Is silicone spray a good lubricant for main slugs and furling head sail luff?

[eaglecreeksailor22]

Hello all from central Indiana. With the  mild winter here I will launch mid March. I know I am old and weak but seems the luff is not running up my FF1 very smoothly. Want to lube the main slugs also. Think I read years ago that silicone spray from an automotive/big box store will work for this. Please share your thoughts.

Thanks,
Rich
P165

[Wolverine]

I've used a dry silicone spray on the mast slot in the past.  It works for awhile.  You'll neeed to reapply every couple months. 

[talbot]

SailKote is the product made for that purpose, but another dry-lube product might do as well.
With any spray-on dry lube, the idea is to let the liquid solvent evaporate before use.
Not sure if regular liquid silicone is the best choice because it doesn't dry out and might stain the luff of your jib.

[Riggerdood]

Agreed that McLube Sailkote seems to be the go-to flavor of lubricant, but I'm not really sure what sets it apart from others? I've used it with good results though.

[Brian N.]

I've also use Sailkote. Dries in seconds and lasts a couple of months. My sail has a bolt rope and the Sailkote really makes raising/lowering the main very easy. I also use it on the foot of the main.

[tjspiel]

There might be something equivalent to SailKote but it is one those products that works really well and worth whatever *marine* premium you might be paying to purchase it.

[Riggerdood]

Tom, my can is actually labeled "Team McLube Sailkote", so maybe we're helping fund their expensive regattas in exotic places?

About $15-$20 a can at most places these days. Worth it? Less than I spent at Subway today ...

[Brian S]

Sailkote works so well, at then end of the season 2 years ago I sprayed some on the slugs when the main was getting a bit balky. Noticed it was sliding down really well, so I let go of the halyard. ZIPPPP it came down - and broke one of my slugs! So I got to learn about cutting stitching on the sewed webbing and re-stitching up the webbing with a wire reinforced new slug. What makes it worse is the first time I went up to the boat to do the repair, and flipped the halyard off the shroud where I foul it, it flicked around like a jumprope and hit the temple of my glasses, whereupon they flew off my face, skidded down the front of the cabin, and across the deck into the water. I just stood there and watched them sink, and thought about how I ignored the rule where I put on a glasses strap before getting out of the car. Because I hadn't planned to sail, and was just gonna fix the slug. Packed up my junk and drove back home - no use trying to sew something when you can't see. That was like 2 or 3 weeks before haulout, and I never did get the chance to sail again before haulout, so I wound up doing the repair at home anyway.

Um, yeah, so Sailkote is good stuff!