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Hi folks,
I was wondering if anyone's has had to make repairs or modifications to the mast track of the Mark V. Mine has developed a break in the plastic mast track that's inserted the length of the mast, which is significant enough to have the top slugs pull free from the mast when raising the main.
Has anyone replaced this track insert or removed it entirely and moved up to larger slides on the main?
Would welcome any advice/input on this.
Many thanks,
Robert Howard
Mk V #18 "Skylark"
Tucked in for the winter on the shore of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
I own hull number 69 - there is no plastic insert, and the sail goes up on slides (not slugs).
I wonder if it is the same mast section, just with no insert? Anyone know?
Distant Thunder
Hull #69
Offline
No plastic insert on mine either.
Yikes. This is troubling. Someone -- it may have been from this site -- previously referred me to a current company who has a legacy with the Mk V design team. Perhaps if I can find that group again, there might be someone there that can help.
Thanks for your responses.
Robert
Also no plastic insert in mainsail mast track on hull #75. Could your mast have been replaced? Could the plastic insert have been added to adapt to a sail that doesn't use the standard plastic slides? Can you post pictures of the mast track and the sail slugs?
I'll take some photo's when I can next get up to the boat. As far as I can tell, it does all look like original stuff -- mast track and the slides on the original main. I'll make some inquiries with the original owner nevertheless. Still, it wouldn't be the only design oddity (my list currrent includes stern chain plates, non-slotted toe rail and now this mast track design) on the first year's Mk V production that seemed to have been rectified by '85.
Fortunately, I've several months to solve this little problem.
Thanks again for the responses.
Robert
Mk V #18 "Skylark"
Winnipeg
I very vaguely remember a mast section with a plastic insert. If I remember it correctly, the intent was to allow one mast section to fly either a roped-luff main (no slugs or slides) or a main set on slides. To make a spar for a roped luff, all you had to do was slide the plastic insert into the track on the aft side of the section. Since the track was sized for slides, all you had to do to make a slide-set mast was cut a gate for the slides in the track. It was a nice piece of industrial design, except that the insert seemed vulnerable to damage.
This may be what you have. That you have slugs indicates someone either misunderstood the insert's purpose or got tired of rolling up his main and decided that slugs were an easier remedy than pulling out the insert and making the modifications required for a slide gate.
Before you go to the trouble and expense of replacing the insert, see if the track in the mast isn't the same size as a slide. All that may be necessary is to remove the insert and construct a slide gate, and I'm sure that a photo from Distant Thunder or Heatwave will show exactly how to do that. The only part that will cost you any money are the changeover to slides and the (possible) necessity of adjusting the tack offset.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Offline
David,
Thanks for your response. I think this might be what I'm dealing with. The slides are fairly small. My first boat's main, aTanzer 22 had larger slides. Subject to what the original owner might be able to tell me, it seems that if the plastic track insert could be removed entirely I could simply change to larger slides and I'm home free without too much difficulty or expense.
As far as the plastic track insert goes, your "vulnerable to damage" comment seems to apply.
Thanks again,
Robert
Here is a picture of the mast sail slide gate on my mast. This is not a very good pricture, but it is the best I can do for now since the mast is stored for the winter with a cover.
<A href="http://members.rogers.com/rsengland/images/Mast%20sail%20gate.JPG">http://members.rogers.com/rsengland/images/Mast%20sail%20gate.JPG</A>
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