Over the last couple of weekends weve made good progress on the rig conversion. We finished modifying the boom, added some rope clutches for reefing lines and a second jib halyard, and installed the necessary hardware for the lazy jacks. We also installed a Tides Marine sail track. It was easy to install, fit perfectly and looks great. The new mainsail was also easy to hank on, and slides up and down the track with all the ease I had hoped for.
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| Notice the artfully shaped reinforcement patches. Im not sure if they an improvement but they do look sporty. |
I installed the track before putting the boom on. To make it easier to install I put a spare sail slide in the track and attached a halyard and downhaul so I could put some tension on the halyard then just guide the track into the mast. When it was all in, the halyard held the track exactly where I wanted it while I installed the retaining screws. Once the track was installed, it was a simple matter install the boom, vang and control lines and, finally, to hank on the sail and secure all. The entire operation took about four hours.
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| Mainsail installed. Notice the custom Home Depot sail cover! |
The stackpack bag wont be ready for another week so the sail is flaked on the boom and covered with a couple of plastic tarps from Home Depot. Were looking forward to going for a sail over the Labor Day weekend.
