Sticky Strong Track

[SailArkansas]

Originally Posted by colemj

Are these boats equipped with a Tides Marine Strong Track?

Mark

Mine is.....purchased through Sailcare. They also did the modifications on the main. They did a really nice job. Have used them in the past for sail repair and cleaning.

When I told them about my problem, they sent me an extra slide no charge. I attached a downhaul to the slide and hoisted it up the mast to see if any binding occured. None did.

So...my problem occurs when the slides are under load.

Will continue working on the problem when I recommission in the Spring.

[mestrezat]

Mine is also Tides Marine Strong Track. Installed by the previous owner. Tides could not have been nicer to work with. They forwarded me a slide made to take out any burrs that may have occurred in the track over the years(I figure it was installed in 1999 and we talked to them in 2008. Good people.
I ran the burr clearing slide up and down the track numerous times all to no avail. Still bound up near the top third of the mast. I checked all the slides and found that the ones that work with the batten cars had seized up due to salt encrustment. I brought in new ones and made sure they were lubed properly and installed(got the old ones fixed for backups-can't have to many spares you know). It was marginally better but it still requires two of us(on on a winch in the cockpit with a Milwaukee 90 degree drill used for power) and myself at the mast pulling down on the halyard. Between the two of us, we manage to get the main up just fine but it's far from easy. No way one of us could do it alone. Doubt it's the track but have fixed or checked everything else. From the top sheave being replace with ball bearing ones to re routing the halyard to lubing the slides and deburring the track. We checked everything we could conceive that could be the problem. Still it persists. Oh well, it's a boat after all. Not everything works as promised.

[oldtomcat]

I bought a boat a few years back and had the same problem as the rest of you here.I told the guy I bought it from and he said if I lube the track with WD-40 it would go up with ease. I am an airplane tech, and I know that this product is banned for use on most aircraft. The immediate use seems to ease the problem,; but as soon as the solvents dissipate it leaves a gummy residue.
When I had the mast off the next time I made up a gadget with scotch brite for my drill and with the liberal use of MEK, polished the inside of the track. I also cleanned all the cars. The sail went up and down like a race car.

I have not had to deal with sail water corrosion, but I have sometimes used a pure silicon product.

clear sailing

OTC

[colemj]

Originally Posted by SailArkansas

Mine is.....purchased through Sailcare.

Sorry - wasn't clear in my response. I was asking zeehag if her mainsail systems that she was greasing were Strong Tracks.

Mark

[mikereed100]

Mestrezat,

I wonder if your difficulties may just be the result of the weight of the sail. My boat is a similar size (althought my roached main may be bigger) and the sail is very heavy. it takes 3 people to lift it and raising it takes several minutes of heavy grinding on a Harken 48 winch; the last third is a real bear. Have you tried a 2-part halyard? Another thing to check is how fair is the halyard lead as the sail approaches the top of it's hoist. The halyard may be pulling forward on the headboard causing it to bind. Just a thought.

Mike

[SailArkansas]

Originally Posted by mestrezat

Mine is also Tides Marine Strong Track. Installed by the previous owner. Tides could not have been nicer to work with. They forwarded me a slide made to take out any burrs that may have occurred in the track over the years(I figure it was installed in 1999 and we talked to them in 2008. Good people.
I ran the burr clearing slide up and down the track numerous times all to no avail. Still bound up near the top third of the mast. I checked all the slides and found that the ones that work with the batten cars had seized up due to salt encrustment. I brought in new ones and made sure they were lubed properly and installed(got the old ones fixed for backups-can't have to many spares you know). It was marginally better but it still requires two of us(on on a winch in the cockpit with a Milwaukee 90 degree drill used for power) and myself at the mast pulling down on the halyard. Between the two of us, we manage to get the main up just fine but it's far from easy. No way one of us could do it alone. Doubt it's the track but have fixed or checked everything else. From the top sheave being replace with ball bearing ones to re routing the halyard to lubing the slides and deburring the track. We checked everything we could conceive that could be the problem. Still it persists. Oh well, it's a boat after all. Not everything works as promised.

I am delighted to get all of this feedback! Especially where you write that you have already tried things that I was preparing to do. I have thought constantly of having someone go up the mast to check out the top sheave. The binding I experience begins about half way up the mast and steadily increases until the top third where it maxes out and becomes impossible to proceed without a winch, handle and lots of muscle.

I am now beginning to wonder if I have a slight aft bend in the mast towards the top that would cause the headboard to be pulled aft as well as up. Sometimes when viewing the mast from the upper road over the docks I think I see a bend but I am not certain. I plan to try the free-hanging halyard test one of these days to see how far aft the shackle hangs from the mast track. If that is the problem then I guess I am stuck short of buying a new mast.

It seems like there may be many facets to our joint problem with a number of things all working against an easy hoist. Until I figure this out I have to have a crew of at least one so I can sail. Bummer!

[newboat]

I am sure you have tried everything, but clearly there is something that is wrong. An able make adult should be able to hoist a mainsail on a boat of that size without problem-the winch should be for convenience and grinding on the last bit of luff tension. Unless of course you have 300# mainsail or something...
Have you simply attached a downhaul line to your main halyard and hoisted it-without the mainsail? If your main halyard is fine, not crossed and will run freely with load for full hoist-then your problem is either the track (which you've addressed), slides binding somehow or the angle of your halyard to the sail binding as it gets hoisted. There are only so many variables here, if you thoroughly eliminate them one by one-you will find the problem or problems (often a combination of a couple of things)
Good luck, be interested to hear of you get it solved.

[SailArkansas]

Originally Posted by newboat

I am sure you have tried everything, but clearly there is something that is wrong. An able make adult should be able to hoist a mainsail on a boat of that size without problem-the winch should be for convenience and grinding on the last bit of luff tension. Unless of course you have 300# mainsail or something...
Have you simply attached a downhaul line to your main halyard and hoisted it-without the mainsail? If your main halyard is fine, not crossed and will run freely with load for full hoist-then your problem is either the track (which you've addressed), slides binding somehow or the angle of your halyard to the sail binding as it gets hoisted. There are only so many variables here, if you thoroughly eliminate them one by one-you will find the problem or problems (often a combination of a couple of things)
Good luck, be interested to hear of you get it solved.

I can't argue with anything you have said. I intend to keep working to solve the problem no matter what. You all will most definitely hear from me when I do. This is the year!!

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

Mestrezat,

I wonder if your difficulties may just be the result of the weight of the sail. My boat is a similar size (althought my roached main may be bigger) and the sail is very heavy. it takes 3 people to lift it and raising it takes several minutes of heavy grinding on a Harken 48 winch; the last third is a real bear. Have you tried a 2-part halyard? Another thing to check is how fair is the halyard lead as the sail approaches the top of it's hoist. The halyard may be pulling forward on the headboard causing it to bind. Just a thought.

Mike

Same here!

I have a 443 sq. ft offshore full batten (9 oz) mainsail and it's EZ to get up about 3/4 of the way. But it really starts to get heavy and I have to start using the winch to get the rest up. And, when I let loose the halyard, it comes down like a rock except the last 6' or so. Also the battens are locked into the slides adjacent to the battens with an over sized clamp.



I really think your fighting the weight rather then friction. If you raising the sail and the battens are slopping downwards then you are probably have some binding. But if the battens are parallel to the boom, then it is most likely the weight.

[SailArkansas]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Same here!

I have a 443 sq. ft offshore full batten (9 oz) mainsail and it's EZ to get up about 3/4 of the way. But it really starts to get heavy and I have to start using the winch to get the rest up. And, when I let loose the halyard, it comes down like a rock except the last 6' or so. Also the battens are locked into the slides adjacent to the battens with an over sized clamp.



I really think your fighting the weight rather then friction. If you raising the sail and the battens are slopping downwards then you are probably have some binding. But if the battens are parallel to the boom, then it is most likely the weight.

The wieght may be a possibility. Certainly it accounts for at least one factor. As I have said I think there are several different things happening here. Last time I had the sail off the boat to send it in for cleaning, it was a pretty good load getting it up to the road. Now that you mention it the battens ARE sloping downward while hoisting. I will havea closer look at that in the Spring. Your batten slides are exactly the same as mine.
Thanks again for the suggestions. Good sailing!

[colemj]

Originally Posted by SailArkansas

The wieght may be a possibility. Certainly it accounts for at least one factor. As I have said I think there are several different things happening here. Last time I had the sail off the boat to send it in for cleaning, it was a pretty good load getting it up to the road. Now that you mention it the battens ARE sloping downward while hoisting. I will havea closer look at that in the Spring. Your batten slides are exactly the same as mine.
Thanks again for the suggestions. Good sailing!

It is unlikely that weight is a problem on a mainsail for a Precision 28.

Mark

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by colemj

It is unlikely that weight is a problem on a mainsail for a Precision 28.

Mark

But would be on mestrezat's 45 footer.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

But would be on mestrezat's 45 footer.

I got confused - the poster I was responding to who couldn't get his main up has a Precision 28. I just looked back and realized that he wasn't the OP.

Mark

[gjordan]

I just read through this entire thread, and had red flags going up over post #12. It may not have anything to do with the OPs problem , but WHY would anyone put a basic sail handling device(track) on a cruising boat that is temperature sensitive ? It might be OK on a day sailor, but cruisers go to all temperature extremes . One suggestion for the OP is to take someone for a sail that has a similar size boat and let him raise your main. If he says OH SH#@. you know you have a problem. Another suggestion would be to put a self tailing winch in place of the original to eliminate the second person needed. I will be boat hunting starting in 6 or 8 months, and I will steer clear of this system. ___My 2cents worth.____Grant.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by gjordan

I just read through this entire thread, and had red flags going up over post #12. It may not have anything to do with the OPs problem , but WHY would anyone put a basic sail handling device(track) on a cruising boat that is temperature sensitive ? It might be OK on a day sailor, but cruisers go to all temperature extremes . One suggestion for the OP is to take someone for a sail that has a similar size boat and let him raise your main. If he says OH SH#@. you know you have a problem. Another suggestion would be to put a self tailing winch in place of the original to eliminate the second person needed. I will be boat hunting starting in 6 or 8 months, and I will steer clear of this system. ___My 2cents worth.____Grant.

I don't think it is temperature sensitive. We have a Strong Track system and have sailed the boat in New England to Panama in temperatures in the 40's to 100's. I can't see any reason for any temperature able to support liquid water to effect it at all.

It is a good system and worth rethinking your opinion about staying clear of it.

Mark