A while back I read on one of the forums (either here or on F16 forum) that a product called McLube should be used to lubricate the spinnaker & chute.
Since I`ve just fitted a chute I`ve found that there`s a lot of friction to be overcome while hoisting & retrieving. I`ve never seen this product (McLube) in SA, maybe it`s only available in USA - is it a "dry silicone" spray, as I`ve seen reference to before ?
Who is the manufacturer ? Perhaps I can track a similar product down if I know what it is.
I don`t want to use something that causes dust / sand to stick to my beautiful white spinnaker - Please advise.
Regards
Steve
It is a silicon based lube. I have not found it to be all that different than the Prestone equivalent. You can order "McLube" in gallons, not just in areosol.
West Marine sells it under the name "SAILCOTE" in aerosol and liquid forms. If I recall, someone said that it softens the spray bottles over time, so you may want to store it in the original container...
I priced to 'McLube' from West Marine ,once, and for a gallon, including shipping, it was going to be about $100/gallon!!!!
You can also get spinnakers that have been impregnated with silicone.
Mclube/Sailcoat is a teflon based product, not silicone as posted earlier.
Yes it is expensive. for a 350 ft^2 spinnaker I use about 1 quart of it. I use a pump sprayer and put on an even coat. figure around 30-50$ per spinnaker. I also coat the snuffer bag and hoop heavily. Personaly I think it is money well spent. I have not tried any of the silicone spray products.
When your figure the cost of a chute is 900-1000$, the sailcoat is cheap and reduces wear on the chute
Eric
How often on the same spin? Each time, seasonally, etc.?
Todd,
I coat once when the spinnaker is new. I do spray the hoop and snuffer bag a few times a season. While you are at it spray all your main and jib teltales. this keeps them from sticking as much when they get wet.
Over the life of the spinnaker, you probably use 30$ worth of sailcoat.
Eric
Eric,
I just have some dumb questions:
Can that teflon spray be used on other things, like car windshields, ski goggles, sailing goggles...?
And would it make a boat faster if it were sprayed all over the hulls?
Hi:
McLube is teflon based, and yes, it's pretty expensive. We've tried nylon spinnakers coated with McLube, and spinnakers made from Dynalite, which is silicone impregnated nylon. For our boat, (Tcat), and I suspect most larger boats, Dynalite is too light for long life. Spinnakers launch and retrieve well, but the retrieval line wears small tears into the cloth (according to Mitch Booth who looked at ours), and Dynalite stretches out pretty quickly. The McLube option works pretty darn well actually. We use a small weed sprayer to apply it, using the finest mist we can cajole out of the sprayer. That's actually more than needed. McLube suggests using a low pressure, high volume paint sprayer to apply the stuff. According to them, the amount required is very small. If it turns your kite white, then you are applying too much. McLube stays on our kites for quite a while. We occaisionally reapply it near the pulldown patches. We coat the launcher with it as well. A little less than a pint (half liter) can do a 250 ft^2 kite. That's about $15.00 worth of the stuff. We periodically wetsand our launcher with 600 grit paper as well.
-Greg
Yes, some sailors coat their entire boats; there's a McLube ad in, I believe, Sailing World, from a year or so ago, announcing that the world champion Star boat used Sailkote as a hull coating. The website suggests an array of other uses as well.
Okay, then the next questions are:
Does use on the hulls actually make boats faster?
And, if so, why is it legal to use it?
I remember when the use of long-chain polymers was banned because they made boats faster. 
Mary,
I don't know if it makes the boat go faster. It does help keep the boat clean. I don't use it on the hulls, but I do coat the daggerboards and rudders/casings with sailcoat. It makes the daggerboards go up and down much easier, It seems to keep them much cleaner. Lasts quite a while. actualy I wax the boards and trunks with a teflon polish and then mclube over the polish.
Incidently I also use the stuff on the lufftrack and boltrope of the mainsail on all my boats. It deffinitely allows the downhaul to be easedmuch better and the sail goes up much easier.
Eric
At the website link listed in a post above, one of the testimonials was from Jay and Pease Glaser, who said they coat their hulls with it.
West Marine sells a set of two bottles, one cleaner, the other, Teflon polish-sort of a liquid wax. I've used it before, worked great! I wonder if it would work on by spin.
The West Marine stuff is designed for boat hulls.
There has been alot of research about coatings that can disrupt the laminer flow over the hull. Regular wax is usually not recommended for this reason.