Non sliding

[dylanwinter]

The Minstrel is home - a few minor problems to sort

but one of them is the main will not slide up the groove in the gaff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJdeLUC1CKc

I assume that the spar has swollen a bit

what do I do?

- run some sand paper down the groove and then re-varnish it

should I lubricate it in some way - candle wax?

all suggestions gratefully received

there are a few snaps of the boat here and a tour of the inside

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/blogs/the-minstrel/

Dylan

[maxi77]

It could be the bolt rope has shrunk thus scrunching the sail up. It may be worth stretching the sail for a bit and trying again with some lubricant, silicone spray can be effective.

[prv]

On an otherwise rather dull holiday with a friend's parents, I once discovered an abandoned Mirror in the shed at their holiday home. I spent a morning fettling it so that my mate and I could do something more interesting than sit on the beach reading. The yard had exactly the problem you describe; I ran some sandpaper up and down the groove with the part inside padded out with kitchen roll.

In that case I think it was swollen due to being abandoned in a shed; I guess the other cause would be over-enthusiastic varnishing.

Pete

[Gwylan]

should I lubricate it in some way - candle wax?
all suggestions gratefully received


Dylan

- Mole fat, there seems to be a lot of it about.

[dylanwinter]

- Mole fat, there seems to be a lot of it about.

no moles in BC other than in my toolbox

D

[nickd]

The sail looks in good nick
From the vid there looks to be some dark stain along the spar groove? If that is the case it would indicate water has got under the varnish, in which case a good sanding and perhaps storing it somewhere dry for a while would help.
But before all of that palaver I would get some silicon spray and give the groove a really generous pasting - it is really amazing how much difference it makes, at the beginning of the season I could not winch my main, a few generous applications of silicon and it goes up sweet by hand.

[prv]

From the vid there looks to be some dark stain along the spar groove? If that is the case it would indicate water has got under the varnish

I hadn't watched the video before, but now I have and agree with Nick. Wood probably a bit swollen due to dampness in the lips of the groove, due to varnish being worn away by the sail. Sand back thoroughly (to allow for a few coats of varnish), dry if possible, depending on how damp the wood now seems, re-varnish to stop it getting damper.

Pete

[DanTribe]

Nice looking boat, a bit posh after the Slug.
I take your point about the stern, it looks vaguely biological.
Regarding your problem with a tight slot,[ah memories], there are some sensible suggestions made previously, but to recap.
1/ the wood may have swollen, get it indoors to dry out.
2/ It may have varnish dribbles.
3/ Double sandpaper will sooner or later sort it out, but don't overdo this as you don't want the slot too loose.
4/ Silicone spray or furniture polish in preference to candle wax.
[Joshua Slocum would have used lard or tallow, but goose fat might work]
Those sails look new, have they ever been fitted to those spars, new sails often are difficult to get into grooves.
Good luck with the new venture. Exciting times, new boat, new puppies!
Minstrels, made to melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

[dylanwinter]

Nice looking boat, a bit posh after the Slug.
I take your point about the stern, it looks vaguely biological.
Regarding your problem with a tight slot,[ah memories], there are some sensible suggestions made previously, but to recap.
1/ the wood may have swollen, get it indoors to dry out.
2/ It may have varnish dribbles.
3/ Double sandpaper will sooner or later sort it out, but don't overdo this as you don't want the slot too loose.
4/ Silicone spray or furniture polish in preference to candle wax.
[Joshua Slocum would have used lard or tallow, but goose fat might work]
Those sails look new, have they ever been fitted to those spars, new sails often are difficult to get into grooves.
Good luck with the new venture. Exciting times, new boat, new puppies!
Minstrels, made to melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

the sails have been on the boat

but the first owner changed the rig to the Bermudan and then put the spars and the sails away

the next owner, John, who had it for 15 years also never used the high peaked gaff/gunter

you can see some sunlight degradation on the main - but not much so yes.... basically new sails.

Not a cheap boat though 3 x the value of the slug and still needs some work and money

hopefully in the long term it should be cheaper to run and more reliable

D

Puppies for sale -- great boating pedigrees puppies due in June - we have never done it before so it will be rather exciting. I might even get my camera out.... sad to say I filmed the moment of conception

[prv]

[Joshua Slocum would have used lard or tallow, but goose fat might work]

I imagine silicone polishes would be much more effective than any variety of fat, but if you did want to use tallow it's easily available. I grease my gaff jaws with it regularly, and the leather lining to my gammon iron slightly less regularly (cos it's a bugger with the bowsprit in the way). The secret is that electricians apparently use it to lubricate cables being pulled through conduits. Seems like a good way of encouraging rodent damage to me, but that's what the tubs I have were sold as.

I wouldn't use goose fat; I assume it would go off. Tallow doesn't, even stored in an unsealed plastic tub in a hot boat all summer (three years and counting).

Pete