recirculating balls

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I have decided to have my fully battened mainsail converted to a track system - with recirculating ball bearing batten cars, and intermediate cars, on an external track fitted to the mast.

At the Southampton Boat Show I looked at both the Haaken and Frederiksen sytems which both seem excellent (if very expensive). However, my mast is ZSPARS and so I also looked at their system. It is much cheaper but looks very strong and well designed. It makes the Frederiksen Series 050 system (which is the recommended one for my boat) seem almost fragile in comparison. So I am inclined towards ZSPARS.

With all systems the track is fitted to the mast in lengths of around 2 metres or longer - usually with slugs that fit the mast's slot profile, but sometimes, I am told, with fixings tapped into the mast. ZSPARS have such a system, but they also (uniquely I think) can supply the track in one length. The advantage here is that there are no joins, and the track slides into the existing slot. This is obviously a mast down job, and I've spoken to my local rigger (who is a Selden agent and only has experience of Selden's RCB system), and he is of the opinion that a "proper" job is best achieved with the mast down, even with the usual systems which theoretically can be installed with the mast standing.

As far as the sail modifications are concerned, my only concern is that there are currently 2 sliders between each batten and with the new system there will only be one intermediate car. This means that if these are placed equidistant between batten cars I will have two redundant holes in the sail between each batten.

My reasons for wanting to install such a system are mainly because I want the ability to reef on most points of sailing, especially downwind, but also because I currently have a disastrous mast gate situation (just a hole cut into the mast) which is very difficult to overcome in any other way.

I have high hopes of the system which seems to me to be pretty much the best you can do, but I would be grateful for comments from any who have experience. I havn't seen anything on this in the magazines (but I think Andrew Bray has the Selden system on Firefly). I don't want to go to all this trouble and then regret it! The mast is about 16 m (luff about 15m). Boat is 38' and displaces about 10 tons. Single line reefing led aft with blocks in boom, gas filled rod kicker.
 

Juggler7823

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Most suppliers (Sailman 4000 and Fredericksen and probably others) do a trackless system for retrofitting to existing masts. Some even have cars which match directly into the existing batten box on the sail such as the Aquabatten SDA, particularly if they use a M10 screw fitting. This would reduce the work and cost considerably.

Roy
 
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trackless system

Yes, I looked at the Frederiksen Ballslide system Roy, but my mast gate problem makes such a system very difficult to use.

Thanks
 

LORDNELSON

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Re: trackless system

Dudley, Have you looked at the Facnor system? Much the same as the one you describe and reasonable in cost. I have just ordered a Facnor system for my boat from Crusader Sails having been through the same process of looking at alternatives and would be glad to have your comments about the Facnor system if you have considered it. I have not had a fully battened main before so this whole thing is a bit of an experiment.
 
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Re: Facnor system

I have never heard of this system but I have dealt with Crusader before and found them to be very good. I will look into it tomorrow. I'm sure you will not be disappointed with a fully battened main. Thanks for the reply - I am a little dissappointed that this subject has generated so little interest. Maybe the post title was a bit cryptic!
 
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