Slug gate for mast

[oldiesrocker2001]

I am preparing to build a Sail slug gate for my old V21 in the spring. Those of you that have this or similar models already know it had a pretty wide flare for the bolt rope opening. This often made reefing difficult by adding the need to remove the slug stopper or, in my case a bungee cord, when preparing to reef, and required climbing out of the cockpit to begin the reefing procedure.
While I can do this project with the material on hand, I was wondering if anyone had simply hammered the flare back in leaving an opening on the bottom just large enough for the slugs to be inserted. Is this even possible(I have some body working tools that could possibly be used on this project)? :stirthepot:

 

[MrBill_FLL]

I've put this on my to do list....

this pic was posted not that long ago as a good solution.

 

[timebandit]

I closed the entire gate with just a hammer and a block of wood and then opened another one below the boom with a tire iron.

I install the sail by sliping the slugs in and pulling up the sail and then installing the boom.

Once the boom is installed the slugs can lower all the way down to the boom for reefing or just stacking.

I am preparing to build a Sail slug gate for my old V21 in the spring. Those of you that have this or similar models already know it had a pretty wide flare for the bolt rope opening. This often made reefing difficult by adding the need to remove the slug stopper or, in my case a bungee cord, when preparing to reef, and required climbing out of the cockpit to begin the reefing procedure.
While I can do this project with the material on hand, I was wondering if anyone had simply hammered the flare back in leaving an opening on the bottom just large enough for the slugs to be inserted. Is this even possible(I have some body working tools that could possibly be used on this project)? :stirthepot:

 

[Sumner]

I've put this on my to do list....

this pic was posted not that long ago as a good solution.

Me too, I have the..................

.................. slug stop, but it is just a matter of time before I drop it overboard,

Sum

Installing Slugs

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

I was considering that same approach, timebandit, but figured I could leave just enough of the flare at the bottom to insert each slug if angled correctly and then put the slug stopper in above that probably in between the bottom slug and the next to last one. This might leave enough of the slugs room to slide down easily enough to reef and stack. My makeshift gin pole attaches with thru-bolts thru the mast a bit below the boom attachment and I don't know yet if it will be affected by flaring there. Of course if it doesn't work the way I want, I can always try your approach for next year.
I'm also adding a simple down haul(more lines to rig!) to ease dropping the main when the Admiral is handling sails/sheets, since we switch jobs like these frequently but she doesn't have the reach that I do and gets annoyed - cant have that- it should be fun 90% of the time..

 

[JDK]

II'm also adding a simple down haul(more lines to rig!) to ease dropping the main when the Admiral is handling sails/sheets,



Just an idea, but we swear by this stuff. After loosening the clutch, I have to keep a toe on the halyard to keep the main from falling too fast. I lube the track for the slugs twice a year and it stays pretty slick.

thx
JDK

 

[timebandit]

I think there might be differences in the way the goose neck mounts to the mast on different models.

You can't see it but my goose neck mounts to the mast with a single 3/8 inch thru bolt with a 4 inch tang thats keeps it from spinning by screwing a small thumb screw into the sail track. The thumb screw allowed the boom to rotate for reefing and then be locked in the new position. I have often thought of using a combination of the roller reefing first to take up most of the bottom of the sail and then use jiffing reefing for better sail shape. I wouldn't have to worry about tieing up the bottom of the sail this way.

There was a thread pertaining to the type of rivets or screws to mount the goose neck to the mast on the 26's.

This is an early photo with the rope slot and a stopper made of a small line tied to prevent the slugs from falling out.

I do have a sail stop but I put it below the boom and use the screw and nut to mount the ship's bell.

 

[Sumner]

There was a thread pertaining to the type of rivets or screws to mount the goose neck to the mast on the 26's.

This is an early photo with the rope slot and a stopper made of a small line tied to prevent the slugs from falling out

The above photo is of our mast after I..................

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/rigging-3.html

......moved the boom up and actually the slugs are held up with....................

..........one of these. I'm going to replace that though with the pin.

We are also thinking of going to something like this.....

http://www.doylesails.com/cruising/stackpack/index.html

Doyle's StackPack mainsail furling system. We won't buy one. Ruth was going to make a main sail cover anyway and with this system it takes care of reefing the main and also covering it at the end of the day. I think we will give it a try.

We have never had the main covered before, but it was old and wore out anyway. We hope to be out on the boat way more this year than last and we just got our new sails and I'd like to have them covered more of the time. Last year it didn't make much difference as usually while we were on the boat we were moving. This year we might be sitting more and it would be nice to have the main covered like the furled head sail will be. The main we got is loose footed, so I think it would work good with something like the StackPack.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[timebandit]

If you check Joel's video at 6:52 you can see the bolt that mounts the goose neck to the mast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JnTi4UBlY

I now understand why the 26 owners cannot open a slot below. I guess you could if you installed a sliding goose neck.

 

[Chris & Lenore]

I have used slug gates and jacklines and found issues with both - but what I ended up with works very well. I closed the slot on our 26S all the way down to the boom mount. There I drilled a hole large enough to "just" insert the slug "shotgun style". The hole is just through the outer "lips" and JUST anove the boom mount.

I then drilled a small hole straight into the mast right in the middle of this "hole". A small self tapping screw is then used to effectively stop the slugs coming back out the hole.

I have several of the stops described above but the screw lets the slugs fall almost all the way to the boom mount.

Works perfectly and if I loose a screw (I have several loose ones already ) it's not like dropping a $15 slug stop over the side.

Jacklines (like on the modern Macs) worked second best but I hate adding lines if I don't have to. There is already enough line on a sailboat to get tangled.

Chris

 

[Chris & Lenore]

Also a comment on lazy jacks. Consider looking at www.exjax.com
This system is easily fabricated and has several advantages:
- it can be retracted when not required
- deploys with one line when needed
- no need to modify sail cover

They even have pdf's of their installation instructions which is enough to figure it out - although the kits they sell are reasonable and good looking.

Chris

 

[Sumner]

..... Consider looking at www.exjax.com
...........Chris

Do you have another link? That one doesn't work for me.

We don't have a sail cover now, so if the lazy jacks and it could be combined to work together that would be great for us.

Thanks,

Sum

 

[c130king]

Sum,

Try ezjax.com

I have lazy jacks...love 'em. But I have to take them off (< 2 min op) to put on my sail cover. Can't see myself even going out without them.

Here is a video of me using my furler and lazy jacks while single-handing that shows them in operation.

Cheers,
Jim

P.S. My system WAS jiffyjax (jiffyjax.com) but I modified with "clips" at mast end and boom end for quick/easy clip-on/clip-off so that I can put on my sail cover. A man with your talents can probably build his own lazy jacks.

 

[beamreach]

issues wi

I have used slug gates and jacklines and found th both - but what I ended up with works very well. I closed the slot on our 26S all the way down to the boom mount. There I drilled a hole large enough to "just" insert the slug "shotgun style". The hole is just through the outer "lips" and JUST anove the boom mount.

I then drilled a small hole straight into the mast right in the middle of this "hole". coming bA small self tapping screw is then used to effectively stop the slugs ack out the hole.

I have several of the stops described above but the screw lets the slugs fall almost all the way to the boom mount.

Works perfectly and if I loose a screw (I have several loose ones already ) it's not like dropping a $15 slug stop over the side.

Jacklines (like on the modern Macs) worked second best but I hate adding lines if I don't have to. There is already enough line on a sailboat to get tangled.

Chris

Why not use a quick release pin tied to the mast below the boom instead of the screw?

 

[timebandit]

Have a look at these--

http://www.ne-ts.com/mac/bb/bb-106lazyjax.html

 

[Chris & Lenore]

To the question of why not a quick release pin vs a screw (2 posts above).
Teliki's main only comes off 2 - 3 times per season. A pin sideways through the channel works just as well - but I had a self tapping screw handy at the time...

Chris

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

Once again, Thanks everybody for your input. My boom, like Timebandit's, also bolts on just below the flare so the idea of opening a flare below the boom won't work on mine either.
My rigging only comes down once per season as a general rule but many of the pin and line setups would seem to work only for dropping the main at the end of the day and not allow enough of a drop for effective reefing(without, of course, climbing up to the mast and then clambering back down to actually effect the reef with all lines already led back to the cockpit).
Some may remember my posts about effective sailing while reefed and much if this problem I think stems from the ability of the bottom slug-placed poorly in my opinion- to pull out of the flare when the reefed sail is under load - thus creating a poor sail shape-even for reefed. So it seems that a homeade add-on gate or hammering the flare shut with just enough to insert slugs shotgun style seems the way to go for me - even if it will now take longer to bend the sails on.
I also use the dri lube on tracks but in a stiff breeze or motoring in the sail doesn't lower as easily as it could so perhaps the ability of more slugs dropping lower may help...

 

[JDK]

We sometimes forget how nice it would be to leave the mast up and just walk onto the boat and leave the dock. I counted the times afloat in 2009, and we raised the mast, mounted the boom, slugged the main, hanked on the headsail...and reversed the process... 43 times. No wonder my slugs get sticky after a while.

On the other hand, we don't have green goo growing on the hull, and I can work on 'issues' easily and on the spur of the moment. The through-pin works for us, but it's obviously no panacea for everyone.

Racing season starts in three weeks, so I thought I'd include a picture taken from the helm of our nemesis in a race last year. He doesn't reef, but may put up a smaller headsail. The second pic is of our boat in the same race, which you may have seen before. It's all about the adrenalin. (The picture of our boat was taken as the Alubat passed us...but couldn't overcome the handicap numbers to actually win. So sorry...)



thx
JDK

 

[Sumner]

I am preparing to build a Sail slug gate for my old V21 in the spring. Those of you that have this or similar models already know it had a pretty wide flare for the bolt rope opening. This often made reefing difficult by adding the need to remove the slug stopper or, in my case a bungee cord, when preparing to reef, and required climbing out of the cockpit to begin the reefing procedure.
While I can do this project with the material on hand, I was wondering if anyone had simply hammered the flare back in leaving an opening on the bottom just large enough for the slugs to be inserted. Is this even possible(I have some body working tools that could possibly be used on this project)? :stirthepot:

Looks like you are maybe right back to your first post above . Now I have a question......

The above picture is of our mast/boom. When we reef we need to get the cringle down to where it can hook onto hook at the goose-neck (arrow). We often wait too long to reef or the wind comes up very suddenly and I want to get the sail dropped as fast as possible to hook it there at the goose-neck. I can see maybe hammering the flare in a little further down, but I wouldn't want to close it to almost the bottom and make it slower to drop the slugs and get them out.

What am I missing here, why do you guys want to do this?

Do you just want to get the sail a little lower on the mast at night when you drop it for the day?

Chris you might only take the sails off and on a couple times of the year, but what do you do when you reef?

Thanks,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[Chris & Lenore]

I have a double line reefing system. The rear line goes through a turning block and into a clam cleat. I didn't want to bring it to the mast and then back to the cockpit - way too much line to tangle plus the mid-boom is basically "in the cockpit" anyway.

The front has a 3/8 line fixed to the mast at boom height, goes through the reef cringle then down the other side of the mast, through a pad eye at boom level, down to a turning block at mast bottom and then to a rope clutch.

Reefing is a simple matter of pulling the rear line until the reef cringle is at the boom and then clam cleating it. Then it's easing the main halyard while pulling in the front reefing line. When the front is all in, lock the clutch and then retension the halyard.

Whole operation takes about 60 seconds or less. With the slugs "bottom loaded" like I described there is no need to go to the mast for anything.

Chris