A Yahoo Group was recently launched that is catered toward Catalina 27 or 270 owners. Since we are grouped on this forum as "mid-sized" boats and don't have our own dedicated forum like the Catalina 30 owner do, it could be an additional resource of information. New articles will be posted weekly as well as updated links and photos. Like all yahoo groups, members are able to post questions/comments, upload photos or files, create a poll, and more. Some 6,000 Catalina 27's have been built so the niche is there. Stop by and check it out!
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Close hauled
I don't know the original intention however I do know you can sail really close hauled. The rig is narrower yet as strong if not stronger than comparable sized boats. My buddy next slip has a 270 and he can almost sail straight into the wind. A little exaggeration yes but he can sail away from me by going really close hauled while my jib piles up on the spreader. He has to do this to avoid the jeering he gets when I'm beating him hands down in light to medium wind in a Capri 26.
I don't know the original intention however I do know you can sail really close hauled. The rig is narrower yet as strong if not stronger than comparable sized boats. My buddy next slip has a 270 and he can almost sail straight into the wind. A little exaggeration yes but he can sail away from me by going really close hauled while my jib piles up on the spreader. He has to do this to avoid the jeering he gets when I'm beating him hands down in light to medium wind in a Capri 26.
Spreaders
Spreaders are a function of design. A mast for example, can have a larger cross section with thinner walls to save weight, but at the expense of windage. The same holds true for spreaders. Catalina added a second set of spreaders to reduce weight of both sets, yet maintain the same level of rigging performace/reliability as intended. In addition to affecting the mast weight, the number of spreaders affects the angle that the shrouds make to the mast. The greater the angle, the more mast support provided for a given compression load on the mast, but the farther out the chainplates end up. Beyond a certain point, it makes it difficult to sheet headsails well inboard.
Spreaders are a function of design. A mast for example, can have a larger cross section with thinner walls to save weight, but at the expense of windage. The same holds true for spreaders. Catalina added a second set of spreaders to reduce weight of both sets, yet maintain the same level of rigging performace/reliability as intended. In addition to affecting the mast weight, the number of spreaders affects the angle that the shrouds make to the mast. The greater the angle, the more mast support provided for a given compression load on the mast, but the farther out the chainplates end up. Beyond a certain point, it makes it difficult to sheet headsails well inboard.
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