Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 26-02-2007, 02:42   #1
Senior Cruiser
 
GordMay's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,139
Images: 241
Sail Car/Track Systems

What a few Sailmakers say about Full Batten Mains, and Sail Car Systems:

Neil Pryde Sails (Hardware Review):
We recommend this system highly and should be considered at the top of the list when shopping for integrated track / batten systems.
Neil Pryde Sails: Issue 18, Strong Track Review

North Sails (Solutions for Cruising Sailors)
The statement that "full batten sails are difficult to raise" needs to be qualified. If the mast track accepts flat slides, or uses a car system from Harken, Antal, Tides Marine, Fredrickson etc, then the sail will go up and down without any trouble. On the other hand, if the mast track is designed to accept barrel shaped slides (commonly referred to as "slug slides") then full battens can be a problem.
What Cruising Sailors Need to Know

Mauri Sails: Mauri Sails: Full Batten Mainsails
Nance & Underwood: Nance Underwood Sails and Rigging Tides Marine

Inspired by the discussion:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...iner-6649.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by islandplanet
I never said everyone needed a track system. Depends on the boat, type of track on the mast, size of sail, # of battens, and the customer. I think your analysis runs counter to much of the thinking in the industry. Large full batten sails will always weigh more and put compression loads on the batten end receptacles. Unavoidable fact of life that has nothing to do with who builds the sail. You'll hear far more complaints about raising and reefing full batten sails than you will about the investment made in Strong Track. Adding a track system at the time of purchasing a new main is far more economical than retrofitting after the fact. How long have you had your full batten main? Sounds like you have a ketch which will have a smaller main than a sloop of similar size.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck Baier
My analysis may be contrary to the "industry" but not the experience of us folk out there in the real world with no financial interest in adding expensive new hardware. In our 15 years of cruising around a large portion of the watery part of the planet I don't recall anyone that added full batten sails and then came back with issues that the sails were harder to raise or anything else for that matter. These were ketches, cutters, sloops, tall rigs, short rigs, new rigs, wood spars, carbon fiber spars and aluminum spars. Our full battens have been on now for 6 years without any of the problems you suggest. They have been through gales, storms and some just great but boisterous conditions. No problems. You did mention that you sell the track systems didn't you? Sorry but in our experience we haven't heard complaints about raising or reefing from any other cruisers we have encountered with full battens. Perhaps a seriously worn spar would indeed benefit but to say most will need new track just sounds like another sales pitch.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"



GordMay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2007, 07:44   #2
Registered User
 
PBzeer's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Cruising
Boat: Ontario 32 - Aria
Posts: 134
I have the Strong Track for my full batten mainsail and it works very well. Standing at the mast, I can raise the sail to the top by hand, and from the cockpit, all but about the last foot. To me, it was worth the cost.
__________________
John
Ontario 32 - "Aria"

Within a dream, we may find a fantasy,
But never within a fantasy, will we live a dream.
PBzeer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2007, 08:08   #3
Registered User
 
swagman's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Winter land based UK New Forest. Summer months away. Making the transition from sail to power this year - scary stuff.
Boat: Super Van Craft 1320 Power Yacht
Posts: 2,175
Images: 10
Send a message via Skype™ to swagman
Sue and I could not sail effectively without a track system! Our sloop rig is close to 80 foot tall and not only does the main go up like a dream - it comes down exactly when we want it to!
Cheers
JOHN
__________________
Don't take life too seriously. No ones going to make it out alive......Go see our blog at https://www.sailblogs.com/member/yachtswagman/
swagman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2007, 08:44   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: presently gallivanting back across the Pacific... Pago Pago at the moment
Boat: Hylas 49 - GALLIVANTER
Posts: 201
Aye installed a STRONGTRACK

by Tides Marine just last week. Cost just under $1500 for a 53 ft extrusion complete w/ all hardware. And it only took 20 min to install it all by myself.

Easy.

Kirk
Gallivanters is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26-02-2007, 10:56   #5
Registered User
 
delmarrey's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Philippines in the winters
Boat: It’s in French Polynesia now
Posts: 11,368
Images: 122
Last summer I installed a Strong Track system with a new full battened loosefooted mainsail and it works excellent. With the halyards to the cockpit, I can hoist the main to within 3' of the 51' mast. And coming down, I actually have to control its descent, it falls like a rock. All the cars pile up except for the top due to the stiffness of the sailhead.

The nice thing about the full batten is it flakes out on the boom real good, once it was trained.

I'll never go back to slugs because that's exactly what they are, "slugs"!
delmarrey is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Island Packet 31 for Liveaboard / Offshore? Gray Monohull Sailboats 35 08-05-2022 23:12
Increasing Sail Plan and / or efficiency - Ideas? David_Old_Jersey Construction, Maintenance & Refit 16 27-01-2020 14:05
Junk Rigs sail_the_stars General Sailing Forum 45 17-02-2012 04:27
I need advice for a first purchase MrShankmmz Monohull Sailboats 34 16-03-2007 19:39
Genoa Cars timjf Deck hardware: Rigging, Sails & Hoisting 9 03-09-2006 15:27

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:53.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.