Lubricating sail slugs and mast tracks

Justin_NSA · Aug 29, 2023

It's a wax. You're likely to make it worse as wax traps dirt. Great for zippers though. We use Zippy Cool for zippers. McLube for the sail slugs. It's probably a dirty track. Some guys on here made track cleaners they can run up the mast.

kappykaplan · Aug 29, 2023

Justin_NSA said:
It's a wax. You're likely to make it worse as wax traps dirt.

Never had a problem with McLube not lasting very long.

kappykaplan · Aug 29, 2023

jviss said:
How often do you apply it?

It's applied to the headsail luff tape at the beginning of the season. At present, it's applied to the mainsail slugs once/season when the main is bent on. In previous years when I was sailing like a maniac, I would apply more McLube mid-season. In general, my season runs from Apr-Nov.

Dalliance · Aug 29, 2023

I’ve been using McLube Sailkote on the track and sail glides for years now. I put it on every spring and sometimes once mid-season.
I used to put dish detergent on the glides and in the track as high up as I could reach. A practice learned from the PO. I applied it with an epoxy syringe every few weeks and after heavy rains. It made the track super slick, more so than McLube honestly, but when I thought about what it was doing to all my hard work waxing the hull and cabin top when the rain washed it out of the track, I switched to McLube.

Edit - another idea: I’ve been using boat soap with ceramic this year, which I really like because it cleans well and doesn’t take the wax off. I don’t know if it would work the same way as dish detergent on the sail glides, but it might be worth trying if McLube isn’t cutting it and you’re willing to experiment.

stickinthemud57 · Aug 29, 2023

I applied McLube at the start of the sailing season (March), and it continues to work fine. Since it is easy to lower the mast on my boat, I did so and sprayed it in the slug slot with the slot on the bottom, maximizing coverage. Obviously, this is not an option with all boats, but I find the McLube product to be the best solution for this and any other dry lubrication needs.

kappykaplan · Aug 29, 2023

stickinthemud57 said:
I find the McLube product to be the best solution for this and any other dry lubrication needs.

JBP-PA · Aug 29, 2023

I find SaIlKote is awesome for the first month, ok for the second month or two, and then pretty much gone. I've tried Teflon and it is OK for longer, but you don't get that first month of your sail falling into the lazy jacks all by itself easy as pie. Practical Sailor did a side by side review and found pretty much the same thing. SailKote is best for the first month, then longer lasting lubes are better.
A track cleaner does a great job of refreshing SailKote. Soak it and run it up and down the track a few times and you are good to go again.

dlochner · Aug 29, 2023

jviss said:
That's an interesting analysis. So, where is the dirt coming from?

Wind blown dust, spider poop, wear from the slugs, salt spray.

stickinthemud57 · Aug 29, 2023

JBP-PA said:
A track cleaner does a great job of refreshing SailKote. Soak it and run it up and down the track a few times and you are good to go again.

Great info. Practical Sailor offers this idea for a DIY track cleaner: The Do-it-Yourself Sail Track Cleaner - Practical Sailor

Question - soak it in what?

rgranger · Aug 29, 2023

Justin_NSA said:
Some guys on here made track cleaners they can run up the mast.

Yeah. I got that idea from here and tried it on my H26. It was easier than taking the mast down. I tied a small piece of cut wash cloth to the halyard and tied a retrieving line made of paracord to the halyard as well. Soaked the rag in carburetor cleaner spray and then ran the rag up and down the track. The rag came back NASTY! Then put a clean piece of rag on the halyard and soaked the new rag in drylube and ran that up the track... also sprayed each slug. Worked great. It was much easier to raise the sail but it was most notable when I released the halyard. The sail just dropped withou me having to pull it down... except for maybe the last three feet.

I would say it was notably better for about a season and things went back to "normal".

rgranger · Aug 29, 2023

stickinthemud57 said:
Question - soak it in what?

I used carburetor cleaner spray but only because I had some already in my shed. I didn't research it so there may be better choices. I would think you want something that will dry without leaving a residue. Engine starter fluid might also work... but that is basically ether so could be very dangerous and would probably dry before you get it to the top of the mast.

Barkeeper's friend (the liquid slurry type) would probably do the best job but you would have the issue of rinsing it out before you lubed. This would probably be the best choice if the mast were already down.

rgranger · Aug 29, 2023

jviss said:
Oh, an anodized aluminum mast, I presume? Mine's painted.

Yes.

rgranger · Aug 29, 2023

jviss said:
Recently I have come to really appreciate a Snap Stick

What if you tested the Snap Stick out on the bottom four or five feet of your mast track and then see if the slugs slide better or not.

Or you could see if snap stick is soluble in carburetor cleaner. If so, you could just go for it and if it makes it worse, clean out the snap stick with the carburetor cleaner.... I guess you want to first confirm the cleaner doesn't hurt your paint.

rgranger · Aug 29, 2023

jviss said:
Barkeeper's friend is death for aluminum! Don't do it!

Why do you think that? Have you had a bad experience? I have cleaned Aluminum with it and didn't notice any bad afters... in fact the label says safe on aluminum. I clean my kitchen stuff with it all the time... and have used it on the arch on my stinkpot. I didn't notice any bad results. BFK is also great at getting the tannin line off of your hull... the "bow smile". It is like magic on hull line slime.

Get the Grime Off of Your Aluminum Baking Pans - Bar Keepers Friend

Burned on sugar and oils can make aluminum baking pans look old before their time. BKF removes the baked-on goo and gets you back in the baking business in no time.

barkeepersfriend.com

I did find this page on what you should not use BKF on...

8 Things You Should Never Clean with Bar Keepers Friend

BKF can be put to work in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and backyards. But there are certain surfaces in each of those spaces that the cleaner is not so friendly with.

www.apartmenttherapy.com