My
Dufour 455GL has
genoa cars with simple plungers that are supposed to lock into place and prevent movement. Trouble is, they don't, and both
genoa cars tend to move backwards even under moderate load (say 15kn winds).
The
gear is
Lewmar, but presumably an older model as the
boat is a 2005 vintage. The cars look very similar to this, except the plungers are anodised black:
The track and cars look fine, at least for their age. There is no obvious pitting of alloy or erosion around the holes in the track. There seems to be little play. I have carefully cleaned the holes in the track, lubricated the plunger, and once in place I cannot move the car by force.
However, under sailing loads the cars almost always tend to migrate backwards.
Is this just par for the course with these types of plunger systems? I like the simplicity of moving the car where I want it, and I would rather not introduce the complexity of an additional
rope tackle to pull the car forward and keep it in place.
Is it likely that the cars or plungers or tracks are simply worn, and can the relevant bits be replaced?
Thanks in advance for all info and suggestions.