Not my mast??

[Jamesiv1]

Is there a way that I can tell if I have a genuine C22 mast? Are there any significant markers, does it say "Catalina" on it anywhere? Tomorrow I'll take some photos if that would be helpful.

This afternoon, I tried once again to step the mast (after watching the Stingy Sailor video) and it was fraught with potential disaster at every turn, though the mainsheet advantage was significant.

For one thing, the mast is really heavy.... Seems a whole lot heavier than what these YouTube guys are tossing around.

Maybe a previous owner had to replace it, and got some crazy heavy-ass thing?

Also, the mast step turned from side to side. Is it supposed to do that? I expected it to be solid as a rock without any play.....

[EDIT]

Here's a couple pics of the mast:

And here's a photo of the mast step. Looks like a sloppy repair gone bad:

 

[danooxnard]

The mast step should have two bolts holding it down it should move at all! I use the trailer winch to raise my mast. It is heavy, you dont want to drop it will tear out the holes for the bolt at the step or rip off the mast step itself.

 

[Jamesiv1]

The wingnut pin I got from CatalinaDirect just couple of days ago.

The U-clip pin is what came with my mast step:

 

[Jamesiv1]

By the way.... I emailed the Lake Grapevine (Region 8) C22 Commodore Mark Goodwin to see if he can hook me up with someone I can get some time with to help me with my boat. Hope I hear back from him.......

 

[Jamesiv1]

The mast step should have two bolts holding it down it should move at all! I use the trailer winch to raise my mast. It is heavy, you dont want to drop it will tear out the holes for the bolt at the step or rip off the mast step itself.

Thank you @danooxnard - I appreciate your reply.

 

[LakeShark]

Yes that looks like a proper Catalina mast base and mast head. No the step should not move unless you allow the mast to move side to side. Then the step will move because of the leverage the mast puts on it. Yes its heavy up to about 45 deg or better. Once its about 1/2 up the side stays will help prevent side to side movement.

Where you stand, your physical strength, and whether or not you have a mast stepper to give the mast a good angle to start with all come into play with raising the mast. Its really not that hard once you have a system figured out. I often raise mine off the stepper without any assistance and them just use the vang to hold it while I attach the stays. The bolt you picture is standard and available at any local hardware store. the large trailer pin should work as well it just does not have the wing nut. The purpose of the bolt or pin is just a pivot point. It bears no strength in the mast once it is raised.

 

[Jamesiv1]

Yes that looks like a proper Catalina mast base and mast head. No the step should not move unless you allow the mast to move side to side. Then the step will move because of the leverage the mast puts on it. Yes its heavy up to about 45 deg or better. Once its about 1/2 up the side stays will help prevent side to side movement.

Where you stand, your physical strength, and whether or not you have a mast stepper to give the mast a good angle to start with all come into play with raising the mast. Its really not that hard once you have a system figured out. I often raise mine off the stepper without any assistance and them just use the vang to hold it while I attach the stays. The bolt you picture is standard and available at any local hardware store. the large trailer pin should work as well it just does not have the wing nut. The purpose of the bolt or pin is just a pivot point. It bears no strength in the mast once it is raised.

Thanks @LakeShark - I appreciate the help. Like the video

 

[pdxjohnny]

I have a C22 Capri with the tall rig and i know EXACTLY how you feel about the difficulty of stepping the mast. It took us 5 hours to get it raised after I got the boat earlier this summer and i'm terrified to take it down this fall. One trick we learned from a fellow sailor in the parking lot... he used a trailer winch that had U bolts welded to it that he hooked up to the mast. He then hauled out the winch and wrapped it around the bow pulpit and used that to raise the mast. It takes ALL the weight of the mast off the struggling human underneath. Glorious. When I take my mast down, I'll build one of these first.

I took pictures of it as we raised it but their on my daughters phone. I'll see if I can find them and share. It really was a slick device.

 

[Jamesiv1]

I have a C22 Capri with the tall rig and i know EXACTLY how you feel about the difficulty of stepping the mast. It took us 5 hours to get it raised after I got the boat earlier this summer and i'm terrified to take it down this fall. One trick we learned from a fellow sailor in the parking lot... he used a trailer winch that had U bolts welded to it that he hooked up to the mast. He then hauled out the winch and wrapped it around the bow pulpit and used that to raise the mast. It takes ALL the weight of the mast off the struggling human underneath. Glorious. When I take my mast down, I'll build one of these first.

I took pictures of it as we raised it but their on my daughters phone. I'll see if I can find them and share. It really was a slick device.

Thanks so much for sharing that @pdxjohnny - I was beginning to feel like a total C22 screwup.

Yesterday I used the mainsheet shackled to the bow to lift the mast, which worked pretty good until it was past the stepper and started moving side-to-side. That scared me. Plus I was concerned the line might snap, or the mainsheet tackle would fail, and that had me scared. So I got a neighbor to come help me and he positioned himself right in the line of fire for a cracked skull. That had me scared.

So yeah, I'm really needing a C22 veteran to come show me the ropes. Hopefully, the local NSA fleet will be a good resource.

 

[LakeShark]

@Jamesiv1 The author of this video is often on the Catalina 22 FB group. If you don't have the arm strength or balance to step the mast this is the best solution I have seen

 

[Jamesiv1]

@Jamesiv1 The author of this video is often on the Catalina 22 FB group. If you don't have the arm strength or balance to step the mast this is the best solution I have seen

Thanks @LakeShark

 

[Jamesiv1]

So I figured out a couple of things:

1. the mast isn't nearly as heavy as I thought it was
2. the mast stepper goes up another 4 feet or so, giving me a lot better angle on the lift. With the mast sitting on it I was afraid to lift it all the way not knowing what might happen. So I took the mast off of it

I'm going to give it another go in the morning. Meanwhile, I emailed Mark Goodwin, Commodore of C22 Region 8 to see if he can hook me up with some "get to know your boat" lessons.

Hope to hear from him tomorrow......

 

[Jamesiv1]

How wobbly is your boat on the trailer? Mine is pretty dang wobbly. Makes me wonder if this is the proper trailer for this boat. Or maybe I need to see if I can stiffen up the trailer somehow.

 

[pclarksurf]

You might need to help us define wobbly. My '73 is tight to the bunks-- strapped by 2000LB cargo straps that ensure the boat is in close and snug to the bunks-- one across the cockpit just forward of the primary winches and one forward of the raised section of the foredeck. Keel is slack from the winch but resting snug on the keel stop-- bow eye connected and tight to the trailer winch (in my case a strap winch).

Boat and trailer should act as one unit-- wobbly would not be an acceptable scenario for my taste.

 

[Jamesiv1]

You might need to help us define wobbly. My '73 is tight to the bunks-- strapped by 2000LB cargo straps that ensure the boat is in close and snug to the bunks-- one across the cockpit just forward of the primary winches and one forward of the raised section of the foredeck. Keel is slack from the winch but resting snug on the keel stop-- bow eye connected and tight to the trailer winch (in my case a strap winch).

Boat and trailer should act as one unit-- wobbly would not be an acceptable scenario for my taste.

View attachment 208306

Thanks for that @pclarksurf - I put the 2 cargo straps back on and voila!! no more wobble

 

[morbidfollower]

I have a heavier duty mast similar to that on my boat. It is noticeably heavier than the mast that it replaced. I haven't been able to raise it myself yet but I do it with someone else no problem. One key is to make sure you are on level ground.

 

[Jamesiv1]

I have a heavier duty mast similar to that on my boat. It is noticeably heavier than the mast that it replaced. I haven't been able to raise it myself yet but I do it with someone else no problem. One key is to make sure you are on level ground.

Thanks @morbidfollower - I got it up Saturday morning... finally. I used the mainsheet attached to the forestay and cranked it up using the winch. It was a little scary but up it went.

 

[morbidfollower]

Thanks @morbidfollower - I got it up Saturday morning... finally. I used the mainsheet attached to the forestay and cranked it up using the winch. It was a little scary but up it went.

Awesome, Nice job.

 

[brockangelo]

It's worth mentioning that the mast cradle that goes on the transom is nearly essential. And raising it up to the highest setting is key to maximizing the leverage. Mine also has a loop in the front right near the roller. I clip two tie down straps to that and secure them to the aft cleats to provide stability. I've seen proper trailer it with the mast stepper attached and strapped down, but I've always worried about that damaging the bolts which would mean the rudder couldn't be used.