[C320-list] Thoughts on Raising Main was Thoughts on Sails

[Jeff Hare]

Here's what we do.

We have a mini bottle (4-5" tall) with dawn dish detergent diluted about 25% with water.  Before raising the main, when hooking on the halyard we give a good squirt of diluted soap into the track above the top slugs.

The sail flies up the track now and we only use the winch for final tensioning.  When it rains, it washes out of the track and any dirt with it.  Nothing left behind but the occasional bubble on deck during a heavy rain.

Since we already have dawn soap in our galley sink soap dispenser, it's easy to refill when it gets low.

-Jeff Hare
#809 Woodbine II

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of Chris Burti
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 7:54 AM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Thoughts on Raising Main was Thoughts on Sails

I found that there is no white residue with Sailkote, it is labeled as safe for sails and there is residue with the big box ptfe dry lubricants and I am unsure of how the carrier fluid will react to my sails…Big can lasts for years.

Thanks,
Chris Burti
Commitment, #867
Farmville, NC

From: Bob Hoyt
Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2018 5:56 PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Thoughts on Raising Main was Thoughts on Sails

Home Depot has Blaster Dry Lube with Teflon which sounds like the same ingredients as SailKote but 9.3 oz is only $4.49

Bob Hoyt
Ikigai
#58
Pensacola, Florida

On Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 4:34 PM Karl Mielenhausen <kmielen at gmail.com> wrote:

> Here's another take on #3....
> Use a small wad of toilet paper saturated with your favorite 
> lubricant. No sweat when it stays at the top of the mast.
> Or, if you're really concerned, put it between the first and second slug.
>
> Cheers....
> Karl
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 4:32 PM Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > A couple of notes on raising the main.
> > 1. The halyard get thicker with time which increases friction - 
> > solution
> is
> > to replace more frequently than it needs because of wear.
> > 2. I spray the slides and the track as far as I can reach with 
> > *SailKote* Dry Lubricant the first time I raise the main each 
> > cruise...absolutely works wonders and I can raise 90% from the cockpit without the winch.
> > 3, Bonus tip - I stuff a cotton ball soaked with *SailKote* in the 
> > track above the headboard periodically when raising the main and it 
> > cleans dirt and salt out of the track which also reduced friction.
> >
> > Chris Burti
> > Commitment, #867
> > Farmville, NC
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 26, 2018 at 6:20 PM Allan S Field 
> > <allan.field at verizon.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Jeff - I can only opine on the Strong Track.  Others may have a
> different
> > > experience with this but mine was not great.  If standing at the 
> > > mast
> and
> > > pulling the main halyard, my 5-year-old-at-the-time grandson could
> easily
> > > pull the sail all the way up; it was that smooth.  From the 
> > > cockpit is
> a
> > > different story, at least on #808.  The halyard run from the 
> > > bottom of
> > the
> > > mast back to the traveler and then back to the rope clutch and 
> > > then to
> > the
> > > winch is not a straight line which introduced a lot of friction.
> Bottom
> > > line is that I still needed to use the winch to get the sail all 
> > > the
> way
> > > up.  So for me, the expense was not worth it; if I needed to winch 
> > > part
> > of
> > > the way up, I might as well winch all the way is my thinking now.
> > >
> > > We did have a fully battened (4 battens) mainsail and a 150 genoa 
> > > with
> a
> > > rope luff that was just wonderful when reefed.  We also had an 
> > > A-Sym
> in a
> > > sock which was a lot of fun to sail, and a bit of work to set-up, 
> > > but
> is
> > > only really safe to use in under about 12 knots of apparent wind.  
> > > And
> > it's
> > > not a downwind sail.  It's most effective from about 60 to about 
> > > 150 degrees of apparent wind.  If you do go this route, I'd really 
> > > suggest getting the ATN Tacker also.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps!
> > >
> > > Allan S. Field
> > > Sea Shadow - C387, #103 (formerly C320, #808) Columbia, MD
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] 
> > > On Behalf Of Jeff Smith
> > > Sent: Monday, November 26, 2018 5:36 PM
> > > To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> > > Subject: [C320-list] Thoughts on Sails
> > >
> > > To all,
> > >
> > > I am contemplating purchasing a new main sail and a new Genoa. I 
> > > would like to benefit from the collective wisdom of the group, if 
> > > you would
> be
> > > kind enough to share.
> > >
> > > Currently, Sailmates has a 155% Genoa that will be 18 years old 
> > > next
> > year.
> > > The Main will also be 18 years old next year. It seems like this 
> > > is
> about
> > > the extent of the useable life of a sail, but I could be mistaken.
> Mainly
> > > we daysail or cruise for the weekend, though I hope to expand my 
> > > reach
> to
> > > the Bahamas and up the coast to New England. [Side note – I have 
> > > all of Spring 2019 available for a passage to the Bahamas if 
> > > anyone is
> > interested
> > > in a trip. Seriously, let me know because I would love to travel 
> > > down,
> > but
> > > I do not have blue water experience.]
> > >
> > > My questions include: 1. Has anyone installed a Strong/Tides Track
> > system?
> > > If so, did you find it worth the expense? If you installed it but 
> > > did
> not
> > > find it worth the expense, what are the negative issues? 2. 
> > > Quantum
> Sails
> > > has recommended that I could get much of the benefit of the
> Strong/Tides
> > > Track by going to a 2+2 (upper full battens only) system with 
> > > AllSlip slides for the Main. Does anyone have any experience with 
> > > either
> AllSlip
> > > slides or a 2 batten main sail system? They also suggested that I 
> > > could
> > use
> > > Bainbridge Railman receptacles with a stainless steel universal 
> > > joint, which is part of the Strong/Tides track system. Any thoughts here? 3.
> > They
> > > recommended that I do not go bigger than a 140% Genoa for boat balance.
> > Any
> > > thoughts on this? I will say that when we first bought the boat we
> would
> > > regularly roll out the full 155%, but now I tend to keep the Genoa
> above
> > > the lifelines.
> > >
> > > I know there are a lot of questions above, so I appreciate any and 
> > > all opinions. By the way, the price quote for a CrossCut CW 2000 
> > > Main with
> 2
> > > reefs and 4 battens is $3,056 after a 15% discount. The 140% Genoa 
> > > with Foam Luff, Spreader Patches, and UV Cover is $2,400 after the discount.
> > So
> > > that is $5,500 for the two sails, which seems pricey, but less 
> > > than the quote from an Ullman sail loft (and only about $800 more 
> > > than the
> > previous
> > > boat owner paid in 2001). I also priced an asymmetrical spinnaker
> ($2,500
> > > with dousing sleeve), but I am not sure how much we would use this.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Jeff
> > > S/V Sailmates, 94 #121
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>


-- 

*Robert (Bob) Hoyt MD FACP*

*CAPT (Ret) USN*

*Adjunct Associate Professor, College of Allied Health Professions*

*University of Nebraska Medical Center*

*Omaha, NE*

*Diplomate, Clinical Informatics*

InformaticsEducation.org  <http://InformaticsEducation.org> rehoyt at gmail.com

robert.hoyt at unmc.edu <robert.hoyt at unmd.edu>

Cell: 850-384-5235