I have a 1979 Hunter 33 that I want to install something on to help make raising and lowering the mainsail easier. I know that a 33 is small enough that batt cars or extra slides are needed, but I usually sail with my family. My kids are just not up to the task of raising or lowering the main (or taking the helm while I do it) and my wife will be occupied with an infant, so I need to do something. I looked at the Tuff Track system available through SailCare at the AC Sail Expo. It worked great on the 10 feet of mast they had on display, but I am cancerned about how it will work in real life. It looks like just a plastic (they got very offended when I used the word "plastic" and insisted it is a specialized polymer) track and some polished slides that together have a low coefficient of drag. Seems like a good idea and the price is nice at around $1K complete, but I am concerned about durability and performance as it still involves dragging sail slugs over an unmoving surface. I also looked at a Harken Batt Car system. Nice with very little concern about durability, but $$$$ ($2000+ from the only loft I have yet contacted) and possibly overkill on a 33 foot boat. I'm sure Schaefer and others have similar systems, but if my experience with Roller Furling is any indication, the differences from the Harken system are minimal, including cost differential. Is the SailCare Tuff Track a worthwhile alternative? Am I mistaken in being concerned about performance and durability? Is the Harken system worth the premium? Is it a good system and does it work? What about Schaefer, etc? Are there other alternatives I am not aware of? Thanks for the help.
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Steve Beynon
Feed back to cockpit
Wouldn't it just be as easy to buy a long halyard and feed it back to the cockpit. Then you can raise the sail and help the kids at the helm if they need it. Other option is buy an autohelm, but it cost bigger bucks
Wouldn't it just be as easy to buy a long halyard and feed it back to the cockpit. Then you can raise the sail and help the kids at the helm if they need it. Other option is buy an autohelm, but it cost bigger bucks
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Sam Lust
Sail raising
I'm in agreement with Steven. My feeling is that adding the extra parts and complication to the mast is not worth it. I guarantee you my 33 doesn't need it and mine can't be that much diferent from yours. Whenever I'm out on the boat, regardless who's out there with me I'm single-handing. My systems are set up with that one reality in mind. My main halyard comes back to a nice fat Barient 21 non-self-tailer on the coachroof. I motor at a moderate speed into the wind and with a few turns around the winch pull the sail about 2/3 of the way up. At that point the weight is enough to switch over to the winch handle to bring it up full. My Lewmar rope clutch is in the engaged position so if I have to go back to the wheel to correct course the sail won't drop back down. A major part of this trick is having the track and slides well lubed with DRY Teflon lube. The track must be scrubbed clean of oxidized paint and munge first. You'll be amazed how much diference that makes. Save the thousand bucks, put it into a self- tailing two speed winch and rope clutch for the cabin top. With that setup you could teach the kids how to team up to get the sail up. Isn't that what you had kids for?
I'm in agreement with Steven. My feeling is that adding the extra parts and complication to the mast is not worth it. I guarantee you my 33 doesn't need it and mine can't be that much diferent from yours. Whenever I'm out on the boat, regardless who's out there with me I'm single-handing. My systems are set up with that one reality in mind. My main halyard comes back to a nice fat Barient 21 non-self-tailer on the coachroof. I motor at a moderate speed into the wind and with a few turns around the winch pull the sail about 2/3 of the way up. At that point the weight is enough to switch over to the winch handle to bring it up full. My Lewmar rope clutch is in the engaged position so if I have to go back to the wheel to correct course the sail won't drop back down. A major part of this trick is having the track and slides well lubed with DRY Teflon lube. The track must be scrubbed clean of oxidized paint and munge first. You'll be amazed how much diference that makes. Save the thousand bucks, put it into a self- tailing two speed winch and rope clutch for the cabin top. With that setup you could teach the kids how to team up to get the sail up. Isn't that what you had kids for?
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bill walton
coming down
On my P42, I found that I had more difficulty getting the sail all the way down than getting it up. I had to go forward and get up on the mast and pull the last half down. My main halyard comes to the cockpit and a winch. I installed a "Strong/tides" system. It made raising the sail easier but now it drops like a rock when I turn into the wind and release the halyard.
On my P42, I found that I had more difficulty getting the sail all the way down than getting it up. I had to go forward and get up on the mast and pull the last half down. My main halyard comes to the cockpit and a winch. I installed a "Strong/tides" system. It made raising the sail easier but now it drops like a rock when I turn into the wind and release the halyard.
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Tom M.
getting it up and down
Try lubricating the slugs(internat slides) with silicon spray, You should also add some deck organizers and clam cleats and have all your halyards come into the cockpit, if the problem is getting the main down, you can feed a 1/4" dia. yacht braid from the gusset in the mainsail's head plate down through all the slugs, down to the base of the mast and add a turning block to bring it into th cockpit +
Try lubricating the slugs(internat slides) with silicon spray, You should also add some deck organizers and clam cleats and have all your halyards come into the cockpit, if the problem is getting the main down, you can feed a 1/4" dia. yacht braid from the gusset in the mainsail's head plate down through all the slugs, down to the base of the mast and add a turning block to bring it into th cockpit +
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Denis Milsom
Getting the sail up
In response to Tom's comments about the difficulty getting the mainsail up, I have a 1998 H336 and raising the sail is my biggest headache. My halyard runs back into the cockpit as a few have suggested so that alone is no help. Indeed, I have to go to the mast and pull down on the halyard while my wife takes up the slack in the cockpit with a couple of wraps on the winch. This way I get it up about 2/3 and then run back to the cockpit to crank it, with some effort, the rest of the way. Fortunately, we have an autohelm so we do not have to steer at the same time. I have lubricated the track with a dry lubricant which did make it better but it is still not easy. I've sailed a 51 footer that was much easier than this Hunter. People have suggested that my full battens were too tight but loosening them did little. They also said it was because of the curved mast??? I will look into the 'Strong Track' and other systems but meanwhile I find myself motoring (God forbid) more than I would prefer because of the hassle with the sail. Everything else about the boat is great. Stuck in Stamford, Denis
In response to Tom's comments about the difficulty getting the mainsail up, I have a 1998 H336 and raising the sail is my biggest headache. My halyard runs back into the cockpit as a few have suggested so that alone is no help. Indeed, I have to go to the mast and pull down on the halyard while my wife takes up the slack in the cockpit with a couple of wraps on the winch. This way I get it up about 2/3 and then run back to the cockpit to crank it, with some effort, the rest of the way. Fortunately, we have an autohelm so we do not have to steer at the same time. I have lubricated the track with a dry lubricant which did make it better but it is still not easy. I've sailed a 51 footer that was much easier than this Hunter. People have suggested that my full battens were too tight but loosening them did little. They also said it was because of the curved mast??? I will look into the 'Strong Track' and other systems but meanwhile I find myself motoring (God forbid) more than I would prefer because of the hassle with the sail. Everything else about the boat is great. Stuck in Stamford, Denis
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Alex
It depends..
I have just installed BattSlide By Schaeffer Marine on my 'H-29.5' . It helps a little but not eliminate the problem to the extend I expected. But my mast has quite a bent which induce more friction in ALL kind of systems, except maybe the Bat-Car , or the other top price system when you add the track also ,not only 'smarter sliders'. Make shure first that the turning blocks - at mast head for halyard and at mast foot , are top quality and in good condition .Often , the standartly supplied ones were very basic , and in very few years of use they loose they smootness and cause more friction.
I have just installed BattSlide By Schaeffer Marine on my 'H-29.5' . It helps a little but not eliminate the problem to the extend I expected. But my mast has quite a bent which induce more friction in ALL kind of systems, except maybe the Bat-Car , or the other top price system when you add the track also ,not only 'smarter sliders'. Make shure first that the turning blocks - at mast head for halyard and at mast foot , are top quality and in good condition .Often , the standartly supplied ones were very basic , and in very few years of use they loose they smootness and cause more friction.
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Jim O'Brien
Good old wax !
I periodically rub the slugs with a block of wax and yank on the halyard line which comes back to the cockpit and up she goes! My biggest problem is on the way down since I have no Lazy-jacks or anything.
I periodically rub the slugs with a block of wax and yank on the halyard line which comes back to the cockpit and up she goes! My biggest problem is on the way down since I have no Lazy-jacks or anything.
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Thomas FitzGibbon
Thanks for the feedback
Thanks to all for your feedback and advice. As always, the breadth of experience and diversity of opinions is helpful. Unfortunately, the halyards are already fed back to the cockpit and the deck equipment used is high quality and, as far as I can tell, functioning OK. I tried cleaning the track and using SailCote lubricant last year, but perhaps a more thorough cleaning is required.
Thanks to all for your feedback and advice. As always, the breadth of experience and diversity of opinions is helpful. Unfortunately, the halyards are already fed back to the cockpit and the deck equipment used is high quality and, as far as I can tell, functioning OK. I tried cleaning the track and using SailCote lubricant last year, but perhaps a more thorough cleaning is required.
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Bill
Harkin
The Harkin system is great. Really helps, however you still need to go to the mast for the last foot or so. I was lucky as it was already on the boat when I bought it.
The Harkin system is great. Really helps, however you still need to go to the mast for the last foot or so. I was lucky as it was already on the boat when I bought it.
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