I found a cheap, simple, (two of my favorite words) way to lube my
mast track today. It was one of those details that got lost in the
launching rush and Skip pointed out how sticky my sail was going up
and down. Oh yes, I think I forgot to mention that I took Skip and
Lydia sailing while they were in Maine. One regular contributor to
this group, at least, can testify that my boat isn’t imaginary. He
actually didn’t comment on how sticky my sail was but politely
suggested how much smoother it would come down with the application of
some Teflon grease.

Anyway, I took one of those Scotch Brite pads that doesn’t have a
sponge on it and cut it in half. I then put in a row of stitching such
that, when the edges were splayed out, it formed a "T" shape to fit
the track. Close to the stitching, I punched a piece of marline
through and tied it into a loop. I did the same on the other end but
left the marline untied.

Why Scotch Brite? Because it was there and, when all you have is a
hammer, everything looks like a nail. Actually, it has a very open
weave that holds a lot of grease.

I greased it up well, working the grease into the weave and then
inserted it into the mast track with the loop at the top. The halyard
shackle went into the loop. I had previously tied the free end of the
halyard into the shackle because I wanted to be damn sure I got the
halyard back down, whatever might jam.

Next, I put a spare sail slide into the track and tied it closely to
the Scotch Brite. A previous attempt showed this necessary to keep it
from popping out. A final blob of grease in the track ahead of the pad
and I then hoisted it carefully up the mast and pulled it back down.

Judging by how much easier it was to put the sail slides back in the
track, it’s going to be a huge improvement.


--

Roger Long