In a message dated 7/7/2008 4:07:34 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, wriker@mindspring.com writes: I'm getting old too but won't admit it. Ask my wife. It's been 9 years since I last used slugs and I don't remember all the reasons. I'm getting old. Oh, yeah. I said that already. Aerodynamics is part of the reason. When rigging at the dock, in the wind, you need to raise the main all the way, while shoving slugs up the slot. Let's see, that's one hand to aim the slugs, one to pull the halyard and one to keep the previously loaded slugs from dropping out. And I've only got two hands for singlehanding. Who said slugs are easier? With a boltrope, just start the first few inches, cleat the halyard and on to the next task. No need to flog the whole sail before you're out on the water and it's time to use it. I started handling boltrope sails under race conditions 54 years ago. It comes naturally and seems more seamanlike. Bill Riker M15 - #184 Storm Petrel It's rare to see anyone who has used bolt ropes and slugs go back to bolt ropes. In my view bolt ropes are less "seamanlike" than slugs. Single handing takes longer to raise, lower and stow a bolt rope sail than a slug sail. The boat has to be positioned with bow to wind to install bolt ropes. Slugs can be put in from any wind direction and sail raised later...but as they say "different strokes". Like the others who have already posted, I don't raise the sail as slugs are fed in. They get stuffed in the slot before the halyard is hooked up to the head. Slugs falling out aren't a problem and neither is inserting a slug stop. There's no more feeding the luff after slugs are installed no matter how many times the sail is raised or lowered. How aerodynamic sails are with bolt ropes are (to make them faster than slug sails) could be debated (whether it makes a difference on a Monty trailer sailor). A tight halyard with slugs gives near or equal results...too close to call. I seriously doubt Montys with bolt ropes sail faster/closer than Montys with slugs. If a person is slicing frog hairs, baggy sails are best downwind and could be an equalizer when using less "aerodynamic" slugs. In my humble opinion the main reason bolt ropes are seen is because mfg costs are lower. It's like sleeves on dink sails...cheaper to make but less versatile in the sail handling dept. I started sailing 51 yrs ago on a old beat up El Toro pram I bought for $5 from my paper route. There weren't many bolt ropes in the 1950s. Most boats had wood masts with tracks and slides. My first bolt rope (which I soon converted to slugs) was in the late 1960s...and a few others since. The most recent is on a trailer in my back yard...next to one slugged boat, one tracked boat and one sleeved boat. Slugs and tracks are best to me. Bill P. **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)