Sail slides bind in track.

Mar 26, 2015
107
Hunter 376 Marina del Rey
Mer-Sea Beaucoup is a 1997 model 376. Last year the plastic slides started breaking. Rather than replace what I viewed as the weak link, I bought stainless slides. Now I wander if they are contributing to the binding problem?
Any thoughts anyone?
If consensus is the the additional stainless slides aren't the problem, an external track and all new slides is in my future. $$$$.
Thanks and good sailing.
 
Mar 26, 2015
107
Hunter 376 Marina del Rey
Thanks Allan. That was the subject of the $$$$ at the end of my post.
I've already priced the Tides system. It has been highly recommended. But I wanted to investigate the possibility that the stainless slides may be the problem. Wishful thinking!!!
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
FWIW, over the years our 1991 nylon slugs in an aluminum track will begin to bind making raising and lowering the main a pain. So, at the beginning of the season I give the slugs and track a liberal amount of the spray dry lubricant. Amazing stuff. Main goes up by hand all except the last foot or two and it drops like a rock when ready to stow. Before replacing stuff, try a puff of this stuff and see whether it makes a difference: http://www.westmarine.com/buy/mclube--sailkote-dry-lubricant--P000318230?recordNum=2
 
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Ted

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Jan 26, 2005
1,254
C&C 110 Bay Shore, Long Island, NY
+1 for the dry lube. Try to clean the mast track before using the lube. You should also check the tension in any of your full length battens. Too much tension will contribute to the problem.
 
Feb 10, 2004
3,919
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
Buy and install Tides Strong Track, it makes a big difference.
+1

I had the Tides system on my 1997 h40.5. The system worked well and made a huge difference in effort to hoist and lower the mainsail.

Edited to add: I also agree that keeping the track clean and applying dry lube is also very beneficial. I could never find a good solution to cleaning and applying the lube over the entire length- at least not without going up the mast and cleaning and spraying as I went.
 

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,420
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
I cobbled together a rig as shown in the picture. The halyard is used to raise and lower the can of McLube and the green cord allows remote squirting. Treatments are good fir about 2 years at a time and it really works.
 

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Mar 26, 2015
107
Hunter 376 Marina del Rey
Thanks to all of you! I've been using the small aerosol can, on the slides, for a couple of years. I have not gone up the mast, yet. At 70 I'm not fluffed with the idea. But, why not give it a try.
That is, as long as I trust the person in charge of the winch!!!!
 

splax

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Nov 12, 2012
692
Hunter 34 Portsmouth
I have heard putting dish washing soap on the track and slides before raising the sail helps.
 
Aug 13, 2012
533
Catalina 270 Ottawa
That is, as long as I trust the person in charge of the winch!!!!
Never go up the mast on a single halyard. Especially, on one attached to a winch. And if you use a second halyard, you only have to trust yourself.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Thanks to all of you! I've been using the small aerosol can, on the slides, for a couple of years. I have not gone up the mast, yet. At 70 I'm not fluffed with the idea. But, why not give it a try.
That is, as long as I trust the person in charge of the winch!!!!
Try John's rig before you go up the mast. You already have the can of lube.
For myself, my mast is down so I plan on the thorough cleaning and lube of the mast slot in the Spring. Bella's PO said the battens may need a slight trim too. With my Dutchman system the main should go up and down without hangups.
 
Mar 26, 2015
107
Hunter 376 Marina del Rey
More thanks to all of you.
Going up the mast will be with the main halyard and winch. The splnnaker halyard will serve as backup. The rig is Selden snd fractional, but going most of the way up, on the msin, seems better than going all the way up on the spinnakeron the wrong side of the mast.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,703
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
I cobbled together a rig as shown in the picture. The halyard is used to raise and lower the can of McLube and the green cord allows remote squirting. Treatments are good fir about 2 years at a time and it really works.
Ingenious, John. However, there is a kit that you can purchase that does the same thing if one is not of the ingenious inclination. Some will use a dry lube soaked rag stuffed inside the track an pull it up the mast with the halyard. That is also supposed to work quite well and cleans and lubes the track in one swipe.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
... there is a kit that you can purchase that does the same thing if one is not of the ingenious inclination.
I am far from ingenious - do you have a link to a product that holds a can to the headboard shackle (I could do John's hose clamp), but more importantly activates the spray?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Diablito, I'm a plus 1 on the McLube. I have also learned that the slug/slide can get loose on the sail and it cants when being pulled causing a bind. Might want to check them.
 
Mar 26, 2015
107
Hunter 376 Marina del Rey
Another "aha!" Maybe two of them.
One, for the Dry lube application kit and another for the canted slides!

All of you guys are great!

Thank you.
 

lnikl

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Mar 1, 2011
88
Hunter 38 North Vancouver
I have plastic slides and they get rather sticky. the bend in the mast probably doesn't help it zip up and back down. I now use silicone spray (friend's recommendation) and the sail nearly goes up and down on its own.
 
Jan 22, 2008
55
Hunter 376 Point Roberts
Mer-Sea Beaucoup is a 1997 model 376. Last year the plastic slides started breaking. Rather than replace what I viewed as the weak link, I bought stainless slides. Now I wander if they are contributing to the binding problem?
Any thoughts anyone?
If consensus is the the additional stainless slides aren't the problem, an external track and all new slides is in my future. $$$$.
Thanks and good sailing.
Hi Diablito,
Just a quick follow up on this post earlier this year.
Did you do anything to make the main going up (and down) easier? This year, I did fair amount of sailing here in the Pacific Northwest but I am really having a hard time with the main. The mast track looks clean, the plastic carts look relatively good shape. Reading the various posts, I am not the only one having this issue with the large main on the Hunter 376.
 
Mar 26, 2015
107
Hunter 376 Marina del Rey
Thank you Gabor15908,
Yes, actually! 22 year old son of a friend, up the mast in my bos'n chair, with a large spray can of Sailkote (as recommended by Terry Cox) and a couple rides up and down. The stuff is great!
It was well worth encouraging Michael ( friends son) with $100.00. A new track and slides is probably in the future, distant future, I hope!