Sail slides instead of luff tape into furler

[Brent Swain]

A luff tape or luff rope supports the sail for it's entire length, drastically reducing the load on the halyard, and the compression load on the furler. Hanks and slides point load it, drastically increasing the loads. Friends have overcome this, to some extent, by putting in grommets and far more slides between the existing ones. Grommet dies are cheap and easy to use.

 

[Steve The Seagull]

Yes it can work but plenty of hicups you need to make sure you avoid.

A - Use the correct slides- Make sure they are not really small and flimsy otherwise they will snap first go in a blow which is never fun.
B- Check the head and tack offset - Depending on how and what the sail was originally built to then there might be significant cut back at the tack, if there is then there needs to be a lashing around the furler at the tack to pull it forward. If this is missed and all the tack load goes onto the bottom slide and not the tack finishing then you could rip that slide out.
C- Check how the sail furls around the slides, ive seen slides pushed through sails when sailed on partially furled for a prolonged period.
D- When you attach the slides make sure you keep the distance they are set of the sail even, if not you can totally change the shape in the sail.
Finally quadruple up your thread to protect your stitching from chafing through.

 

[Cockaigne]

https://reefrite-na.com/kiwi-slides/kiwi-slide-details/

 

[fergie_mac66]

two or three inch pieces of luff tape of the right section, sealed ends will do the same job, eyes put into the tape or loops sewn on or sewn directly on to the sail will do te same job and are softer on both sailand foil.

 

[thinwater]

The problem I see is that hank-on sails like a lot of luff tension, but most furlers do not. In fact, the instructions generally say "slack the luff tension before furling." A tape generally reduces the need for luff tension.

Try it. I would. If it doesn't work, a tape it is!