Catboats and Hinged Masts

[Steve Braverman]

I currently sail an O'Day 25, and like it alright. I've always liked catboats for their simplicity and classic looks. I'm thinking of switching and here's why. My mother is considering buying a house on a creek with a dock, but here's the catch: there is a bridge to go under to get out of the creek with only 12' clearance. I see that the Compac Horizon Cat and some others offer a hinged mast for such occaisions. Does anyone have any experience with these things? How is it to raise the mast in the water? I don't want a powerboat, eewww, but the thought of free dock space is very tempting.

 

[letterman]

did it to my 20'er

I have a Paceship Mouette that putting the mast into the hole was a pain. So, I bought the stuff to make a tabernacle, which was nothing more than a hinge. I'd make it today, rather than buying it. Making it being just a box with one side cut out and a simple bolt through it for the pivot, just like you see in European barge or canal sailboats. I saw a catboat design in Erie PA and his setup included a wishbone to raise and lower the mast. Depending on how heavy the mast is, you might need something like this to raise the fulcrum point. On mine, I rigged a block to the bow. A line runs from the bottom of the forestay through the block, and back to the cockpit. The block is attached in front of where the forestay attaches to the bow. The standing rigging is all attached except for the bottom of the forestay. I pin the mast into the pivot piece at the maststep. Then, I lift the mast to about 7 feet, with the line connected to the block draped over my shoulder. When the mast is high enough, I pull on the line and ta-da...pull the mast the rest of the way up. The shrouds keep it in place laterally, and the backstay stops it at the height I want. Then I walk to the front keeping tension on the line connected to the forestay. When I get to the bow, I grab the forestay turnbuckle and pin it into place. I tighten the turnbuckle, then remove the line from the forestay and remove the block.

 

[novelman17128]

hinged masts

If you go to the MacGregor boat site you can see what the mast raising system loooks like. Find it here http://www.macgregor26.com/ When you get to the site click on "table of contents', then loook below to "from land to water" and click on "mast raising." The system can be purchased from any MacGregor dealer or from the factory for less than $150, and it's well worth it. It's easy and safe to raise and lower the mast singlehanded as well as lower it down to below 12' for going under bridges. I use it on my 22' MacGregor/Venture and can easily do it alone.Novelman

 

[cat38skip]

Tabernackled Mast

The hinged or tabernacled mast is more common than You might think. Do a google search on 'tabernacled mast' sometimes spelled tabernackled I have seen sloop rigged boats as large as 38' with tabernacled rigs. I have sailed a Catalina 30 with a tabernacled rig that was necessary to get to the Upper Harbor on the 'other side' of the bridge in Santa Cruz CA. The mechanism is relatively simple and uses an electric winch that uses an oversized boomlift and a quick release backstay. The mast tips forward. There are even flexible roller furling systems that work with this system. Your clearance limit will be determined by how far you lower the mast forward and how long the boom is.

 

[Steve Braverman]

Tabernacles

So I may be able to modify and keep my current boat? Has anyone seen an O'Day 25 with this setup? The existing setup is a little dicey to do with only two people, and would be impossible to do away from the dock.

 

[Ralph18414]

I love the looks of a traditional cat boat. The

first sailboat I ever owned was a home-made (not by me) cold-molded 15' catboat with over 7' of beam. I loved that boat as it was sooooo easy to sail (no heads'l to worry about, and to reef quickly--just scandalize the main, or, in other terms, drop the aft end of the gaff). They do have a very nasty weather helm, however, when they sail on their ear--hence the need to scandalize the main early.As you are probably aware of, traditional cats use unsupported masts (some do use a forestay) which require a keel-stepped mast. However, the catboat design is very popular and there are many variants of the design. No doubt you can find a deck-stepped boat if you look hard enough. Creating a tabernacle will be challenging since the mast of a traditional catboat is near the bow where there is not much room for an A-frame that is used to raise and lower masts that pivot on a tabernacle. However, I often seen catboat variant designs that step the mast further aft and that employ a bowsprit and a heads'l. The bowsprit would offer the mechanical leverage needed to raise a mast via an A-frame on the fore deck.