Track Stop For Boom

[TIM WEBB]

Tim,
For me, the sail stop count was three strikes you're out! I have crimped the ends with pliers and made little notches in the aluminum track to try to get everything to line up perfectly, but as you say, if there's any back pressure it tends to hang and open the gate… going up or down. And yes, I definitely prefer it to the sail stop. I thought about a small thumbscrew… But, we know where that one's going to end up.

The situation that I find most frustrating is heading up into the wind to raise sail when it's blowing over 10 and I'm single-handed. It usually just drops the bottom one or two slugs. Because of the conditions, I usually just sail with those popped out until I can get to somewhere a little less hectic.

When I moved the gate from my old mast to my replacement mast I drilled the holes for the bungee cord further back from the gate… with no effective difference. It does work well enough that I have not gone to any extreme measures to fix it. I have thought about replacing the bungee with a non-stretch line and have it go to a clamcleat.… Or drilling a small hole and adding a light non-stretch line to the back edge and running that to a cleat.

I hear ya! I think the count was three for me as well ...

But yes, you're right, any backward pressure by a slug (or the gooseneck slide) will pop it. I think a positive locking screw as John suggests is the ultimate solution. Too bad our masts don't have roomier sail tracks - then we could use the internal gate, which solves the whole problem.

[TIM WEBB]

I thought about several ways to fix the mast gate slippage problem for a while. Finally decided on a fix that I thought might work and it seems to be working out well. My mast gate has a 1/4" hole in the center. I bought a 1/4-20 thumb screw, marked the hole on the mast, drilled and tapped it. To keep the thumb screw from ending up over the side, I drilled a hole in the upper part to attach a small lanyard (waxed nylon harness thread) and tied the lanyard to one of the elastic bands on the mast gate. I also have a spare thumb screw and lanyard in my tool box. I put the mast gate in place, screw in the thumb screw and it stays in place and works the way it is suppose to work. Nothing has gotten snagged on it so far.

I'm storing the sail on the boom with a sail cover right now while the boat is in a slip. I haven't had to mess with it and it hasn't come off. So far, so good. I was at the boat yesterday with a camera, but forgot to take a picture of it. I'll try this weekend.

John

Actually, I think you told me about this remedy a while back John, but I slept since then! ;-P

Question tho: does the hole you drilled/tapped go into the slot cavity, or into the internal mast cavity in front of the slot? If the former, does the screw end protrude into the slot cavity, and if so, wouldn't it interfere with the slugs? I guess not, as you say it works fine.

Also, what material is the thumb screw made of? Reason I ask is that I drilled/tapped the boom end cap for mounting a burgee mast and video camera bracket, and got some aluminum thumb screws to secure them, figuring use the same metal, and they won't seize up, right? Wrong! I only used them twice, and removed them between sails, but they still got almost impossible to screw in by hand.

[TIM WEBB]

Since this thread has taken a life of its own I'll present this question:

Has anyone tried one of these? Seems like the ticket for what I'm looking for. I really have no need (yet) for a gate since my main is really old (as in original equipment) and has no slugs. When I buy a new main next season I'm going to have slugs put in and an extra reefing point.

Its called the "QRTS" (Quick Release Track Stop):

qrts.jpg

Just curious, but why would you need either type of track stop if you have no slugs? The DS boom downhaul cleat is adjustable, and can be set to whatever height you want your gooseneck to sit at. The purpose of this track stop, as well as the round knurled one, is to keep the slugs from falling down and out of the slot opening.

FWIW, I *do* use one of these for holding up the gooseneck when I deploy the boom tent. Got it from the same guy I got the mast gate from.

[itguy1010]

Since this thread has taken a life of its own I'll present this question:

Has anyone tried one of these? Seems like the ticket for what I'm looking for. I really have no need (yet) for a gate since my main is really old (as in original equipment) and has no slugs. When I buy a new main next season I'm going to have slugs put in and an extra reefing point.

Its called the "QRTS" (Quick Release Track Stop):

qrts.jpg

Just curious, but why would you need either type of track stop if you have no slugs? The DS boom downhaul cleat is adjustable, and can be set to whatever height you want your gooseneck to sit at. The purpose of this track stop, as well as the round knurled one, is to keep the slugs from falling down and out of the slot opening.

FWIW, I *do* use one of these for holding up the gooseneck when I deploy the boom tent. Got it from the same guy I got the mast gate from.

Its just something to hold the boom up out of the way as I get the boat ready to go down the ramp. And, some of our lakes have a decent length of narrow canal to get to the lake and this requires motoring out and back in. Without a stop and not having the main raised it just wants to drop right down to the downhaul horn cleat. Its just a little thing really but they add up. This would buy me a little more cockpit headroom and that's a good thing IMO.

So, how do you like the lever stop from mastgate.com? Does it hold tight when engaged?

Thanks for the feedback.

Eric

[jeadstx]

Tim, answers to some of your questions.

The tapped hole does not go into the sail slot. I thought it might and was concerned about it, but it didn't. No interference.

The thumb screw I got is zinc plated. I would have preferred aluminum, bronze, stainless, or even plastic. Just couldn't find those at the time, but I plan to look for better materials. Until I find a better material for the thumb screw I'm going to carry a small spray can of penetrating oil or WD-40 if putting it in or taking it out should become problematic.

I had mentioned to you in an e-mail last spring that I was looking for a solution, but most of my ideas proved to complicated and I wasn't sure if they would work. This idea came to me about a month ago. Simple and it works.

John

[jeadstx]

K.C. Walker, besides attaching a small lanyard to the thumb screw, I have attached small lanyards to my sail stop in the past. I've used a sail stop for many years without losing it. With the sail stop, I secure the lanyard to a small self tapping screw in the mast.

A friend of mine told me the other day that he is on his 3rd sail stop in the last year. I suggested the mast gate to him.

John

[TIM WEBB]

Its just something to hold the boom up out of the way as I get the boat ready to go down the ramp. And, some of our lakes have a decent length of narrow canal to get to the lake and this requires motoring out and back in. Without a stop and not having the main raised it just wants to drop right down to the downhaul horn cleat. Its just a little thing really but they add up. This would buy me a little more cockpit headroom and that's a good thing IMO.

So, how do you like the lever stop from mastgate.com? Does it hold tight when engaged?

Thanks for the feedback.

Eric

Oh, OK, I see what you're using it for.

I love the lever stop: it holds the boom up just fine, even with the weight/tension of the boom tent under it, and it doesn't even need to be all that tight to do so.

[TIM WEBB]

Tim, answers to some of your questions.

The tapped hole does not go into the sail slot. I thought it might and was concerned about it, but it didn't. No interference.

The thumb screw I got is zinc plated. I would have preferred aluminum, bronze, stainless, or even plastic. Just couldn't find those at the time, but I plan to look for better materials. Until I find a better material for the thumb screw I'm going to carry a small spray can of penetrating oil or WD-40 if putting it in or taking it out should become problematic.

I had mentioned to you in an e-mail last spring that I was looking for a solution, but most of my ideas proved to complicated and I wasn't sure if they would work. This idea came to me about a month ago. Simple and it works.

John

Thanks John. I knew we had talked about it, but not what your ultimate solution was. Sure sounds like a good fix, but I'm reluctant to use one of the aluminum screws I got for the burgee mast (I had to buy a 10-pack) after the issues with that. I think maybe plastic (nylon?) would actually be the best answer for this application?

[jeadstx]

I'm leaning towards the nylon as well. Keeping the mast gate in place doesn't require a lot of force, just needs to stop movement.

John

[TIM WEBB]

I'm thinking something like this:

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/67342642

Trying to find a source that doesn't sell them by the 100's tho!

[DigitalMechanic]

Its just something to hold the boom up out of the way as I get the boat ready to go down the ramp. And, some of our lakes have a decent length of narrow canal to get to the lake and this requires motoring out and back in. Without a stop and not having the main raised it just wants to drop right down to the downhaul horn cleat. Its just a little thing really but they add up. This would buy me a little more cockpit headroom and that's a good thing IMO.

I second that notion... And I am apparently slow.... I though we were talking about a track stop for the boom all along, lol. I don't have slugs in my sail

That must be why I never move the thing, it's just a "boom stop" to me.

[itguy1010]

I'm thinking something like this:

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/67342642

Trying to find a source that doesn't sell them by the 100's tho!

Tried Fastenal?
https://www.fastenal.com/products/faste ... ews%22%7C~

[TIM WEBB]

Its just something to hold the boom up out of the way as I get the boat ready to go down the ramp. And, some of our lakes have a decent length of narrow canal to get to the lake and this requires motoring out and back in. Without a stop and not having the main raised it just wants to drop right down to the downhaul horn cleat. Its just a little thing really but they add up. This would buy me a little more cockpit headroom and that's a good thing IMO.

I second that notion... And I am apparently slow.... I though we were talking about a track stop for the boom all along, lol. I don't have slugs in my sail

That must be why I never move the thing, it's just a "boom stop" to me.

You are not slow DM, but I think a bit of terminology clarification may be in order here. Normally, one would set the boom downhaul stop cleat, the one that has the horn cleat screwed into the tube that rides in the mast slot, at the highest position one can for best headroom, while being able to raise the main fully and get good luff tension. Doesn't matter whether you raise the main first, then push the boom down and cleat it off as GL does, or cleat off first then raise the main as I do. This is the "set and forget" boom DH stop position, at least until you get new sails!

Knurled round knob or lever type track stops can be used for any number of purposes, including, but not limited to, holding sail slugs above the slot opening in the absence of a mast gate, or holding the gooseneck up higher when the main is not raised, be that for more headroom while motoring, or for deploying a boom tent, etc. It would be impractical to use the horn/tube DH cleat for this purpose.

Or, if one is a serious racer, one prolly has a fixed gooseneck, and doesn't care about all of this nonsense! ;-P

[TIM WEBB]

I'm thinking something like this:

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/67342642

Trying to find a source that doesn't sell them by the 100's tho!

Tried Fastenal?
https://www.fastenal.com/products/faste ... ews%22%7C~

No, but that is where I was going to look next! Lowes is useless ...

Thanks for the link Eric.

[jeadstx]

I looked a Home Depot today for nylon type thumb screws without any luck (at least at my local store). I'm going to check out Tractor Supply. There is an Ace Hardware about 15 miles from my house, for some reason they seem to have an extensive and varied amount of fasteners.

John