Slugs and slides

[Kd9truck]

Ok, had a little to much fun with the wind around the storms this season and now I have to replace ^^11 of the 21 slugs that hold the main to the mast. The luff is 53 ft and it is footless. I had broke 9 slugs the first season of said main In one day last year from a straight line wind event that knocked our vessel flat with 60+ knots on a full sail plan.
I have looked at everything from roller furlers to tides track similar systems, and presently have 20 heavy Duty Ronstan (1/2 inch) slugs on the way from sailrite.
What’s working for you guys?

The sails history:

Rolley Tasker from national sail supply:
with 2, 8 month seasons.
10+ days reefed on the second reef 25-30 knots
20= days reefed on the first reef
20+ 15-20 knot days
10 maybe 20 days floating and bobbing probably, less but it feels like more..way more.



^^ one 8 hr day of 25+ knots

[psk125]

Our mains hoist with the luff rope in the groove: no slugs. We put in a first reef at about 25 knots. Perhaps a second if it gets over 30, which has not been often. We drop to the #3 jib if we're heading upwind in that much breeze. We race a good bit and don't log usage as carefully as you do. I think we have four or five mains. Two #3's, and three or four #1 genoas, and four spinnakers.

[Kd9truck]

I did not realize the J-boats were “rope in mast track”, it makes a lot of sense the most surface area to disperse the load and the direct connection transfers the energy, but the down side is the labor. I mostly single hand and when I have company it is of the non-active crazing participants kind.

is there any temporary stowage on boom? Are the sail foots captured or loose?

[psk125]

Only one of our mains uses the boom slot for its footrope. The others are loose-footed. If the bunt of a reefed sail bothers us by flapping too much we run a sail tie through a cringle to quiet it down.

[maine50]

For any serious boat, the main should have a top metal slug/slide and a metal
slug/slide just above each reef.

[psk125]

Guess we'll just have to tell jokes when we go sailing then.

[Kd9truck]

[I]Guess we'll just have to tell jokes when we go sailing then.



😭😭😭 and so it begins.

[JPA Cate]

Kd9truck,

When you lose slugs you need to replace the missing ones before the next sail, even if you have to drop the main and sew them on under way, because you can get a unzipping effect, where you lose more and more of them. When you sew them on, copy the stitching pattern done by the sail maker, or, take a look on You tube at ways of sewing slugs to mainsails. All you're going to need is a good quality sail needle, and reasonable twine, and a sharp pocket knife.

Having a long, metal slug by the reef points helps protect the slugs above the reef point, and helps the luff of the sail stay the correct distance aft of the mast.

Investigate lazy jacks if you want to keep the main corralled on the boom when you reef or drop it.

Ann

[Jammer]

New-to-us boat last fall. Took sails to the sailmaker over the winter for cleaning and blessing. 2nd sail this spring a slug tore loose. Upon inspection it was clear that the slugs were too small, no idea why, previous owners were said to sail the boat rarely if at all. Had sailmaker install proper sized slugs. Have been on the water sailing 23 days since then with a few days where we did not use the main, a few days reefed, a few days with everything up. Slugs still OK.

They do not move as smoothly in the track as I would like tending to bind during hoist/douse even when we are pointed straight into the wind. I will try to clean up the track a little next spring but mostly see this as an inherent limitation.


We use a reef hook at the tack when reefing.


I think that battcars would be nice to have but, like the dutchman system, I am unwilling to spend the money.

[Kd9truck]

have to drop the main and sew them on under way, because you can get a unzipping effect, where you lose more and more of them. When you sew them on, copy the stitching pattern done by the sail maker, or, take a look on You tube at ways of sewing slugs to mainsails. All you're going to need is a good quality sail needle, and reasonable twine, and a sharp pocket knife.

Having a long, metal slug by the reef points helps protect the slugs above the reef point, and helps the luff of the sail stay the correct distance aft of the mast.

Investigate lazy jacks if you want to keep the main corralled on the boom when you reef or drop it.

Ann

Yes Ann, in both season events that had happened I realized the slugs had been compromised and as I was striking the sail the zipper effect was in full swing.
There were no indications of a failure In mass up until then, in both cases.

My sewing of the nylon slugs is a high note as none of the webbing gave way.

I used heavy duty nylon slugs at the battens because the stacking of those
elongated metal slugs adds to the sails hight and I still want it to fit inside the lazy jack “stack pack” /sail bag.

Crossing my fingers with the heavy duty replacements

[JPA Cate]

I hear the problem about the stack pack. You could alter the stack pack to get more height at the front, and tapering back, by adding fabric. You'd remove the top and insert a triangular insert, and replace the top. It's a nuisance, you have to remove and store the main, wash the cover (so as not to introduce dirt into the sewing machine). If you cannot match the fabric color, use something different enough so that it looks like a deliberate design feature. Also, you can install steps on the mast to get you up high enough, if you can't reach from the deck.

Good luck with it.

Ann

[Kd9truck]

I have mast steps, need them and use them. I have 2 stack pack sail covers, the older one let the headboard show, the one I constructed last winter is “fitted” with not much room to spare in that headboard region

Thanks for your input Ann🙏🏻