Who has Harken Battcar system on boat?

[cbader]

I am looking at installing a Harken Battcar setup on a new boat to me to decrease hassles on putting in reefs and shaking them out. I have notice a large number of different setups that can be done. I am wondering what setup people have with mixture of CB cars and Slide cars.

Any help will make my decision easier and help sell it to Captain.

Cost vs Performance is what I am interested in and ease of setup or paid someone to do it for you.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I have therm and like them a lot. They came with the boat when I bought her 20 years ago.

Advantages:

1. Weight when dropping.
2. Smooth when hoisting
3. No sail slugs
4. Works great with our lazy jacks

Disadvantages

1. Weight when hoisting
2. Higher headboard due to car stacking
3. Needs to be lubed occasionally

You might also consider other ideas like Tide Track (?), less expensive, same concept.

Whether this is necessary on a 30 foot boat is up to you.

We had slugs on our C25 for 13 years and except for getting the better slugs, once, I never had any issues. Never needed a main downhaul, either.

Good luck.

 

[cbader]

Thank you for the reply, my profile didn't update. The boat is a Hunter 376 so has a larger main than my Hunter 30. It also has an electric winch so hoisting is not issue. When putting reefs in in the San Francisco bay when a blow comes up is the real savings. I and my wife are not getting younger and any ease of use and safety id a plus for me.
I will look into the Tide Track you listed.

Thanks again.

 

[Stu Jackson]

When putting reefs in in the San Francisco bay when a blow comes up is the real savings.

Ah, I forgot one advantage: you can reef even going downwind!!!

I have double line reefing, used it when I lived in SF for the first 18 years we owned this boat, brought it up to BC in 2016.

 

[Dave Groshong]

Take a look at the Tide's Batt Car System too.

 

[Tim Mills]

I looked around and decided to install the Tides Marine SailTrack system. Much less money, no moving parts, almost no maintenance..... You can install it yourself without going aloft. The Harken system is good but overkill unless you are hardcore racing and sailing.

2004 H36
Hampton, VA

 

[Jackdaw]

I looked around and decided to install the Tides Marine SailTrack system. Much less money, no moving parts, almost no maintenance..... You can install it yourself without going aloft. The Harken system is good but overkill unless you are hardcore racing and sailing.

2004 H36
Hampton, VA

Probably 75% of the race boats I know of with track systems (including mine) have Tides SailTrack systems. The Harken system is nice but in my opinion needlessly complex.

 

[Gunni]

Tides Marine Sail Track here. Great upgrade and in my opinion an essential upgrade to a traditional slab-reefing mainsail. With the low-friction track and a good reefing system you can reef well off the wind, and save your sails from a flogging.

 

[Alice A.]

We have the Tides Track on our 37.5. It is a high quality unit installed by our sailmaker in 2010 and we have never had any problems.

 

[VanIslandGuy]

1+ vote for the Tides Strong Track. We put one on at the start of the season. Very worthwhile upgrade, especially if you later want to upgrade to full battens.

 

[Jackdaw]

1+ vote for the Tides Strong Track. We put one on at the start of the season. Very worthwhile upgrade, especially if you later want to upgrade to full battens.

A key point. Full battens add huge compression to the attached slugs at the end of the battens, and cars in tracks allow much less friction.

 

[JohnShannon]

Had Tides system installed on previous boat worked well 37 footer. I would say it is more than good enough.

 

[Trevor]

i own a Hunter 38 which came with normal plastic slugs and to winch up the main was nearly an impossible task let alone reefing off the wind. I replaced it with Harken Batcar system and have never looked back, a bit expensive but every time i raise the main i get a big smile and am happy to raise and lower all day long, talking of dropping the main well you have to hang on to the uphaul to slow it down