Fellow sailors, Anyone know of a practical, efficient, and economical way of lowering the resistance of the mainsail slugs riding up the mast track? Cheers, Bob Alden h30 "Summer's Glory"
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I tried WD-40...
...and it worked good, but after a while it gummed up and carried a lot of sail track dust that turned black and somw got on to tmy brand new sail. I'd suggest the Harken sail track lube.
...and it worked good, but after a while it gummed up and carried a lot of sail track dust that turned black and somw got on to tmy brand new sail. I'd suggest the Harken sail track lube.
Slug luge
Try dry silicone spray. Very greasy, but will not gum up, so you can apply as often as necessary without compounding the problem. Best regards, Jim.
Try dry silicone spray. Very greasy, but will not gum up, so you can apply as often as necessary without compounding the problem. Best regards, Jim.
Sail Slugs
On my last boat, which had slugs, I used dishwashing liquid; cheap, does not stain anything, goes away after a while, but is easy to renew. Try and use the colorless kind so that there are no color stains to wash off the sail.
On my last boat, which had slugs, I used dishwashing liquid; cheap, does not stain anything, goes away after a while, but is easy to renew. Try and use the colorless kind so that there are no color stains to wash off the sail.
Use SailKote by McLube
It is designed for sail tracks and stuff. It is a dry lube and will not gum up.
It is designed for sail tracks and stuff. It is a dry lube and will not gum up.
Better yet
Use a West System syringe to inject Dawn detergent. It works, it won't gum up, and will wash out over time. Reload every two weeks or so.
Use a West System syringe to inject Dawn detergent. It works, it won't gum up, and will wash out over time. Reload every two weeks or so.
Bacon Grease.
Had you wondering about that, Huh? Forget about lubricating every week just get a smaller halyard.
Had you wondering about that, Huh? Forget about lubricating every week just get a smaller halyard.
silicone
I've heard to run a spare sail slide up and down the track several times. Put a thin rag around the slide (if you can) and saturate it, and/or the slide with silicone. Pull it up with the halyard, and have another line tied on to pull it down. Do this several times to clean the junk out of the track. Let me know if it works.
I've heard to run a spare sail slide up and down the track several times. Put a thin rag around the slide (if you can) and saturate it, and/or the slide with silicone. Pull it up with the halyard, and have another line tied on to pull it down. Do this several times to clean the junk out of the track. Let me know if it works.
silicone
I've heard to run a spare sail slide up and down the track several times. Put a thin rag around the slide (if you can) and saturate it, and/or the slide with silicone. Pull it up with the halyard, and have another line tied on to pull it down. Do this several times to clean the junk out of the track. Let me know if it works.
I've heard to run a spare sail slide up and down the track several times. Put a thin rag around the slide (if you can) and saturate it, and/or the slide with silicone. Pull it up with the halyard, and have another line tied on to pull it down. Do this several times to clean the junk out of the track. Let me know if it works.
Why not cure the cause of the problem?
Sticking slugs are caused by oxidized paint in the track. Chemical stripper completely eliminateds the problem but may be a bit extreme for the squeamish. I stripped and machine finished (sanded with coarse paper on an orbital sander) both mast and boom. No more bubbling paint or sticky slides. Alternative might be to scrub/polish the track with Scotch-Brite to get rid of the oxidation layer. If you insist on lubing, you want to use dry teflon spray. It is Teflon powder in a very fast evaporating carrier. I've seen it in Lowes for under $%5.00. Spray it on, the vehicle dries up, leaving the Teflon. When I was doing it it would last for the best part of the season. I made up a rig consisting of a couple of slides, bailing wire, rubber bands, halyard and downhaul which allowed me to run the can up and down the mast while the can was spraying. worked OK.
Sticking slugs are caused by oxidized paint in the track. Chemical stripper completely eliminateds the problem but may be a bit extreme for the squeamish. I stripped and machine finished (sanded with coarse paper on an orbital sander) both mast and boom. No more bubbling paint or sticky slides. Alternative might be to scrub/polish the track with Scotch-Brite to get rid of the oxidation layer. If you insist on lubing, you want to use dry teflon spray. It is Teflon powder in a very fast evaporating carrier. I've seen it in Lowes for under $%5.00. Spray it on, the vehicle dries up, leaving the Teflon. When I was doing it it would last for the best part of the season. I made up a rig consisting of a couple of slides, bailing wire, rubber bands, halyard and downhaul which allowed me to run the can up and down the mast while the can was spraying. worked OK.
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