what's missing from my mast?

[Sgeir]

Spectacles?

(stainless steel rings on the end of a strong webbing strap which passes through the luff cringle)

Terrific. We've just taken delivery of a new sail complete with three reefing points and spectacles.

Doesn't half make reefing easier - we used to have to keep the mast gate open to remove the lower sliders. Now, the gate is permanently closed, reefing is easier, and there's no risk of sliders coming out as you raise the main.

 

[snooks]

The pin is just above the wider opening in the track which, I assume is there to insert the plastic things in the
first place. We removed the pin and managed to get a reef in although it was trickey stopping the plastic bits
from falling out. Not something I'd want to mess about with at sea.

If you're putting the reef in, let the plastic slides fall out, and just get the hook through the cringle and hold it there before you cranck the halyard up...I managed to rip a 1 metre long tear in my dads sail by pulling on the halyard just as the cringle came loose.

This set up is a lot easier if you have control of the main halyard at the mast as well, so you have control of everything, rather than having to give orders from the mast.

If you do need the halyard adjusting from the cockpit, use crane hand signals the work for crane drivers over - Point fore arm and pointy (the finger you use to point) finger up and rotate finger in a circular direction for hoist. Put arm down and pointy finger down and rotate finger in a circular direction to release.

It's only when you have to put the sail back up that you need to worry about the sail slides again...it's usually better weather so it will be easier.

Ideally you want to make your self a mast gate, but it's possible as the sail comes down to just slide the sail slides into the mast track below the opening, as the halyard is eased.

If your mast was made by Z Spars it probably had a black plastic insert the you load the sail slides into, as with most plastic thins on a boat they break/fall out and the previous owner has improvised but drilling a hole, and adding a split pin.

They obviously sailed with it that way, and once you get used to it you'll be fine, it just takes a bit of practice.

Oh and it's a good idea to practice reefing on a mooring or in a marina before you need to do it for real...But I guess you know that now

 

[TamarMike]

So I wasn't the only one then

I've followed this thread with interest as I had the same problem with my boat when I bought it and had to make a plate to fill the assymetric gap. I have secured it with a wingnut on a bolt into the mast the head of which prevents me losing the wingnut when slackened enough to twist the plate away from the gap .