NEW Owner of Capri 16.5 needs help with rigging

[bobleo]

I am a new owner of a USED Capri 16.5 and I am trying to find out some answers to my rigging and boat questions.

1) The old owner was not familiar with the boat and was not sure of the year it was. I believe that Catalina started to manufacture the 16.5 in 1995, he tells me he thinks it is a 1998 but is not sure. I have the hull #, how can I tell what year it really is?

2) Boom rigging problem/question: The boom (Z-Spar) is missing the Gooseneck bracket from aluminum casting (round hole, looks like a pin should go in it) to the mast bracket. I found a gooseneck on the Catalina Direct site, but it does not make sense to me how it would work (http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=1720&ParentCat=276 ). I also found a gooseneck pin on the Z-Spar site ( http://www.rigrite.com/spars/Zspar/Z-GN_Brackets.html ) Z1121X that looks like it would work, but the two sites do not reconcile the two parts. Which is the right gooseneck I need to buy?

3) Side Stay Tension, How tight should the chain plates be?

4) Is there a manual for the proper rigging of this boat?

5) Do I need to worry about the Capri 16.5 turtling? I have two small children 5 and 8 want to be safe.

Thanks for the help,

Bob

 

[sinnettc]

Bob,

There's a Capri 16.5 yahoo group that you should join. Lots of good information there and folks famiar with the boat who are willing to answer questions. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Catalina_16-5/

If you have the HIN I think this site will help you find the year: http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.htm

I posted a copy of the owners manual (including rigging instructiions) on the Yahoo site a couple of years ago. We had a 2004 until we got 6-foot-itis and bought the Capri 22.

The Catalina Direct gooseneck looks like what I had. There's a picture here: http://www.pbase.com/sinnettc/image/99452986 that shows the gooseneck connected to the boom.

Sides stays - I had them fairly tight when the mast was up. My philosophy has always been that the uppers should be tight but a little flex in the lowers when the wind is up is ok. Trial and error will help you get them in the right spot.

Turtling - Yes, the Capri 16.5 can turtle if it goes over. Personally, I never dumped ours but I came very, very close on an evening when I went out with too much wind for a main with no reef points. I've seen a couple of options used to help avoid turtling - one is to stuff pool noodles down the top of the mast, which is what I did, but I don't know how truly effective that is. The other is to put a hobie float at the top of the mast or you can tie an empty gallon bleach jug up there -I've seen both done - my feeling is that might be a better/more effective approach than the pool noodles I used.

All of this info and more will be in the archives on the yahoo group.

The Capri 16.5 is a fun boat and IMO pretty kid friendly (large cuddy to store cooler & stuff and huge cockpit). Have fun!

 

[bobleo]

Chris,

Thank you. I have been reading the yahoo group from the beginning and I am about 1/2 way through. I found the manual and other great information on the files section of the group.

I found out that my Hull # 427 is a 1998.

The boom end (aluminum casting) I have on my boom does not look like yours (sorry no photo the boat is 100 miles away). I believe that my aluminum casting Z-Spar boom end needs to be replaced to use the Catalina Direct gooseneck system (like yours), they also offer the replacement end on the same page down the bottom. http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=1720&ParentCat=276

I am going to find a local sail maker and have reefing points put in as our normal wind in cape cod, ma is 10-15MPH SSW most of the time, with gusts!

Thanks for the quick response,

Bob

 

[sinnettc]

Glad I could help.

Reef points are definitely worthwhile and preferable to tearing a batten pocket from luffing too much, which is what I did. IIRC I paid about $120 for Ullman San Diego to add them to my red/white/blue main a few years ago.

If you're going to leave the boat rigged, be sure to get, or make, sail covers. My boat was 4 years old when we got it and the sails were pretty faded from the PO not covering them.

My great-aunt lived on the Cape for years, in Dennisport. She passed away a couple years ago at 99-1/2. Last time we were there, just before she turned 99, the wind and kite surfers were having a ball off the beach down the road.