Mast gate vs. sail stop

[SFS]

Another thread has got me wondering. Should a 1983 H31 have a mast gate (mine does not). We have a sail stop, which I set at the top of track gate. We don't seem to have any trouble reefing, with the slides coming no lower than the top of the opening. (Will try to take a picture tomorrow.)

Is this an issue?

 

[Justin_NSA]

I would think a boat that size would have a mast gate. It's a lot of weight on a stop, and you should be able to flake your sail much lower with a gate. I put one on my Mac26S too.

 

[SFS]

Other than getting the slides for the unused (reefed) part of the sail lower in the sail track, what are the advantages of having a gate? What are the disadvantages of not having one? (I can think of one disadvantage - all that weight on a stop, stop cuts loose, a few slugs fall out, and suddenly the lower section of the luff is flogging, and near a lot of hardware, some of which may have sharp or catchable edges.) Are there others?

 

[justsomeguy]

Other than getting the slides for the unused (reefed) part of the sail lower in the sail track, what are the advantages of having a gate?

You've pretty much covered it. Maybe the lower profile mainsail cover will cost a mite less, too.

What are the disadvantages of not having one?

Having to go up to the mast to remove and replace the sail track stop, if your sail has slugs that are lower than your reefing tack grommet, such as mine.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Dropping the slug stop overboard. Been there, done that.

 

[CloudDiver]

My Sailmaker told me something about not needing mast gates due to how far apart the lower slugs are spaced... errr, something like that. With my smaller boat/sail/mast... who knows. I'll be dockside testing all actions related to reefing before I decide if I need Mast Gates, I need the practice anyway.

 

[SFS]

Having to go up to the mast to remove and replace the sail track stop, if your sail has slugs that are lower than your reefing tack grommet, such as mine.

I've just digested this second part, and I guess I'm now unsure how a stop would be used. I would put it at the top of the track opening, so that ALL sail slugs stay above it, and cannot descend in the track to pop out of the track. I never considered that you would temporarily remove it to allow slugs associated with the reefed part of the sail to fall below the slot, then reinstall the stop (again at the top of the gate) to prevent the higher slugs from falling out.

Am I correctly inferring that if you did this, and forgot to move the stop again, then upon shaking out a reef and rehoisting the main, the stop would be carried up the sail track?

 

[justsomeguy]

Am I correctly inferring that if you did this, and forgot to move the stop again, then upon shaking out a reef and rehoisting the main, the stop would be carried up the sail track?

It's doubtful that the stop would be forced upward. More likely, the slugs below the reefing tack, already outside of the mast slot, would remain outside. But seeing as how you're shaking out the reef, conditions should have improved enough to make the trip to the mast much safer, eh?

 

[SFS]

If it is doubtful that the stop would be forced upward, what is the specific scenario that move the sail stop up the track so that you would have to go up the mast? I hope that is a better way to ask the question. You brought up going up the mast a a potential disadvantage to a stop over a gate.

 

[justsomeguy]

You brought up going up the mast a a potential disadvantage to a stop over a gate.

Leaving the cockpit and going "up to" the mast, not "up" the mast. Going up to the mast from the cockpit when reefing as conditions are deteriorating. I hope I'm being clear.
With the gate, you should be able to do it all from the cockpit, unless you use a reefing hook at the tack. If you use a tack hook, that would necessitate leaving the cockpit.
It's always somethin'!

 

[SFS]

Ah, missed the preposition "to". Thanks for the clarification.

 

[justsomeguy]

Thanks for the clarification.

Not a problem. And as CloudDiver wrote, practice your reefing in good conditions. A lot.