|
Author
|
Topic: Another Problem
|
Patrick Crooks
Member
|
posted May 29, 2005 01:46 AM
   
With Baefoot inside at work with the mast up, I decide to put on the sails to see how everything looked and ran into another problem. It seems that the sail slides my local sail maker put on the mainsail are a little to thick. They get jammed as they go up the mast.Is there a way to open up the mast track a bit? Thanx in advance,
Patrick IP: 207.161.58.43 |
whited
unregistered
|
posted May 29, 2005 11:27 AM
Oh oh! My sailmaker said he could tell what size to use by the bolt rope. I sure hope he's right.
I was thinking it would have made more sense to bring a couple of different size slides home and try them on the mast.
I think I'll call Victory Sails tomorrow.IP: 156.34.82.87 |
elmet3
Member
|
posted May 29, 2005 02:06 PM
I wouldn't try to modify the mast. If you scrape up the slot nothing will glide easily. I would look at modifying the slides, or talk to the sailmaker about replacing them. Even if he won't do it free he might split cost with you. If worse came to worst, I'd pay to have them replaced. Just my 2.3 cents worth. [This message has been edited by elmet3 (edited May 29, 2005).] IP: 69.212.31.194 |
2short S565
Member
|
posted May 29, 2005 09:31 PM
My slugs were 11/32" diameter.IP: 67.68.137.249 |
Patrick Crooks
Member
|
posted May 29, 2005 10:23 PM
The slide diameter was fine. It is the track opening on the mast that is a problem. The opening on the mast is a little over 3/32" (.09375") up to 1/8" (.125") and the part of the slide that sticks out from the mast 1/8".Patrick
IP: 142.161.145.71 |
Ken
Member
|
posted May 30, 2005 09:05 AM
Patrick, sometimes careless handling of the mast during the off season will result in dents to the mast track. I always stored or transported our mast turned 90 degrees on it's side.Gently open up the track where it's been compressed. If the sail slides dont't work all the way up the mast then replece them with the correct size. Use a sail slide lubricant in the track once or twice a year.
http://www.thechandleryonline.com//product.asp?pf%5Fid=006%5FMCP391&dept%5Fid=2110
IP: 141.117.228.250 |
Shortstay
Member
|
posted May 30, 2005 02:37 PM
Patrick, I read your post & didn’t know whether to laugh or cry because the same thing happened to me yesterday (Sunday), only I was on the water, not on the trailer!...First sail of the season, all psyched about the slugs I’d sewn in. The family onboard. Nice breeze. Motor out of the channel, go to raise the main & it gets up not quite halfway, then freezes. I’ll spare you all the gnashing of teeth & the expletives have been deleted, but you can imagine the frustration & anger & embarrassment I felt. I had silicone onboard & sprayed all the slugs & the mast track as far as I could reach. Still no real progress. I was torn between cutting them all off or just sailing with the jib. Eventually, I had the idea to use the new telescoping boat hook to push them up the mast! Got the sail better than 3/4’s up & reefed it. Not the way I wanted to start the season, but it salvaged the afternoon. Anyway, I just took a spare slug & tested the track. Yes, I had tested it initially & it had seemed to be OK. Unfortunately, after it went up about a foot, I just assumed the whole thing was fine & didn’t slide it all the way. Now I find it does indeed narrow after about 5’. So, I’m not sure if I should infer it’s a bad idea to try & open the track. Ken, you seem to think it would be OK; Arthur, you think it's risky. Since all the slugs are installed (and since I did it myself, I can’t blame a sailmaker!), I’m thinking of using my Dremel tool to carefully grind down the neck of the slug. Additional thoughts? ------------------
Kevin
Shortstay III, #901 IP: 198.115.167.37 |
whited
unregistered
|
posted May 30, 2005 03:45 PM
Thanks for reminding me Kevin. I gotta call my sailmaker and get a slug to test on my mast before they sew 'em on.IP: 156.34.82.87 |
Patrick Crooks
Member
|
posted May 30, 2005 05:08 PM
I had 2 suggestions given to me today.1) Use a hardwood or steel wedge and hammer it up the full length of the mast. or 2) This one came from a mast manufacture. Grind the mast opening with a grinder then file smooth. I'm starting to think this is to much work. How do you guys find setting the sails and taking down the sails by using the traditional method of the bolt rope? Every boat I've had has had slides so I don't know anything else. Patrick
IP: 205.200.66.40 |
whited
unregistered
|
posted May 30, 2005 06:28 PM
All the small boats I owned had the bolt rope system
17' Siren
12' Kolbi
CL14Trouble is...you probably have to be standing by the mast in order to raise the main. Don't know if you could raise or lower it from the cockpit. On the other hand, if I was sure to have at least one reliable crew member with me for every sail....I'd probably wouldn't bother changing over until I replaced the main. BTW, I'd rather use a Dremel or rasp to modify the slugs before grinding my mast. [This message has been edited by whited (edited May 30, 2005).] IP: 156.34.82.87 |
whited
unregistered
|
posted May 31, 2005 12:46 PM
I was over in Burnside this morning getting my window screen back after repair, so I also dropped into Victory Sails. The guy gave me a slug.. 'S1 or Sl .., to try. It runs up the mast pretty good ( bit snug in a couple of places) until I get about a foot from the top.
There it sticks. I can see scratches at that point...it's probably where I dropped the top end of the mast against the stern rail last summer while removing the foot casting from the step bolt. D'oh! This convinced me I needed a crutch post at the stern for mast raising & lowering.
Depending how far down the sailmaker installs that first slug...I may be ok.
Since I was in the area, I also popped into the Dartmouth Yacht Club. There was 'Cool Breeze', pretty as a picture at her slip very close to the main gangway. At least Rob won't have to carry his beer too far when loadin up.[This message has been edited by whited (edited May 31, 2005).] IP: 156.34.82.87 |
elmet3
Member
|
posted May 31, 2005 06:19 PM
If the slides are 0.125 inch (in the slide area) and if the slide is 0.094 to 0.125, and you open up the slide to 0.125 inch all the way, you still have zero clearance. Practically speaking, that won't work. If original design was 0.125, you'll have to open greater than original. You could try. I'd cut several pieces of hardwood to 0.130 and tap one several inches or feet up the track, measure the gap, and repeat with a new piece of wood if necessary. Then try the slides. If it is easy, go for it. I would stay away from metal on metal for fear of scratching or galling the track. IP: 67.107.33.106 |
Patrick Crooks
Member
|
posted May 31, 2005 09:49 PM
Problem now solved.When I was at work this morning I was telling one of the guys my problem and he handed me a deburring tool. This tool shaves away metal in thin slivers. On aluminum anyway. I worked on the slot opening for about an hour, checking with a slide that my sailmaker gave me and then buffed the aluminum smooth with a buffing wheel that fits to a drill. The slides will work now. Patrick
IP: 142.161.147.20 |
whited
unregistered
|
posted May 31, 2005 10:18 PM
Are our masts anodized? If so...should we do anything to the metal where we scrape or file it?IP: 156.34.82.87 |
Shortstay
Member
|
posted May 31, 2005 10:50 PM
Patrick, is this the kind of tool you mean???Deburring Tool [This message has been edited by Shortstay (edited June 01, 2005).] IP: 198.115.167.231 |
Patrick Crooks
Member
|
posted May 31, 2005 11:20 PM
Kevin,There was an error when I went to your link for Home Depot, but this is the tool I used.  Be very carefull if you use one of these. They are very sharp. We have had to take people to the hospital when it slips a gouges a body part. Patrick
IP: 142.161.147.20 |
CoolBreeze
Member
|
posted June 01, 2005 07:28 AM
Thanks Don, for the kind words. She had to have some repairs done after last week with those 100 km/h winds. My mainsail cover ripped and shredded in the wond, my main must have flogged all over the place. A member must have seen it and used my mainsheet to tie it all around my boom. SO, two battons are missing, two broken, and I lost my WINDEX !!!!! completely missing from the top of my mast. Those little suckers are expensive too. I will have new battons tonight before my Wed night race, new mainsail cover, navy blue canvas ( I will eventually have the name sewn onto the cover as well) and the windex will come this weekend. ------------------
Rob Belliveau
1976 Sandpiper 565
"CoolBreeze"
Halifax NS
Dartmouth Yacht Club IP: 142.176.14.228 |
Ken
Member
|
posted June 01, 2005 07:41 AM
I only suggested that the mast slot be opened back up where obviously dented. Machining the whole track is yet something else.......The slugs I had installed in 1989 worked perfectly from day one! Get the correct size from the get-go.[This message has been edited by Ken (edited June 01, 2005).] IP: 141.117.228.250 |
Shortstay
Member
|
posted June 01, 2005 08:02 AM
With all due respect, Ken, I believe I obtained the right size slug. It slides down the boom unimpeded. It goes into the mast track fine & slides up the first 5' or so, but then gets pinched. This suggests to me the mast has been damaged at some point.Thanks for the confirmation on the tool Patrick. The Home Depot site is a POS, imo. Almost as bad as West Marine! I'm still not sure if I'll debur the mast track or Dremel the slugs though... IP: 198.115.167.37 |
Eric
Member
|
posted June 01, 2005 10:18 AM
Re battens, I would suggest you get a set of spares.
On my recent trip south, we were rigging the boat and I realized, I don't have my battens  !! Luckily I had about six spares in a locker, from my old main, and a couple others from previous owners. So that initial problem was solved 
Then, on our second last leg, we had to pass under one of those huge causeway bridges. The wind was straight on the nose. I thought we could just luff the main and motor through, but the wind was quite strong. I didn't like the ill effects on the main, so we dropped her down! We get out to the other side of the bridge, raised the main, look up and the middle of the sail looks strange. The two middle battens were GONE!! We must have lost them overboard during this exercise.
I still had a couple of battens left, and we were able to install them and carry on! I was lucky, because we were just at the begining of this leg, and were close hauled for most of it, in 10-20mph winds (American weather was in mph)
I don't not know how the battens were able to slip out of the pockets. They are hard to remove sometimes at the dock, during the best of times! For me, lesson learned, and I was glad we could recover. I know I'll always be keeping spare battens aboard!
Eric[This message has been edited by Eric (edited June 01, 2005).] IP: 130.63.85.93 |
CoolBreeze
Member
|
posted June 01, 2005 11:25 AM
Good idea on the battens. I was told by my sailmaker to actualy put a small piece of sail tape over the opening to prevent this from happening. I would think that would have prevented your episode as well. You are right, they can be tough to get out on a good day, but we all know, things go wrong when you least expect it. My slugs are going in next week, so I'll keep you posted if I have any track issues. ------------------
Rob Belliveau
1976 Sandpiper 565
"CoolBreeze"
Halifax NS
Dartmouth Yacht Club IP: 142.176.14.228 |
Patrick Crooks
Member
|
posted June 01, 2005 01:00 PM
When my sails were at the sailmaker over the winter he mentioned to me that the batten pocket elastics were broken and that would cause the battens to pull out. He replaced the elastics and no it's almost impossible to get the battens out.Patrick IP: 205.200.66.40 |
Ken
Member
|
posted June 02, 2005 01:50 PM
Shortstay:
It's common to have sticky points in the luff groove...in my experience it was always due to a slight dent caused by sloppy mast storage. After opening up these areas I became very careful and stored the mast on it's side from then on. Sailtrack lube helps a lot too.Batten pockets needed reworking every two years..the elastics suffer in the UV and from being stretched all summer I suppose. Furling foresails should always be tied or bungeed to prevent unwrapping in high winds when you're not around. I once saw a beautiful genny flog to ribbons in high winds one summer...what a shame. When extra heavy weather was forecast we always removed the boom complete with the mainsail and stowed them inside the boat. This reduces windage.....an important consideration at our exposed swing mooring.
IP: 141.117.228.250 |
whited
unregistered
|
posted June 02, 2005 02:43 PM
The skipper of the mirage 33 I crewed on flogged his old genoa a few times, so went out and bought a new $2500.00 sail. During Hurricane Juan It unravelled and blew itself to ribbons. I can't remember if he got a full season out of it. IP: 156.34.82.87 | |
