Can an unreleased topping lift shatter sail slides on a jibe?
- Thread starter Bepi
- Start date
I cannot imagine how such a problem would occur. (?)
A hard jibe or just sailing in strong winds can break older plastic slides; and the pressure from a 20 knot sailing day did cause us to replace all of our old slides once.
A hard jibe or just sailing in strong winds can break older plastic slides; and the pressure from a 20 knot sailing day did cause us to replace all of our old slides once.
Rocinante33
Contributing Partner
I agree with Loren. The real culprit might just be age and UV exposure. Maybe if I go out and practice Christian's gybe technique, I will break some too. Maybe. It wouldn't be the first time I broke some.
Do you mean that you had the topping lift too tight, so the mainsail couldn't be trimmed correctly?
That still seems unrelated to slug failure. If slugs or slides break off, the problem is them.
That still seems unrelated to slug failure. If slugs or slides break off, the problem is them.
I'm trying to envision where load would go without releasing the topping lift. If this meant the leach had less tension and the sail would not flatten and maybe create bagginess that created a bigger pocket to get grabbed by the wind, perhaps, but I feel like I'm stretching. I would say don't worry about it though, get new slides if needed, release the topping lift when sailing, and avoid jibbing. 
Rocinante33
Contributing Partner
OK, if you induced too much draft/bagginess by tensioning the topping lift and so when the sail came about it really slammed around because it was way overpowered, then maybe I can see what you are saying. But then, in addition to easing the topping lift, maybe it was time to have been reefed (or reefed more) also.
BTW, a local sailmaker might have better quality sail slugs than West Marine. My sail slugs are sewn in place, secured by webbing straps, so when I broke some I took the sail back to the sail loft..... Ulman sails for me in my area. They sewed new slugs in.
P,S. I removed my topping lift many years back. My boomkicker supports the boom
BTW, a local sailmaker might have better quality sail slugs than West Marine. My sail slugs are sewn in place, secured by webbing straps, so when I broke some I took the sail back to the sail loft..... Ulman sails for me in my area. They sewed new slugs in.
P,S. I removed my topping lift many years back. My boomkicker supports the boom
Bepi
E27 Roxanne
5 new Bainbridge slides failed from the head Down. Which brand/type got you to Islands?
I'm among the many of us who have installed Tides sail track, which has its own track and proprietary slides. Not expensive, and solves all issues.
The Tides Marine slides are stainless steel and your sail would likely rip before the slides broke.