inhauler vs inboard genoa tracks

Jimski

.
May 20, 2015
44
Catalina 30 Seabrook
For anybody racing a C-30....

I've been told by riggers and racers that I must install inboard genoa tracks on my C-30 to be able to point as high as my competitors. So that is on my todo list for when I have more disposable money for boat parts. In the meantime, is it possible to achieve similar results with an inhauler? Whats the best way to rig one? Seems like this would be cheaper.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Not only cheaper and fewer holes in your deck. I can't answer for a C-30 having never sailed one or raced one. I have reservations regarding inboard sheeting on a cruising platform. In some cases you may point higher but at a cost of boat speed. An inhauler gives you pretty good control of the clew position. But it's not quite the same as an inboard track which moves the clew inboard and back, if needed. I would discuss this with your sailmaker. Just moving the clew midships would change the designed shape of the sail -no?
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
In hauler and out-hauler. My last boat had two sets of tracks, and it was not a better solution.
If you look around, you will see quite a few new high performance boats with no tracks at all, just Dyneema tweaking lines and low friction rings.

As Shermandr correctly points out, you won't use the inside track all of the time, or perhaps even most of the time. It's a gear you will only use in specific situations.
 
  • Like
Likes: Will Gilmore
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I like the inhauler idea. It feels, to me, like there is more flexibility. With inside sheeting, there is less control over sail shape when off the wind. It is harder to open the clew outward. Of course, you can add a whisker pole to do that.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Inhauler, twing, tweak, barber hauler. What is the correct term. I always thought it was barber hauler.

Les
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Inhauler, twing, tweak, barber hauler. What is the correct term. I always thought it was barber hauler.

Les
Mates: The term most used is barberhauler. The term has nothing to do with anything nautical -- the name came from the Barber brothers who developed the system while racing against Dennis Conner in San Diego. Whether racing or cruising - the inboard tracks are used for closehauled and the outer tracks for all other points of sail. My C30 had tracks on the cabin top, which would have been perfect for my needs, but I could never figure out how to efficiently use them -- the safety lines were always in the way so the barberhauler was my easiest solution. It's cheap also - just use a short piece of spare line and attach it to the mainsheet with a slip knot. The slip knot also makes it adjustable. I ran the line to the lazy winch.

To experiment and see how efficient the inboard track is while sailing closehauled just sit on the cabin top and grab the mainsheet and pull it in - watch & feel the boat jump ahead.
 

Jimski

.
May 20, 2015
44
Catalina 30 Seabrook
I was wondering if attaching the line to the boom was acceptable. I have a spare bale that lines up near perfectly with the clew of the genoa.

Thanks for the insight!
 

mortyd

.
Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
i know nothing about these other boats but i'd never sacrifice forward access on my catalina 30mk ii to lay an extra track on the deck, neither can i imagine a prospective buyer's reaction.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The Catalinas do not have the toe rail with a zillion holes, and as such it limits the places for attachment of restraining lines. Not only is a track a good way to do it, the Garhauer EZGlide system allows infinite adjustment of the trim, on the fly. It's not just for racing.
DSC00794.JPG
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Your rig looks sweet Meriachee... It also looks like a bit of stuff to stumble on if you want to move quickly to the bow.
Once again the idea of 'compromise' raises it's head in the discussion of boats. Oh boy fuel for discussion.
 
  • Like
Likes: Meriachee
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
That's the downside John, you don't exactly have the widest decks on smaller boats, and the deck on a 30 isn't that much wider than that of a 270. There just isn't a lot of places to attach a barberhauler, and it's not like the stanchions are welded schedule-anything pipe. I certainly wouldn't risk loading them up with a 155.

Catalina does publish the specs for these boats with a drill pattern as the deck track is an option.

If you move the furler line to the outside, it does open up a lot of space.
 

JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Don can you do a picture or sketch of this, I love the idea for my O'day 25 but I'm struggling picturing how the lines are run and work.

EDITED-- the safety lines were always in the way so the barberhauler was my easiest solution. It's cheap also - just use a short piece of spare line and attach it to the mainsheet with a slip knot. The slip knot also makes it adjustable. I ran the line to the lazy winch.

To experiment and see how efficient the inboard track is while sailing closehauled just sit on the cabin top and grab the mainsheet and pull it in - watch & feel the boat jump ahead.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I know about small foot print side decks. I constantly wish mine were wider. Maybe I just feel the need for more space, yet not willing to pay the cost. When discussing options, from a cruising point of view, locating folding padeyes on the deck to serve as a secure point for a barberhauler can address the need. More often than not my tacks are of a longer duration then when I am racing. The need for infinite adjustability is less. Lines can be adjusted or even swapped from port to starboard when side after a tack minimizing the trip hazard.

Versatility is the key to optimizing what you got.
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,401
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
You might find this article interesting. Different boat, but nice, simple DIY work. Also lots of good stuff on soft shackles on the same blog.
http://l-36.com/inhauler.php

For what it's worth, barber haulers are commonly used as outhaulers on multihulls, instead of a wisker pole. But I've used them for inhaulers as well; the track on my current boat is far enough inboard, but on my last boat it was almost 18 inches too far out (it was really a reaching track). I inhauled for weather work, but I loved the outboard track for reaching.
 
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
It's cheap also - just use a short piece of spare line and attach it to the MAINSHEET with a slip knot. The slip knot also makes it adjustable. I ran the line to the lazy winch.

OOPS - It's JIB SHEET not mainsheet!!!
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
The Catalinas do not have the toe rail with a zillion holes, and as such it limits the places for attachment of restraining lines. Not only is a track a good way to do it, the Garhauer EZGlide system allows infinite adjustment of the trim, on the fly. It's not just for racing.
View attachment 160073
Right on that - The distance between a outboard rail mounted track & inboard track on a Catalina 30 is so small that, in my opinion, it doesn't have enough effect to make the installation of the inboard track worthwhile. The next problem is how to make the track switch -- I tried snatch blocks and drank a lot of "tinney's" (Aussie for beer can) trying to come up with a easy solution, which just happened to be the barberhauler and the advantage with the barberhauler was I could pull the jib sheet in further than the inboard track would allow.

The Garhauer EZGlide was the 1st mod I made. I couldn't deal with the pin type fairleads.

"There is no difference between racing trim & cruising trim - there's only a right way and a wrong way to trim sails". You know who told me that -- Dennis Conner in a bar on Shelter island in San Diego!!
 
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
Don can you do a picture or sketch of this, I love the idea for my O'day 25 but I'm struggling picturing how the lines are run and work.
John: I think I misled you - I ment to say JIBSHEET no MAINSHEET. I'm glad I caught the mistake before anyone did.
 
  • Like
Likes: JRT
May 17, 2004
2,099
Other Catalina 30 Tucson, AZ
I know about small foot print side decks. I constantly wish mine were wider. Maybe I just feel the need for more space, yet not willing to pay the cost. When discussing options, from a cruising point of view, locating folding padeyes on the deck to serve as a secure point for a barberhauler can address the need. More often than not my tacks are of a longer duration then when I am racing. The need for infinite adjustability is less. Lines can be adjusted or even swapped from port to starboard when side after a tack minimizing the trip hazard.

Versatility is the key to optimizing what you got.
Years ago during a beer can race in Long Beach, Ca a skipper asked me to come aboard to help him improve his finishing position. Since he was always finishing last anything would have been an improvement. We were in good shape from the start to the 1st turn and then we started falling back. I asked him if I could try the barberhauler and he told me NO!! At that point I wondered why am I on this boat. Anyway, I finally prevailed and we started passing other boats. We lost ground at the next turn but the skipper became a barberhauler believer. I really don't like racing that much anyway -- I'm a cruiser at heart.
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Don, I would never dispute your knowledge base, but I would clarify something you said from a logic approach. The difference between the tracks is substantial based on the sail. The 155 will fly from the top track, but the car is at the extreme rear, and you know what kind of sail shape that allows. (not) The 135 flying from the lower track is just far enough out that you'll not be able to get a very effective upwind trim. We've flown the 135 from the lower track as adversed to moving the EZGlide hardware, (lazy) and while it's ok, it's far from optimal.