Not quite sure how the X and M's are and if this would work or not for them. I made the simple slug gate above the other day in order to get the flaked sail down closer to the boom on our S so that the anticipated cover/sail pack wouldn't have to be so high.
It should also help in reefing in that we shouldn't have to drop slugs out of the mast track like we have had to in the past.
Here it is.....
.... in place and.....
with the sail down....and a link to using it on YouTube......
Sumner,
Elegant in it's simplicity. My slug has come loose and dropped off three times. Each time I was lucky and found it, told myself to go home and make some spares, but didn't. When I do it will be a Sumner Slug.
Thanks,
Dan
Sorry that I don't have any picks of my setup, all I did was drill a hole from one side of the mast to the other above the track opening and inserted a shaft locking pin so the sail slugs stay in the narrow part of the track.
The Mutt wrote:Sorry that I don't have any picks of my setup, all I did was drill a hole from one side of the mast to the other above the track opening and inserted a shaft locking pin so the sail slugs stay in the narrow part of the track.
Glenn
Glen the primary purpose of the gate is to........
.... help in reefing (don't have to drop slugs out) and in getting the sail while flaked further down on the boom for a shorter (in height) sail cover/sail pack,
At the moment we don't have a sail pack, I added the pin at the bottom of the track to stop the slugs falling out when I lowered the sail, it got really annoying having to re-insert them every time I raised the sail again, I see now I will have to make a gate when we add a sail pack.
The Mutt wrote:Sorry that I don't have any picks of my setup, all I did was drill a hole from one side of the mast to the other above the track opening and inserted a shaft locking pin so the sail slugs stay in the narrow part of the track.
Glenn
Your spring-clip pin looks more durable than the short length of 1/8" line I tie through a similar pair of holes in my mast track, and I can see how to tie a lanyard on it to keep from losing it over the side. Obviously it unclips in an instant for reefing. Good choice!
When I ordered my stack-pack from Doyle Chesapeake Sails, they made it to fit the top of my sail-slug stack - measured with the slugs stacked on top of the track stop. I don't know if KH uses the same top-height on their stack pack, but it would be worth asking if you order from them.
The gate cover that BYW offers is not made for the flared type opening on my 26M.
I am saying this after talking to the folks at BYW and sending a pic of my mast gate. The explaination I got was that some mast gates on Macs were a cut out slot. That is the type setup their gate is for. I use a pin to stop the slides from exiting the gate. I even tried string tied around the mast and using the cleat on the mast to control this issue. When I bought my musclehead sail I was concerned and asked if the reef points were positioned so as not to need to let out slides so reefing was easier. I can tell you I just found out the second (deep ) reef on the Musclehead does not require letting out the slides ( a very Nice feature ).
So simple, yet it appears to work so well. I must learn to weld. You have created some fantastic improvements to your boat.
So does it simply wedge in there and not try to lift out?
atzserv wrote:The gate cover that BYW offers is not made for the flared type opening on my 26M.
I am saying this after talking to the folks at BYW and sending a pic of my mast gate. The explaination I got was that some mast gates on Macs were a cut out slot. That is the type setup their gate is for. I use a pin to stop the slides from exiting the gate. I even tried string tied around the mast and using the cleat on the mast to control this issue. When I bought my musclehead sail I was concerned and asked if the reef points were positioned so as not to need to let out slides so reefing was easier. I can tell you I just found out the second (deep ) reef on the Musclehead does not require letting out the slides ( a very Nice feature ).
Gary
Very interesting. One other thing that I learned is that there are different heights for the slot on the 26m and mine was one of the higher ones and it has the slot that fits the BWY plate (March 2010 boat).
One of the challenges that we ran into was that using a slide-stopper the furled sails put too much pressure on the stopper and it would end getting pushed down and fall out (and go over the side, of course). Your method of "pinning above the slot" would relieve this major headache.
Closing the slot has removed a giant headache in my sailing and makes single-handing much easier. Also allows non-sailors to help me out too.
RussMT wrote:.....So does it simply wedge in there and not try to lift out? --Russ
Yep......
The rod at the bottom is long enough that the boat would have to turn upside down before it could come out. If you looked at the video you could see how fast it goes in and it is in firm doing just what I did in the video.
Yep get a welder and have at it. Only problem is a good TIG for aluminum isn't that cheap, but this could be made out of steel (weld with a MIG) and painted or powder-coated. You could also pick up the aluminum you needed at the hardware store and make the parts (cut the slot with a hacksaw) and take it to a welder and they couldn't charge you too much to weld it up.
Yep get a welder and have at it. Only problem is a good TIG for aluminum isn't that cheap, but this could be made out of steel (weld with a MIG) and painted or powder-coated. You could also pick up the aluminum you needed at the hardware store and make the parts (cut the slot with a hacksaw) and take it to a welder and they couldn't charge you too much to weld it up.
before it could come out. If you looked at the video you could see how fast it goes in and it is in firm doing just what I did in the video.