here are a few examples of different configurations of mast gates:

http://www.rigrite.com/Spars/MetalMast_Spars/MetalMast_Mainsail_Gates.html

Give you some food for thought.
I can't believe they're not available over there too.

If it's any help, I live about as far away as you lot do from NY. I've bought stuff over the phone from these guys and they are reliable - you can trust them with your credit card number. But they don't suffer fools gladly. Have your ducks In a row if you phone.

I don't see the point of being able to take out individual slugs easily. The whole point is that you put the sail up at the beginning of the season; fit the Mastgate and forget about it 'til you put her to bed for the winter. When you reef, the slugs drop down through the Mastgate and stack up on top of the gooseneck, instead of stacking up above the mast opening on top of the sail stop.

Another way to solve the reefing / sail slug stack height problem is to to have the lower slugs (below the luff reefing cringles on a jack line. Then the slugs still stack up above the mast opening as normal, but the jack line allows the sail to snug down to the top of the boom.

sam

 

[Fantasie 19]

One of those pretty much what the missing lower bit from my photos should look like. However, the OP has probably got a much longer opening, and if so additional fixed plates are needed either above or below.

Yep - that was a custom made job* so the plates could be any length you need... to open the track you just loosen those two nulred heads and the plates to slide back allowing the slides to come out... bit simpler to use than the Selden (??)one as no screwdriver required, but it does have a limitation in that my mast opening had a lip all the way round it making it difficult to shape the plates...... in the end I stuck with the pin through the track just above the opening, and reefed early if I needed to!

* (as I understand - this was on another chaps boat and he sent me the piccies when I was looking for the same kind of solution)

 

[Plevier]

The Sparcraft mast on my Jeanneau has the simplest "mast gate" I've ever seen. I think it's original.
Just above the wide access slot there is a hole - about 6mm - drilled straight in through the outer and inner webs at one side of the slot and you just push a split pin into it, very slightly opened out so that it stays in. It's on a lanyard so you don't lose it.
The access slot is level with the boom so the pin doesn't hold the sail up too high when reefed.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

can't believe that everyone is ignoring Amulets solution..... easy, simple and very easy to use!

i've tried the options with pins, plates etc.... they all work well, but are a bit of a PITA on a heaving deck.

 

[SamSalter]

Amulet's solution is a sail stop - not what the OP was looking for!
sam

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

urm... not sure I can see the difference.... OK, maybe its stops the slides coming out of the gate by holding them a further 2" up the track, but achieves exactly the same as a proper gate bar that one trivial difference.

 

[alahol2]

can't believe that everyone is ignoring Amulets solution..... easy, simple and very easy to use!

i've tried the options with pins, plates etc.... they all work well, but are a bit of a PITA on a heaving deck.

It depends on the layout of the mast, entry slot and sail slides. On my own mast (using a gate) I can put the sail on at the start of the season, raise, reef, lower and stow the sail without ever needing to remove slides from the track. Move the gate to remove the sail at the end of the season. What could be easier than that on a heaving deck?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

nowt..... but try removing the sail!... (might be needed on a long passage - in prep for coming weather or for emergency repair etc)

 

[LittleSister]

Another way to solve the reefing / sail slug stack height problem is to to have the lower slugs (below the luff reefing cringles on a jack line. Then the slugs still stack up above the mast opening as normal, but the jack line allows the sail to snug down to the top of the boom.

sam

I can't picture what you're descibing. Can you try again?

urm... not sure I can see the difference.... OK, maybe its stops the slides coming out of the gate by holding them a further 2" up the track, but achieves exactly the same as a proper gate bar that one trivial difference.

But it's not necessarily 2". Our mast opening is mybe a couple of feet above the boom, and the opening itself is maybe 6 or 8 inches tall. You can't get the sail anywhere near down unless the slugs can pass the gate. These opening were made to accept a sail with a rope luff (and probably boom roller reefing!), so need a bit of adaption to make the use of sail slugs work properly.

But you're not the only one who can't see the issue. We paid a boatyard to make a new 'sliding plate' bit (that missing in the photo), along with a load of more major work. When we came to collect the boat, the plate wasn't there, so we asked the boatbuilder/yard owner, who said he couldn't find it and would make another (and probably charge us again, little doubt ). When we went back he had made a neat little nylon and stainless stop to fit in the track and prevent the slugs coming down as far as the opening - completely useless for our purposes!

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

But it's not necessarily 2". Our mast opening is mybe a couple of feet above the boom, and the opening itself is maybe 6 or 8 inches tall. You can't get the sail anywhere near down unless the slugs can pass the gate. These opening were made to accept a sail with a rope luff (and probably boom roller reefing!), so need a bit of adaption to make the use of sail slugs work properly.

OK... get that now!

Yep... would be a pretty useless solution for you!

 

[alahol2]

nowt..... but try removing the sail!... (might be needed on a long passage - in prep for coming weather or for emergency repair etc)

Undo a thumbscrew (which has almost certainly corroded up so have to go and get the mole grips) slide the plate a half inch (which has corroded onto the mast so go and get the hammer and chisel) and take the sail off. What could be simpler. I think you are flogging a dead horse (which almost certainly drowned because he couldn't get his horse blanket off because the buckle was corroded together).

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Undo a thumbscrew (which has almost certainly corroded up so have to go and get the mole grips) slide the plate a half inch (which has corroded onto the mast so go and get the hammer and chisel) and take the sail off. What could be simpler. I think you are flogging a dead horse (which almost certainly drowned because he couldn't get his horse blanket off because the buckle was corroded together).

You forgot... drop thumbscrew, scramble to catch it, smack head on boom in haste, take skin off knee as you hit cleat, and watch thumbscrew roll through scuttle.....

 

[Fantasie 19]

urm... not sure I can see the difference.... OK, maybe its stops the slides coming out of the gate by holding them a further 2" up the track, but achieves exactly the same as a proper gate bar that one trivial difference.

...this issue with mine at least, and I think the OP has the same issue, is that the mast opening was a foot and a half above the boom.....

edit: Apologies - been Lakey'd - description of the issue above is far better....

 

[SteveTibbetts]

...this issue with mine at least, and I think the OP has the same issue, is that the mast opening was a foot and a half above the boom]

Yup, just got back from boat and there's about 16" above the boom. Looks like it might be a bit too technical/engineery to achieve while floating on an estuary 2.5 hours from home. (Or 6 hours as it was on Friday in the snow)

 

[VicS]

can't believe that everyone is ignoring Amulets solution..... easy, simple and very easy to use!

i've tried the options with pins, plates etc.... they all work well, but are a bit of a PITA on a heaving deck.

It does not allow the slugs to pass below the entry slot and down to the gooseneck without coming out of the track.

What I want is a method that the bottom slide sits just above the gooseneck when the sail is dropped, rather than dropping out with the others following.

 

[CPD]

can't believe that everyone is ignoring Amulets solution..... easy, simple and very easy to use!

i've tried the options with pins, plates etc.... they all work well, but are a bit of a PITA on a heaving deck.

+1 for a nicked solution !!! ......... simple is indeed beautiful.

 

[aquaplane]

Undo a thumbscrew (which has almost certainly corroded up so have to go and get the mole grips) slide the plate a half inch (which has corroded onto the mast so go and get the hammer and chisel) and take the sail off. What could be simpler. I think you are flogging a dead horse (which almost certainly drowned because he couldn't get his horse blanket off because the buckle was corroded together).

I can see where you are coming from but on my 34 yr old Centaur mast the knurled nut is as free as you like and the gate the drops away charmingly. I only need to open it twice a year to put the main on and take it off too so it's not as though it gets regular work. It could be harder with a very long slot I suppose.

The Z Spar mast on Mum's Jeanneau has a pin in the bottom of the mast slot to stop the sliders falling out. The sail is so high up when stowed it's a pain to climb up to put the cover on.

 

[Davegriff]

Another way to solve the reefing / sail slug stack height problem is to to have the lower slugs (below the luff reefing cringles on a jack line. Then the slugs still stack up above the mast opening as normal, but the jack line allows the sail to snug down to the top of the boom.

I installed a jack line last year to solve the same problem. Unfortunately the line sticks now and again when raising/lowering the sail. Still experimenting (silicone spray helps). Annoying as halyards led back to cockpit so requires occasional trip to mast to 'tweak'.