Luff Track

My luff track on the mast comptip appears to be pinched in. The entire length is tight, this is not isolated to a small section of the luff track. What is the normal opening for the luff track?

The mail sail on my Hobie 18 is hard to hoist. I have read other forums on this topic which described feeding the sail from the bottom. This does not seem to be my problem. When the sail gets to the comptip it becomes very hard to hoist. The problem has gotten worse over several years. I always wash and lubricate the luff track and sail at the beginning of the season. This helps a little, but the main sail is still hard to hoist.

The luff track on the comptip is much smaller, more narraw, than on the lower aluminum mast section. Could the luff track have "come together" over the years? Does anyone know the normal luff track opening specificion or measurement? Can it be opened back up, and how is that accomplished?

I have had to trim the lower edge of the comptip track before to get the luff to in it. Lay the boat on its side and raise the sail, check along the track for the bind. The luff track isn't strong enough to pinch the sail and make hoisting hard but it could be binding as the sail enters.

I sail out of Windy Hill most all summer, where is your boat?

I was having the same problem and I replaced the halyard with a slightly smaller line that was not fuzzy and it helped a lot. I found the info with a search on this forum. I also put dry lube in the track and on the sail luff.

I do not have a comptip on mine so I cannot answer questions about that.

it never hurts to lube the sail and track everytime you hoist the main. A bit of quicklube/sailcoat sprayed on the sail on the inside edge of the bolt rope works great....
also, cleaning the track on a regular basis never hurts either.. especially if you've been travelling with the boat. Anytime the mast is down, before you raise it, have a small rag with a string attached, spray it with lube and pull it down the track from bottom to top. Cleans any dust out and puts a small coating of lube on the sail track.

paul

A smaller sized halyard worked for me, too.

I have seen several times where the track will snap off of the comptip itself. It's very difficult to seat the track onto the comptip, it snaps over a beveled groove. If its not seated properly the sail track will pinch.

Also if there are any burrs, deformities, or loose bits of resin in the beveled area of the coptip, it wont seat all the way.

Do NOT do this: I have taken a heat gun set on low and heated the track up slowly and evenly and with a putty knife, I spread the track open about 2mm. Worked perfectly. I made sure everything else was correct first.

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