Modification of a Catalina 320 for solo sailing

Stu Jackson · Jun 2, 2023

davidwkenn said:
I think that I would need two winches for the genoa brought aft for access from behind the wheel.

You might want to reconsider this, completely, and start thinking just the other way:"Don't be a slave behind the wheel." The ONLY time I'm behind my wheel is when I leave my slip and when I dock.

Here's a link to a discussion similr to your question, about our boats, pretty much the same size. i suggest you could save a lot of $$ by not buying or moving winches unnecessarily.

Single Handing 101 Single handing & Bull Rails

HMT2 · Jun 2, 2023

Autopilot, autopilot autopilot

Calif. Ted · Jun 2, 2023

Autopilot, I do almost everything from in front of the pedestal.

Tally Ho · Jun 2, 2023

+1 for AP

I do have 2 cabin top winches for main halyard, reefing lines, spin halyard, vang, main sheet, out haul, etc.
and primary winches on coaming where I can reach them for trimming the head sail.

But my AP makes all sorts of chores easier…
Raising main
dropping main
unfurling head sail
furling head sail
getting a beer
getting rid of a beer
making breakfast, lunch or dinner
etc
etc

Get a decent AP

Greg

dlochner · Jun 2, 2023

HMT2 said:
Autopilot, autopilot autopilot

Let me repeat this, Autopilot, autopilot autopilotAutopilot, autopilot autopilotAutopilot, autopilot autopilot

The single most important piece of equipment for single handing. It will let you step away from the wheel to trim sails, hit the head, etc etc etc

kappykaplan · Jun 2, 2023

dlochner said:
Autopilot, autopilot, autopilot, Autopilot, autopilot, autopilot, Autopilot, autopilot, autopilot

dlochner said:
The single most important piece of equipment for single handing.

Tally Ho · Jun 2, 2023

For all we know, the OP has an AP….

He really asked about strengthening the area to mount a winch

In addition to the AP, if you want to add winches, check to see if there is anything glassed in that area (plywood, aluminum plate, etc). you should be able to see a bulge or something from the bottom side. If there are recesses in the coaming (flat, round areas), that would be a good bet to inspect. When I added larger winches on my coaming, I was able to get them to fit in the recessed spots on my coaming (just barely). I added aluminum backing plates under the glass. Working great.

Oh yeah, we also recommend an Auto pilot

Greg

Joe · Jun 2, 2023

davidwkenn said:
Does anyone have experience with modifying a Catalina 320 for easier solo sailing? At minimum, I think that I would need two winches for the genoa brought aft for access from behind the wheel. I am looking for helpful hints with regard to achieving this, and maybe other modifications. For instance what additional reinforcement is needed under the new winches etc.
Thanks,
David

First, an autopilot will solve the winch issue.
But if you have the basic 2 pair of winches, cabin top halyards and coaming mounted Sheet/primaries, then yes I agree. Simply relocate the existing sheet winches further aft. You can look underneath the deck to determine if you need backing plates. No big deal. I would put NOT them too far aft, otherwise when you have crew they wouldn't be able to join in the fun. But I"d locate them so you can sit BESIDE (not behind) the WHEEL and be able to operate the winch with one hand and steer with the other.
Single handed sailing requires a little planning. Especially with docking, anchoring, and leaving the cockpit to make adjustments or repairs. So.. each maneuver, you need to contemplate ahead of time (maybe even practice somewhere safe, like the dock) Go through each step and look for the safest procedure. On thing you absolutely need as a single hander is a harness and tether. It's very important to stay attached to the boat. So.... if you don't have a harness and tether, get one TODAY. If you already have one.... WEAR IT. Otherwise it's just a piece of junk you'll wish you had used as you watch your boat sail away with the AP in control. Do It Today.

To summarize: Auto pilot (or some kind of self steering device), accessible controls (including winches), harness and tether (for staying attached to the boat), a hand held vhf or something for communication that's water proof, and most importantly. A PLAN for each basic maneuver, including anchoring, docking, tacking and gybing and sail management, personal maintenance, communication and emergency procedures.

PeterW - au · Jun 2, 2023

Hi David, I sail our Catalina 320 singlehanded. I sail it as is, plus an autopilot. Joe is right about the harnesses and tethers, a set on each side of the yacht, esp at sea. Once the autopilot is set, I work the yacht forward of the wheel, so operating her with the existing two sheet winches is easy. My autopilot has an auto-tack option (tacks 100 degrees,10 seconds after pressing the button), so that's pretty straightforward if you are organised. You will find that, after you sail solo for a while, there will be further modifications you will want to make with the halyards coming back to the cockpit, reefing gear, below decks, etc.
You may want to have more winches, and I respect the others' experiences, but I haven't felt that need yet.

dlochner · Jun 3, 2023

The one thing not mentioned is a plan. Before any maneuver it is important to think it through and know exactly what you will be doing. And then preparation. Make sure the winch handle is where you need it, the lines will run freely, there is room to tack, etc etc.

dlochner · Jun 3, 2023

Can you sit to one side of the wheel and reach the winch? Or perhaps add a cleat aft of the winch near the helm. So long as the wind isn't too strong you can probably hand trim the sail without using a winch handle and just cleat it instead of using the self-tailing mechanism.

Joe · Jun 4, 2023

dlochner said:
The one thing not mentioned is a plan.

You're BUSTED!

(post #9, pars 3, 4) guess I should have made a shorter comment.

Ward H · Jun 4, 2023

@davidwkenn
One of the early things I did to make single handing easier on my C30 was to add Spinlock XPR Cam Cleats to the cabin top for the traveler and main sheet. They are located aft enough on the cabin top so I can flip the line up to unlock them and pull down to lock them. The traveler Spinlocks are the swivel type. I can work the traveler from behind the wheel. The main sheet is a little tougher to do as I kept that Spinlock in front of the winch but I have been able to adjust it from the helm.

Unless there is a pad already located for the winches behind the helm it might be difficult to mount the winches and getting a good lead so the line wraps the winch correctly. Plus it could be pretty tight to get to the underside.

if your OK with "close enough" trimming of the jib, I like @dlochner s idea of adding a cleat so you can just run the sheets back behind the helm from the winches. When tacking pull in what sheet you can before the jib fills, then set it and forget it.
When I solo sail I always strive to lock the jib sheet on the winch before the sail fills so when it does the trim is pretty good. Then I go back to trim the sail if I feel like or is absolutely needed.

Also, I have a 135 Genoa which I keep furled to about a 100 when I want easier tacking.

I think another good option is @Stu Jackson s suggestion to work it from in front of the helm. Buy a remote, I think RM has one.
If you have a networked system, I wonder if a second AP control head could be mounted facing the cockpit?

And finally, Do your instruments allow your AP to steer to a wind direction? When we just want to be on the water I set the AP to sail to a set wind direction. No need to be constantly trimming the sails as we always sail to the same wind direction. We've even done 180's during wind shifts. Just need to override to avoid traffic.

Ward

Scott T-Bird · Jun 13, 2023

David,
Thanks for opening this thread, it's a good discussion. I single hand my 320 frequently and I also climb around that wheel A LOT. I don't mind it so much so I don't really think about ways to avoid it. I don't use auto tacking with my wheel pilot, so I do find it necessary to get behind the wheel for tacking and jibes. Besides that, we have a lot of shallow water in wide open spaces so I do find a need to view the chartplotter just to be sure where I am in relation to the shallow water, no matter how familiar I am with the areas we sail, and the chartplotter is mounted to the pedestal guard, so I'm generally viewing the CP from behind the wheel. That said, I do agree that a second pair of winches towards the aft end would be very useful on our boat for single handing. I really like that the primaries are further forward (they are further forward than the Cat 34 and Cat 350) because they are much easier for crew to use them (I don't really like the compromise position that is neither good for crew nor is it good for single handing). Adding winches and the appurtenant hardware is surely expensive, but I think worthwhile. In fact, I have a pair of Lewmar ST30's that I haven't mounted yet (I purchased them for a boat that I sold just after purchasing the winches). I'm going to mount them pretty much for the same reason you are thinking. But they will definitely need a sturdy backing plate because there is no reinforcement or pad on the coaming (and neither is there a set position for another set of winches). You will need to cut an access hole through the aft cabin ceiling on the starboard side. It should be more straightforward on the port side. A lot of boats have at least 2 sets of winches and I see no reason why it wouldn't be a nice performance feature to add to ours! Placement may be tricky because I don't want to make it more difficult to move around the side decks.

The trouble I envision is that aft winches may restrict movement around that wheel even more! Catalina put that large 40" Defender wheel on our boats. I guess it was a performance enhancement they decided to introduce with this model. It's a larger wheel even than the wheel they put on the Cat 34. I don't see any reason why you couldn't swap out the wheel if you want to make getting around it easier!

I haven't done it yet, but, for me, getting the outhaul run back to the cockpit will be a big improvement. All my other sail controls are in the cockpit except that one.

In summary, I agree with you about adding winches. You don't really need another set but if it makes sailing more pleasurable, I would do it. I just try to slow down and make careful movements because I know that getting around that wheel is a chore. When I'm not careful enough, I scrape my head on the backstay when climbing around ... not fun!

jssailem · Jun 30, 2023

Joe said:
To summarize: Auto pilot (or some kind of self steering device), accessible controls (including winches), harness and tether (for staying attached to the boat), a hand held vhf or something for communication that's water proof, and most importantly. A PLAN for each basic maneuver, including anchoring, docking, tacking and gybing and sail management, personal maintenance, communication and emergency procedures.

JOE did a great summarize.

PFD/Harness/Tether are safety must use tools
A PLAN - You need to use your head much more than when sailing with a crew. Plan you actions and your trips. You will get tired. So shorten your length of sail and hove/to or anchor early.
When deciding on adding gear (the two winches are a good idea) sit in the cockpit and plan your actions. Then consider gear that will be needed. Winches should be Self Tailing.
Your plan to keep the current winches is good and prqactical. You can work in front of the helm using the AP.
The availability of a remote for the AP expands your range on the boat.
I keep a VHF attached to my body.
In the cold PacificNW water I sail wearing a dry suit to extend my time in the water and wear a buoyant Personal Locator Beacon

Safe sailing.

Kings Gambit · Jul 2, 2023

davidwkenn said:
Does anyone have experience with modifying a Catalina 320 for easier solo sailing? At minimum, I think that I would need two winches for the genoa brought aft for access from behind the wheel. I am looking for helpful hints with regard to achieving this, and maybe other modifications. For instance what additional reinforcement is needed under the new winches etc.
Thanks,
David

Hi,

Good replies above generally, but you don’t mention destinations for single handing. That is, what you must accomplish as a single-handed sailor. Yes. A reliable auto pilot is essential equipment. It’s very hard to work the boat from behind the wheel, and to do other tasks during which the boat must be helmed, w/o one. I cannot easily reach the primary sheet winches for the headsail from behind my wheel, and I am generally not able to helm the boat well while adjusting that sail. But if holding the same tack and point of sail for some number of miles, it’s not too disruptive to my VMG to stretch away from the wheel a bit to trim or ease, if not done frequently.

On my Bavaria 38 with its fractional rig design handling the large mainsail is the greater physical challenge, and I could not do it w/o the auto pilot. Yet, I’ve added some features to assist my single-handing of the mainsail.

The mainsail halyard is led aft to the winch on the house; there is no winch at the mast. To raise the mainsail w/o “endless” cranking of that halyard winch positioned well forward of the wheel I must go forward to the mast and “jump” the mainsail to near its full hoist. Roller bearing batton cars facilitate this. But once the mainsail is near full hoist I must return to the cockpit to finish and trim. To stop off the halyard (so the mainsail does not fall when I return to the cockpit to finish) I’ve added a “halyard parking bracket” just below the exit of the halyard from inside the mast. I “park” the halyard, return to the cockpit to bring in the slacked halyard that piles up at the mast step, and complete the hoist. New tension on the halyard releases it from the bracket. Then, I can trim using the mainsheet winch. On the backside, I can park the main halyard there when lowering the mainsail to bring it down in increments, giving me time to lay it out on the boom and tie, etc.

The second addition is installing a boom brake (Wichard Gyb’Easy). I CAN control the tension on the boom brake from the helm position b/c I do have a pair of winches aft of the primary sheet winches (spinnaker winches). From the helm I can do a “controlled” gybe of the boom w/ or w/o going forward to trim in the main sheet excessively or at all, depending. Of course I have to gybe the headsail as well which is fairly easy once shadowed. But to accomplish all three tasks at once: gybe the mainsail, gybe the headsail, and helm the boat would be too much w/o the AP (Otto) and the brake, and still retain control of the boat. As I do not trust Otto to gybe the boat, I must be at the helm when the boom comes over. Thus, two modifications to consider,

KG

Kings Gambit · Jul 2, 2023

I’ve read lately several opinions regarding wearing harness and tether while single handing. Yes. Everyone agrees it’s essential to stay ON THE BOAT, but there is mixed opinion regarding staying ATTACHED TO THE BOAT. That is, if you trip and go over the lifeline, into the water, while the boat is making way, would you wish to remain attached? The prevailing opinion suggests not. Principally b/c you likely could drown before getting back aboard (if even able to) if you are being “towed” through the water. (Consider falling from the leeward side, vessel heeled going to weather at 6 kt in 4-5 ft seas/wind waves.) Thus, the belief you should also have an accessible sharp knife to cut the tether. Which begs the question why wear the tether if ultimately it’s a race against death to cut it to free yourself of the boat? Better off with a good PFD and personal locator (PLD), folks conclude. If you do wear a tether to remain on the boat, perhaps make it a short one (4-5 ft?), and/or run the jacklines over the cabin top so the tether can stop you b/f you can go over the side, etc. My stretchy jackline runs along the side deck. I could easily find myself at least partially into the water if tripping and falling over the lifeline. (I think I will measure mine now; I know they are likely standard lengths). I realize most of the sailors traverse a heeled yacht along the high (weather) side, not leeward. But bad things happen when they happen!

jssailem · Jul 2, 2023

Kings Gambit said:
you should also have an accessible sharp knife to cut the tether.

Yes... I agree. Quick access emergency safety line cutter. My Spinlock PFD came with a line cutter in the vest.

Kings Gambit said:
run the jacklines over the cabin top so the tether can stop you b/f you can go over the side,

Run jacklines, then while at the dock go forward and back wearing your harness and PFD to manage the tether length and adjust as needed. I want to fall and stay inside the life lines. I expect when I fall I will likely be flying in the air so being pulled up short is my goal.

Kings Gambit said:
WEAR a good PFD and personal locator (PLD

Only if you want to be found. A dry suit if the water is chilly will help.