Tides Marine Sail Track lifetime

[smokey73]

This is not a knock on Tides Marine Sail Track at all but just a caution to inspect your track for uv damage. Recently after a spirited sail I noticed a gap where the Tides Marine Sail Track had apparently separated from the mast. After that I did some research and it would seem that expected lifetime of the Tides Marine Sail Track is on the order of 10 years or so. My track was 13 years and since I live where the UV is pretty severe (South Carolina) and it was pretty degraded. Upon removal and replacement, it was brittle and the insert in the mast track had separated along a significant portion of the track. If it had failed while sailing it would have been a significant problem.

Again, this is not a complaint on the Tides Track but just a note to be aware of uv damage over time. I replaced my track and it was surprisingly easy and the Tides Marine Tech Rep that I spoke with (Dave) was top notch . He advised me on a lot of issues and, honestly, it is one of the best interchanges I have had with a tech rep in years. Price to replace was "reasonable" since I didn't have to replace any slides. Here are some pictures. The first shows where the track separated from the mast slot. The second shows the old brittle track. It was so brittle it broke easily

 

[Rich Stidger]

Good info Dan. I had a Tide track installed for 15 years and when I removed it, it looked very good. Of course I have less UV in RI. Nevertheless it's good to know it's not a "forever" piece of equipment.

 

[Rick D]

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[Ward H]

Having just installed the strong track about 3 weeks ago, thanks for the post. Hopefully, like Rich, mine will last longer here in New Jersey.
I need about 10 years of service out of mine.

 

[smokey73]

Here in SC I am on mooring so for at least some part of the day the track is exposed directly to sun. In addition, my boat is in the water all year so no way to orient it to be on the shady side when on the hard. Still, all in all, very happy with the Tides Marine product..

 

[WayneH]

I really like my Tides Marine strong back. It was on the boat when we purchased it in 2011. When we had the mast down during the retrofit, we decided to replace it because the lazy jack pulleys had beaten up part of the track. I wasn't sure how to get a replacement track so I sent Tides a picture of the keeper at the bottom with it's serial number. Tides had the original information and sent me an exact duplicate of my existing track without the UV degradation.

 

[Tally Ho]

Good to know. I have a Tides Marine Strong track…about 5 years old now. Will keep a close eye on it. I wonder if a UV protectant ( like Armor All ) applied a few times a year would extend the life.

I guess if they sell a new track at a reasonable price, that is a big win.

Greg

 

[FourPoints]

I wonder if a UV protectant ( like Armor All ) applied a few times a year would extend the life.

probably not Armor All, but 303 might actually be good.

Haven't tried that on mine, I figured I've got about 2 years left before it's due, I believe it's approx 13-15 years old (predates both me and the prior owner, but only by a little), but I'm in CT and my rig has been stored indoors every winter since I've owned it so that helps extend the life a bit.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I wonder if a UV protectant ( like Armor All ) applied a few times a year would extend the life.

Greg, I've been using this for several years and prior to this, Armour All for a total of 24 years on exterior plastics. My vinyl rub rail and exterior rubber hold downs could pass for new. Apply once/year.

 

[Tally Ho]

Greg, I've been using this for several years and prior to this, Armour All for a total of 24 years on exterior plastics. My vinyl rub rail and exterior rubber hold downs could pass for new. Apply once/year.

View attachment 217386

Thanks Ralph.

Since I go up the mast 2x a year minimum, applying a UV protector like that seems like a good idea.

Greg