Tides Marine Strong Track

All U Get

All U Get

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Oct 2, 2008
3,810
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Hi all,

Talking with Skip from Flying Pigs about boat issues he brought to my attention the Tides Marine Strong Track which we have both installed on our boats. He had one of his slides pull out of the track and then he noticed the track had worn areas over the entire length. He was told that the track had a service life and would have to be replaced periodically. Has anyone else noticed any wear marks on their track system?

All U Get
 
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Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Yes, mine has begun to show signs of being "chewed", with odd scratches and the bottom of the track has become discolored, like sun-damaged plastic. My rigger tells me that Tides Marine now sells replacement track at reasonable cost, so I plan to have it replaced prior to spring commissioning. Not sure how old it is, somewhere between 10 and 13 years old.
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Same here. Mine is 15 years old, and clearly showing signs of UV detereration. I've also heard of the 'reasonable' cost replacement; and wondering exactly what that means. But I'd never have a boat without it; so mark me down as 'happy'. @Gunni let me know what they say.
 
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Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Tides Marine sell the track for $13.25 / ft. My rigger charges $100 / hr. So I figure an all-up cost to do a replacement will be just north of 1 boat-buck. And yes, worth every cent. KISS traditional sail handling system.
 
Rich Stidger

Rich Stidger

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Feb 10, 2004
4,095
Hunter 40.5 Warwick, RI
I had the Tides system on my boat for 15-16 years. Great improvement for main sail handling. I never saw any wear or UV degradation. Sold it to another h40.5 owner when I upgraded to a boom furling system.
 
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Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
All U Get said:
So what should we expect, 7-10 years?

All U Get
Click to expand
Well mine is 15 years and going strong, it has some cosmetic (for now!) UV degradation but structurally its fine.
 
WayneH

WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,087
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
Mine has a bit of damage where the lazy jack pulleys were not twisted together to stop them from thrumming in the wind. I'm not sure how old my track. I've only had the boat for 5 years. But it still looks good except for the spots where the pulleys have hit it.
 
Drinky Crow

Drinky Crow

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Dec 7, 2018
221
C&C 27 Mk V Vancouver
Looks like I'm going the Tides route. What say you pinned or pinless slugs? Any difference in how the 2" slugs slide compared to the 1 3/8" slugs? Prefer to save some weight but the whole point is ease of dousing, right?
 
Tally Ho

Tally Ho

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Jan 7, 2011
5,438
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I installed one 2 seasons ago...installed the main sail today and all seems well.
I am not sure that all of my slugs are the same size. I have full battens on my main, so maybe those are larger than the intermediate slugs.

Greg
 
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Jackdaw

Jackdaw

.
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Drinky Crow said:
Looks like I'm going the Tides route. What say you pinned or pinless slugs? Any difference in how the 2" slugs slide compared to the 1 3/8" slugs? Prefer to save some weight but the whole point is ease of dousing, right?
Click to expand
On my full-batten main, the 5 battens are on trick articulating ends with 2 in slides. All others (save the headboard) are on 1 3/8 slides. UV for sure wears the track out. I replace mine 2 years ago after it started to split in half at the track/groove joint. $11/foot for new track; not bad. They look up your track SN (printed on the label on the track-end cover and make the exact thing. The new track comes with a new cover (and new serial number).
 
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Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Drinky Crow said:
Yes my top two full battens will have those articulating pegs that scew to the batten pocket.
They offer 3 lengths in pinless. SailTrack Slide and Receptacle Selections | Tides Marine
Suppose they work same as pinned, your short ones never bind?
When you say "cover" you mean mast gate?
How do they ship the track? Coiled?
Click to expand
They never ever bind.
The pinless one work where they can be sewn on. But a PITA when you want to move then to a new sail
Yes, the track equivalent of a mast gate. They call it a cover.
Coiled. And DO NOT uncoil it before putting it in!
 
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Tally Ho

Tally Ho

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Jan 7, 2011
5,438
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
It is not a hard install, but you do need the right opening in your mast gate. I had to open mine up a little with a Dremel and a grinder...

I must have a burr somewhere because I found not get the track up more than a foot or so. I pulled it out, noticed a scratch on one side...and filed down that side of the mast gate...went in like a dream after that. I did mostly by myself.

As Jackdaw said, keep the track coiled and only cut the specific ties as you slide it up the mast.

Greg
 
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All U Get

All U Get

.
Oct 2, 2008
3,810
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Wow, five years ago. I had spoken with a number of cruisers that have had good success with changing their Tides Track. The last was our friends whose boat had an "in mast furler" at one time but had that opening plated over. Clips for the Tides Track were attached every four inches up the mast for attaching the specialized extrusion Tides Track. The instructions were to unroll the track completely in the warm sun to make inserting it on to the clips easier. They received the exact measurement needed for the replacement. UV degrading over time and having the sail flog in light winds from aft and seas abeam or confused were the reasons for the track splitting.
 
Drinky Crow

Drinky Crow

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Dec 7, 2018
221
C&C 27 Mk V Vancouver
Did you all have to go up the rig to put in screw at the top?
Have a plastic insert in luff groove above mast gate, and none below so guess I'll have to get a short piece of track w/a bigger "slug" size and splice it in.
Maybe I can pull the old insert down out the mast gate. Could be messy.
 
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