| Author | Message | ||
     Steven von Christierson New member Username: Teaser_ii Post Number: 5 Registered: 04-2003 Rating: N/A |
The plates that Mary at Offshore Spars sold me work just fine. Did have to get a new sail cover to accomodate the increased height at the front of the boom with the slugs in the groove. But it works just fine. Highly recommended. | ||
| Steven von Christierson New member Username: Teaser_ii Post Number: 3 Registered: 04-2003 Rating: N/A |
Mary at Offshore Spars sold me two stainless pieces to attach to the mast. $11 each, but she was nice, knew exactly what I was using them for. I haven't yet got them, but based on other comments, I'll try drill and tapping and keep the slot big enough to slide through. Will let the website know how it comes out. | ||
| Eric Yaremko Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
Steve, I switched to slugs. My main also wouldn't fit under the cover with a stop. Also to attatch the main halyard I had to climb the boom or get a ladder. If you let the main all the way down with out a gate the slugs eventually fall out and hoisting is a pain. I built a gate by cutting and tapering two pieces of cheap tapered batten about 3/4 in x 6 or 7 in. I drilled and tapped the mast and used three tiny stainless machine screws each side. Stainless strip would be sturdier but I wasnt't sure how this design would work so I went cheap -works though. Keys are to stay same width as track or a little wider and feather the top and bottom so the slugs don't catch on it (may be a challenge in stainless for the bozo machinist like me). I usually have some need to remove my main a few times a season so I don't worry about it seizing but anti-seize would be a good idea. | ||
| Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 71 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
Yup they stay above the slot, which works out nicely because it keeps the folds of mainsail from hanging way below the boom. I must have a bigger mainsail cover, it fits nicely. | ||
| Steven von Christierson New member Username: Teaser_ii Post Number: 2 Registered: 04-2003 Rating: N/A |
Jeff, Forgive me for being dense, but with a track stop, the slugs stay on one side or the other. More likely the top. I guess you can open it up and let them slide down the extra distance once the sail is down, but that seems less efficient. At least the way my mast is built, all the slugs would be above the stop. That makes it a big "bump" at the head of the boom. If there is a slot built across the hole, then all the slugs slide to the very bottom of the mast, nearly flat to the boom, making a lower profile. (and I can get the main under my current cover and don't have to buy one with a "bump" at the front to accomodate the extra height (about 1 foot or 15"). That is why I am asking. Steve | ||
| Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 70 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
You can go into just about any marine store and by a track stop to fit the channel. It is just a metal slug with a threaded thumb screw to lock it down. I have seen other people drill across the slot and stick a big cotter pin in the hole too. | ||
| Steven von Christierson New member Username: Teaser_ii Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2003 Rating: N/A |
Jeff, I noticed your comments and have a question: How do you keep the slugs in the mast? I have a 3 inch slot, that had a feeder for boltrope. I removed it, but now the slugs can fall out. I can see bolting on two pieces of flat stock to block the slugs, keeping a slot open from top to bottom. It means tapping of screws into the mast, but I was wondering if you had some "gate" from OFFSHORE SPARS or some other solution. | ||
| Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 57 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
A follow up on Scott's post regarding loose footed mains. When I first got my boat I was swapping my really old main with my not so old main depending on the type of sailing I was doing. I don't do that any more primarily because I realized my better main was not that great after all and I just didn't want to do the work involved, the extra main is really intrusive down below if you do not take the battens out. Anyway, the newer one was loose footed and I had the older one converted to loose footed for all the reasons Scott posted. I went one step further and had the metal slugs removed from the clew. I use a polyester velcor strap that passes through the clew cringle and wraps around the boom 3 times. This method is used on larger race yachts all the time, except many of them use more expensive spectra/velcro straps. This method eliminates having to walk the clew down the boom and makes swapping mains even easier. The outhaul attaches directly to the clew as it would normally. | ||
| Scott Corder New member Username: Pastcommodore Post Number: 31 Registered: 02-2001 Rating: N/A |
Eric, In addition to what has already been posted re slugs on the main sail, you may want to consider the following: In the years when we are campaigning the boat pretty hard at Class events, it seems we're taking the main on/off alot (wednesday night main vs. delivery main vs. Class racing main). While we use a typical boltrope, we have gone "footless" on all our four mainsails. This means only one slug at the clew end to slide down the boom track. As with the luff, this area really doesn't do much of the work. We also find that it greatly improves the ease/effectiveness of outhaul adjustment. You can also tie sail ties around only the flaked sail (or rolled, it's easier) and simply slide it off the boom to change sails (I do it alone all the time). Only one of our mains has full battens and we have modified the batten pockets to prevent them from doing so much damage to the mast paint. Unless you're ok with beating the paint off the mast where the battens sit hoisted, you'll want to use batten pockets that prevent the battens from beating against the mast. We changed ours after having the mast completely re-painted. If you're going with slugs, Jeff has the right approach. We also spray McLube in our track at least 4 times a year to keep it slick. (we also spray McLube in our headsail foil tracks once a month). | ||
| Jeff Roy New member Username: Jeffr Post Number: 56 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
I do not think there is much performance loss at all between a mainsail with slugs vs. one with a bolt rope. The luff of the main is already in very distured air because it is behind the mast. The first 6 inches or so never see enough clean air to contribute any lift at all. I have sailed on many boats that are fastest up wind witha a fairly significant separation bubble on the main when everything is trimmed tight. I have slugs on my main and wouldn't have it any other way. I only do casual PHRF racing and do a lot of daysailing with my family and by myself. When I open the halyard clutch the main drops all the way down. I is also eaier to raise and with a track stop in place it is easily flaked by one once it is down. If your mast is like mine (Offshore Spars) you won't have to do any modifications to it at all. You just have to get the right size slug. My main is a 2+2 and the slugs at the full battens are metal, but that is the only "special" hardware -- no cars batt cars. | ||
| John Stefancik New member Username: Jstef Post Number: 16 Registered: 01-2001 Rating: N/A |
Eric, Although I don't have any experience with a mainsail with slugs on the luff, I recently changed my main's bolt rope by 1/16". By reducing the size we can now pull the main up and down much easier than with our two previous ones. John Stefancik Hurricane Kelley Annapolis | ||
| Eric Yaremko Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
I am buying a new mainsail for my 9.1. I currently have a bolt rope luff. I don't want to lose racing performance but I use the racing sail on weekends for non extended cruising. I'ts sort of a real bother to change to the "cruising " main and then back to the racing main for a couple hours. The bolt rope arrangement is a little cumbersome to deal with in a blow vs. my old boat with slugs, when cruising with my wife. I'd like to know what other 9.1 owners have done. If you have slugs how did you change the gate? Anybody use Harken Batt-cars or Strong track? Did you lose performance using slugs or track? What size and dimension of slugs work the best? I'd like to collect some opinions. Thanks. |
