Main sail slides

[Lee Kaufman]

I recently purchased a CD25 and find the main difficult to raise. I suspect the old slides. Would it be appropriate to lubricate them? If so, what would be a good choice? I was thinking about either wax or a teflon lube. How about WD40. It seems to fix anything that doesn't require duct tape.

Also, while returning to the river inlet, apparently the following waves upset my full fuel tank starving the motor for fuel. I didn't realize it until the o/b quit. I have been trying to think of some way to assure that the tanks stay upright but haven't come up with anything yet.

Any help for the newbie will be appreciated.

[Parfait's Provider]

Try a strap over the fuel tank, much like a battery hold down.

As for lubricating the track, WD40 is a solvent, not a lubricant. Sailkote is probably what you want. http://www.888teammclube.com/frames/sailkote/

[Didereaux]

Anhydrous lanolin. You can buy the VERY expensive type from your friendly marine stores, or do the smart thing and buy it at any drug store/pharmacy...it's used for babies bottoms. ;) Also don't just use it on the slides, the winches, blocks anything at all.

g'Luk

[Parfait's Provider]

anhydrous lanolin can be purchased in your local friendly drug store for about $15 a pound and it will last a very long time if you can just remember where you stored it. I've been looking for my supply for many months and just found it today! We keep a few ounces on the boat and have yet to make a real dent in it even though it goes on all screws as a matter of course to keep the corrosion at bay. I don't know if it would work well on zippers; I think it would be hard to work in.

[Dick Emrich]

Sailkote really works well. You can get it at your marine store, it comes in a spray can, costs about $10 and you spray it in the sail track up as far as you can reach. I had the same problem you have and now raising the mainsail is very easy.

[aja]

The first year we had aja, I really struggled with raising the main (my job).

Lubrication helped some - but before we raised the mast the second year, I cleaned the track and found lots of little burrs and nicks in the aluminum track where the sail would get snagged.

I filed the track with a fine file till I could feel no more nicks, I cleaned it, wiped in some woody wax and sail kote spray. The main flies up with ease.

I have run my fingers over it every year - but have had no more nicks. Just clean and spray each year and we're good to go!

My job of raising the main is a real breeze.

Diana

[Tom in Cambria]

It is said that WD 40 is just kerosene in an aerosol can. Kerosene is a fairly good lubricant also known in the old days as "coal oil". A lot of people lubricated their lawnmowers with it. Since it's a solvent it tended to dissolve rust too. The catch is that it evaporates like gasoline or acetone or other petroleum products, so it doesn't last very long. You can also use it to clean paint, varnish or grease off your hands. I've found that it works pretty well on sail slides, but you have to do it each time you go sailing while more oily things made for the purpose last longer. If you live in a warm climate during the sailing season lanolin works fine, but in cold weather it thickens and gets sticky. Still better than nothing though and much like using vaseline. Just my experience FWIW.

[Oswego John]

Hi all,

Well, here's my 2¢ worth on the subject of WD 40, but it's only conjectural at best.

I have been led to believe that the letters W and D stand for Water Displacement and that the number 40 represents the fortieth and successful attempt to develope the product.

WD 40 is very important to the wellbeing and substance of our nation, if not the world. One prevalent theory concerning it is that if something is supposed to move and doesn't, WD 40 it. If something moves and shouldn't, duct tape it.

I feel that there is some sort of lubricating property in WD 40 and it is my guess that it is some form of a petroleum product, but it is short lived and not recommended as a permanent lubrication. . As Tom mentioned, perhaps it is a form of kerosene which is derived from coal. OK then, is coal a form of petroleum? Let's go a little farther, is oil derived from shale a petroleum product? Thirdly, does anyone care? I think that anhydrous or nonanhydrous (is that a word?) lanolin comes from sheep's wool and possibly skin fat. Definitely not a petroleum product.

I go along with what Diana says and then fall back on my old standby of liberally spraying silicon all over the place. Talk about slick, silicon rules. It is so good that I think that I'll add it to my thoughts about Duct Tape and WD 40 and create a triumvirate of treatment for the world's woes. (It couldn't hurt)

O J

[Jim Davis]

On my wifes Typhoon DS I use a silicon spray for the main. Just stick the tube in the slot above the slugs with the main down. It helps to run the sail up one time to spread the stuff in the slot, but not necessary. I normally do this "on request". WD40 also works, but it dosen't last as long.

As to WD40 here is more than you ever wanted to know. http://www.wd40.com/PressRoom/50th_epk/ ... meline.pdf

[John Vigor]

It is said that WD 40 is just kerosene in an aerosol can. Kerosene is a fairly good lubricant also known in the old days as "coal oil". A lot of people lubricated their lawnmowers with it. Since it's a solvent it tended to dissolve rust too. The catch is that it evaporates like gasoline or acetone or other petroleum products, so it doesn't last very long. You can also use it to clean paint, varnish or grease off your hands. I've found that it works pretty well on sail slides, but you have to do it each time you go sailing while more oily things made for the purpose last longer. If you live in a warm climate during the sailing season lanolin works fine, but in cold weather it thickens and gets sticky. Still better than nothing though and much like using vaseline. Just my experience FWIW.

Tom, you're very close. WD 40 is actually Stoddard's Solvent (mineral spirits, otherwise known as paint thinner) with a little light lubricating oil added. The aerosol propellant used to be propane, which is why Nigel Calder and others said you could run a diesel, and control its speed, by squirting WD 40 in the air intake.

Recently, however, the propellant was changed to carbon dioxide.
Somehow, I don't think a diesel will run very well if it's gulping down CO2. In fact, as has been suggested before, it might be a good way to halt a runaway diesel.

In any case, it's not a good lubricant. It's a water displacer and it helps prevent rust by turfing out the moisture and leaving behind a very slight smear of oil. You could make your own WD 40 for a fraction of the cost by adding a little 2-in-1 light machine oil to a squirt bottle of mineral spirits or kerosene, which is slightly oilier than mineral spirits.

I wouldn't lubricate sail slides with anything except dry lubricants, because the oily residue of others simply attracts dust and turns into a sticky gum that makes things worse and is hard to remove.

John Vigor
CD27 "Sangoma"
Bellingham, WA

[Dick Emrich]

Sailkote is a dry lubricant and, as mentioned, is extremely effective for lubricating a sail slot in a mast, and for other purposes as well. I believe the manufacturer recommends it for lubricating the sail itself, to decrease the wind resistance and increase speed. I don't know anything about its effectiveness in that department.
Dick

[Carter Brey]

Also, while returning to the river inlet, apparently the following waves upset my full fuel tank starving the motor for fuel. I didn't realize it until the o/b quit. I have been trying to think of some way to assure that the tanks stay upright but haven't come up with anything yet.

Standard battery box tiedowns are perfect. I bought one for each of my two fuel tanks after experiencing trouble with them falling into the motor well when sailing heeled over with no engine in the well.

Each tiedown comes with two plastic guides. For each tank, screw the first guide into the side of the well about 1/2 inch above the platform upon which the battery sits; screw the second one into the same side wall a few inches above the first so that it's a fraction of an inch below the top surface of the gas tank. Then thread the strap through the guides, place the tank on top of the strap, and thread the strap through the tank handle so that the buckle sits on top of the tank when installed. Pull tight. It should keep everything nice and shipshape.

Cheers,
CB

[Lee Kaufman]

You folks are really helpful and I do appreciate it. I am going to the boat Monday and think I will stop by West Marine and pick up some Sailkote and a couple of battery tie downs.

Thanks for all the comments.