Installing a Tides Marine Mainsail Track 

I second that!! Thank you!

On boats with loose-footed sails then it's true that tying the nettles off above the boom reduces chance of ripping the sail if the reef line comes undone while sail is under load. But if you have boom slides on the foot like on this boat then the sail could rip anyway and it takes more time trying to get lines through that narrow slot then passing under the boom. My boat used to have the sail boltrope in the boom track so there was no other option and I just continued doing the same after I got a sail with slides on the foot. I take care not to tie them too tight to allow for stretch in the reef line at the clew as the wind increases and am very careful to untie the nettles before releasing the reef line. Being a lazy sailor I never adjust my outhaul anyway so once the reef is in it stays set.

That's true. But after 8-10 years in southern latitudes when it is likely in need of replacement from UV damage then you would need to unstep the mast to replace it.

@@atomvoyager There are times I'm quite happy that my masts are on turnbuckles, and can be raised and lowered single-handed using nothing but an onboard winch...

I've had mine on the boat year round mostly sailing off GA and FL for 5 years and no sign of wear or UV damage yet. I hope I get at least another 5 years or more. After that the expensive stainless slides should last a lifetime and the plastic track can be replaced at much less cost than the complete kit. I had read a report from someone on a much bigger boat that said the plastic track fell apart after a few years in the tropics. I don't know if there was some temporary manufacturing defect or if that is more common. It may be that they are not strong enough long-term for the loads on 40+ foot boats.

Our Tides Marine Track has been on Brick House, in the tropics of the Pacific and Indian Ocean for 7 years. It shows some U.V. degradation but is still very serviceable. In any case, we are now in Africa and will be swapping out the track for a new Tides track just to be on the safe side. Like a lot of parts on a sailboat, there is a time wear thing and we like to swap out well before a part fails. The Tides track should last far longer in higher latitudes where there is less U.V..