Pearson Boats - Common Systems > Sails and Canvas
Mainsail slugs
Now or Never!:
The bottom part of the luff on the main on Now or Never! is not attached to the mast directly with slugs. Instead, the slugs are attached to a line that is threaded through the cringles on the main. I really don't understand why this is. Can anyone explain this to me? The line gets hooked around the reefing hook when I raise the sail and prevents it from going up. This is a nuisance since I then have to go forward to unsnag the line. This kind of negates the reason for leading the halyard back to the cockpit. Why couldn't I eliminate the line and attach the sail directly to the mast with slugs?
Captain Bri:
One possibility: By having those slugs "loose" it may allow for sliding them to a lower than normal position when flaking the sail on the boom which in turn will lower the overall profile of the stack, resulting in less windage and a lower halyard shackle. This may be more of a factor with a newer "firm" sail or a heavy sailcloth.
I see no reason why you could not remove the line and reattach the slugs to the sail. I like to attach them with webbing (reeve at least three times through the ring) , hand stitch with a good waxed twine.
Dolce_Vita:
--- Quote from: Now or Never! on April 17, 2011, 08:29:25 PM ---The bottom part of the luff on the main on Now or Never! is not attached to the mast directly with slugs. Instead, the slugs are attached to a line that is threaded through the cringles on the main. I really don't understand why this is. Can anyone explain this to me? The line gets hooked around the reefing hook when I raise the sail and prevents it from going up. This is a nuisance since I then have to go forward to unsnag the line. This kind of negates the reason for leading the halyard back to the cockpit. Why couldn't I eliminate the line and attach the sail directly to the mast with slugs?
--- End quote ---
I have exactly this same rig, and I experience the same fouling problem. I never understood the purpose of it. The sail is quite new (thanks to the PO), and is quite stiff and slippery.
Captain Bri:
I have finally made it back to the boat and am working on repairing several bits of damage to the main. Now I realize I have the same slug configuration on the main that you describe and I believe it is most likely designed to accommodate the reefing of the main -- the line/slug arrangement ends just above the second reef and it seems to allow for a clean way to reef the bottom portion of the sail. I hope to get out and test the theory in the coming weeks as it is blowing pretty good in NC this month.
selene:
Brian could well be right...I don't have these slug-lines, and with the volume of sailcloth it is very difficult to seat the second reef over the hook.
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