Hi All, My Catalina 30 is being hauled soon and the mast will be be removed as well. This winter I plan on doing some work on the mast such as painting it white and routing the halyard lines internal. My questions is: How do I arrange the Spinnaker Halyard on the masthead? Right now it is arranged on the mast head with a separate block attached to the leading front side of the mast (the halyard runs down the outside of the mast). The headsail and main sail halyards run up and over both sheaves and down the opposite side of the mast. I plan on buying ball-bearing sheaves to have all halyards run over and down 1 sheave into the internals of the mast. Does the Spinnaker halyard do the same (run over 1 sheave) or does it need the block? Also- is the arrangement I just described correct? I don't really race at all...mainly just cruise. Thanks - Rob
Halyard Question
- Thread starter Rob19574
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Spin block
Hi Rob - The reason the spinnaker halyard is typically run through an external block ABOVE the forestay is to prevent wraps when jibing. Even with a cruising spinnaker it's good to have the option of jibing the chute out in front of the boat around the forestay. I'd leave that arrangement the same up there if it were me. Best, Trevor
Hi Rob - The reason the spinnaker halyard is typically run through an external block ABOVE the forestay is to prevent wraps when jibing. Even with a cruising spinnaker it's good to have the option of jibing the chute out in front of the boat around the forestay. I'd leave that arrangement the same up there if it were me. Best, Trevor
Thanks!
Thanks Trevor! I will perhaps install an entry plate (hole) for the halyard just below that block then run internal the mast the rest of the way down.
Thanks Trevor! I will perhaps install an entry plate (hole) for the halyard just below that block then run internal the mast the rest of the way down.
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Rob, On my 1988 Catalina TRBS, my masthead has 4 sheaves with all halyards run internal to the mast, and exiting two 2-block units, main/topping on starboard side, genoa/extra on port side -- mounted about 1 inch above the base of the mast -- the two aft sheaves are for mainsail halyard and topping lift, the two forward are for the Genoa Roller-Furler Halyard and a spare which I occasionally use for my 170 'Drifter'. However, I just happened to notice an very simple 'add on' for spinaker hardware available at Catalina Direct (see link below). Also, you might check out the info available at the international Catalina 30 association: http://www.catalina30.com. And if you haven't joined, do so, the quarterly magazine and tech articles for the 30 (and 34 and 36 which often also apply) are invaluable. Hope this helps.
Rob, On my 1988 Catalina TRBS, my masthead has 4 sheaves with all halyards run internal to the mast, and exiting two 2-block units, main/topping on starboard side, genoa/extra on port side -- mounted about 1 inch above the base of the mast -- the two aft sheaves are for mainsail halyard and topping lift, the two forward are for the Genoa Roller-Furler Halyard and a spare which I occasionally use for my 170 'Drifter'. However, I just happened to notice an very simple 'add on' for spinaker hardware available at Catalina Direct (see link below). Also, you might check out the info available at the international Catalina 30 association: http://www.catalina30.com. And if you haven't joined, do so, the quarterly magazine and tech articles for the 30 (and 34 and 36 which often also apply) are invaluable. Hope this helps.
Internal Halyards
I did this less than a year ago, there is more to it that meets the eye. How to you plan to get the halyards into the mast? Does your mast head have an opening for the halyards to run inside the mast? Most external halyard mastheads do not. This means that the masthead will have to be cut off the top of the mast so that a hole for the halyards to run through can be cut out. You might be able to do it by cutting a piece out off the top of the masthead, removing the separator plate and drilling from the top but it is a tight space to work in. The top of the masthead in in tension from the forestay and backstay loads, cutting the top transfers the loads to the sides of the masthead sheave box. The sides were not designed to take all the load, so you would have to weld a plate back over the hole you cut to restore the integrity. Since the easiest way to do it is to cut the old masthead off, you could just buy a new style masthead (designed for internal halyards) and have it welded on in place of your old masthead. I'm a rigger, so I just built a new masthead. Leave the spinnaker crane in place. Cut a spin halyard entrance at least a foot below the upper shroud through bolt to run the spin halyard into the mast. My favorite halyard set-up is to run the main halyard AND the jib halyard through the starboard sheaves and into the mast. Run a spare halyard EXTERNAL through both port side sheaves. This can serve as topping lift, a spare main halyard, or a spare jib halyard. Many masts with external halyards do not have a conduit for the wire harness. If halyards are run internally you will have to install a conduit. Use schedule 80 (thin wall) PVC for the conduit, with rivets every 3-4 feet. You can get drain pipe PVC in 20 foot lengths. 2 is all you need for a Cat 30. Run the conduit in the port forward corner of the mast. You will need to cut halyard exits also. The main halyard should exit on the starboard side with a fair lead to the main halyard winch. The spin halyard exit should also be on the starboard side and higher on the mast. The jib halyard exits on the port side with a fair lead to the jib halyard winch. Space the halyard exits so the main halyard has a 5-10 degree angle from the side of the mast to the winch drum (less angle / higher up invites overrides, more angle / lower chafes the halyard and makes the halyard want to wrap on the base of the winch). The jib halyard should be about 12" higher than the main halyard and the spin halyard 12" or more above that. I like to see spin halyard exits about 7-8 feet above deck level so the mast crew can hoist the spin from the mast while cockpit crew tails. Never cut exits at the same height on both sides of a mast or closer than 12" apart. Masts with internal halyards *will* have water inside (the hole at the top plus the spin halyard entrance is a rain scoop). The Cat 30 has the wire harness run up through the mast step. You will have to add a conduit through the deck and a few inches up inside the mast so the mast harness can make a loop below the top of the conduit, water on the wire harness should drop off before it has a chance to follow the harness into the boat. While you have the back of the compression post off add a drain from the bottom of the mast step down though the inside of the post and into the bilge so water inside the mast can drain. If you are planning to run halyards aft, this is the time to add a plate under the mast step to shackle turning blocks on. Have fun! It's really not all that much work!
I did this less than a year ago, there is more to it that meets the eye. How to you plan to get the halyards into the mast? Does your mast head have an opening for the halyards to run inside the mast? Most external halyard mastheads do not. This means that the masthead will have to be cut off the top of the mast so that a hole for the halyards to run through can be cut out. You might be able to do it by cutting a piece out off the top of the masthead, removing the separator plate and drilling from the top but it is a tight space to work in. The top of the masthead in in tension from the forestay and backstay loads, cutting the top transfers the loads to the sides of the masthead sheave box. The sides were not designed to take all the load, so you would have to weld a plate back over the hole you cut to restore the integrity. Since the easiest way to do it is to cut the old masthead off, you could just buy a new style masthead (designed for internal halyards) and have it welded on in place of your old masthead. I'm a rigger, so I just built a new masthead. Leave the spinnaker crane in place. Cut a spin halyard entrance at least a foot below the upper shroud through bolt to run the spin halyard into the mast. My favorite halyard set-up is to run the main halyard AND the jib halyard through the starboard sheaves and into the mast. Run a spare halyard EXTERNAL through both port side sheaves. This can serve as topping lift, a spare main halyard, or a spare jib halyard. Many masts with external halyards do not have a conduit for the wire harness. If halyards are run internally you will have to install a conduit. Use schedule 80 (thin wall) PVC for the conduit, with rivets every 3-4 feet. You can get drain pipe PVC in 20 foot lengths. 2 is all you need for a Cat 30. Run the conduit in the port forward corner of the mast. You will need to cut halyard exits also. The main halyard should exit on the starboard side with a fair lead to the main halyard winch. The spin halyard exit should also be on the starboard side and higher on the mast. The jib halyard exits on the port side with a fair lead to the jib halyard winch. Space the halyard exits so the main halyard has a 5-10 degree angle from the side of the mast to the winch drum (less angle / higher up invites overrides, more angle / lower chafes the halyard and makes the halyard want to wrap on the base of the winch). The jib halyard should be about 12" higher than the main halyard and the spin halyard 12" or more above that. I like to see spin halyard exits about 7-8 feet above deck level so the mast crew can hoist the spin from the mast while cockpit crew tails. Never cut exits at the same height on both sides of a mast or closer than 12" apart. Masts with internal halyards *will* have water inside (the hole at the top plus the spin halyard entrance is a rain scoop). The Cat 30 has the wire harness run up through the mast step. You will have to add a conduit through the deck and a few inches up inside the mast so the mast harness can make a loop below the top of the conduit, water on the wire harness should drop off before it has a chance to follow the harness into the boat. While you have the back of the compression post off add a drain from the bottom of the mast step down though the inside of the post and into the bilge so water inside the mast can drain. If you are planning to run halyards aft, this is the time to add a plate under the mast step to shackle turning blocks on. Have fun! It's really not all that much work!
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