I should also mention that I'm replacing all the running rigging, and slowly inspecting my way through the standing rigging, and expect to do some gelcoat repairs, and need to make me covers for the cushions, and.... You get the idea.

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Do you have a pic of the area where the slugs pop out? Honestly, for a boat that cost you so little (I know the feeling), cheaper may be the way to go. I'm wondering if you can just gently reshape the track with your tool of choice.

 

If you do decide to install a TidesTrack, it should cost around $750, not 1900.

tides track runs $26 - 28 per foot of luff. That's around $650for a SanJuan 21. That includes the track and the slides for your sail. Plus about $100 shipping in the USA.

You can install the track yourself, and probably swap in the slides as well. Tides track is pretty diy friendly.

 

My boat has a Tides track. I didn't install it, it came with the boat, but as far as I know the track slides into the track for the sail. Mine is only secured a the very top and it's a much bigger boat. I'm having trouble understanding how your sail stops pop out of the track, so it makes me wonder if the Tides track would pull out as well.

I also wonder if you can solve the issue just by using bigger slugs on your mainsail luff.

Pics?

 

A picture might help us get a better idea of the problem, but there might be two ways to fix this cheaply and easily. If the luff groove is too wide and the slugs pop out, take Rezz's idea and use a hammer with a wood block to bend the arms of the extrusion (gently) closer together. There's a thread on Sailing Anarchy (Dinghies) showing this problem and solution, with pictures. Put the section you're banging on a bench so you don't bend the mast. It might take an hour. If the issue is caused more by a gap in the mast extrusion - the sides of the groove are missing because that's where it broke - have a welder fill in the missing material so there's no gap. He'll need to be careful not to fill in the groove, or you'll have to grind it so the slugs will get through afterwards! It would be a big hassle, to get in there to open up passage for the slugs without bending the arms of the groove open and re-creating the problem! Someone here at the expensive end of the country might charge $60 for something like that. It might take him 15 minutes. You could also try such a fill-in repair using some epoxy goop, but a weld might end up lasting longer and looking better. (The epoxy would need to be painted, which means painting the whole mast...) K.I.S.S.!

 

We have Tides track I installed myself. It was not too hard.

Yes your price seems way out of wack. What size boat are we talking here?

The sail track has a life expectancy based upon UV exposure. It seems that it’s about 8 years minimum for tropical sun conditions. When you replace it they seem youbthe track alone at a reduced price.

Your P dimension is 23’ and tides is quoting $29.10/foot on their website, you may do better through a rigger. Anyway that looks like under $600. Maybe they thought you meant METERS?

I would also consider the weight you are adding to the mast. I would check that it is appropriate for such a small boat.

 

Thanks everyone! The $1900 is for a new mast. Just the track is $700ish.
Post #6 is the problem I'm having. The track is widened at the break, allowing the slugs to pop out of the channel. I hadn't considered welding it. And I have the equipment to do just that. I guess for some stupid reason that just never occurred to me. I think my repair may have just gotten a lot less expensive!


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Could you just screw a piece of aluminum plate to the mast to cover the wide/broken area?

Mark

 

Catalina Direct sells mast gates for the Catalina 22. From what you're describing these should do the trick for about $40 bucks. Drill four holes and you're done...

MastGater Sail Track Gate, C-22, CP-22

 

Hey, look at that! That is exactly what I was thinking about, and glad to see that they are inexpensively available. Better, in fact, because those have running pieces inside the track so the slugs won't catch on the old track.

Mark