Mainsail slugs

[Now or Never!]

The bottom part of the luff on the main on Now or Never! is not attached to the mast directly with slugs.  Instead, the slugs are attached to a line that is threaded through the cringles on the main.  I really don't understand why this is.  Can anyone explain this to me?  The line gets hooked around the reefing hook when I raise the sail and prevents it from going up.  This is a nuisance since I then have to go forward to unsnag the line.  This kind of negates the reason for leading the halyard back to the cockpit.  Why couldn't I eliminate the line and attach the sail directly to the mast with slugs?

[Captain Bri]

One possibility: By having those slugs "loose" it may allow for sliding them to a lower than normal position when flaking the sail on the boom which in turn will lower the overall profile of the stack, resulting in less windage and a lower halyard shackle. This may be more of a factor with a newer "firm" sail or a heavy sailcloth.
I see no reason why you could not remove the line and reattach the slugs to the sail. I like to attach them with webbing (reeve at least three times through the ring) , hand stitch with a good waxed twine.

[Dolce_Vita]

The bottom part of the luff on the main on Now or Never! is not attached to the mast directly with slugs.  Instead, the slugs are attached to a line that is threaded through the cringles on the main.  I really don't understand why this is.  Can anyone explain this to me?  The line gets hooked around the reefing hook when I raise the sail and prevents it from going up.  This is a nuisance since I then have to go forward to unsnag the line.  This kind of negates the reason for leading the halyard back to the cockpit.  Why couldn't I eliminate the line and attach the sail directly to the mast with slugs?

I have exactly this same rig, and I experience the same fouling problem.  I never understood the purpose of it.  The sail is quite new (thanks to the PO), and is quite stiff and slippery.

[Captain Bri]

I have finally made it back to the boat and am working on repairing several bits of damage to the main.  Now I realize I have the same slug configuration on the main that you describe and I believe it is most likely designed to accommodate the reefing of the main -- the line/slug arrangement ends just above the second reef and it seems to allow for a clean way to reef the bottom portion of the sail.  I hope to get out and test the theory in the coming weeks as it is blowing pretty good in NC this month.

[selene]

Brian could well be right...I don't have these slug-lines, and with the volume of sailcloth it is very difficult to seat the second reef over the hook.

[Dolce_Vita]

...  Now I realize I have the same slug configuration on the main that you describe and I believe it is most likely designed to accommodate the reefing of the main -- the line/slug arrangement ends just above the second reef and it seems to allow for a clean way to reef the bottom portion of the sail.  ...

This makes sense.

Where is the lower end of your line secured?  Mine just floats free, but I find that this makes it difficult for the slugs to get lined up properly when hoisting.  I usually end up putting a knot in the end and securing it under one of the reefing hooks.

[Dolce_Vita]

I did some further research on this line.  It's called a "luff line" (imagine that!), and it's purpose is to make reefing easier.

Without it, it is difficult to get the reefing tack down to the reefing hook, as all the slugs below the reef point pile up
in the sail track and hold the reefing tack up too high. In some cases, you would actually have to remove the slugs
from the track in order to reef!  With the P323's "track-gate" system, it's not something I want to do on a pitching
deck with a storm bearing down!
(I know, I know! I should have been reefed BEFORE that point! )

The luff line also a convenient place grab to haul the sail down to
the reef point, as there's usually some side-loading while reefing, and the slugs tend to bind in the track.

I've found recommendations that it should be tied off either to the gooseneck, or to the tack of the sail.