Lubing The Mast Track

sailormanbigd · May 23, 2009

nice trick main. Where do you load the buckshot?

Joseph Shirley · May 23, 2009

I also use a gun cleaner to clean out the heat exchanger tubes in the tube bundle of my heat exchanger. It works just great there.

Have Fun

Joe S

Rich Stidger · May 23, 2009

Nice idea, Maine Sail, but do you have a variation of your "system" that will work with the mast up?

I have tried to think of some type of cleaning wad that will fit in my Tee track that I can haul up and down in the track using the main halyard and another line. Using Sailkote is fine, but for a mast up you would need to replenish the cleaner multiple times for a mast because it evaporates so fast. I have thought that maybe a wad of something that is connected to a small bottle of cleaner might work if the entire mess can be hauled up and down.

That's as far as I've gotten. Just the thinking stage....

Dalliance · May 24, 2009

Rich Stidger said:
Nice idea, Maine Sail, but do you have a variation of your "system" that will work with the mast up?

I have tried to think of some type of cleaning wad that will fit in my Tee track that I can haul up and down in the track using the main halyard and another line. Using Sailkote is fine, but for a mast up you would need to replenish the cleaner multiple times for a mast because it evaporates so fast. I have thought that maybe a wad of something that is connected to a small bottle of cleaner might work if the entire mess can be hauled up and down.

That's as far as I've gotten. Just the thinking stage....

I've tried that with little success. The problem with these products is evaporation time as you identified. The PO, who I sailed with for about 7 years, used bits of sponge soaked with dishwashing liquid and pressed into the track between the top two sail glides. He just raised and lowered the main a couple times with a downhaul attached to the 2nd or 3rd glide. It worked quite well, though it always kind of bothered me that I did not always see the same number of sponge pieces come down the track as went up. They just fell out along the way and never caused a problem, but I was always concerned about a lingering piece of sponge getting jambed between track and glide. I've since modified his practice a bit. I fill a syringe with dishwashing liquid, place a few drops at the top of each glide and spread the rest in the track as far up as I can reach. I do this every couple weeks and after a heavy rain. The main goes up easily and it practically falls into the lazy jacks when we release the halyard.

Roger Long · Jun 9, 2009

Maine Sail said:
I wanted to pass on a trick I tried and one that works very well./quote]

This works great after the mast is up:

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/TrackLube.htm

Tim R. · Jun 9, 2009

I clean my track every year with a cut out square of red scotchbrite. It is the perfect thickness for my track. I follow up with a coat of Sailkote. Maine Sail can tell you how easy it is to raise the full batten main on my 35ft. boat.

BTW, my mast comes down every year and is stored indoors.

Rich Stidger · Jun 9, 2009

Roger,

That is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks so much for the post. I'm headed to my workshop as soon as I get home from boat cleaning!

RichH · Jun 9, 2009

I use a system of continual mast slot lubrication that may be the 'essence' of simplicity and cost effectiveness.

All my masts arranged for cylindrical sail slugs. To continually lubricate I use paraffinic candle wax, carved into the same shape as the sail slug (cylindrical part that fits 'into' the track) and insert the carved 'bullets' between the first 4-5 top-slugs on the luff as loaded into the sail track. Each time I raise/lower the sail, the 'bullets' rub along the groove, thus continually lubricating it. The 'bullets' will last about 4 months.

I prefer to use 'hard' downhill ski wax (wax formuated for the 'coldest' snow temperatures), but 'straight paraffin - slabs' or a wax candle will do.

lancelot9898 · Feb 22, 2011

main sail track lub

Actually I've had good luck cutting bar soap into small chunks and letting it slide up the track.