If dropping anchor or just stopping for a short swim,I'd like to be able to drop the main below the mast slot opening for the sail slides. The problem is that the slides will often slip out as the main drops. I think what I need is called a mast gate. Anyone seen a store-bought or home-made mast gate? Thanks, Ray
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C22 Mast Gate
I made one from an aluminum door jam, as described in www.catalina22.org/ It works great as long as you are leaving the sail on the mast for several days or weeks. It does require screwing it in place after you get the slides in, so it may not be worth the effort for short trailer sailing episodes. It was easy to make requiring only a hacksaw, metal file, drill, and screwdriver in the way of tools.
I made one from an aluminum door jam, as described in www.catalina22.org/ It works great as long as you are leaving the sail on the mast for several days or weeks. It does require screwing it in place after you get the slides in, so it may not be worth the effort for short trailer sailing episodes. It was easy to make requiring only a hacksaw, metal file, drill, and screwdriver in the way of tools.
Mast Gate source
Ray Use the search engine on this website. Search for mast gate, exact phrase, and you'll get 42 answers to your question. Also check both the c22 and c25 websits, there's lots of answers there, too. There's a fellow named Joe, I believe, in Colorado, who makes them. Stu
Ray Use the search engine on this website. Search for mast gate, exact phrase, and you'll get 42 answers to your question. Also check both the c22 and c25 websits, there's lots of answers there, too. There's a fellow named Joe, I believe, in Colorado, who makes them. Stu
Sail Stop
I do not think you need a mast gate, for your purposes, but rather a sail stop. A sail stop for a Catalina 22 is a cylindrical slug that slides into the mast sail groove just above the mast sail opening. It has a screw stem that sticks out onto which a large round nut is secured and when tightened secures the sail stop on the mast. This then prevents the sail slides (I call them slugs) from slipping out through the mast opening. If you moor or have a slip, you just let the sail rest on the sail stop as the Catalina sail cover is designed for this. However, the large round nut can conflict with a tack reef line and main sail jack line. To avoid this, cut off the screw stem from the sail stop. Then drill and tape the cylinder for a 10 X 24 screw. Put about a 3/4 inch 10 X 24 Phillips oval head screw with a finishing washer or a Phillips pan head screw with a small washer into this taped hole. Position this modified sail stop into the mast sail groove and then just tighten it down with a Phillips screwdriver. Thereby you have a sail stop that will not hang up the main sail jack line and reef tack line. Using a jack line in place of mast gates for quick reefing is in my opinion superior. It is a bit tricky setting up a jack line, involving some creative thinking, however, with a modified sail stop it can work flawlessly. You can secure one end of the jack line to the mast just above the boom by using an eye strap attached to the mast with two about 3/4 inch 10 X 24 screws that screw into wing nuts. The wing nuts grasp onto the inside of the sail groove allowing the eye strap screws to be tightened and therby sceure it to the mast.
I do not think you need a mast gate, for your purposes, but rather a sail stop. A sail stop for a Catalina 22 is a cylindrical slug that slides into the mast sail groove just above the mast sail opening. It has a screw stem that sticks out onto which a large round nut is secured and when tightened secures the sail stop on the mast. This then prevents the sail slides (I call them slugs) from slipping out through the mast opening. If you moor or have a slip, you just let the sail rest on the sail stop as the Catalina sail cover is designed for this. However, the large round nut can conflict with a tack reef line and main sail jack line. To avoid this, cut off the screw stem from the sail stop. Then drill and tape the cylinder for a 10 X 24 screw. Put about a 3/4 inch 10 X 24 Phillips oval head screw with a finishing washer or a Phillips pan head screw with a small washer into this taped hole. Position this modified sail stop into the mast sail groove and then just tighten it down with a Phillips screwdriver. Thereby you have a sail stop that will not hang up the main sail jack line and reef tack line. Using a jack line in place of mast gates for quick reefing is in my opinion superior. It is a bit tricky setting up a jack line, involving some creative thinking, however, with a modified sail stop it can work flawlessly. You can secure one end of the jack line to the mast just above the boom by using an eye strap attached to the mast with two about 3/4 inch 10 X 24 screws that screw into wing nuts. The wing nuts grasp onto the inside of the sail groove allowing the eye strap screws to be tightened and therby sceure it to the mast.
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