I have recently got a 1989 Catalina 22 wing keel. Just painted the bottom. Everyone tells me it is a clean boat. (Not sure what that means?) It came with a new rolly tasker sail and a 1989 6 HP Evinrude that started on the third pull. Had some smoke but ran well. I tested in a big garbage can with water. Bottom is painted. I am ready to launch...But I am wondering if there is a youtube or instructions on how to step the mast and attach the boom plus this boat has a vang? (please be easy on me I'm new!) Plus where to put all the sheets and halyards
New Here Catalina 22 1989 wing keel
- Thread starter rogerbalz
- Start date
Those pictures are of a rigid vang, also known as a boom kicker. There's to parts of that assembly, with two different purposes:
The semi-flexible rod at the top (straight in the first picture and curved in the second) holds the boom up, so it won't fall on you when you lower the sail. The other option for that purpose is called a topping lift - a line that runs from the masthead to the aft end of the boom. Usually with some means to release the tension when the sail is up. E.g. Stingy's version: Let Your Boom Off Its Leash with a Topping Lift or Catalina Direct's: Boom Topping Lift C-22
Well, there's a third option - the pigtail on the backstay that older C-22s had; I might be mistaken, but I think Catalina had moved to a better system by the time of your 1989.
Back to @Dustin7's pictures: the second part of that assembly is the vang itself, the blocks-and-line assembly (e.g. Boom Topping Lift C-22 or Control Your Mainsail Shape Better With a Boom Vang).
That part acts counter to the rigid bar - it holds the boom down while sailing. When the sail is close to straight back (e.g. while sailing upwind, or "beating"), the main sheet tension will mostly hold the boom down. But when you let the sail out to the side (while sailing downwind, or "running"), the sail will tend to pull the boom upward. You use a vang to counteract that.
Many boats have a vang and topping lift - the rigid kicker is nice if that's what you have, but it's not necessary.
Hope that helped a bit.
Search for "catalina 22 mast raising". Different sailors use different systems, so watch a few and see if one strikes you as doable. We used the trailer winch for a few years, and then switched to a gin pole. We like our gin pole, but others swear by other solutions.
Make sure you know exactly how the shrouds, and stays attach and the turnbuckles and clips and pins are all ready to go and adjustable before trying to raise the mast and attach boom. Check that your halyards all run free thru the masthead while you can reach it easily. Have 2-3 strong friends available too.
@rogerbalz I got my 1984 Cat22 back in February and spent the next three months going over every part on board so that I understand exactly how everything operates. Looking back, there was a surprising amount that I've learned in the last few months, and I considered myself a pretty avid sailor having operated many smaller vessels.
One thing that helped me a lot was to get the manuals and DVD videos from Catalina Direct. They have three volumes of discs, and all they consist of are advertisements for their kits on how to upgrade your boat; however, they are a huge, HUGE, resource because each one of these walks through what the stock boat had and how and why you would want to upgrade different parts. It goes into detail on what each part does, and the shortcomings.
Looking back, the months I had to learn about the boat have helped boost my confidence quite a bit.
One thing that helped me a lot was to get the manuals and DVD videos from Catalina Direct. They have three volumes of discs, and all they consist of are advertisements for their kits on how to upgrade your boat; however, they are a huge, HUGE, resource because each one of these walks through what the stock boat had and how and why you would want to upgrade different parts. It goes into detail on what each part does, and the shortcomings.
Looking back, the months I had to learn about the boat have helped boost my confidence quite a bit.
Let Youtube be your friend. What would take several pages of explanation here, can be covered in a YouTube video in a few minutes. Watch several.
With regard to the vang, that's an easy one to search and learn about. Vangs should be covered in just about any basic learn to sail book, which is a nice place to start. Or a YouTube vid.
You bought one of the most produced sailboats in the history of sailboats, so take advantage of the easily accessible and vast amount of available information. If you're not a member already, join the online Catalina 22 forum.
The members of general sailing forums like SailboatOwners are happy to explain just about anything from scratch. But, that may not be the best use of everyone's time. Your's included. You might find that a better approach is to do some independent study first. Inevitably, you're going to reach a point where some specific problem you encounter remains unexplained everywhere you've looked. You'll find that this forum really shines in answering the tough, specific questions.
With regard to the vang, that's an easy one to search and learn about. Vangs should be covered in just about any basic learn to sail book, which is a nice place to start. Or a YouTube vid.
You bought one of the most produced sailboats in the history of sailboats, so take advantage of the easily accessible and vast amount of available information. If you're not a member already, join the online Catalina 22 forum.
The members of general sailing forums like SailboatOwners are happy to explain just about anything from scratch. But, that may not be the best use of everyone's time. Your's included. You might find that a better approach is to do some independent study first. Inevitably, you're going to reach a point where some specific problem you encounter remains unexplained everywhere you've looked. You'll find that this forum really shines in answering the tough, specific questions.
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Congratulations ! They are great boats. I love mine. I agree watch lot's of you tube videos about mast raising. Go slow and keep an eye on all the rigging as you raise and lower.
I have the "boom kicker" on my 1984 C22 and when I was out for a sail a couple weekends ago I didn't have the "boom vang" snugged down tight. I kept hearing some kind of metal on metal scratching that was new to me. I was sailing downwind and the winds were shifting around on me. A few minutes later, the "boom kicker" actually fell out of the slot that it is in because my "boom vang" wasn't holding it down tight. 
So like @AaronD said, they both serve a purpose.
The boom kicker didn't fail, it is meant to slide into the slot and have some adjustment, but if the back end of the boom goes up high enough, the boom kicker can just slide right out without the downward pressure of the boom vang.
I'm trying to think of a good analogy here to help you visualize the purpose of the two and I'm drawing a blank. So many things in sailing are unique to sailing... But here's one that might help: think of the "boom kicker" like the flexible poles in a camping tent, and the "boom vang" like the rope lines you stake to the ground. The poles push the tent up; the rope lines pull the tent back down.
So like @AaronD said, they both serve a purpose.The boom kicker didn't fail, it is meant to slide into the slot and have some adjustment, but if the back end of the boom goes up high enough, the boom kicker can just slide right out without the downward pressure of the boom vang.
I'm trying to think of a good analogy here to help you visualize the purpose of the two and I'm drawing a blank. So many things in sailing are unique to sailing... But here's one that might help: think of the "boom kicker" like the flexible poles in a camping tent, and the "boom vang" like the rope lines you stake to the ground. The poles push the tent up; the rope lines pull the tent back down.
I too have both. The Vang is for adjusting sail shape and helps keep the boom from flying up in the air. The Boom kicker is like a topping lift. It keeps the boom from falling down when the main sail is lowered. It works great while reefing. You do have to get used to not leaning on the boom to hard when the main is down. Also it has to be removed when popping the top.