HOW TO CLEAN AND LUBRICATE A SAIL TRACK ON CARBON FIBER MAST

[LOLA]

I BOUGHT SAILKOTE BY MCLUBE.

QUESTION ..HOW DO I KEEP THE SOAKED RAG AT THE TOP OF THE FIRST SAIL CLIP AS I RAISE THE MAIN SAIL UP AND DOWN THE MAST?

I PLAN TO DO IT SEVERAL TIMES

THANK YOU

[LOLA]

IT SAYS IT IS DRY LUBRICANT...THINK I NEED OTHER? WHAT?

[Terri]

Hi Lola, I'm new at this boat mtce. also. I've heard that you need to clean track first (denatured alcohol), then lubricate.. I believe sailkote is what u want ...anything else will be gummy, sticky & collect dirt. But from what I understand you have to clean first before lubricating. Not sure on securing rag..maybe safety pin?? would have to look at it. good luck! Terri

[Terri]

just called a friend who's had boats all his life. He says soak the rag in denatured alcohol to clean track.. only spray sailkote on the slugs not in track. He also says going up in a bos'uns chair is the only way to get it really clean. Can be done by sending up but won't do a real good job. That's his opinion, you'll probably get 50 different ways to do it.. Will be interesting to see.

[Fred Molden]

I would plan for a trip up the mast and do inspection of tangs, turnbuckles, sheaves, lights etc as well as clean the track and clean and wax the mast. It takes an hour or two but worth the effort. I would also ge a few extra sail slides to attach to a terry cloth and slide them up as you go, keeping saturated with alcohol. I think I would also lubricate the track with a dry lubricant such as SailKote but definatley not anything that would leave any oily residue behind. Clean and dry lube each sail slug. I usually do this every two years.

[LOLA]

All sound good, but my bold area is the question

How do I keep the rag to stay in the track as I raise the sail? going up a chair is not an option at this time.

Next time its hauled out all kinds of things will be done to the boat

any ideas? Fred's idea is good to get extra slides but how will the cloth stay in place?

[Terri]

Can't you put a thin rag around the slug facing aft then insert into mast track? Might have to be very thin like hankerchief & replace often as gets dirty.