Reefing point - eye/hook coordination

[vizwhiz]

I have an original Mac Doyle mainsail and somewhere along the line someone put slugs on the luff. Nice. Goes up and down the mast really easily, and I like it. The slide stop at this time is a small bolt that goes through the mast groove. Works fine, although I will probably exchange it for either a quick-release pin or a thumbscrew type slide stop.

Practiced dropping the mainsail to reef (I'm trying to practice everything on the hard). Reading and watching and all that, it seems to me that I should be able to drop the mainsail far enough to reach the reef point (only have one) and the eye should reach the hook so I can slip it over and pull up on the halyard and tension the luff again. The eye and the hook are...right in line, like the eye would be in the right place if it were ON the hook...but it seems that the slug spacing, or the hook location, are just a bit too far apart to hook the eye onto the hook while the sail is attached - I would have to take the slide stop out, drop a few slugs out to lower the eye a little more, and then re-load the slugs in the groove to get it back up to the right height. Just doesn't seem right.
Anyone else run into this? Perhaps I need to move the hook up higher and put a stopper nut on it to keep it from dropping too low through the boom? It didn't seem to me to have a lot of extra bolt sticking out the bottom...

[Hamin' X]

Pictures?

~Rich

[Berber Boy]

I have the same mainsail on my except for two reefs and never use the hook provided for the reasons mentioned. My boat has a modification with a reefing line that is attached aft on the boom end and hooks on either of the two leech reefing cringles depending on need. The line then passes down and through a pulley attached to the side of the boom end passes forward along the boom / rises up through a pully attached to the side of the front boom to the first or second leech cringle to connect then descend to a block at the mast step through a deck organiser and Lewmar Rope clutch to the winch. It works very well. ASorry I do not have pictures. Ill try and take some next time when I use the boat.

Dave

[vizwhiz]

Rich - Pic of what I'm looking at...not the best, but you can see what's happening in it.

[Hardcrab]

A simple fix is to just relocate the offending slug/slugs higher/lower on the sail just so there is enough "slack" in the sail to hook the reef tack without dropping any slugs from the mast.

Use the nylon type of slugs that uses a nylon clamp that screws shut captured around the bolt rope.
This type of slug is much easier to install than the grommet types and is very strong.

When someone installs slugs for the first time on their new stock sail, the logical thing to do is to evenly space the slugs along the bolt rope. That could cause the problem unless luck is with you.

Instead, leave a gap in the normal slug spacing just above and below the reef point, raise the sail with the other slugs, hook at the reef point, then note and install the last two slugs to allow for reefing without issue.

Think of it as "on purpose" slug spacing at the reef tack.

[vizwhiz]

I'll have to look at the slugs to see whether they can be relocated easily - or if I just have to remove the ones that are on there and do the replacement as you mentioned...thanks...encouraging to hear it like that - "aahhh, no big deal"...

[Hardcrab]

I was responding before you posted your picture.
You have the screw type slugs. Good.

To me, you need to relocate that offending slug (the upper one in the picture) lower down the bolt rope about an inch or so, and you are done.

A good trick to use when installing slugs is to "burn" a small screw hole through the sail with a small soldering iron.
Go easy to make the hole small, but big enough for screw clearance.

The hole edges will be sealed and the screw has a lesser chance of catching dacron threads and wraping around the screw as you tighten it.

[dca81]

I was having a similar issue when I installed my sail slugs last year. BWY sells a spacer that fits in the mast slot where you feed in the slugs. When installed you no longer need a slider stop and your sail can drop to the bottom of the mast. Only cost a few dollars...I luv BWY...they make it so much easier for a newby like me.

[Dido]

I had the same problem and ended up taking the drop nose pin out (easier than your bolt) to allow the reef, but still hassle , Hardcrabs advice is simple but brilliant, I will be moving my slug to allow reefing this weekend ! Thanks

[Québec 1]

I was having a similar issue when I installed my sail slugs last year. BWY sells a spacer that fits in the mast slot where you feed in the slugs. When installed you no longer need a slider stop and your sail can drop to the bottom of the mast. Only cost a few dollars...I luv BWY...they make it so much easier for a newby like me.

I can,t find the spacer your talking about. Could u help an old man find it?
Q1

[Hardcrab]

Dido
Try it, you'll like it.
Cost is zero.
I got this tip from Frank on this site about 4 1/2 years ago and it has worked flawlessly for me ever since.

There should be some kind of wiki on this site for the simple and effective tricks that every new ( and old) Mac owner can access so as to not reinvent the wheel so many times.

[vizwhiz]

I totally agree with the wiki idea...it would be so awesome to have a "knowledge base" for finding those simple ideas that newbs like us need to find, instead of having to try to search and read through a lot of extraneous posts to get partial answers... Of course, I realize that it is "something else to take care of", so I'm content, just think it would be a great idea.

[Terry]

I was having a similar issue when I installed my sail slugs last year. BWY sells a spacer that fits in the mast slot where you feed in the slugs. When installed you no longer need a slider stop and your sail can drop to the bottom of the mast. Only cost a few dollars...I luv BWY...they make it so much easier for a newby like me.

I buy from BWY all the time and I have never seen or been told of this, I'd luv to get one, how much do they cost?

[dca81]

Sorry, I did not keep the invoice, PN, or costs. Simply called BWY explained my problem to the lady handling my call and
she sent me the part. I think cost was less than $20 , but really don't remember...but... me being me, I probably would remeber if it was much more than $20. All I know is two easy sheet metal screws are used to hold the plate on the mast slot and prevents the slugs from coming out of the mast. Really a neat item, works like a charm. If BWY can't help you I will ask them to look at my order history and give me the PN.

[Hamin' X]

It's called a "mast gate" Call BWY and they will know what it is. It is part of their EZ Main package.

~Rich