rigging

Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
let me check if this is correct. before i step the mast on my capri 18, i loosen the backstay a bit. i have been told that it is unnecessary to adjust the turnbuckles on the shrouds and the forestay . the only think that must be done is to tighten the backstay. i have previously only had three point rigs where the forstay is tightened.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello

I had a Mac25 in the past, and now a '67 Kittiwake 24ft... on both boats the backstay and shrouds remained in place, the forestay is unfastened to lay the mast down... and then refastened when the mast is raised... I have a harken furler on my boat and just pull the retaining pin to release it from the bow ... the mast step on my boat only allows my mast to raise from the stern to standing up, or lower from standing up to stern ... on my Mac25 I used a mast raising system, as the mast was very heavy.... on my Kittiwake it is a much lighter mast, I can raise it by walking it right up...

sincerely
Jess
 
Dec 23, 2008
771
Catalina 22 Central Penna.
After you set the boat up a couple times you’ll figure out which one works the best. Every boat is different and following the way someone with a different boat does it may not be the best way.

Please try every way possible, sailing is very easy to learn but, it’s a life long learning experience!
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
The beauty of the Capri-18 is the simply rigging. You only need to removed the forestay for trailering. I installed a Johnson Quick Release Lever on the backstay. Once I got all my rigging adjusted properly, from then on, all I had to do was release the quick release lever on the backstay which allowed me to attach the forestay. Once the forestay was pinned, all I had to do was pull the lever in place and all the rigging was set. Now they ain't cheap, around $75. at the sailboat supply store. Keep checking eBay, I've bought them for less than the retail price.

I'll post a photo of my Capri-18 mainsheet/backstay set-up when I get home.

Don
 

Attachments

Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
The beauty of the Capri-18 is the simply rigging. You only need to removed the forestay for trailering. I installed a Johnson Quick Release Lever on the backstay. Once I got all my rigging adjusted properly, from then on, all I had to do was release the quick release lever on the backstay which allowed me to attach the forestay. Once the forestay was pinned, all I had to do was pull the lever in place and all the rigging was set. Now they ain't cheap, around $75. at the sailboat supply store. Keep checking eBay, I've bought them for less than the retail price.

I'll post a photo of my Capri-18 mainsheet/backstay set-up when I get home.

Don
let me get this straight. to rig you just loosen the backstay and leave all 4 shrouds adjusted for sailing. i thought that the forward lowers had to be either loosened or removed for rigging and take down.
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
Unless you have a one of a kind Capri-18, you should have 6 shrouds to hold the mast up.....one on the bow, two on each side that attach to the hull at pretty close to the same location, (one goes to the bottom of the spreader mount and is commonly called the lower, the other goes to the top of the mast and is commonly called the upper, and the last one that goes to the back of the boat. The one to the back of the boat needs to be loose to allow you to fasten the shroud that attaches to the front of the boat. Once the front shroud is attached, you can tighten the turnbuckle on the shroud at the back of the boat. Once the mast is aligned, which means the mast is straight up and down in all directions, all you will have to do is loosen and tighten the shroud on the back of the boat, and pin or un-pin the shroud that goes to the front of the boat.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello all

on my Kittiwake, I have 2 upper shrouds, and 4 lower shrouds, along with the forestay and backstay... I have to detatch the forward lower shrouds and the forestay, then I can lower the mast... and reverse the process when raising the mast... my mast is set up on a hinged mast plate... my forestay is a harken roller furler... my rig has turnbuckles on each shroud or stay for easy mounting and adjustments when needed... I have an easy rig to put up and take down...

sincerely
Jess
 
Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
hello all

on my Kittiwake, I have 2 upper shrouds, and 4 lower shrouds, along with the forestay and backstay... I have to detatch the forward lower shrouds and the forestay, then I can lower the mast... and reverse the process when raising the mast... my mast is set up on a hinged mast plate... my forestay is a harken roller furler... my rig has turnbuckles on each shroud or stay for easy mounting and adjustments when needed... I have an easy rig to put up and take down...

sincerely
Jess
don and jess, thanks so much for the input. my capri is stock so it has 4 shrouds a forestay and a backstay, tomorrow we are going to attempt to step the mast in the driveway. my only concern is the cdi furler on the boat. the jib isnt on it yet but i dont want to chance kinking the foil. without the jib its pretty much unsupported. i know why some guys say that its much harder to step the mast with a furler than without. on my little com-pac 16 my furler and jib were pretty light and it was no problem. we will see keep your fingers crossed
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
OK, I have my opinions on this matter, so take it with a grain of salt. The CDI furler is a GREAT invention, however..... Most folks don't follow the CDI installation instructions, and they don't take care of the unit's when the boat is stored on the trailer with the mast down. The instruction clearly state that a toggle needs to be installed on the top fitting of the forestay. This will require a new forestay, and most sailors don't see the need to discard what appears to be a perfectly fine forestay. But, this is to prevent damage to the forestay by the additional weight of the furler. Because of the plastic extrusion, it won't allow the cable to naturally flex, so the result is the bending of the cable. The stock Capri-18 uses a "T" fitting to attach the top of the foresay to the mast, so the installation of a toggle at this attachment point isn't possible. Next issue with CDI furlers is the plastic luff extrusion. As long as they are "straight", they are GREAT. But, again as the manufacture states, the extrusion needs to be properly stored when the mast is down. This "proper" storage is time consuming and generally a pain in the butt, so most folks strap the furled sail to the mast when stored, or trailering. The plastic extrusion will develope a memory of the bent shape it's stored in, (a real common bend if where the furler bends over the spreader location when strapped to the mast), and if it's bent and you turn it, depending on the bending, it will rub on the cable, and will try to un-wrap the cable, plus this increased friction caused havoc at the top "T" fitting. I've had a Capri-18 and two C-22's that were all trailered and fitted with a CDI furler. All three experienced the same problems. The plastic extrusion is shipped coiled up, and will relax and straighten out when left on a flat surface for a few days in the sun. If there is any bending the other way, (front to back), I've never been successful eliminating this deformation, even sitting in the hot California sun for weeks at a time. Then there is the comlication of raising the mast with the furled headsail. I just found it a pain in the butt, with the additional weight trying to twist the mast to the side when raising. I've also tried removing the sail and only having the plastic luff extrusion and the furling drum, and this wasn't much better, and add's to the rigging time and process. I've also tried supporting the furler to the gin-pole while raising, and never found this much better. I simplified the issue by eliminating the furler and going back to a hanked on jib and use a down-haul line attached to the top hank. I back-wind the jib, loosen the jib halyard, and pull the downhaul, and the sail falls to the deck, and is held in place with the down-haul. No need to go forward, sometimes I open the hatch and install a sail-tie to secure it if I'm going to motor any distance. I had a sail loft take my furling jib and they installed hangs on it for me. Now my friend also has a C-22 identicle to mine with a CDI furler, and he LOVES it! But the boat sits in a slip, and is never trailered, and I'm willing to bet, the mast hasn't been taken down for years.

When we had our Capri-18, I removed the forestay from the mast while trailering, (all I had to do was rotate the "T" fitting 90 degrees and it pop's out), gently coil the forestay and store it in the cabin.

Attached is a photo of the kinked forestay from our Capri-18. I had a new forestay fabricated to replace it.

Just my opinion, but my life has been much easier without a CDI furler.

Don
 
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Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
OK, I have my opinions on this matter, so take it with a grain of salt. The CDI furler is a GREAT invention, however..... Most folks don't follow the CDI installation instructions, and they don't take care of the unit's when the boat is stored on the trailer with the mast down. The instruction clearly state that a toggle needs to be installed on the top fitting of the forestay. This will require a new forestay, and most sailors don't see the need to discard what appears to be a perfectly fine forestay. But, this is to prevent damage to the forestay by the additional weight of the furler. Because of the plastic extrusion, it won't allow the cable to naturally flex, so the result is the bending of the cable. The stock Capri-18 uses a "T" fitting to attach the top of the foresay to the mast, so the installation of a toggle at this attachment point isn't possible. Next issue with CDI furlers is the plastic luff extrusion. As long as they are "straight", they are GREAT. But, again as the manufacture states, the extrusion needs to be properly stored when the mast is down. This "proper" storage is time consuming and generally a pain in the butt, so most folks strap the furled sail to the mast when stored, or trailering. The plastic extrusion will develope a memory of the bent shape it's stored in, (a real common bend if where the furler bends over the spreader location when strapped to the mast), and if it's bent and you turn it, depending on the bending, it will rub on the cable, and will try to un-wrap the cable, plus this increased friction caused havoc at the top "T" fitting. I've had a Capri-18 and two C-22's that were all trailered and fitted with a CDI furler. All three experienced the same problems. The plastic extrusion is shipped coiled up, and will relax and straighten out when left on a flat surface for a few days in the sun. If there is any bending the other way, (front to back), I've never been successful eliminating this deformation, even sitting in the hot California sun for weeks at a time. Then there is the comlication of raising the mast with the furled headsail. I just found it a pain in the butt, with the additional weight trying to twist the mast to the side when raising. I've also tried removing the sail and only having the plastic luff extrusion and the furling drum, and this wasn't much better, and add's to the rigging time and process. I've also tried supporting the furler to the gin-pole while raising, and never found this much better. I simplified the issue by eliminating the furler and going back to a hanked on jib and use a down-haul line attached to the top hank. I back-wind the jib, loosen the jib halyard, and pull the downhaul, and the sail falls to the deck, and is held in place with the down-haul. No need to go forward, sometimes I open the hatch and install a sail-tie to secure it if I'm going to motor any distance. I had a sail loft take my furling jib and they installed hangs on it for me. Now my friend also has a C-22 identicle to mine with a CDI furler, and he LOVES it! But the boat sits in a slip, and is never trailered, and I'm willing to bet, the mast hasn't been taken down for years.

When we had our Capri-18, I removed the forestay from the mast while trailering, (all I had to do was rotate the "T" fitting 90 degrees and it pop's out), gently coil the forestay and store it in the cabin.

Attached is a photo of the kinked forestay from our Capri-18. I had a new forestay fabricated to replace it.

Just my opinion, but my life has been much easier without a CDI furler.

Don
don, this morning i pulled the boat out in the driveway and attempted to step the mast. the furler is attached to the mast (no sail on it). anyway i used the extendable mast crutch and "walked" aft until i could attach the foot to the tabernacle. a bit of a pain but i got that much done. at this point i had no idea what to do with the furler. i lifted the mast a bit (it was a lot heavier than i thought it would be), but i was afraid that i would bend the luff extrusion so i stopped. the boat is in such perfect condition that i didnt want to chance doing any damage. it seems to me that i bit off more than i can chew with the 18. i was hoping to have a boat, bigger than my com-pac 16, that i could easily sail off the trailer. it looks like i made a mistake and i guess i will sell the capri. at least i did one thing right---i didnt sell the cp16, i do appreciate your advice and incite. i hate to sell her but if it is going to be an agravation every time i want to sail i cant see keeping her.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello all

try this when you raise the mast.... use a rope to attach to the bottom of the furler.... then run the rope through a block and back toward the aft of the boat... put a loop in the rope about 4 or 5 foot from the transom... use a bungy cord to attach to the loop and pull it tight back to the transom.... as you raise the mast, the bungy cord will pull the rope tight and keeps the furler straight and pull it toward the bow.... if you have a 2nd person to help, then they can take the place of the bungy cord and keep the furler straight and keep it out of the way and move it to the bow as you raise the mast... once the mast is upright, they can pin the furler in place to keep the mast up....

this is how I did it on my Mac25, and also on my Kittiwake 24....

sincerely
Jess
 
Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
stepping the mast

i think i might take dons advice and remove the furler. i know ill probably ruin it if i try it again with it on especially without the sail on it. i want to be able to do this single handed even though the bulk of my sailing is with my wife. i really dont want to have to deal with a ginpole or other device. another question. the previous owner apparently removed the jib halyard from the mast (im sure its in the boat though). does it just go over the pully and down inside the mast and out the port side slot? guess he took it off so it wouldnt be in the way. i probably would have too. thanks fellas. like i said, ill figure this out or someone gets a nice (very nice) capri 18 for 4500. i sure hope it doesnt come to that.
 
Dec 7, 2012
515
Kittiwake 23, Irwin 43 .. Indianapolis / indianatown, fl
hello all

keep playing with your boat and learning more... you will come understand it better and find your way of raising the mast that is best for you... I used the gin pole method on my Mac25, but she had a heavy mast... my Kittiwake is much lighter and I can walk it right up.... I use a rope at the bottom of the furler to guide it forward and keep it from fouling up on the deck... I usually run the rope back to the cockpit and wrap it 2 times around the winch.... as I walk the mast forward and up, I pull the rope too... works great for me... but I understand you need to find your own way of doing things....

I like the furler, it allow me to reef the genoa, down to a jib, or down to a storm jib, or put it away and I never have to leave the cockpit.... I enjoy solo sailing on my boat... so all my ropes come back to the cockpit... I hardly ever am out on the water alone, but I enjoy having my boat set up for solo sailing... keep everything handy and no one has to go up on deck

sincerely
Jess
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
Yes, the jib halyard just runs down the mast and out the exit block on the port side. So you'll need to re-install one. You will probably need to use a plumbers snake to install the halyard down the mast. Here's a trick that might work. Tie a string, like a kite string, to a piece if rag. Stuff it into the hole above the exit block hole on the top front portion of the mast. Hook up your shop-vac at the bottom and seal around it with some rags. Turn the shop-vac on and hopefully it will suck the rag with the string attached down the mast. Now you have a pull-string to install the jib halyard.

Use the gin-pole, it makes the job so much easier and safer. Takes less than a minute to install and should something snag when the mast is going up, you can cleat it off and fix the problem. The jib halyard attaches to the end of the gin-pole, and you take up the tension so the gin-pole is slightly less than 90 degrees to the mast,(think about it, if you install the gin-pole at 90 degrees or more to the mast, when the mast is up, there won't be any room for the block and tackle to finish pulling it tight to make it easy to install the pin on the bottom of the forestay). Cleat off the jib halyard on the mast cleat. Here is a short video of me lowering the mast on our Capri-18 before I got smart and got rid of the furler assembly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90K0AYD01OI

Don't need to be a he-man, we've learned thousands of years ago the advantages of using the block and tackle, and the mechanical advantage provided by the lever to reduce our workload. Funny, in this day of electronics and computers, the same simple mechanical principals still apply today.

By the way, the steps I used to raise the mast was:

1. make sure the forestay is attached to the mast,(the "T" fitting into the slot in the mast.
2. raise the mast crutch all the way up on the transom,(this way your only raising a little portion of the mast).
3. roll the mast back and pin the bottom in the mast step. My Capri-18 and C-22 use a 1/4" X 4" bolt and wing-nut.
4. install the jib halyard to the end of the gin-pole and install the gin-pole to the mast.
5. adjust the gin-pole so it's slightly less than 90 degrees off the mast.
6. install the baby-stays,(prevents the mast from moving sideways while raising or lowering).
7. pull the gin-pole block and tackle out and attach the fiddle block to the bow stem fitting, (best if this fiddle block also has a cam-cleat attached).
8. double check to make sure everything is attached, and especially make sure the lines on the gin-pole blocks are free and not twisted. They should NOT touch each other when the lines are pulled tight.
9. pull on the line from the fiddle block attached to the bow fitting and raise the mast up. Once the mast is up, secure the line and attach the forestay to the bow fitting.

Now the mast is safely and easily up, remove the gin-pole assembly,(hint: pull the line so the blocks don't get tangled up and twisted). Tighten the back stay, and finish rigging the boat.

Nothing to it! Like I said before, my wife and I developed a system. We did it the same way everytime once we developed our way of doing it. The first time probably took a couple hours. I installed snap-shackles on my gin-pole blocks, and developed little things that reduced the time it took to rig and install stuff. She would hand me the stuff, or take it back, and once we drove up to the ramp, we would have the boat rigged and be backing her into the water in 30 minutes.

Too bad the previous owner didn't take the time to go over the rigging process with you. Any boat I sell, I go over the rigging and de-rigging process with the new owner. I show them how it's done, then I look on while they do it, so I can offer any advice or answer questions. When I sold my Capri-18, I spent the day going over rigging and de-rigging the boat, including launching the boat and getting her back on the trailer. Pick a ramp with finger docks so you can float the boat off and on the trailer easily.

Don
 
Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
don, i did see your video before and i think the boom vang from my cp 16 will work on it. how long was your gin pole? looks to be about 4 feet.
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
The gin-pole is limited to the distance from your mast to a little bit further than the bow fitting, my Capri-18 gin-pole was probably 6'. My Capri-18 mast raising system had two fiddle blocks, one with a becket,(where you attach the line to the block). "If" I ran into a snag while raising the mast, I would have to tie it off on the cabin top cleat. On my C-22, the lower fiddle block has a becket and a cam-cleat, so if I hit a snag, it's very easy to stop and clear the problem. There is a pretty good amount of force on the line during the process, so I always make sure my jib halyard in never over a few years old,(the sun's UV damages the line over time). I must say my Catalina-22 is a little easier than my Capri-18 for raising the mast. I believe this is due to the added leverage of the longer gin-pole simply because the distance from the mast to the end of the bow is longer. Also, the Capri-18 is way over built. Few boats,(if any) boat in her size use the size of the mast and blocks found on the Capri-18. The Capri-18 shares many of her parts with her big sister the Capri-22. But the Capri-18 or the Catalina-22 is very easy to rig with the factory mast raising system. Don't give up, you just need to do a few things and get to feel comfortable in rigging and de-rigging the boat. It ain't rocket science!

For example, last summer I injured my right arm. Tore two tendons loose in a bicycle accident in Missouri the week after the C-22 Nationals and I was unable to lift my right arm. Once I got home, I had another C-22 MK-II that I sold, and had my own boat to re-rig and drop back in the slip. With only one functioning arm, I was able to demonstrate to the new owner how to rig his new boat, and also rig my own boat with only my left arm. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, Catalina's factory mast raising system is simply genius!

A problem I see with the mast raising systems that use a trailer winch is the possibility of the handle getting away from you and starting to spin, then your screwed. You already have the mainsheet assembly, and the line is probably longer and larger than the vang to use that for the gin-pole block and tackle. Nothing additional to buy either! Fit it with a pair of quality snap-shackles,(not the cheap Chinese ones thay sell on eBay), like Ronstan or Wichard,(they ain't cheap, but they are quality and strong), and you can snap the mainsheet blocks on and off in a matter of seconds. To simply save time, I have a seperate set of blocks attached to my gin-pole so it just saves time rigging and de-rigging. Attached is a photo of the Ronstan snap shackles I use on my boat. I have them on one end of my vang, the mainsheet block that attaches to the end of the boom, on the bow fitting to attach the tack of the jib, and on my gin-pole. These allow me to quickly assemble and dis-assemble the boat.

Don
 
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Apr 6, 2014
82
catalina capri 18 carlyle lake, il
don, i do have a couple of questions about the "baby stays". where are they attached (mast and deck)? how long do they need to be? are they tight with the mast down ?and what are they made of?
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
"Yes"...the baby-stays attach to the mast, and the cabin top. Did you get two cables about 5' long when you bought the boat? Maybe a photo of the gin-pole,(if you have one), the mast crutch, and the baby-stays,(if you have them) might help a bunch to see what you have, and a photo of the top of the cabin on each side of the mast fitting on the top of the cabin. The baby-stays keep the mast from falling to the side of the boat until the side-stays take the load. They will be a bit loose initially and tighten a bit as the mast goes up. They should NEVER get tight like a string on a violin. This is because "normally" the pivot point of the mast, (that long bolt that goes through the mast and the deck-plate) is not going to be the same as the pivit point of the attachment point of the baby-stays. My Capri-18 baby-stays had a SS tang on the top and an "L" shaped bracket at the bottom. There was another long bollt with a wing nut to attach the tang's at the mast about 4-5' up, and the "L" bracket slid into a little metal fitting on the side of the cabin top and had a thumb screw that held them in place. I'll try to find some photos of this to maybe help.

I've attached several photos that kind of show the baby-stays for the boat. One photo shos the mast with the halyards exit slot. Right above you can see a hole, this is where the long bolt passed through holding the top portion of the baby-stays. A couple photos show the squared fitting where the "L" bracket fastened the baby-stay to the top of the cabin. One photo show us sailing and if you look close you can see the baby stays left attached while sailing. If we just went out for the day, there wasn't any reason to remove the baby-stays so I left them installed, just one less thing to do when de-rigging the boat. And then there is one photo that shows the gin-pole attached to the foredeck fitting. Actually would have been better to have a slightly longer gin-pole to attach it to the bow fitting.

WOW, too bad the previous owner didn't take a hour of their precious time and show you the parts and how to rig the boat.

Don
 
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