Lug Stopper

[jorgefife]

I don't know what topic this is, but here goes:
Everytime I pull the main sail up' I have to feed some of the lugs up the mast at a point where it widens a little, like when you install new lugs.
My question: should the sail not go up in one single pull, instead of having it flapping in the wind till all lugs are in the chennel?
What am I doing wrong, or is there something missing on the mast?
Help is appreciated

 

[walmsleyc]

A picture would help, but the "gap" in the mast slot where you feed in your slugs, should have a "cover" thingy that prevents them from falling out again (until fall, when you remove the cover and pop out all the slugs).

On my Isomat spar, there is a ~2"x1.5" plate held in place by a single philips screw that you put in place once you bend on your sail in the springtime.

Chris

 

[jorgefife]

So, do the slugs run " behind that plate?
Because at the moment, they come off the track because there is nothing there to stop them falling

 

[guidera48]

Sail Track Stop

The thinghy you are missing is called a Sail track Stop. I was also at a loss and could not remember the technical word for it. I found these in the West marine Catalog. About 10.00. Insert it on the track at the top of the slug opening and screw it on tight. keeps the slugs from falling out. Remove the stop to remove the sail at the end of the season.

Jose

 

[jorgefife]

Jose,
That seems to be the answer, but the problem I have is that the slugs come off the wider opening, as I put the sail up!
Do these Sail Track Stops prevent it from that happening, as the sail goes upo?
Because I have to stop the motion on the way up, to insert the slugs that come off!
The sail should go up in one easy motion, without stopping 3 or 4 times!

 

[guidera48]

Sail Track Stop

I am assuming the following: Your slugs slide on a recessed track built on your mast and that the wide area you refer to is the sail feed area on your mast track. That wide area is used to feed the slugs one at the time as you raise your sail. Once the sail is up, the last slug should be above the sail feed area. At that time you install the track stop and capture all the slugs in the track. When you lower the sail, the bottom slug comes to rest at the stop and all other slugs stack on top of that one. Once the sail is down, you tie it with the gaskets and cover it with the sail cover. The slugs should stay on the track and not feed back out. On some boats, I have had the last slug below the feed area, but all the rest were above and the track stop also worked. Is the sail you are using the correct sail or did you find it during one of your scavenger hunts??
Jose

 

[tomgrigsby]

I have the same challenge. My boom slides down the track so that I can't use a stopper to keep the slugs above the opening. I have a gate so that I can just slide them by (they don't pop out), but I have to work them by the gate and can't do a smooth pull when raising the main. I need to get the thingies shown above by Jose, and I need to buy the thing to keep the boom from dropping when the sail is lowered. Otherwise the sail won't stow properly either.

 

[jorgefife]

Now I have it Jose!
I was assuming ( wrongly) that the slugs all go up as you raise the sail on the mast: instead, I have to feed some ( not all) at the widest area, so now I understand: keep feeding, and then put the stopper
When they are all in, only one usually falls out, so the stopper will prevent that from happening
Do you then keep the stopper in your pocket?
It seems like it can get lost easily!
One more question: should I take one of the slugs to West Marine to establish the size?
It looks like the middle picture is the one I need
Thanks for helping!
Jorge

 

[guidera48]

The stopper stays on the track and keeps the slugs from coming out when you lower the sail.
That's it's job.
Jose

 

[Richard Bryer]

I have found that a cover for the widened opening works much better than a sailstop. I found that the sailstop kept the slugs so far up that it was hard to reach the top of the sail to put the cover on or take it off, and so high that I could not get the reefing cringle to reach the reefing hook. Besides the stop kept popping out when ever I put a lot of pressure down on it to reef etc.

I made a cover for the opening in the sail slot from 1/8 ss.

 

[J Hunter]

My h30 has the slide/slug gate/cover- original on Kenyon spar. Looks alot like the one Richard made but with one slot instead of two holes. I'm guessing but I don't think I could get my sail far enough down to put the sail cover on if I left the slides all above the installation opening. Putting in and taking out the stop every time you raise the main solves almost nothing, it would only keep them above the opening after the sail was up, when they aren't going to come out anyway

 

[Ed H]

My 1981 Hunter 33 has a gate type of stopper that is held on by a screw. The gate only partially closes the opening in the track. When you drop the sail at the end of the day several of the slugs slide down below the gate. When the sail is raised again, those slugs have to slide up past the gate. If they get hung up, adjust the gate or try some wax. The gate is visible just above my head in this picture. Ed H

 

[jorgefife]

Thank you Ed H
Appreciate your help and all others also

 

[J Hunter]

Jorge,

Rigrite has 3 sizes of slug gates shown, they are for Kenyon spars but may work on your mast, look half'way down the page. Don't know if they still sell them.

http://www.rigrite.com/spars/kenyon_spars/4270-HP.html

 

[jorgefife]

Guiders 48
Just read your repply again and noticed I have not repplied to it; sorry
The problem is not capturing the slugs on the way down: it is having to feed a couple on the way up!
And the sail I got at the salvage yard was for a Hunter 34, and mine is a 33
Fits nicelyu though, and I think it was the same... although the boat it came out of was also a H33, just like mine!
So he too had the wrong sail, but as I said, it seems to be adequate