Mainsail settup

RussC · Jun 10, 2016

A mast gate is the most effective. it lets the slugs drop all the way down and stack up right on the boom. various designs are commercially available or just make your own, which is what I did: http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/mast-gate-for-an-m25.179245/

Newport Bob · Jun 10, 2016

I have used the round track stop in the link below on previous boats -- like it. You can also drill holes above the slot and use a cotter pin across the slot.
Suggest you place a rag in the slot opening to stop the sail slugs from dropping out and see if the sail cover is large enough. On all my previous boats the sail maker had made the cover large enough to accommodate the sail stack above the slot.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/davis-instruments--sail-track-stops--P002_068_001_505

Gene Neill · Jun 10, 2016

www.mastgates.com
I have the "external tethered" gates. LOVE 'em.

Stu Jackson · Jun 10, 2016

Newport Bob said:
the round track stop

Choices are:

Mast gate - highly preferred, allows easy reefing

Mast slug stop - requires a JACK LINE to reef. A jack line in this case is vastly different than what folks normally thik of when they hear "jack lines" used for safety and hooking on. Any sailmaker's website should explain "jack lines" in this case. They are used on the luff of the sail to make reefing work with slug stops.

gjordan · Jun 10, 2016

I was just looking at the hardware section of CATALINA DIRECT and they sell what is called a MASTGATER that you attach to the mast to close up the slot. It is only 4 inches long , so I have doubts about it, but I have seen a similar set up on a local 22 that didnt look hard to make.

Gene Neill · Jun 11, 2016

My boat came with a pair of gates made from aluminum carpet threshold. They looked fine and functioned fine, although you had to find a screwdriver and loosen four screws each time you wanted to open them, just like the ones at CD. But eventually one of them came loose and blew off while on the trailer. That's when I found mastgates.com. Their gates open and close instantaneously with no tools and only one hand. A tad pricey, but MUCH MUCH better if you trailer sail.

Gene Neill · Jun 11, 2016

This is one of my old gates made from the aluminum threshold. I have to admit they were pretty ingenious. I was working on finding some knurled thumb screws to use instead of Phillips heads (to eliminate the need for a screwdriver) when the other gate flew away. These would work just fine if you don't trailer sail and/or if you're on a tight budget.

Slartibartfass · Jun 12, 2016

I got both the thethered and the new pop-in style Mastgate from Tom (Mastgates.com) and I am still trying to decide which one is better suitable for me.

I hate drilling holes, wanted to be able to take off the Mastgate quickly in case I need to set a trysail in stormy conditions.

I used a small bungee cord led around the mast to attach the tethered gate. Works well but the gate is potentially falling off when taking it down unless you use the tether attachment points (means drilling). I used the sail track stop at the bottom of the gate to press down on the end so I cannot potentially slide upwards at all while pulling the main up.

The new pop-in Mastgate looks like this:

The first version I was testing did not have the handles on both sides and was a pita to remove but the Mastgate is holding on its own. Just got this latest iteration in the mail and need to get out today for a test.

Drinkmilk · Jun 13, 2016

Is that a gate or a stop in your last pic? Will the sail slugs make it past that piece of metal that fits in the mast groove? Maybe I'm seeing it wrong. I like the black rings idea to hold it in place with a bungee around the mast though. I hate drilling anything that can't be repaired by epoxy on the boat too.

Slartibartfass · Jun 13, 2016

Drinkmilk said:
Is that a gate or a stop in your last pic? Will the sail slugs make it past that piece of metal that fits in the mast groove? Maybe I'm seeing it wrong. I like the black rings idea to hold it in place with a bungee around the mast though. I hate drilling anything that can't be repaired by epoxy on the boat too.

It's the new pop-in version of the Mastgate. My mast channel is round with a 1/2" diameter and the slugs are 3/8" of a diameter so even with the metal portion inside the slugs move freely....

No need for the bungee for this one as the inside metal portion holds this very securely. Without the rings it is a pita to remove though....

Drinkmilk · Jun 13, 2016

Thanks. It was hard to see. Sounds like a neat design. It'll either be that or Gene's homemade threshold gates that I'll adopt this year, well, depending on what our budget is per Admiral's orders.

Siren · Jun 18, 2018

I know it is sort of a faux pas to refresh "old" threads, but I'll risk the backlash.

We are going to be getting a mastgate, but in the meantime, we purchased 3 of the Davis Sail Stops from West Marine. They are the 1/2" round stops, and they don't want to fit into our slot. Do people use the Davis Flat Sail Stop that is 3/8" instead, even though it is flat and not round?

The gooseneck is round, and the pop-top stop is round, and everything seems to be round, which is why we bought round, but the only round sail stop West Marine sells doesn't wanna fit.

pclarksurf · Jun 18, 2018

Perhaps I'm misconstruing the question, but based on my '73 you should be good with a Davis sail stop that looks similar to the 2350 below: I believe Davis references the MM dimension of the slug, that would be your only fit question and believe that is the "23" in 2350== 23 MM

And after more googling (no math here) Catalina direct says their slug is 1/2" 23 MM is waaay too big. You might have a sail stop for a 40' footer

Siren · Jun 18, 2018

Thanks for responding, @pclarksurf . We have 3 of the Davis 2350's, and they are seemingly too wide to fit into the slots.

Here it is next to the mainsail slugs.

I am feeling a little silly. Maybe I am doing something wrong, or maybe I need to push them in really hard? The Catalina Direct website sells the exact same sail stop and says it will fit any Catalina 22.
https://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm/product/167_114/sail-track-stop-round.cfm

Am I nuts?

Jacktar · Jun 18, 2018

No you are not nuts if and only if you actually have a catalina mast, put one below all the stacked slugs at just above the slot. Put another below the gooseneck of the boom in the slot. When you raise the sail with the halyard, just move the bottom stop below the boom gooseneck enough to tighten the downhaul.
Easy peasy, cheap and bypasses the whole mast gate thing. Pix below in use while sailing. Reverse process to drop sail, suggest you support boom with pigtail or preferably a topping lift. Cover with sail cover when dowsed and rinse repeat for next sail. Time tested ancient mariner technique.

pclarksurf · Jun 18, 2018

Siren said:
Thanks for responding, @pclarksurf

Am I nuts?

huge favor: measure the diameter of that slug-- according to CD it should be 1/2" .... wondering if you have a larger diameter sail stop in your hand, or as Jacktar alludes-- maybe your sail track is non standard and you need to jump down a size.

Based on the pics you are certainly attempting to insert it correctly......

Siren · Jun 18, 2018

@Jacktar - I LIKE IT!!! Awesome!! I like seeing that in a photo! That is just what we want to do.....if only I can find sail stops to fit into our mast.

@pclarksurf - I just measured the sail stop, and it is indeed 1/2". I have no indication from the PO's records that he didn't have a standard Catalina mast. How would I verify?

General question - should the sail stops simply slide in no problems? Or does it require some "oooooooomph" to push in?

Mainsail settup

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