Best genoa for Catalina 30

JRR

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May 19, 2021
19
Catalina 30 Minneford YC
Wish everyone a fantastic season and best of health. i'm a novice sailor that recently became aware that the previous owner of Luchi a lifelong sailor and rigger has no clue what the dimensions on the 150% genoa are. i don't know and wonder if i could replace the now shredded genoa with a 36ft. luff 135% genoa. i sail on Long Island Sound and wind is almost always there, for me. Because i don't have sailing friends i have always sailed alone and prefer a jib i can work my self. Luchi is a 1976 Catalina 30 tall rig. i was somewhat intimidated by that when i first saw it but the sailor convinced me that i could sail without help. Now i need a jib so i can get my skills up. Are furler tracks universal? It's also my first furler experience, i hoisted the sails on the O'day 25, my first boat. Are the beads for furling genoas/jibs the same size? If it is on a Harken furler can it be used on a Seafurl? i apologise for not using nautical terms properly, thank you
 

Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,864
Catalina 22 Seattle
Most all furlers these days run a #6 luff tape for boats that size. If you have lots of wind, you will be fine with a 110%, 125 and 135 foot lengths are 12.65ft, 13.8ft and 15.5 ft respectively.
 
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dmax

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Jul 29, 2018
969
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
I had a Cat 30 with a 115% genoa, I liked it a lot and felt it was the right size. We generally have plenty of wind as well.
 
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Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
Welcome to the forum!!

To confirm what size sail fits you sailboat measure the luff (leading edge of your sail), and leech and look up the J dimension (J = 13.16 ft) then contact your local or on-line sail loft for a quote. If you go to a local loft they will come to your boat, take measurements for a new sail, discuss your sailing conditions and requirements, e.g., do you need to reef?, fabricate the sail and install it. Might refer to these articles: Genoa / Jib Measurements | Yagers Sails & Canvas (yagersails.com) and How to Measure for a New Jib or Genoa - Precision Sails Ltd (precisionsailloft.com)

Do you currently have a furler? If so, is a Harken or Seafurl? In regards to furler track are you referring to the luff track that the jib sail bolt rope rides in? What are the jib/genoa beads you are referring to?
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
LIS is known for light winds in the Summer until the afternoon breeze settles in. Nevertheless, as a solo sailor, a 135 or 110 will work - if it is a good shaped sail. Going upwind the greatest amount of drive for a sail is in the first few feet. The lagging additional feet are more important for downwind sailing or reaching.
Furler tracks aren't universal. Maybe on a boat that hasn't been modified but most owners upgrade and change things.
I don't understand about the beads.
 
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Ward H

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Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Welcome to the forum!

I also moved up from an O'day 25 to a C30 Tall Rig. My Genoa was measured out to be a 135%. Compared to the O 25 that 135% is HUGE!!!

I mostly single hand. What I quickly learned was my tacking procedure for the O'day 25 didn't work on the C30. On the 25 I would back wind the jib to pull the bow around, then pull trim the jib. The C30 doesn't need to the jib to be backwinded, the bow comes around nicely. As soon as the jib "breaks" I start pulling the jib sheet in and can have it trimmed in as I hit my new heading. That saves a lot of work on the winches.

If I was buying a new jib I think I'd go with a 115% for the reasons @shemandr and the link @Stu Jackson talk about. Will be much easier to tack and I don't think I'll miss the down wind performance.
 
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JRR

.
May 19, 2021
19
Catalina 30 Minneford YC
Thank you, i am looking at a jib for 475$. The seller does list it under genoa but no %. i figured my novice self can handle a 115% on the LIS. i don't think i know what you mean by 'backwinded', i apologise, only sail alone and am not nautical term savvy. Yea, the O'day 25 was a great boat, learned to sail on it.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Hey @JRR. Welcome aboard. My wife is from Glen Cove. Sabrina with Harrison Ford was filmed right in her old neighborhood. We would swim in the sound when we visited. Lots of horseshoe crabs to watch out for. Never got to go sailing there :(
 
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JRR

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May 19, 2021
19
Catalina 30 Minneford YC
Hello, thanks for your replies. What i meant is the bead in the luff tape that goes into the furler track , the previous owner referred to it as bead. It's my first furler and it's a Seafurl 810. The mast is not centered properly and don't know if i did something or i didn't notice it when bought.
 
Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
.......What i meant is the bead in the luff tape that goes into the furler track , the previous owner referred to it as bead. It's my first furler and it's a Seafurl 810. The mast is not centered properly and don't know if i did something or i didn't notice it when bought.
Roger that........the bead you refer to I believe is the jib sail bolt rope. Suggest adjusting your standing rigging per your manual OR having your local sail loft or rigger to adjust your standing rigging to straighten mast.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Regarding the mast that is not centered I would not immediately blame yourself. There is this guy, the PO (Previous Owner), who is to blame for all deficiencies of a used boat. Feel free to blame him.
A uncentered mast mostly corrected thru a tuning process which is not conceptually difficult but a bit of a pain to actually do.
The short version is that you use a tape measure on a calm morning to measure from the masthead using the main halyard. Before this you loosen the mid stays if they exist. When you have the distance to a fixed point on the rail even for both sides of the boat, the mast tip is centered athwartship (Don't go crazy with this since most boats are a bit symmetric). You can then tighten the lowers being careful to not induce side to side bend in the mast using sight or a lower halyard, topping lift, spinnaker guy pole or whatever. Once the mast is centered you can tighten the shrouds to the correct tension by counting the turns on each side to be the same. It's best to do a few turns on one side and then a few on the other until a Loos Gauge shows you've reached the right tension.
Fore and aft mast tune is different.
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
Yup. Sounds like you need to tune your rig. C-30's are very forgiving, but I wouldn't want to be use reef2 in anger with an untuned rig.

I had a 135 on my C-30 for everyday work. Also had a 150+ drifter (which could sail upwind) + an asym spinnaker. The 150 is too much work for anything but primarily reaching to downwind. Once I picked up the spin, I don't think I put the 150 on but once or so.
 

JRR

.
May 19, 2021
19
Catalina 30 Minneford YC
Yes, it needs tuning, the PO told me to rock the halyard. i am disappointed with myself for giving him the benefit of the doubt and believed him when he said it only needed maintenance, ready to sail. The shore power outlet on deck is burnt and the Seafurl is missing a part (rope splitter) which he accidentally lost to the depths when showing me how to install genoa on the furler. Fortunately i met a couple of sailors that invited me aboard to go sailing. The marina doesn't permit fueling at the dock, first time for me, every marina i've stayed in permits it. Frustrating because the price at a fuel dock is almost twice as much. When i lived on the O'day life was affordable, this joint is making it expensive. Thanks for the replies.
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
P.O.'s are the most despised folks in boating. But it's a 47 year old boat - you'll likely have an endless list of stuff to fix, as would any 47 year old boat. (As do brand new boats). A burnt shore power outlet is extremely common, the L5-30 connector is a very poor design. Easy fix though.

Not that I've ever done it, but there was rumors around my harbor that 5 gallons of fuel siphoned into one's fuel tank after the office closed oft went unnoticed. Unless one started a fire. Which is why they have the no fueling at the dock rule.
 
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JRR

.
May 19, 2021
19
Catalina 30 Minneford YC
i am aware of instances of fuel spills on docks. It makes sense that it isn't permitted in some places but when i first took up sailing in 2003 what made it affordable was being able to fuel from a local gas station. i am a working class novice sailor and try not to use the engine, prefer sailing, use it mostly in the marina when leaving and docking. i wish to learn to dock under sail. i can sail to mooring but i've yet to try that under foul weather. She's old but she floats and is very comfortable. Because it was affordable i look forward to fixin her up then sail. The starter was rebuilt and replaced wiring harness, i need a genoa. Yea, the mast needs to be centered and i want to change from raw cooling to antifreeze. i imagine those parts are nearing their end. The PO didn't keep a log for hours and service on engine. In fact he never changed the oil although he used that engine in one occassion for 3 days, lack of wind so goes the story. The spark plugs on engine were rusty, poor maintenance for this boat, what you can't see until haul out according to PO is in good shape, the prop is brass but i haven't seen the bottom yet. i saved enough to make some changes, raw water cooling is disturbing. i am familiar with outboards and motorcycle engines but the atomic 4 is foreign to me, old but cranks up and runs for now. The furler needs the rope splitter and a furling line. i bought an shore power 125v30am-15amp pigtail to get electric in the boat while i look for the outlet to replace burnt one on deck. Want to tune rigging, mast but have never done anything other than remove backstay for a haul out that never happened. When i hooked up the backstay to the bridle i didn't know how many turns because the markings were erased by nature so it's tight. The worst experience i had on my O'day was when she was stolen from the marina and abandoned on the rocks of the Hudson river east bank, a few yards from the George Washington bridge. Never had any boat issues. i realise now that was a unique experience for me. She's an old Cat 30 but they made so many of them that i feel this is going to work out. i want to sail but she's my home as well so i keep busy. i need a dehumidifier, any suggestions? Thanks for your replies.
 

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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I had a raw water cooled A4 engine. I'll have to include the boat spent most of its days in fresh water. Nevertheless it wasn't a problem in salt water while I had it. I would flush it with freshwater before lay up. I just wouldn't freak out about that issue. I would spend the money for the conversion to an antifreeze cooled engine on a good fuel filter- Racor. Maybe rebuild the carb and cleanup the fuel tank. Moyer Marine has after market electric fuel pump, electronic ignition etc. But really the engine is a big lawn mower engine. KISS.
Try to find a 135 jib. As far as I know the wind on the Hudson is usually either up or down the river. Down is great. But you'll tack a lot going upwind especially considering the relatively shallow shoulders of the river. The 135 will be so much easier to tack.
I don't really think you have a brass propeller. Very likely Bronze.
Sailing to a mooring is just practice.
Gasoline and a burned electrical fittings on a live aboard sounds dangerous. If you have the Zenith carb, and if your fuel tank is higher than your engine, the primary protection from gas flowing into the carb and overflowing is the needle valve. Please turn off the fuel valve while you are not using the engine.
 
Jan 21, 2009
253
Catalina 30 Lake Perry, KS
I would suggest a 135 for a Catalina 30. Given that the lower forward shrouds are so far forward, tacking a 150 would require increased effort with minimal gain. I ordered a 135 in 2019 for a standard rig. The dimensions were as as follows:

RF Genoa, 135%, Offshore category
Sail Area = approximately 315 sq. ft
I = 41.00 ft., J = 11.5 ft.
LP = 135% = 15 ft. 6.4” inch (15.53’)
Cross cut, 7 oz. Premium Marblehead sail cloth
Luff Tape = #6 to accommodate Hood 800 roller
furling unit
Luff dimension = 39 ft 11 inch minus sail stretch

It fits well. I also went with an offshore cloth, even though I sail on an inland lake since we do a lot of tacking and will sail in 15 -25 mph winds.

Hope this helps.
 
Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
My 1980 was also a raw water cooled A4. Not the original, but no idea how long it had been in the boat when I bought it. Had that boat for 9(ish) years, many 40 mile passages motoring.

If money is tight, a fresh water cooling system is the last thing you should think about. You could flush fresh, or not worry about it much. (I chose the not worry about it) Most A4s don't die due to water jacket rust through. They die because of rings, valves, etc... It's basically a lawnmower motor with a distributor. Simple as simple gets, the zenith carb will gum up every three years or so but a can of carb cleaner solves that. It will die at some point, but who knows. The A4 was a heckuva good motor, albeit quite thirsty compared to a diesel.

moyermarine.com is the source for all things A4. They'll even sell you a brand new engine. (They're casting new blocks and heads)

As mentioned above, be hyper vigilant about closing the valve on the fuel tank all the time you're not going to motor the boat. If it's tough to get to, reconfigure the cover and/or the quarterberth to make it easy. I would also be vigilant on closing the engine thru-hull (the one under the sink that's harder to get to. The easy one to get to is usually the sink drain. Your boat may be different.)