New Catalina 22 owner

[Will Gilmore]

the traveler bar in my boat is bent forward by maybe 3/4" and I can't find info about how to change the bar, do I have to cut an access to change it?

Pictures?

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[ChileanJK]

This is my traveler:

 

[Will Gilmore]

You can use a torch to anneal the stainless steel, heat it on the bends until it is a soft red, bend it straight, then douse with cold water quickly. You are looking for a straw color as it cools, then cover it with lots more water, a running hose. This should harden it again without making it brittle. There is plenty of information out there for working with s.s. Here is a link to a forum discussion on bending s.s. http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?33592-Bending-stainless-steel . It seems the recommendation is to bend it cold, if you can. I would find a ridgid square bar and use clamps to pull the traveler bar back against it. All this should be doable in place.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[greg_m]

From my point of view the "bends" look symmetrical... is it not actually supposed to be bent in that shape?

forgive the ignorance as my traveler looks different and is also mounted on the same level as the cockpit seats!

 

[ChileanJK]

I didn't tought about repairing it, but I think is easy to try at least, if it didn't work, I could try to replace it or change the system.

 

[Will Gilmore]

From my point of view the "bends" look symmetrical... is it not actually supposed to be bent in that shape?

Good point. Even if it isn't suppose to be bent, it does look like it might even perform better with a small curve in it. That way, the traveler car doesn't just slide to one exstreem end or the other. The slightly harder bends in the middle seperate it into three sections and that could be improved, but to what real gain?

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jacktar]

All I can say is somebody really cranked in that mainsheet in a full gale to bend it that much.

 

[Hardhead]

If it doesn't effect use, I'd just leave it the way it is. Looks custom made actually, with the symmetric shape to it-

Also, that could be a tough job to access and finish up right, the way these things always seem to tend to go...

 

[Rltgold]

Hi everyone, Thanks for having on board. I bought my 1989 Catalina wing keel in September and have been very busy making it safe and fixing up all the things I want to do to make it great. Here is a photo from this week with the boat on the hard waiting for new bottom paint