Mast Gate Giving Me Grief

[tomgrigsby]

The mast gate on my boat is giving me grief. I have an adjustable bracket on the stbd side of the track. The slugs either hang up or pop out while I'm raising the main. I can't even imagine trying to run the halyard back to the cockpit. If you have a picture of a mast gate that works, would you be kind enough to post it? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Ed Schenck]

Can't visualize your mast gate Tom. On my Kenyon mast the sail slugs store above(on top of) the gate. In other words the slugs do not pass the gate when raising the main. Your description sounds like your sail slugs are going through the gate on the way up. Does not seem right but I know our masts are a little different.

 

[Richard Bryer]

I made a mast gate ( I am differentiating here between a "mast gate" and a mast track "stop") I much prefer the mast gate as you can get the main down further to reach the reefing hook and I found the mast gate was always popping out when I pulled hard on the sail to hook it on the reef hook or compact it for flaking. It sounds like you need to take a close look at yours and maybe it has bent a bit, leaving enough track opening for slugs to pop out, Could explain the hanging up also. A bit of carefull work with a small hammer or a vise could be the answer

Here is the picture of the one I made it just fills enough of the slot to keep the slugs from popping out.