Slot Sticks

[gardenshed]

I was told that the best way to set the slot between your main and genoa is to get a set of "slot sticks" made up, to hoist them on a spare halyard up into the slot area. You set your mainsail first (with the inboard sticks against the leeward side of the main) and then adjust the position of your genoa car to get the leech of the genoa to exactly follow the curve of outer end of the slot sticks.
A set of slot sticks looks a bit like a rope ladder (you need two ropes running through them to stop them twistingwhen hoisted).
Apparently if you get a good sailmaker, they provide a table of height above deck/slot width that allows you to cut to length the sticks (usually 5 or six only needed for a 35' boat).
Where can I get these made up?
How much do they cost?
Should they be made from teak or can cut down old battens be used?
How many sets do I need? (I presume that port and starboard are identical but are presumably there light airs and heavy airs settings)
Does the traveller position have an impact on the way these are used?
Does it make a big difference if my traveller is mounted on the coach roof?
What is the best rope use?

 

[Vara]

Yes I heard that and did a great deal of research and am happy to tell you that I now have the license for these , and can sell and fit said devices for under £10k.(travel and exes extra).
We solved the different wind strengths problem by calibrating and marking the horizontal component so that one size fits all conditions.

 

[Searush]

Sounds fun, but a line of telltales up the genoa leech and the luff of the main show airflows all the time, at a glance and in all conditions. Tweaking is easy & effective then with immediate feedback of whether the tweak helped or not.

I suspect that faffing round with two ropes and a heap o' sticks only sets the sails up for that particular set of conditions, which will change 20 mins later.

I've never heard of slot sticks before, even when reading sailmakers' and rig tuning manuals. Perhaps that's just my ignorance, but I suspect it's a reflection of their usefullness.

I shall now lie back & wait for a flaming . . . .

 

[graham]

your way behind the times GS the latest high tech slot measuring kit involves drilling holes in your mast at several predetermined heights into which are fitted flush fitting lazers which shine a red line on your sail.When all the lines meet to form a gentle curve the slot is perfect.

I dont know how anyone could sail well without them /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[flaming]

That's just the basic model! The new ones creates a graphic "map" of the slot which can be viewed on a special screen set into your sunglasses.

 

[graham]

Bloody racers ,allways got to go one better /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Searush]

[ QUOTE ]
your way behind the times GS the latest high tech slot measuring kit involves drilling holes in your mast at several predetermined heights into which are fitted flush fitting lazers which shine a red line on your sail.(cut)

[/ QUOTE ]

So. That's what happened to Mike Golding then?

 

[gardenshed]

'fraid I'm going to have to report you to the HSE as a misguided laser may blind someone racing in the opposite direction and when in the marina, the high pitched sound from the small holes will upset the blind dogs and those with badly adjusted hearing aids.
Is your boat class 3 laser approved?

 

[graham]

Alex thompson had his keel fitted with the new laminar flow sensors.

you drill hundreds of holes in the keel and fit flush fitting flow detectors.Any disruption to the flow sounds an alarm to tell you your keel is stalling.

He obviously drilled out a crucial bit.

 

[graham]

[ QUOTE ]
'fraid I'm going to have to report you to the HSE

[/ QUOTE ]

Before fitting you need to do a three day course on lazer safety in the marine environment.At the moment its voluntary but if enough iresponsible clowns behave as you suggest we will all need the certificate before long. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[gardenshed]

Sense of perspective restored, objective acheived.
Enjoy your sailing
Brass Monkeys this weekend, race 4 from 6. 4 newbies on board dodging the boom and wondering what's going on. Maybe I'll ask one of them to make up some slot sticks for me......

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

on a more serious note.... I am aware of one manufacturer that laid up a boat with fibre optics in the hull, and then took it sailing with hi-tech laser tx/rx gear... as the boat flexed they were able to measure exactly where, and thus get the layup thicker and thinner in just the right places for maximum stiffness per Kg.... heavy duty stuff eh!

 

[flaming]

They did that with Carbon masts when they first came out. As a result they were able to cut a lot of weight out.