What is a sail slug?
Slugs & Slides These small but mighty components allow the sail to move easily inside the track and stack on the boom in the mast slot. Slugs are small barrels, often made of nylon that are secured ahead of the boltrope and then inserted into a slot on the mast instead of the rope.
How is mainsail attached to mast?
The attachment fitting which attaches the boom to the mast is called a gooseneck which allows the boom and thus the mainsail to swing from side to side. The leech (trailing edge) of the sail holds up the back of boom.
How are sails attached to masts?
Gaff sails usually have hoops that slide up and down the mast. Bermuda mainsails may have slides attached to the luff that match tracks on the mast and boom. These may be attached to the luff through grommets with webbing or a nylon shackle or with webbing sewn directly on the sail.
What attaches the sail to the mast?
Boom attachment
Boom attachment The forward end of the boom attaches to a mast just below the sail, with a joint called the gooseneck. The gooseneck pivots allowing the other end of the boom to move freely. The clew (back corner) of the sail attaches to the free end of the boom.
How does sail attached to mast?
Boom attachment The forward end of the boom attaches to a mast just below the sail, with a joint called the gooseneck. The gooseneck pivots allowing the other end of the boom to move freely. The clew (back corner) of the sail attaches to the free end of the boom.
What size jib do I need?
A minimum clew height of 36 inches is recommended, simply so the foot of the sail always clears the lifelines and does not have to be lifted or “skirted” every time the boat is tacked. Your second headsail should be a heavy working jib with an LP between 85-100%. In more than 15-18 knots, this will be the sail to use.
Which sail do you raise first?
The first sail that you should raise is the mainsail, whether you intend to sail up or downwind. Next, you’ll raise either the jib or the spinnaker, depending on whether you expect to sell upwind, at a reach, or downwind.
What kind of track do you need for a mainsail?
His initial recommendation as an option was a Tides Marine Strong Track. Described in our article on upgrading the cruising mainsail (see Practical Sailor August 2011 online), the strong track is a single length of low-friction, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene plastic (UHMPE) that is machined to slide onto your existing mast track.
What kind of track hardware does Practical Sailor use?
It has been almost 10 years since Practical Sailor weighed in specifically on mainsail track hardware (see Practical Sailor, Feb. 1, 2005 online). At the time, we offered a summary of the products designed to manage what we termed the three Ss of mainsail handling-setting, shortening, and striking.
What kind of track do you use on a sailboat?
For owners of larger boats-particularly those for whom cost isn’t a primary concern-Mercer recommends Antal’s track and slide system, which uses cars riding on composite inserts over an aluminum track. This system is preferred for many carbon-fiber masts and offshore spars, he explained.
Where do the slides go on a sail?
External slides attach to a track on the outside of the mast. One thing to note is that if you need to replace parts but can’t find the proper match, you will really need to replace all of the components. This is because your sail won’t function properly if the hardware has a different amount of space between it and the sail.