Catalina 30 Mainsheet Rope Clutch

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flyboy1717

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May 7, 2012
8
Catalina 30 New Bedford
I'm having a bit of an issue with the mainsheet on my new to me Catalina 30. When rigging the boat for the season, I ran the main sheet down the port side where there was a double rope clutch. I'm running it through the rope clutch to a self tailing winch. Getting the line through the rope clutch was a challenge as the line appeared too big (too large a diameter). Now there is excessive drag on the sheet even when the rope clutch is disengaged. The mainsheet was replaced by the previous owner and from the looks of it, it is 7/16ths. It looks like the previous owner purchased the kit which is sold on ebay from "cajun4rope" as the majority of the running rigging is newer. Has anyone else had similar problems?

I guess my question is:
1.) Am I running the main sheet to its intended spot, port side inboard rope clutch, to self tailing cabin top winch.
2.) Am I better off purchasing a new, lighter main sheet (maybe 3/8th's?)
3.) Am I better off purchasing a new, larger rope clutch. Currently the outboard rope clutch is used for the jib halyard.

Thanks for any insight or similar experiences.
 
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mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
first, you don't say what kind of mainsheet you have. is it a garhauer? if so call them and they will give you expert and friendly guidance. if not, get a new one from them; it will make a tremendous positive difference. the one catalina supplied was, shall we say, mediocre in its day and garbage now. also, just one sailor's opinion, but do not use a clutch for the mainsheet whlie sailing. garhauer will guide you through this also.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,782
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
We use a clutch for the mainsheet all the time, just leave it open when sailing. The old gray Catalina OEM clam cleat was a disaster. The sheetstopper (clutch) provides a much better angle to the cabintop winch, no need to use two hands to keep a good fairlead to the bottom of the winch.

The mainsheet sheetstopper is a great improvement on that cheap clam cleat, doesn't ever pop out unexpectedly, and provides a much better fairlead to the winch, and, therefore, avoids winch overrides, which always had seemed to occur at the worst possible times. I used to have to use two hands to crank in the mainsheet: one to hold the line down to avoid the override, and the other on the winch handle. No more of that nonsense any more. I was able to use one of the holes through the cabintop from the old cam cleat, and only had to drill one new hole to install the new Spinlock XA sheetstopper for the mainsheet.

Even the new boats could use that improvement.

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,105.0.html

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,860.0.html

IIRC, C30s, like our C34s, had the mainsheet on the starboard side. You should check the manual and if you don't have one, go get it on the C30 Association website: www.catalina30.com. It has rigging in the manual. It also has running rigging sizes.

Good luck.
 
dj2210

dj2210

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Feb 4, 2012
337
Catalina 30 Watts Bar
I just replaced the mainsheet line on mine to 3/8" and it seems to work better. I had some 3/8" (Cajun too) laying around so didn't have to spend any money. The old line was heavier and stiffer from age. I agree the OEM cam cleat is useless.
 
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rbmcintire

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Mar 11, 2010
292
Catalina Tall Rig/ Fin Keel Deale, MD
We're using 3/8" Regatta Braid from NE Ropes. The difference it made over old, crusty 1/2" Sta-Set is like night and day now when easing the mainsheet. Very soft, 12-strand product, does not kink or hockle. #3518 has the self tailer on starboard, but I wouldn't think which side matters; just as long as it's an ST'er.

Rob
 
M

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
some of us are talking apples and oranges. the mainsheet consists of line and blocks. while most line is line, the new blocks available are head and shoulders over what catalina supplied which have probably grown lots of fricition over the years. stu, i have no idea of your boat but i've never had an overide on mine and my garhauer cam cleat - their term - works just fine holding the mainsheet after i trim on the winch. if any of you try a new mainsheet and/or traveler you won't believe it's the same boat. and my owners manual clealy shows the mainsheet rigged starboard on the cabin top.
 
dj2210

dj2210

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Feb 4, 2012
337
Catalina 30 Watts Bar
mortyd- are you using the Garhauer triple block on the traveler and single blocks on the boom?
 
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mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
sorry, don't understand the question. the mainsheet that came with the boat had so much friction that it wouldn't move outboard so we bought a new one from garhauer - with lines - and mark made us an offer we couldn't refuse on a new traveler with the same order. what we got is a the same traveler on big catalina boats and both the mainsheet and traveler work totally smoothly and with very little effort. bravo garhauer and i wonder how many catalina sailors know what they're missing. the mainsheet and traveler were not at all expensive for both. dj, i know garhauer makes different travlers but i think only one mainsheet for the catalina 30. trust them, they know our boat better than we ever will and they are completely honest.
 
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mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
whatever you're showing me looks like a different boat from mine; i only have one clutch even though the boat came with two - the mainsheet one has been replaced by what garhauer now calls a jam cleat and i have no idea what your starboard of the three lines is but i don't see a traveler - certainly not a modern garhauer one. do yourself a favor call garhauer and send them this picture; it'll be worth it
 
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mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
and, over the years catalina did many improvements to the rigging and lots of owners have replaced even those frictiony blocked mainsheets and primitive travelers with modern ones.
 
M

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
??? my two original clutches - i still have one for the halyard - are parallel to the hatch rails. also you have the original mainsheet. mine was a year younger and almost impossible to get outboard eight years ago. and you have the original traveler - i hope you can get ben hur to crew for you. if you can spare the bucks the difference will amaze you and you can release ben from the galley and let him race chariots for the garhauer team.
 
M

mortyd

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Dec 11, 2004
952
Catalina 30 easy living
????? and i just noticed your port clutches are correctly aligned. ??????
 
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flyboy1717

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May 7, 2012
8
Catalina 30 New Bedford
Thanks for all the replies. I'll take some photos today. While I have no doubt that my blocks are old and tired, I think the larger problem is the diameter of the line passing through the rope clutch. As someone pointed out, running it through the rope clutch provides a much better fairlead to the winch. After I take my photos, maybe I'll call Garhauer and see what their thoughts are. I have no intent to race it, but I have noticed that it's incredibly difficult to trim the main sail, either with the sheet or the traveler. Unfortunately, new sails will likely be the priority purchase this year.
 
dj2210

dj2210

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Feb 4, 2012
337
Catalina 30 Watts Bar
Mortyd- I don't have any problem with the port side but also haven't used them much, just for tensioning the genoa. The traveler believe it or not seems to work ok. I haven't yet experienced too much problem but then haven't yet been in a blow. Ben Hur I ain't..
I will probably update the blocks when the money becomes available.
flyboy- let us know your experience when you get new hardware.
 
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