mast sailslide slot cover

[maxcontax]

Somewhere along the way, I saw advertized a pair of covers that mask the large slot in the mast where the sail slides are inserted, down to the same width as the mast slot. This would make jiffy reefing so much easier-right now I have to get one slide past that slot to secure the tack and it''s busy up there. Does anyone know of a company that makes one of these, before I build one out of a piece of plastic breadboard sandwiched with screws between two pieces of 1/8 aluminum?

thanks!

[RichH]

Why not simply use an added ''auxiliary external luff rope'' to which you affix the slugs ... with the slugs held into position to the sail with ''stainless straps" on each side of the slug position. When you lower to reef, the external luff rope goes slack, all the such mounted slugs fall to the bottom of the track .... and you will have no problems reefing because of all the sailmaterial/slugs in the way.

[petercra]

I believe Davis Instruments makes what you are looking for (they have 2 or 3 versions). They call them "Sail Track Stops." Davis is in Hayward, CA and have a web site www.davisnet.com/marine. I think they''re also in most of the catalogs.

The stops are small metal plates with a stud and thumbwheel. The plate slides into the sail track on your mast, above the wider portion into which you insert the slides. You then tighten the thumb screw to hold the plate in place and keep the slides from falling out of the track during reefing, or when dropping the sail.

I have one and it works great.

[Jeff_H]

I have never seen a stock version that allowed the slugs to pass the slot cover. I have always made my own out of a piece of aluminum angle using a hacksaw, a hand drill and a file. They are quick and easy to make, (less than an hour without painting) an they can be made to fit the slot so the slugs can pass through with the covers in place.

Jeff