Sail Slides

[Guest]

I've just brought a new fully battened main for my Westerly Seahawk.( luff legnth 31ft) It has five battens on adjustable tension batten cars but in between each car there are a further 3 slides. This makes for a lot of friction - up and down - and also means that when stacked the head is nearly impossible to reach to get to the halyard. ( I'm 6'3 and can only just reach). Do I need this many slides? removing some of them would certainly stack the main lower and reduce the friction but what about performance? I'd appreciate your comments...

 

[Guest]

I have a system with 4 battens and 4 sliders between batten cars on a Fulmar. It has always been difficult to raise the main. I have put this down to general friction.

This past weekend I went to the top of the mast for maintenance. I noticed that the main halyard pully did not rotate - the rope slid around it. The centre of the pulley had worn to an oval. I could not replace it immediately but used plenty of WD40 for lubrication. The pulley does now turn but there is still some friction.

I can now pull the sail to the top of the mast with using the hayard winch in low gear.

 

[Guest]

Re: correction to previous message

The last sentence should read: I can now pull the sail to the top of the mast withOUT using the hayard winch in low gear.

 

[Guest]

Kemp sheave friction

Every Kemp mast I have ever had suffered from this problem, both with upper and lower sheaves. It seems to occur because the nylon used as the bearing at the centre of the wheel swells over a long period. I remove them periodically and ream out the nylon with a drill. Unfortunately the older masts have the sheaves included in the masthead unit, which has to be removed to get at the sheave spindles. This requires pop rivets to be drilled out and remade afterwards and it can't be done with the mast up as the fore and back stays are fitted to the masthead unit. Later masts have removable spindles that can be maintained without all this effort.

 

[Guest]

Check all the fittings on mast and battens by all means. If you have just bought the sail and your sailmaker is not too far away they are usually obliging in coming to check out any problems (after all they will want your order for next years new Genoa. They will no doubt give good advice of things to look for (even if they cant get to the boat).

Reducing the number of cars connecting the sail to mast will cause increased stress of the sail cloth and may result in serious damage to the sail, which the Sailmakers warranty will not cover.

For height, how about something practical, fit a step fixed or folding near the bottom of the mast to stand on.

 

[Guest]

The sailmaker would have attached the number of slides required to maintain sail shape and carry stress etc. Removal of any slides is NOT advised.

TALK to the sailmaker .... he may have practical suggestions etc. that will help you.

 

[Guest]

Use some silicon spray. WD40 dries out eventually - better to grease the pulley.