Our Catalina 22 was stored all winter with the mast laying on it's resting post as always. No snow was ever on the boat. We launched the boat last Tuesday. The fore and aft stays appear to be about 1 1/2" too long on each, while the shrouds are all fine. Someone suggested the bow and stern have "shrunk". Any suggestions? New cables in order? Boat is 1987 vintage with original rigging.
Fore and Aft Stays, streaching possible? or boat shrink?
- Thread starter ayc22
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Wow, an inch and a half is a lot.
How was the boat stored? I have been sitting here pondering and thinking, and I can only imagine bow and stern somehow higher to get that much slop. Some might suggest rotten core in roof deck, but even if so, I cannot imagine that causing 1.5" You have a stainless compression post, so it is not rotten and shrunk...
Take a look at the hull to deck joint at the bow. Is is tight, or does the deck look pulled up? There should be a tang to carry forestay load down to the hull, but earler boats did not have this, and some had the forestays peel the decking loose at the bow...
Either way, 22 year-old rigging might need replaced...
Hmmmm....
How was the boat stored? I have been sitting here pondering and thinking, and I can only imagine bow and stern somehow higher to get that much slop. Some might suggest rotten core in roof deck, but even if so, I cannot imagine that causing 1.5" You have a stainless compression post, so it is not rotten and shrunk...
Take a look at the hull to deck joint at the bow. Is is tight, or does the deck look pulled up? There should be a tang to carry forestay load down to the hull, but earler boats did not have this, and some had the forestays peel the decking loose at the bow...
Either way, 22 year-old rigging might need replaced...
Hmmmm....
The boat was stored in the yard on the trailer, mast accross length and supported at both ends. We make 12 "ribs" out of PVC and rope and then the tarp on top, so no snow stays on the boat at all. We sail at 7800 ft. with lots of wind and sun. Last year the fore stay seemed a little loose but not that much. Could we cut the cable and put new turnbuckle end on it? Or do you know the best place to get new ones? Thanks,
If the stays are fine, yes, you could cut them. But the question has yet to be asked: Do you have enough room on the turnbuckles to tighten them appropriately? If so, not an issue. If so, then some Staylock fittings could be used rather than re-swaging the ends that go into the turnbuckles. Investigate alternate methods of end connections on the "shortened" ends.
After evaluating the boat again today and confering with several other sailors, we are all somewhat still scratching our heads. The fact is the cables are too long, why is the question. Everyone here agrees that there is no corrosion, it just doesn't happen up here in this dry climate. Also the boat is probably only under sail maybe 16 rs a month for 4 months. Short season at 7800 ft. So, best guess is that the hull is being pushed down/out at the bottom of the inside support, below the false floor. One boat builder says that happens to a lot of boats, and it may last 5 more years without any real problem. So, we thought we would put a 1/2 in. plastic spacer under the mast itself, then possibly cut the fore stay end off of it, about an inch, the threaded part, and add 1/2 of new threads. Any other ideas?
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