Shawnda Conser
Ocean City, NJ
Boat Name: Good Deal
Model/Year: 1987 Swing Keel
Hull No. 3774
Hailing Port: Ocean City, NJ |
 09/14/2005 2:25 PM Pacific Time
I recently bought an 87 swing keel and love it. I've replaced most of the sail slides because they keep snapping. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm sure some were just old but the new ones from CD are breaking too. Thanks. |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
09/14/2005 3:28 PM Pacific Time
I have a 1986. I replaced the main in 2000, and never had a sail slide break. Do you have a main cover (in other words do the slides get constant sunshine, which can do lots of damage)? Do you have a mast gate to keep the slides from falling out?
Sometimes my slides stick in the mast gate and I have to reduce tension on the halyard to free them. Continuing to grind without eliminating the jam could cause damage. I also use sail lube on the track at the start of every season.
Not sure if this helped or not. |
Shawnda Conser
Ocean City, NJ
Boat Name: Good Deal
Model/Year: 1987 Swing Keel
Hull No. 3774
Hailing Port: Ocean City, NJ |
09/15/2005 6:03 AM Pacific Time
Thanks, Michael. I do have a mainsail cover and a sail stop. I guess the old slides were just old and worn. I should have replaced all of them at once instead of as they broke. I'll start over, replace all of them, and see how that goes. Thanks again! |
Greg Nelson
Rose Haven, MD/Oro Valley,AZ
Boat Name: SOBB TOO
Model/Year: 1975/6
Hull No. 5953
Hailing Port: Deale, MD |
09/22/2005 8:49 AM Pacific Time
The sail slides I got with the last sail I purchased were all plastic or nylon and they keep breakingalong the slug. The ones from my old sail had plastic/nylon slugs with a metal "loop/fastener" and they seem to hold up much better. |
Shawnda Conser
Ocean City, NJ
Boat Name: Good Deal
Model/Year: 1987 Swing Keel
Hull No. 3774
Hailing Port: Ocean City, NJ |
09/22/2005 9:54 AM Pacific Time
Thanks, Greg. That's where mine are breaking too. West Marine had ones that sound similar to the ones that came with your sail. However the ones they had were for a smaller boat I believe.
Sailed the other night and none broke so hopefully it was just that they were old! |
Bayard Gross
Greenwich, CT
Boat Name: Baby Blue
Model/Year: 1981
Hull No. 9911
Hailing Port: Greenwich, CT |
09/23/2005 5:46 PM Pacific Time
We more appropriately call them slugs, even if that Catalina Direct calls them slides. Slides are flat and attach to a track as seen on larger boats.
For a Catalina 22, the diameter should be 3/8 inch.
We call the thing on the back a sline. Some slugs have a plastic or nylon sline while others have a metal sline. The metal, as obvious, is better.
Further, a clear plastic cover should be under the shackle on the sail. This cover protects the luff from abrasion by the slug sline and helps tighten the movement of the shackle against the sline possibly avoiding breakage.
I am going to speculate Shawnda that you may have slugs that are ½ inch in diameter. While these will slide in the sail groove in the mast, they are a bit too big. Further, as the slines on these half inch slugs are a bit larger than the slines on 3/8 inch slugs, the slines may be rubbing along the outside edge of the sail groove. The result is a cut along the sline that weakens it leading to premature failure. The additional friction produced by the half inch slug over the 3/8 inch slug may also worsen this which causes a greater tension on the sline from the shackle.
I think you should measure your slugs diameter to see what size you have.
|
Shawnda Conser
Ocean City, NJ
Boat Name: Good Deal
Model/Year: 1987 Swing Keel
Hull No. 3774
Hailing Port: Ocean City, NJ |
10/06/2005 7:30 AM Pacific Time
I think you are right. I do have the 1/2 inch slides. I ordered them through CD for the 22. Thank you! |
Blaine King
Collierville, Tennessee
Boat Name: Moon Glow
Model/Year: C-22 SWING KEEL / 1973
Hull No. 2157
Hailing Port: Paris & Pickwick Landing |
02/09/2006 8:52 PM Pacific Time
Where does one find this "mast gate"? My brother mentioned one before but I have yet to locate one.. seen pictures... recognize functional value. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
02/10/2006 5:55 AM Pacific Time
The mast gate is the wider opening in the mast to load the slugs or bolt rope, there are covers for it so that the slugs don't come out when you let the sail down for a reef, and lets them slide down so that you can tie off the reef securely. There are plates available from CD that smooth out the mast gate opening, to keep the slugs in the track. The option is to add jack lines to the lower three slugs or slides so that using the normal thumbscrew stop above the mast gate, will allow the sail to drop down for reefing, and lowering with taking it off.
For what it's worth,
Al Ge |
