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Post by nornaj on Dec 3, 2011 15:46:31 GMT
Hi, all
Anyone made the choice between Harken batcar system (with/without switch track) and Strong Sailtrack? Either will involve replacing existing partial battens with full battens on our SO39i.
Comments/advice appreciated.
Norna J
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Post by hoppy on Dec 3, 2011 19:10:54 GMT
I thought about getting the Harken but in the end I have decided I will just get Rutgerson batcars for my soon to be ordered full batten main. No need for a track to be fitted.
If it does not cut it, then I can always add the Harken later.
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Post by davideso37 on Dec 5, 2011 12:29:27 GMT
I have had the Ronstan Batten Car System for over 4 years and it has been excellent. It is a trackless system with balls running in the face or the mast. www.ronstan.com/marine/range.asp?RnID=324I suggest you choose your batten type first and them make sure the car is suited to the batten end. I had round battens supplied but they put a lot of local pressure in the sail cloth where the battens touch the shrouds when running downwind. I changed over for flat battens with softer front ends after a season. The mains still inverts if you let the boom out too far when running as the stay pressure on the battens turns the sail inside out. Regards David |
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chumu
Junior Member
Ann and Dennis - SO37 - Chumu
Posts: 14 
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Post by chumu on Dec 7, 2011 16:19:23 GMT
Norna, yes, I installed a Harken system A on my Sun Odyssey 37. The existing Doyle offshore main is a heavy weight and has 4 full length round battens. Without any type of system the full length battens are pushing forward against the mast and make raising and lowering a lot of work.
The Harken system is pricey, but it works great. I lucked into a deal on Ebay that was perfect for our 37. The existing metal fittings at the luff end of the battens needed a tiny bit of drilling to fit the new Harken slides. The intermediate slides just attach to the main grommets with 1/8" rope.
We also have a stack pack cover, so to lower the sail I just release the clutch and stand back. The sail falls into the bag nicely and usually I don't have to go forward to do any folding or organizing.
Dennis / Chumu 2000 Sun Odyssey 37
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Post by gene on Dec 8, 2011 14:38:46 GMT
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Post by offshore on Dec 8, 2011 23:35:03 GMT
Hi Norma the 39i has a seldon mast with an internal space to run the seldon battcars so you don"t need to fit an external track. Talk to your sailmaker about correct sizing though, as a friend had a problem with his cars being too small and breaking when gybing. please see following attachment. www.riggingandsails.com/pdf/selden-masts.pdfcheers Barry |
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Post by nornaj on Dec 20, 2011 16:50:06 GMT
Thanks everyone! Great advice.
Currently checking out the Selden MDS (thanks Barry).
Sub final pricing, may be the best solution - not least because it was designed for the mast.
Otherwise might go with strongtrack.
regards
NornaJ
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Post by nornaj on Jul 6, 2012 23:45:39 GMT
For completeness of the thread - we installed the Selden MDS system. Required modifying the sail to use full length battens. Works very well indeed. When stowed, the headboard is about 4 inches higher than stock. Plan to modify the stack-pack with a couple of gussets to accommodate the extra height.
NornaJ
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Post by nornaj on Sept 21, 2012 16:05:15 GMT
Hi, All
Instead of modifying the stack-pack it has proved easier to remove the pin from the headboard car and then fold the headboard down. This allows the zipper to reach the mast and cover the entire sail. Additional pin on order, as we will most likely lose it overboard one day!
NornaJ
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