I was practicing reefing and when I tried to hook the second reef point at the mast it wouldn't reach. It is about 2" short of the hook. I have a '81 37C and the main is original. I must be missing something. I stood back and looked at it and everything is the way it should be. Anyone have the same problem?
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Same problem.
My new(in 2000) North mainsail has the same problem. The loft offered to install a web strap with ring but I have never done it. Instead I just have a six-inch piece of line through the cringle. The other fix might be to modify the sail track and lower the stop. Then the slugs could come down further. I would have to be at the boat to verify that(and I will be tomorrow and Wednesday). This would be a simple mod if the mast was horizontal. Cut two or three inches off the bottom. Then insert that stub first and push it to the top with the other two sections of sail track. Geez, wish I had thought of that while my mast was on the rack!
My new(in 2000) North mainsail has the same problem. The loft offered to install a web strap with ring but I have never done it. Instead I just have a six-inch piece of line through the cringle. The other fix might be to modify the sail track and lower the stop. Then the slugs could come down further. I would have to be at the boat to verify that(and I will be tomorrow and Wednesday). This would be a simple mod if the mast was horizontal. Cut two or three inches off the bottom. Then insert that stub first and push it to the top with the other two sections of sail track. Geez, wish I had thought of that while my mast was on the rack!
YUP
I have to lower the mast track "stop" and pull of at least one slug on the luff, to get even the first reef point tack onto the ram horn. Also, because of the height of the slot stop ( approx 12" above tack/boom gooseneck, the head of the sail is very high even when dropped fully. I have to go up on my toes with arms fully extended to clip on halyard shackle. I am 6 feet. I almost could use a mast step two feet off the deck. Scott
I have to lower the mast track "stop" and pull of at least one slug on the luff, to get even the first reef point tack onto the ram horn. Also, because of the height of the slot stop ( approx 12" above tack/boom gooseneck, the head of the sail is very high even when dropped fully. I have to go up on my toes with arms fully extended to clip on halyard shackle. I am 6 feet. I almost could use a mast step two feet off the deck. Scott
slide problem,
ED thought you looked at my track. I made a door out of some aluminum stock with two screws in it. No sail stop so the sail comes all the way down to the boom at the gooseneck. Works great. That was the first thing i did when i got the new sail. I could not reach the head to put on the halyard without climbing. The sail folds a lot better too!
ED thought you looked at my track. I made a door out of some aluminum stock with two screws in it. No sail stop so the sail comes all the way down to the boom at the gooseneck. Works great. That was the first thing i did when i got the new sail. I could not reach the head to put on the halyard without climbing. The sail folds a lot better too!
Tampa Ed
would you describe how you take the luff slugs out of the mast track when taking the sail off the mast and whether you can reef the main without pulling one or two slugs out of the tack to get the cringle down to the horn? If I lower the slot stop down to the gooseneck I still have mast track with the missing curb a foot or so above the boom and the sail can start to fall out of the track. Scott
would you describe how you take the luff slugs out of the mast track when taking the sail off the mast and whether you can reef the main without pulling one or two slugs out of the tack to get the cringle down to the horn? If I lower the slot stop down to the gooseneck I still have mast track with the missing curb a foot or so above the boom and the sail can start to fall out of the track. Scott
Scott, I dont take any out! thats the good part!
You need to make a door that closes over the track opening. This door Aluminum works fine can be purchaced from a spar shop, then modified to fit or you can fabricate one. To reef it i have a strap thru the kringle with an eye on each end. the strap is long enough to reach the hook without removing any slides. this gets the tack down low enough to work. I also have a loose footed mainsail. When the reef is pulled in the boom lifts untill the clew is in position then i top up the halyard. It works a lot better than trying to remove slugs to get the reef in. the tack sets several inches above the gooseneck but that is of now significance if the sail is tight. You will also be happy to reduce significant windage when the sail is down and flaked on the boom. and you will be able to reach the headboard because the stack of sail is about a foot lower on the mast when its down. It sure is easy to try and a good idea! Ed Allen
You need to make a door that closes over the track opening. This door Aluminum works fine can be purchaced from a spar shop, then modified to fit or you can fabricate one. To reef it i have a strap thru the kringle with an eye on each end. the strap is long enough to reach the hook without removing any slides. this gets the tack down low enough to work. I also have a loose footed mainsail. When the reef is pulled in the boom lifts untill the clew is in position then i top up the halyard. It works a lot better than trying to remove slugs to get the reef in. the tack sets several inches above the gooseneck but that is of now significance if the sail is tight. You will also be happy to reduce significant windage when the sail is down and flaked on the boom. and you will be able to reach the headboard because the stack of sail is about a foot lower on the mast when its down. It sure is easy to try and a good idea! Ed Allen
Ed A
Can you describe the "door", since it sounds like it is something other than merely screwing a plate over the track cutout. Thanks. Scott
Can you describe the "door", since it sounds like it is something other than merely screwing a plate over the track cutout. Thanks. Scott
I will try!
flat piece of aluminun or stainless. 1/8> or so think 3x3. bend about 1/8 of an inch on one side to 90 degrees. that bent section should be cut down to fit perfectly into the sail track to provide a smooth edge for the sail slides to slide on so they can move past the opening with out catching the slide. take out the slide stop and put it in your pocket. the plate should be bent to contour to the shape of the mast. keep the flat part of the plate tight against the mast drill and screw in place. Now the slides can fall but the edge of the plate keeps them in the track so they can not escape. this is a nice deal. I wish i had a picture to send you. Ill try to get one taken. Hope this is clear. Tampa Ed.
flat piece of aluminun or stainless. 1/8> or so think 3x3. bend about 1/8 of an inch on one side to 90 degrees. that bent section should be cut down to fit perfectly into the sail track to provide a smooth edge for the sail slides to slide on so they can move past the opening with out catching the slide. take out the slide stop and put it in your pocket. the plate should be bent to contour to the shape of the mast. keep the flat part of the plate tight against the mast drill and screw in place. Now the slides can fall but the edge of the plate keeps them in the track so they can not escape. this is a nice deal. I wish i had a picture to send you. Ill try to get one taken. Hope this is clear. Tampa Ed.
There IS a simple way
There is a line on my main which solves this problem quite nicely. If my brain was a wee bit less addled I might be able to remember what it's called. It will come back to me some day. It is a piece of small stuff running up the luff starting at the tack and running up about 3 feet or so. It is woven throuigh pairs of grommets at each slide point. I think it involves either two or three slides. IT is tied off at it's top so that when the sail is set snug the line is tight. When the halyard is freed it the line goes slack, allowing the slides to stack up and the tack to pull down to the the horn freely. My original JSI sail had one and I had Quantum duplicate it at both the first and second reef points on the new main. The system works well. I have two reefing lines for each reef point, one for each tack, one for each clew, all run back to the cockpit.. To reef I head up just off the wind, lock the wheel, ease out the main sheet, ease the halyard as I haul in the tack reef line, haul it tight, winch out the clew reef line, winch up the halyard, then fine tune. It has never taken more than 2 minutes start to finish. I occasionaly have my wife steer, but it usualy works better if I lock the wheel. I'm not sure what have to complain about now that I'll have my new wheel pilot to do the dirty work. If my brain ever comes back to life I'll post the name of the line, or maybe someone can help me here?
There is a line on my main which solves this problem quite nicely. If my brain was a wee bit less addled I might be able to remember what it's called. It will come back to me some day. It is a piece of small stuff running up the luff starting at the tack and running up about 3 feet or so. It is woven throuigh pairs of grommets at each slide point. I think it involves either two or three slides. IT is tied off at it's top so that when the sail is set snug the line is tight. When the halyard is freed it the line goes slack, allowing the slides to stack up and the tack to pull down to the the horn freely. My original JSI sail had one and I had Quantum duplicate it at both the first and second reef points on the new main. The system works well. I have two reefing lines for each reef point, one for each tack, one for each clew, all run back to the cockpit.. To reef I head up just off the wind, lock the wheel, ease out the main sheet, ease the halyard as I haul in the tack reef line, haul it tight, winch out the clew reef line, winch up the halyard, then fine tune. It has never taken more than 2 minutes start to finish. I occasionaly have my wife steer, but it usualy works better if I lock the wheel. I'm not sure what have to complain about now that I'll have my new wheel pilot to do the dirty work. If my brain ever comes back to life I'll post the name of the line, or maybe someone can help me here?
I tried that system too.
It does work fine if you dont have a loose footed main, My problem was also that the lines laced to the slides kept fouling as i tried to reef. so the door reduces the number of strings. I had the slides laced to the sail so when the sail droped the lines went slack between the slide and the sail. then you could drop the sail down a bit more leaving the botton slides above the stopper, but when the opening is a foot above the gooseneck it takes a good bit of string.
It does work fine if you dont have a loose footed main, My problem was also that the lines laced to the slides kept fouling as i tried to reef. so the door reduces the number of strings. I had the slides laced to the sail so when the sail droped the lines went slack between the slide and the sail. then you could drop the sail down a bit more leaving the botton slides above the stopper, but when the opening is a foot above the gooseneck it takes a good bit of string.
i guess it is a plate.
the reason i call it a door is i made one on a previous boat with a hinge and pin so you could open and close it easily. But i never really needed to do it. it does bend and go into the track to take up the space that was cut out. it goes in the track far enough to let the slide fall without catching on in the opening. it has to fill the opening or the slide will catch on the edges of the mast. If i make one up and come up can i go sailing?
the reason i call it a door is i made one on a previous boat with a hinge and pin so you could open and close it easily. But i never really needed to do it. it does bend and go into the track to take up the space that was cut out. it goes in the track far enough to let the slide fall without catching on in the opening. it has to fill the opening or the slide will catch on the edges of the mast. If i make one up and come up can i go sailing?
Ed A; I think I get it
the "door" is a plate that covers the edge of the track where the cutout is. To take the sail off the mast you have to remove the plate, not just swivel it. Got's to get me one of dem deals. Thanks, Scott.
the "door" is a plate that covers the edge of the track where the cutout is. To take the sail off the mast you have to remove the plate, not just swivel it. Got's to get me one of dem deals. Thanks, Scott.
Busy thread!
You guys have been busy since I posted this morning. And like I told you Ed, my mind is shot. Now that I have read this thread I remember perfectly. I thought it was a great idea at the time. Now I will go do it.
You guys have been busy since I posted this morning. And like I told you Ed, my mind is shot. Now that I have read this thread I remember perfectly. I thought it was a great idea at the time. Now I will go do it.
Ed A.
How about a photo of your track plate in exchange for a Seattle sail. My e-mail is in the owners list. Why is the exit slot on the mast track to far from the gooseneck anyway - anybody know? Scott
How about a photo of your track plate in exchange for a Seattle sail. My e-mail is in the owners list. Why is the exit slot on the mast track to far from the gooseneck anyway - anybody know? Scott
Scott, thats a different problem
but you can use a single reef line system that will allow you to do it from the cockpit. but it takes a lot of line blocks ect. and is not fast! You end up not using the horn at all. ED
but you can use a single reef line system that will allow you to do it from the cockpit. but it takes a lot of line blocks ect. and is not fast! You end up not using the horn at all. ED
Answer to Scott from April 20: Jack Line
I definitely CAN get the tack cringle down to the gooseneck, where it is held firmly in place by the reefing line. The second reef will then drop in slightly above that. The nomenclature for the line lacing in the slides is "Jack Line", as I have heard it. The whole thing works quite nicely without a lot of effort. I usualy don't even bother to furl up the excess sail. I just leave it it the Lazy jacks, first reef on one side, second reef on the other.
I definitely CAN get the tack cringle down to the gooseneck, where it is held firmly in place by the reefing line. The second reef will then drop in slightly above that. The nomenclature for the line lacing in the slides is "Jack Line", as I have heard it. The whole thing works quite nicely without a lot of effort. I usualy don't even bother to furl up the excess sail. I just leave it it the Lazy jacks, first reef on one side, second reef on the other.
Scott,
I went out over the weekend and thru in a reef, no problem went for the wonderful digital camera and ... well no picture yet try to get one on wednesday. The door is about a foot above the gooseneck.
I went out over the weekend and thru in a reef, no problem went for the wonderful digital camera and ... well no picture yet try to get one on wednesday. The door is about a foot above the gooseneck.
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