Questions with my 1984 catalina 27!

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Maodayrsails

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Jun 1, 2013
3
Catalina 27 Knoxville
Just bought this refurbished boat and she sails well. My main question is the boat didn't come with hand cranks for the winches. . Therefore I am unable to hoist the main sail all the way up. One person I asked sAys the sail shouldn't go all the way up, but Another says I need the cranks. can you all advise?

Thanks, sigrid
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,050
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
They're called winch handles. Available at all chandleries, including the one here on SBO.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,050
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
They are if you want to make the winches work for both the mainsail (assume you have a winch on the mast) and for the jib sheets.
 
K

KingAirDriver

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Aug 27, 2011
408
Catalina 27 Titusville, FL
I also am a recent purchaser of a 84 Catalina 27. I needed the winch handles to get the main all the way up when I bought the boat. Now, after having lubed the track as far up as I can reach, and lubing the plastic track cars, I can hoist to the top, by hand, without using any winch. My lines are led aft to the cockpit.

I would get some McLube or similar dry sail track lubricant and go from there.

But, you will need a winch handle at some point in time. Personally, I never use mine, but that is not saying that I won't need it at some point. There are times that I wish I had them, but just wound up man handling it because I couldn't be bothered with the winch handle.

I do feel the pain the next day though! Makes my ribs, back and shoulders remind me how out of shape I am the next day...
 
The Garbone

The Garbone

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Nov 7, 2012
678
1978 Catalina 30 Wilbur-by-the-Sea
KingAirDriver said:
I also am a recent purchaser of a 84 Catalina 27. I needed the winch handles to get the main all the way up when I bought the boat. Now, after having lubed the track as far up as I can reach, and lubing the plastic track cars, I can hoist to the top, by hand, without using any winch. My lines are led aft to the cockpit.

I would get some McLube or similar dry sail track lubricant and go from there.

But, you will need a winch handle at some point in time. Personally, I never use mine, but that is not saying that I won't need it at some point. There are times that I wish I had them, but just wound up man handling it because I couldn't be bothered with the winch handle.

I do feel the pain the next day though! Makes my ribs, back and shoulders remind me how out of shape I am the next day...
Click to expand
+1 on all this. My winches get used trimming jib sheets and that is about it. Some days they get used a lot and some days very little.

Also make sure your halyard is not binding with something else. Mine was wrapped with the topping lift at the bottom of the mast, much easier to hoist the main once that was cleared up and the track lubed.
 
pk104

pk104

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Jun 30, 2009
208
Catalina 310 Atwood Lake
The right tool for the job always makes it easier to do. Buy a couple of winch handles that are the right length for where your winches are located. It will allow you to raise sails to the right tension and adjust sails properly when the wind is blowing. Also saves your body.

Gary
 
shipwreck66

shipwreck66

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Apr 5, 2010
565
Catalina 27- 1984 Grapevine
I had hoisted my C22 main by hand for so many years I just naturally/stupidly tried the same with the 27 for "quite some time". My wife laughed so hard at me when I realized after a year that the main winch was a double, my how things got easier. It may not need to go to the top, but it needs to be tight.
 
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