I have been going through sea trials on my newly purchased Hunter 28 and discovered a missing plate on the mast. It is where you feed the slides that attach to the main sail. In the attached photograph you can see a broken rivet and the outline of where the part used to be. It appears to have held in the plastic slides that attach to the main sail but somehow allowed to to move or something so you could pull them out at this location. I am new to sailing and getting things figured out but was having trouble trying to identify this part (or get a photo so I could fabricate something or have that done). It requires having a hand on deck to raise the main because the plastic slides need to be babysat while it is raised. If somehow has a photo or a suggestion it is greatly appreciated!!
Missing plate on mast
- Thread starter ManicFarmer
- Start date
Sounds like you are referring to a Mainsail Gates & Slide Stops. Masts that use a track for mainsail sail slides or Slugs require a means of keeping the sails Slides captive so that they don't fall out when the sail is lowered or reefed. Mainsail Gates allow the Sail Slides to slide past the Gate entrance without falling out. Mainsail Slide Stops are just that - Stops. They Stop the Sail Slides at whatever point they are placed, usually just above the slide entrance. You can buy one at your local or online marine chandlery like these MetalMast Mainsail Gates (rigrite.com) and Sail Hardware: Slugs and Slides - Sailrite
@sail sfbay Thanks so much, I will look into these and see which one will work best. Terminology is everything, I just couldn't figure out what to call this.
If you know the mast manufacturer you might contact them for the part. I did not see a specific reference to it in the Hunter 28 downloads here: HunterOwners.com downloads (sailboatowners.com) except in the US Spars catalog: page 2.cdr (sailboatowners.com)
Thanks for those links. I have some of that stuff in my books but not all of it. I'll see if I can figure out the manufacturer of mast as well. It would be nice to have the original part.
If your mast is Selden look at the mast base 1“ above the deck. My mast has a handwritten series of numbers etched into the mast surface. This gives all the information for identifying what mast you have.
See if there are any mfg stickers on the mast or boom. You probably have a z Spar mast but it would help to know the year model or hull number. US Spars has replacement parts for Z Spar. Info please
