Slugs and a mastgate in the mast slot solve all the problems of raising, lowering, reefing, flaking, and tying, and let the sail stay on the boom under a sail cover all season. Rick M17 #633 Lynne L On Tuesday, February 24, 2015, Steven C. Gordon <stevencgordon@gmail.com> wrote:
I added slugs to the luff of my main. It makes hoisting much easier and the sail doesn't drop onto the deck and cockpit when lowering. It also flakes itself at the luff. Some will argue that slugs are less aerodynamically efficient than a bolt rope in a slot but, unless you're a hardcore racer, I doubt you will notice the difference.
I don't have experience with a loose footed main.
Steve M17 #494
On February 24, 2015, at 11:05 AM, Dan Farrell <msog@danf.us <javascript:;>> wrote:
Howdy folks,
I'm in the market for a new main sail. Currently I have an Armstrong main with bolt ropes at the luff and foot, and as far as i know mast and boom are original. I have a few considerations on which I'd like to solicit the mailing list's opinions.
Will the mast accommodate slugs? It seems like slugs would allow the sail to flake, whereas a bolt rope doesn't really flake well. But I'm interested in anyone's opinion on slugs vs bolt rope. After 36 years or so of use, the mainsheet has warped the boom so that it bends slightly down in the middle, and that can't be optimal for performance. I thought a free footed main sail might work around that issue simply and easily; I've heard they preserve better sail shape anyway. Does anybody on the mailing list have opinions to share regarding use of a free footed main on an m17?
If anybody had thoughts on any of this, I'd love to hear it. Thanks all.