More stupid questions! Mast track slug/stop width?

[reidmefirst]

Yar, I'm a novice sailor learning about both sailboats, and the 7.9. What fun, right?

Was out for my first proper wind-powered cruise on my 7.9 today and learning words for things. I guess one of the neat things that I'm missing is called a 'track stop' (basically a little block you screw into the mainsail track, to hold the mainsail slugs in the track, so that you can drop the sail at the end of the day without all the slugs popping out). Either the former owner never had one in place, or tucked it away in some super secret compartment and I haven't been able to find it.

Question is, what is the diameter of the tracks/slugs on the 7.9 mast? Only figured out what the heck the track stop was called upon coming home, and I'd rather just order one up tonight, then take another trip to the boat to measure a slug with my calipers and then order one .

Thanks in advance!

[Mebad]

1/2" round should work just fine. I'll check tonight and report back.

[BarryE]

The track stop on my mast (original Offshore Spars) on my early (hull # 11) is actually a sleeve inside the mast track with a knob located under the boom. Loosen the knob and slide the sleeve up to close the slot. No separate slug stops needed. I also know that there were two different size mast tracks over the years. I believe (not sure) there was 3/8 and 1/2. Not sure when the change occurred.

[reidmefirst]

Interesting about the original mast track...I drove by to look at my original mast (sold my original mast and transferred my rigging to one of the club-buy 'new' masts a few weeks ago). Thinking I might ask the guy I sold the mast to, if I can try out the original mast track bracket doohickey...I hadn't looked at exactly how it locks the slugs into the track, just saw that was a weird one-way-ish groove (looks like slugs can easily slide up into it, but to pull them out you'd have to pull the slug back towards the stern to kinda of 'unhook' it, maybe).

I did just installed a boomkicker on the boat. It comes with a 3/8" slug that drops into the slot, for screwing the mast end of the kicker onto. I'm betting a 1/2" stopper would fit as well. At least I have 3 options to look through (ordered the davis 'slug' style stopper already, but hooray for living in the Midwest...it might be a few more days until it arrives ).

Such a silly little thing, but it has made it rather difficult to take the boat out for solo sails. At least until I can get a proper autopilot...

[Rock & Roll]

Although I have the 1/2" Screw from Boomkicker too. I drilled and tapped a 1/4-20 hole into the mast track 1/2" above the bolt rope feeder. Then screwed a 1/2" machine screw into the spar. The slugs will start at that height, and stay above.

I have a single reef, and the location is not a problem for my boat. But you will need to check your lowest mast slug, to ensure you can set a reef still.

[reidmefirst]

Yeah so...a 1/2" slug will not fit in my track. The sail slugs on the sail that came with my boat are 8mm (basically 5/16"). The slot will definitely take 3/8" slugs, but not 1/2". So goofy.

I'm working with Tom as MastGates now to make a gate for me. He designs fancy little systems that allow one-way slug entry, or which slide into the gate/big opening and let slugs slide past until his doohickey is removed. He's apparently made some of his contraptions for the S2 mast. It seems that the 'old style' and 'new style' masts are have identical gates and luff tracks, so that's good.

His designs allow easy reefing since all the slugs can slide past it all the way to the boom. My original mast came with a similar thing -- some kind of aluminium shim which stuck into the gate. I went and took this original contraption to test fit in the New Mast. Oddly it fits fine, and the big slug at the head of my sail slid into it fine, but none of the rest of the slugs fit into it...so I opted not to tap the screw for this old gate. Going to see what Tom comes up with first, probably will buy a few of whatever he designs. Just bummed that the dead simple Davis stopper wouldn't work in this mast. Odd that Davis doesn't make a 3/8" round stopper, just a 1/2". Oh, well.