Rigging a Capri 165

Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
Hello all,
Just bought a used Capri 165 (Hull #51). I don't have a manual and I plan to sail this weekend but I want to make sure I'm good on rigging her up before I head out. I see on my mast spreaders with shrouds, I also see main and jib halyards. I see in my sail bag a furling jib with the drum at the tack and a smaller swivel bit with a chain connector I assume goes on the head of the jib. What I don't see is a forestay or how exactly to connect the head swivel to the mast. I can feel in the jib sail a stiff wire in the luff. Does that wire luff act as a forestay? If so I get it, if not, can someone please explain to me how the roller furling jib is properly rigged and do I need to buy a forestay, or is a forestay only required with a hank-on jib?

I know these are rookie questions and I appreciate assistance very much.

Next I will have questions about fixing cracks in gel coat deck (non-skid and smooth surface).

V/R,
John
 

Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,864
Catalina 22 Seattle
The sail is the forestay, attaching to the drum and upper swivel/pigtail; sounds like there is a pigtail extension that usually goes between the head of the sail and the upper swivel.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Yes, the wire acts as the forestay. The design of that is called a 'structural furler'.
 
Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
Dave, what does a normal pig tail look like. And to be clear I am NOT supposed to hook this to the jib halyard.
 
Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
I have a somewhat similar furling headsail on our 216 so I don’t know for sure but I would think the pigtail is a length of cable with a swaged on fitting on one end that fits into the top swivel. The other end would be swaged on fitting that would attach to the tang on the front of the mast.

The mashup you pictured might work but the chain might twist in addition to the top furling part giving unpredictable furling.

Given the fact that a forestay failure is “gonna leave a mark” ;) I would recommend you work with @Dave Groshong to get the correct part. Your boat your choice. :)

Note this type of furler is used to completely furl/unfurl the headsail, you shouldn’t use it to make the headsail smaller if your overpowered.
 
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Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
Yeah good, I’m pretty confident so far that I have all the parts I need and I just got home from work so I’m gonna lay out the mast, jib, and all related parts in the grass and see what I can see. I’ve heard of a mast tang but I don’t know what it is. What is it and where does it reside? Thanks, JF
 
Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
Yeah good, I’m pretty confident so far that I have all the parts I need and I just got home from work so I’m gonna lay out the mast, jib, and all related parts in the grass and see what I can see. I’ve heard of a mast tang but I don’t know what it is. What is it and where does it reside? Thanks, JF
Again not familiar with your boat and concerned about you stepping the mast with your mashup device but... There should be a place on the “front” of the mast where this end attaches (tang)
A1B73F30-6135-4853-A407-29EB86122A92.jpeg


The other end looks like it is missing the threaded pin for the shackle but that the part to connect to the head of the jib. It might work if you connect to the sail with the pin in the actual furler part.

7C8CCB8E-7476-4597-9175-27536DAB5A70.jpeg
 
Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
Not really sure from the photo what I’m looking at but the word tang just means a piece of metal attached to your mast that you connect things to.

I‘ve not seen quicklinks used as rigging components so this whole thing seems to be McQuivered together! Not trying to insult but you really should do some research on how this should be setup before you go sailing :)

I would point out the screw is quite loose where a shroud (I think) is attached.

BB690AFF-22CB-4235-B9FD-87AEE5FA0ED9.jpeg
 
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Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
That is the block at the top of the jib halyard on the front of the mast. In the photo I uploaded if you look to the right end of that setup could that v shaped fitting be the vang? Thanks for the heads up on that screw, I’ll tighten it.
 
Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
That is the block at the top of the jib halyard
OK I’m confused why you would have a JIB halyard at all??

The jib has a wire in it that acts as your forestay, so once you step the mast the jib is already “hoisted” and ready to use when you unfurl it. Nothing there that you would use a halyard for???

Could the boat have been rigged with a free flying spinnaker or something that you would use the halyard for???

In your most recent photo if that’s the only point of connection on the front of the mast I guess that’s where the jib “pigtail” attaches. You could attach there and step the mast on the trailer to see if the length is correct to connect the bottom of the furler drum to the bow.

Again I would really figure this all out before you sail!
 

Dave Groshong

SBO Staff
Staff member
Jan 25, 2007
1,864
Catalina 22 Seattle
Not the best picture, the smaller Hunter boats use a pigtail like this, to make the forestay the correct length, an oversight in sail engineering that required this addition/fix, in my humble opinion.

 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Is there a tang here?
The hardware rivetted to the mast to support the jib/forestay is called a "mast hound".
I'm partial to the term "pendant" instead of pigtail for this application.. but hey, who cares?:)
The chain/carabiner connector looks like a Home Depot solution. Much cheaper than the $40 8" wire pendant making the previous owner not only clever, but thrifty too. :pimp:
 
Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
That’s why I’m confused because there appears to be a fully rigged and functioning jib halyard that is connected to the mast with that funky garden hose/snap link set up. I understand the wire luff furler carries the forestay load. I see how the furler drum connects via a small hole in the stemplate. It’s the connection at the head of the jib that bewilders me. I’ve attached here a blow up of the head of the foresail, the “pigtail” I found in my sail bag dissembled into 1. Connector with pin out 2. A harken swivel missing threaded pin 3. chain that looks way below marine quality and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen garden chain on a boat.

my challenge is to connect jib head to mast that will facilitate fueling.
 

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Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
Thanks Joe,
Lets say I want to use a pendant. What is the series of parts in the connection between the nylon loop and the mast hound (thanks for that). Is it sail loop, swivel, pendant, mast vang? And how does pendant connect to vang? And if I disconnect the Home Depot carabiner thing then the jib halyard goes away completely right?

thanks very much for your time
 
Jul 2, 2020
17
Catalina 165 Chatfield
I would point out the screw is quite loose where a shroud (I think) is attached.

View attachment 183076
[/QUOTE]

Turns out that loose looking screw runs completely through the mast and on through the shroud connector plate on the other side. It may not be flush but it sure ain’t loose right now. A crossed thread is a tight thread I guess.