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

[Dick Walker]

In the old navy we used lard. 

Cheers



CDR Dick Walker USN (Ret.)
WindWalker 
740 Olive Ave.
Coronado ,CA 92118
619.435.8986



> On Nov 27, 2018, at 14:56, Bob Hoyt <rehoyt at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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