Hello: I have a question (a naive one from a novice I might add) regarding the plastic sail slugs that slide in the mast. Is there supposed to be a retainer cover to keep the slugs in the mast when the sail is lowered? Perhaps my mast is missing a piece? I would think there is a way to keep the slugs in the mast while the sail is tied to the boom. I think the boat has a "US Spars" mast and boom. We just bought a 1988 Hunter 23 and we are working towards getting it in the water this coming weekend. We just picked up the boat last week and have been cleaning it up. It has been left on the trailer for two years. Major improvements will have to wait until this winter. Thnank you.
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Sail Stops
Sail Slug stopsaresold at most sailing marine stores. For West Marine: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=72099 I prefer to just drill a hole into the mast at the bottom of the sail slot and insert a tight fitting cotter pin in to it with a small line tied to it so as not to loose it, It's too easy to loose half of a sail stop. (I've lost several over the past 50 years)
Sail Slug stopsaresold at most sailing marine stores. For West Marine: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=72099 I prefer to just drill a hole into the mast at the bottom of the sail slot and insert a tight fitting cotter pin in to it with a small line tied to it so as not to loose it, It's too easy to loose half of a sail stop. (I've lost several over the past 50 years)
Slug retainer
I dont know what the mainsail track looks like on the 23, but I had the same sort of problem with my 34. There was a sail track stop- which was positioned atthe top of the slot used to insert the slugs. This slot was about 8 in above the gooseneck so you could not getthe main right down, which gave me problems hooking the cringle on the horn when reefing. I made a cover which screws onto the mast and fills in the one side of the track so the slugs will slide down past it but not fall out. One of the best improvments I ever did. I made it out of 1/8 stainless and bent it double and crimped it with a vice then bent the rest to fit the curve of the mast. Drilled two holes and tapped them.
I dont know what the mainsail track looks like on the 23, but I had the same sort of problem with my 34. There was a sail track stop- which was positioned atthe top of the slot used to insert the slugs. This slot was about 8 in above the gooseneck so you could not getthe main right down, which gave me problems hooking the cringle on the horn when reefing. I made a cover which screws onto the mast and fills in the one side of the track so the slugs will slide down past it but not fall out. One of the best improvments I ever did. I made it out of 1/8 stainless and bent it double and crimped it with a vice then bent the rest to fit the curve of the mast. Drilled two holes and tapped them.
Buy two.
If you drop a sail stop, it'll likely bound overboard. I've never done it but it's just a matter of time. Tim, I use the one with the black, barrel-looking part that slides inside the mast on my h23. Mac
If you drop a sail stop, it'll likely bound overboard. I've never done it but it's just a matter of time. Tim, I use the one with the black, barrel-looking part that slides inside the mast on my h23. Mac
Buy three sail-stops
You need two on the mast, one above the gate to stop the slugs from falling down when you lower the sail, and the the second below the gate to hold the lowermost slug down when you reef the sail. The third is a spare...just in case. I tie a short piece of light line around one stop, pass it through the lowermost slug and then tie to the other stop. Haven't lost a slug since I started doing that six years ago. A cotter pin through a hole in the mast is OK too but make sure it doesn't end or corrode (dissimilar metals) or it may hang up in the hole and slow down the reefing process. Peter H23 "Raven"
You need two on the mast, one above the gate to stop the slugs from falling down when you lower the sail, and the the second below the gate to hold the lowermost slug down when you reef the sail. The third is a spare...just in case. I tie a short piece of light line around one stop, pass it through the lowermost slug and then tie to the other stop. Haven't lost a slug since I started doing that six years ago. A cotter pin through a hole in the mast is OK too but make sure it doesn't end or corrode (dissimilar metals) or it may hang up in the hole and slow down the reefing process. Peter H23 "Raven"
sail slug retainer
My 88 H23 mast has a little L shaped fitting on a string attached to the mast. There is about 1/4 " flattend area that is just a little wider than the width of the slot. This prevents it from falling out after you put it in place. There is a hole inside the slot at the top of the area just above the wide part of the slot. You orient the flat part of the L so that it fits through the slot, stick it into the little hole, and rotate it 90 degrees so that now the fat part of the L is wider than the slot and it stays in place. The plastic slugs sit on top of this little L peice and stay in the groove. Hope this helps. I will go out and take a picture in a few days and try to attach it to an email.
My 88 H23 mast has a little L shaped fitting on a string attached to the mast. There is about 1/4 " flattend area that is just a little wider than the width of the slot. This prevents it from falling out after you put it in place. There is a hole inside the slot at the top of the area just above the wide part of the slot. You orient the flat part of the L so that it fits through the slot, stick it into the little hole, and rotate it 90 degrees so that now the fat part of the L is wider than the slot and it stays in place. The plastic slugs sit on top of this little L peice and stay in the groove. Hope this helps. I will go out and take a picture in a few days and try to attach it to an email.
Sail Slugs
My 86 H23 just has a screw with a bolt in it. The screw is run into the groove at the bottom of the mast and then I tighten the bolt (on the outside) to keep it in place.
My 86 H23 just has a screw with a bolt in it. The screw is run into the groove at the bottom of the mast and then I tighten the bolt (on the outside) to keep it in place.
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