. . . complicated about slugs . . . They're quicker to feed, slide more easily, and as Wayne points out, allow you to drop the sail without removing it . . . My halyards are external . . . The only extra hardware on the mast itself is a quick-release stop-pin across the groove . . . The mast-mod was only necessary because the throat to the boltrope groove was an absurd umpteen-zillion feet above the deck: Closing the old throat, re-bending the new, would've been a useful mod even if I hadn't switched to slugs . . . I've stored my boat on her trailer, mast-up near a launch ramp, the last two seasons and the ability to drop the sail without removing it from the groove has been an exceptional convenience . . . Ready to sail: Undo the sail-ties and pull the halyard, the sail sliding so easily it can be raised one-handed . . . Ready to store: Release the halyard, flake the sail and lash it to the boom . . . Nothing complicated, no extra moving parts. ----- Original Message ----- From: Wayne Yeargain To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Sent: Friday, November 12, 2004 10:42 AM Subject: track lube Granted the boltrope is all you say it is, plus more aerodynamic, the advantage in sail slugs is that you can drop the sail without removing it. Wayne ----- Original Message ----- From: "William B. Riker" <wriker@mindspring.com> To: "'Craig F. Honshell'" <chonshell@ia4u.net>; "'For and about Montgomery Sailboats'" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 7:18 PM Subject: track lube Just for a contrasting opinion, I think you're all nuts! For me, the boltrope is easier to deal with than slugs. The original sail that came with Storm Petrel had slugs, but I ordered my new main (5 years old now) without them and haven't looked back. In the spring, a shot of silicone spray in the mast groove keeps the boltrope sliding freely all season, and I don't need a mechanism to keep the sail from dropping out of the slot. I can let go of the halyard to tend to something else and the sail stays put. Of course, it's also more aerodynamic. The boltrope is a strong, simple and secure system. Bill Riker M15 #184 Storm Petrel -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces+wriker=mindspring.com@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Craig F. Honshell Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 10:26 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: track lube I had such a mod made this past spring (close the old throat, open a new, lower throat) . . . However, I had my groove opened right above where the boom rests when the downhaul is cinched . . . I have a 1/4" quick-release stop-pin that runs across the groove once the slugs are fed into place . . . I can flake the sail without allowing the slugs to drop out of the groove . . . This also works pretty well . . . Perhaps not as tidy as Busca's mod . . . ----- Original Message ----- From: htmills@bright.net To: 'For and about Montgomery Sailboats' Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 10:18 PM Subject: track lube Bill, Rod, the previous owner, had the following solution: He closed up the original spread section of the groove and opened up a new one BELOW the normal operating position of the boom. When setting up, I feed the slugs all in and then the gooseneck slide and raise it up towards its normal operating position. A stop (slug w/ thumbscrew) below the gooseneck keeps it from falling down. A line to the mast foot holds the boom from raising when the sail is hoisted. Sounds complicated but it works pretty well. I'll get the measurements for you hopefully by the weekend. Tod