Re-Lashing Sail slugs

[jthistle]

One of our last sails of the year was a little aggressive. We ended up tearing out some sail slugs that had, what I think, UV damage. They were lashed with thin nylon webbing. How are yours lashed and how would you approach re-attaching 5 or 6 that ripped out?

Another good winter project.

cheers
jt

 

[Frank Langer]

My suggestion

I would send them to my local sail loft and have them replace the webbing. We had one replaced a couple of years ago, and it was very inexpensive, looked very good and was sewn solidly. If you have a good sewing machine, you could buy the appropriate webbing and UV resistant thread and do it yourself, but sewing through sail material is not really easy.
Frank

 

[Randy Rutledge]

Be sure that the new slugs are the right kind. My 29 uses the flat slugs and must have a recessed area in the center of the flat side or they will hang on the rivets and screws holding the track on the mast. Most flat slides are completely flat and will hang.

 

[Emerald]

When I picked up my main, it was missing slugs on the batten pockets. After talking to my sailmaker, I ended up webing new slugs on myself. Basically follow a good existing one, which probably is a piece of webbing looped around from sail to slug 3-4 times, and then hand sew a figure 8 stitching down through the center, loop up through one end, back through center, loop through other end and so on. You'll definitely need a sailmaker's palm, needles, and perhaps even a pair of pliers to help pull the needle through. I believe you'll use the same basic technique whether it's the front of a batten (full length with end caps) or on a bolt rope luff. Just check out what's already there, and you can probably duplicate it. Besides, it'll help justify picking up a few basic sail repair things if you don't already have them.