Replacing Sail Slides with Shackles around Battens with Double Grommets.

jtknox

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Sep 14, 2025
2
Catalina 250 Nee Orleans RV Park and Marina
Hey all,
First boat project. This might bed dumb question...

The old owner left me with a kit for replacing the sail slides (btw, is sail "slug" and sail "slide" the same thing. I'm going to came them slides for the rest of this post for consistency). Instead of using sewn webbing to connect the grommet of the sail to the slide, it uses a u-bolt shackle (and flexible plastic piece to protect the sail from the metal). I started taking the sail off the mast. I saw 10 old slides on the mast and 10 new slides in my kit, so I thought this would be a great starter project. Then I realize that around the battens, there were two grommets (one on either side) about 4 inches apart, with webbing connected both grommets to a single sail slide. So I'm wondering what I should do next?

(A) Order more sail slides (and shackles) to have one slide per each grommet. Meaning more slides overall than what were originally there.
(B) Just use of of the two grommets (if I go this way, does it matter if I go above or below the batten?). Meaning the slide is not directly aligns with the batten
(C) Find some other way to connect the two grommets to one sail slide (eg. sewing new webbing).

Attached are some photos below (1) of the kit so you can see the new slides and shackles, and (2/3) of the battens with grommets on either side, and the current webbing setup. Note in the 3rd photo it looks like 2 slides for 2 grommets, but the top one of the pair is actually a broken slide (not in the mast track). Looks like the previous owner sewn in a new slide but didn't bother to unsew the broken one.

Attached below
1FAFA9B6-2177-48D8-BA21-2510FB42377C_1_105_c.jpeg
EA642362-F7CB-4C5A-B757-0620994A9B4A_1_105_c.jpeg
F2923FEE-DE33-4147-9D2D-3730B919EC2F_1_105_c.jpeg


Thank you so much for your help in getting me started with my first boat project!
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,384
Catalina 1999 C36 MKII #1787 Coyote Point Marina, CA.
I am not an expert, but I will say that the way that the webbing is sawen, makes the sail fall on left and right side of the boom. Take a look at the current webbing on your sail and you will see that they alternate the way that they are sawen.
I do not believe the shackles will have the same effect on the sail and it will not flake as before.
 
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dLj

.
Mar 23, 2017
4,554
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
I prefer one sail slide per grommet. Those plastic sail slides are not all that strong. Hence, I prefer one slide per grommet.

dj

p.s. it looks like the replacement slides you have are not the same track profile as the ones in the mast. Is that the case?
 

colemj

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Jul 13, 2004
718
Dolphin Catamaran Dolphin 460 Mystic, CT
The battens need to twist as they come down or go up, so I wouldn't use a slide on both sides of it. Doing so will likely cause jamming.

Mark
 

jtknox

.
Sep 14, 2025
2
Catalina 250 Nee Orleans RV Park and Marina
The battens need to twist as they come down or go up, so I wouldn't use a slide on both sides of it. Doing so will likely cause jamming.

Mark
Ah, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you!