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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Broken sail slug

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/07/2008 : 12:40:29

The second from the bottom slug snapped off while we were sailing yesterday. It looks like it used to be attached to a piece of sewn on nylon webbing, so I can't easily replace it. It's absence only seems leave a smallish wrinkle in the sail towards the bottom, so it's not overly affecting the sail. I was planning on sending the sail to Sailcare (I think that's the place) at the end of the season, and don't really want to cut short our already abbreviated season since we just splashed about a month ago. Am I setting myself up for some sort of catastrophic failure if I continue to sail minus one slug? I figure at worst I can pull in my first reef & sail like that the rest of the season. Since we've got a tall rig, that still gives us as much sail as most of you guys anyway.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2008 : 13:00:41

David, they're easy to replace, you can get them from west marine, you'll just need some strong needles and either sailmakers twine or very strong thread. That'll get you by till the end of the season or longer.

Paul

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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3319 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2008 : 15:31:09

David - the broken slug won't affect mainsail performance and doesn't increase the risk of other slugs breaking. So you could wait to replace it until you sent the sail to Sailcare.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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3444 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2008 : 15:56:52

I'm not sure I agree with Derek completely. I think he's right and that you'll be safe to wait for the repair until you send the sail to Sailcare. However, it just makes sense that the load on the sail is divided among all the slugs. Therefore, there will be increased load on the remaining slugs thereby increasing their risk of failure. I'd imagine that risk to be minimal but, if one failed, it's a safe bet that the others are fatigued.

Maybe you could hedge your bet by securing the Cunningham cringle assuming you have one.

BTW, Sailcare always has an off-season discount so, wait until they announce that to send your sail.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2008 : 16:36:06

Guys,
Thanks for the tips & advice. I like the idea about the Cunningham cringle, I'm pretty sure I've got one (you'd think I'd know). It'd be right in the right place & might remove some of the strain. For that matter, maybe I can tie another slug in place using the cringle, not sure. If I knew where my sail palm was, I'd make the repair that Paul recommended, but I haven't seen it in years. I could just improvise with something. I'll take a look at it next time I'm down.

I'm going to start paying attention to Sailcare's site for one of their specials. I was planning on either a new sail or having this one refurbished in the next year or two anyway.

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frogger
Navigator

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USA
184 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2008 : 19:12:10

Get some sail slugs, 3/8", with nylon/stainless steel bails from WM. Attach them using short length of rope knotted on both ends. Works like a charm and you have several ready for use.

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 09/17/2008 : 20:52:13

Here is a short cut to an old arcive posting on this subject.
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11385&SearchTerms=sail,slug

It is a very easy to replace the slugs with out sewing. My reply is the 8th one down the picture is a littls small.

Keith

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/17/2008 : 21:32:11

We blew out four slugs and used Keith's repair method. Works great.

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farrison
Navigator

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USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 10:35:37

Sewing on new slugs is really pretty easy. I helped a friend redo all of the slugs on his sail. The sail maker had used polypropolene webbing to attach the slugs. Polypropolene is the worst one of three common webbings because of UV damage. We were out on a stiff wind day, and tore out the webing on one of his slugs. As we were checking it, we found that all the webbing was sun-rotted, and just flaked away as you scraped it with your fingernail, so check the other webbing on your slugs.

Nylon is better than polypropolene, and polyethelene is better than nylon, for UV resistance. We bought some from WM, and talked to an old sailmaker at a local canvas shop. He showed us how to had sew the slug back on with a heavy needle and a pair of pliers.

Or you can send it off.

Paul

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 10:47:43

So, you basically screw down the new slug holder onto the sail? Is that what I'm seeing? Doesn't that make a hole in the sail? What am I missing? We're headed out tomorrow & I'd like to fix this before we go. I've got the slugs, but not the screw down thingies. There's WM just down the hill from work so I can stop there today on the way home. I bought 5/16" slugs, I couldn't find 3/8", and I don't know exactly what width I need. I estimated it from the Davis slug retainer things that were hanging right above the slugs, and I know I have the smallest one they make in my track.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 14:30:44

Dave 5/16" are fine, that is what I used. I went with the SS bails (WM# 2690881). I will take a photo tonight of the detail and post it. Keith's photos have shrunk and you can't see how it works. No holes needed. Start by breaking the old slug and removing it. Then the photo will show what to do. Buy the slugs and the plastic shackles (WM# 2690964) today and the photo will make it all clear. Actual repair takes 2 minutes.

Edited by - Nautiduck on 09/18/2008 14:34:21

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 15:16:27

Perfect! Thanks! I'll run by WM tonight after work & pick up the other bits, saves me the trouble of trying to sew it on w/o a palm.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I went with the SS bails<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Of course you did...

Edit to the edit...I have a rectangular extrusion on my mast, not the circular one that you're showing. Does that make any difference? I'm thinking not, but wanted to ask.

Edited by - delliottg on 09/18/2008 15:20:59

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 15:25:15

David,
Were you reefed when the slug broke?

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 15:47:37

Actually I don't know when the first break occurred, I noticed that one side of the slug was cracked in half the day before it broke off and knew it was unlikely to make it through the next sail. We weren't reefed, if we had been, it wouldn't have broken as it would have been tucked in with the reef. It's the second slug from the bottom.

Edited by - delliottg on 09/18/2008 15:51:55

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 19:05:37

Here is the photo. Note that the "loop" end used to be sewed onto the slug. Break the old slug away from the loop (I used metal cutters). Then feed the strap through the new slug bail, put the "loop" end through the grommet hole and use the plastic shackle to secure the "loop" end around the strap. Done. I have six of these now and they work great. Blew them out when some dumb butt didn't reef in 25MPH winds.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 20:21:17

Randy,
Thanks for the photo, but I don't think this'll work for me, I don't think I have the same cringle arrangement that you do. Is your track extrusion circular?

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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3704 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2008 : 20:57:49

Bummer. Yes, the mast track is circular. WM also sells the flat slugs. If you have cringles could you just use the plastic shackle directly to attach the slug to the cringle? What year is your boat?

Edited by - Nautiduck on 09/18/2008 20:58:47

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