i have a 1973 catalina 27. to raise the main i stand next to the mast and pull staight down and cleat on the mast. i would like to change this so i could do it from the cockpit. i also have a roller fuling jib and i am not sure what i need to do to fly my spinnaker. i do have a halyard in front of the jib which does not have any harware on it and both ends are just tied to the pulpit. any help or photo's would be appreciated. im a new sailor and loving it. dave
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Go look at some other boats.
Dave, there should be plenty of catalina 27's in your marina. On my dock alone there are 6. Anyway, cruise around and look at them. I guarantee you will see many different set ups. The attached picture shows my boat's economy set up, I like the jam cleats because they are cheap,and easy to release in an emergency. There is a stacked, 4 sheave organizer to lead the lines around the hatch. The two bottom lines in the picture are the main and spinnaker halyards. I use the winch for these. The other two are the vang and cunningham which don't require the winch. The port side is similarly set up and at this point I have only two jib halyards implemented. Many sailors run their reefing lines aft also, but where I sail it's rarely necessary to reef. For my spinnaker pole I have been using the spare jib halyard, but I plan to install a dedicated topping lift one day. This I will cleat at the mast, and let the crew deal with it. The foreguy (that's the pole downhaul) is directed along the base of the stanchions and cleated on the cockpit coaming. I have this set up to also serve as a "tackline" for the cruising spinnaker that doesn't use a pole. Sorry, no picture for the spinnaker set up. I'll see if I have one somewhere and post it. One more thing, your current main halyard might not be long enough to reach back to the cockpit. If you buy a new one, 80 ft will be enough. Check the archives for halyard options. I can say this, if you want to replace with wire to rope, you can save money by going to Defender.com. 40x40 1/8"wire 3/8"rope will do it.
Dave, there should be plenty of catalina 27's in your marina. On my dock alone there are 6. Anyway, cruise around and look at them. I guarantee you will see many different set ups. The attached picture shows my boat's economy set up, I like the jam cleats because they are cheap,and easy to release in an emergency. There is a stacked, 4 sheave organizer to lead the lines around the hatch. The two bottom lines in the picture are the main and spinnaker halyards. I use the winch for these. The other two are the vang and cunningham which don't require the winch. The port side is similarly set up and at this point I have only two jib halyards implemented. Many sailors run their reefing lines aft also, but where I sail it's rarely necessary to reef. For my spinnaker pole I have been using the spare jib halyard, but I plan to install a dedicated topping lift one day. This I will cleat at the mast, and let the crew deal with it. The foreguy (that's the pole downhaul) is directed along the base of the stanchions and cleated on the cockpit coaming. I have this set up to also serve as a "tackline" for the cruising spinnaker that doesn't use a pole. Sorry, no picture for the spinnaker set up. I'll see if I have one somewhere and post it. One more thing, your current main halyard might not be long enough to reach back to the cockpit. If you buy a new one, 80 ft will be enough. Check the archives for halyard options. I can say this, if you want to replace with wire to rope, you can save money by going to Defender.com. 40x40 1/8"wire 3/8"rope will do it.
Attachments
Reefing
Remember that if you have to go forward to the mast to hook the reef cringle un the reefing hook, you don't want the halyards run back to the cockpit. You will have to be plastic man to maintain control by reaching into the cockpit to lower the sail with your left hand while hooking on the reef cringle with your right. Either the halyards should stay on the mast or you need a one- or two-line remote reefing set up that can also be operated from the cockpit. When the wind says its time to reef it is a bad time to have an uncontrolled sail flapping around while you run back and forth from the cockpit to the mast and unless you raise the sail immediately, the cringle will probably be shaken off the hook so you can try again.
Remember that if you have to go forward to the mast to hook the reef cringle un the reefing hook, you don't want the halyards run back to the cockpit. You will have to be plastic man to maintain control by reaching into the cockpit to lower the sail with your left hand while hooking on the reef cringle with your right. Either the halyards should stay on the mast or you need a one- or two-line remote reefing set up that can also be operated from the cockpit. When the wind says its time to reef it is a bad time to have an uncontrolled sail flapping around while you run back and forth from the cockpit to the mast and unless you raise the sail immediately, the cringle will probably be shaken off the hook so you can try again.
reefing and lines led aft to cockpit...
Regarding Gary's scenario: When dropping the main, by myself, I wrap the halyard around the winch a few turns and take the tail to the mast with me. The jam cleat will release with a some pull, and I can re-cleat the line by stepping one it. I finish winching it back in the cockpit after setting the clew. But then I don't have to reef much, if I did I would lead the reefing lines aft also.
Regarding Gary's scenario: When dropping the main, by myself, I wrap the halyard around the winch a few turns and take the tail to the mast with me. The jam cleat will release with a some pull, and I can re-cleat the line by stepping one it. I finish winching it back in the cockpit after setting the clew. But then I don't have to reef much, if I did I would lead the reefing lines aft also.
Both Hands and a Foot
Of course Joe's scheme means that he has to use both hands and a foot when he could have left the halyards on the mast and done the job up there with a lot less acrobatics. Halyards to the cockpit look go-fast but they aren't really that useful.
Of course Joe's scheme means that he has to use both hands and a foot when he could have left the halyards on the mast and done the job up there with a lot less acrobatics. Halyards to the cockpit look go-fast but they aren't really that useful.
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