Dumb Question

[FISHMAN]

Unfortunately, I will have to show my ignorance of sailing here. I have a 2005 26M with slugs on my main sail and my lines led aft to the cockpit so that I don't have to go forward to raise the sail. What do you use to keep the slugs from coming out at the bottom of the track when you drop the sail? Do you use some kind of metal band or plug? Perhaps a bungee cord?

[Lease]

One of these:



Called a Sail Track Stop. Available at most chandlers.

[johnnyonspot]

That is the designed/intended purpose of the sail track stopper pictured above. However, IMHO, this device is not worth a plugged nickel. In order to get it to stay in the slot and do its job without falling out and going kerplunk into the drink at a loss of ten bucks you have to get it pretty darn tight, and even then nothing is guaranteed. I find that looping a bungee or line aroung the mast and the cleats mounted on the mast works much better and is a lot cheaper. I had one of these stops and... yup, kerplunk. It had fallen out at least twice before and landed on the deck, to be retrieved and reinserted. Another option is to drill a small hole just above the opening of the mast slot and stick a pin through from one side to the other to act as a stop. There is a lot of pressure put on these stops when the sail is lowered and unfortuantely it is very difficult, in my experience, to get them tight enough to withstand the pressure. Better to go with the bungee and KISS IMHO.

[eric3a]

..

[bscott]

Bungee

[pokerrick1]

What Eric said - - (except loose is lose).

My '06 M mast CAME with a hole drilled at the botton of the slugs (came with slugs too) and a 7/16 bolt that stops the slugs. I imagine dealer added (Inmon) as part of his normal delivery service (plus he knew I was stupid)?

Rick