Running rigging

scuzzlebutt · Jun 22, 2011

Jib is definately too low. It should run almost all the way up to the masthead. Take some rope and tie it your sail gromett, then run that down to the shackle, then perhaps back to the grommet again or a loop tied in the line so you can use it as a jib downhaul (tie in a truckers hitch). So raise your jib all the way up, then tension it properly with the rope at the bottom.

Jib sheets run on the outside of the stays straight to the fairleads. Tie a stopper knot in them after run through the fairleads.

Ken · Jun 22, 2011

The gooseneck on all three of my booms just had a 1/4 single line attached this line was then tightened after the main was raised. I usually hoist the main a bit further than the band then pull it back down to the bottom band and cleat it off. (I should add I have a Cunningham) It appears the PO used the down-haul in place of the Cunningham.

You don't say what size your headsail is, but only a 150 is going to have a luff long enough to fill the forestay...

Sheet outside the shrouds to the jib car then on to the winch. Do you have lifelines? Here you'll find both schools of thought inside or outside....

If memory serves when the Catalina manuals were made lines weren't what they are today. Catalina list 5/16".

Here again you'll find every owner has their own opinion, some like small lines. In fact all the lines on my boat are 1/4" other than the sheets they're 5/16". I've sailed with guys that have 3/16" sheets on the headsail for light air.....This same owner uses a 3/8" high tech sheet which looks much larger with age...

Modern lines last a very long time, choose wisely when you and if you replace.

watercolors II · Jun 22, 2011

Great photos

You’ve supplied photos of your questions and I can see your dilemma with the boom down haul. Those two blocks will not be found on any rigging diagram so it’s hard to say what was going on there.

When you raise the main to the top of the mast because the boom slides up or down in the mast sail channel you can not properly tension the luff of the sail so a down haul line is used to either hold the boom in a constant position to tighten the halyard or cleat the halyard and pull the boom down to tension. Loose for light winds or very tight for high winds!

I also, like to raise the sail to the top of the mast for light winds but, keep the mainsail lower for high winds so the moveable boom works great for this.

The loads for this down haul is not that great so adding purchase to the line is overkill, the vang and the mainsheet carries all of the load on the boom. I would remove the small block from the bottom of the boom and attach a line in it’s place. As you suggested run this line through the cheek block in the sail channel and bring back up and tie off on the mast side cleat. You now have a 2:1 purchase and using your body weight to push down on the boom will tension the sail luff to whatever you want. Later models of Catalina provided a jam cleat that slides in the sail channel directly below the boom, where that cheek block is now.

The jib tack is attached correctly as pictured, if you feel it needs to be higher attach a small loop of line to the tack of the sail. I have mine raised about 4 inches with a small piece of line. Now the height is correct for the jib which is a small sail for stronger winds so it is constructed to be shorter at the top to lower the center of gravity. Your 150 standard Catalina 22 Genoa will go clear to the top of the mast.

Your head sail sheets must go to the out side of all the stays and lifelines. Your sheet block and tracks are clear to the outside of the gunwales so any sheet inside a stay or lifeline will ride on one of these when you let the head sail out. At the marinas you may see jib car and tracks on the top of the cabin but, they will always be in front of the stays so the sheet lines will not come in contact with them. When running close hauled make sure the head sail does not come in contact with the stays keep it at least 3 inches away when loaded up.

Sheets and halyards can be any size and color just make sure the size works right for the size of blocks you’re using.

The principals of rigging a sailboat are the same for all boats but, there can be small differences between mfgs. The setup on a Catalina 22 is very standard and works well as compared to some of the other boats no longer built. Adding additional running rigging to enhance what is there is one of the joys of owning a Catalina but make sure you totally understand the ideas and use of each item before making any modification.

cwkemp · Jun 22, 2011

jfrench,
If it's at all possible, I think I'd correspond with the previous owner of the boat before I started removing bits. Your pics indicate that the PO had enough knowledge to add things to the basic rig. You're going to want to know about the halyards or whatever ran through the deck organizer on the port cabin top and the gear on the mast could well be a boom downhaul or be part of a cunningham rig. On this forum, you'll get lots of answers and suggestions about running rigging and all of them will be good and workable but everybody adds their own mods and details to suit themselves. In short, there isn't so much a standard way to rig and there are a lot of "correct" ways. I would suggest getting what info you can from the PO or start from scratch with the essentials one line at a time until you understand your system and start to make your own additions and changes as you realize the need.
You could provide some photos of the jib winches and whatever is mounted on the cockpit combing for more specific input on the jibsheets but they generally run outboard of the shrouds especially if your jib cars run on a track on the toerail. Choice of rope diameter for sheets is quite subjective. I think I have 7/16 double braid for jibsheets and 7/16 or 1/2 single braid for my mainsheet. Smaller rope is strong enough but can be tougher on the hands.
Hope some of this helps. One thing at a time.
Clint

Clark · Jun 28, 2011

Just a word of caution here. Sheet size selection is pretty much up to the owners preference as it is easy to see if there are any problems with oversizing. Halyards are a different matter; especially if they run inside the mast. Go no larger than spec'd by Catalina and smaller (with appropriate strength) makes them run over the sheaves smoother. An anecdote: A dock neighbor wanted to replace his jib halyard and estimated that his old one was 5/8 (because his old one had swollen some - it was supposed to be 3/8). When he sewed the new to old and pulled it through the upper sheave, it jammed due to being too large. He had to drop the mast on a Hunter 25.5 to clear it. A real PITA.

OldCat · Jun 28, 2011

As you see from the posts so far - running rigging is a subject that can consume many barrels of grog

. There are lots of good ways to do it, so here is my 2c.

jfrench said:
Regarding the boom, it appears that perhaps the downhaul is laced through a pulley system, then up to a cleat above the boom. Is this correct? If so, what size line should I buy to string it?

The key item here is the principle of luff tension for the main sail. You add luff tension as the wind builds to keep the deepest part of the draft of the main sail near to a little less than 50% back from the mast. Because the boom slides up and down on a C22, the easiest way to tension this is with a boom downhaul. It looks like your PO did this since there is a block shackled to the boom slide. 2:1 will work, but 3:1 or 4:1 is IMHO quicker and easier to use, especially if the lines are led aft. Having a boom downhaul saves on the need for a main halyard winch on a C22 sized boat.

jfrench said:
Where do the jib sheets go? Do I simply run them around the outside of the shrouds?

You already know "outside the shrouds", but there a couple of other things to consider. How big are your headsails? Do you have inside and outside head sail tracks? Depending on how the tracks are laid out on the boat - in light to moderate winds - most head sails 135 and smaller can sheet to the inner track so the boat will point better. In very light winds you will need a flat sheeted out sail - so use outer tracks - you can't point so high anyway. In heavy winds - you need the same thing to depower the boat.

Experiment on your boat to see what is best - use a gps or knot log. My boat is a Sport model with a swing keel so my boat may have some differences regarding head sail sheeting.

I need to take some pics of my lines aft setup - but you may be better off with pics from your style boat.

OC

Bilbo · Jun 29, 2011

ON the back side of your mast from bottom to boom. There is a fitting for a BoomKicker. Is there a device like this inside the cabin or somewhere else???:

http://www.boomkicker.com/bk_specs.html#750/1000/1500

The next device up the mast is for holding the "pop top" up. It's not good and shouldn't be trusted unless you tighten it well with a pair of pliers.

Then there is a block for your downhaul. Others have discussed this already.

Is there also a cleat on the starboard side near the cockpit of your cabin top?
If there is a deck organizer (As I suspect) on the starboard side like the one in that pic that is on the port side, then the line that comes out of the base of your mast on the first pic. (Main Halyard) goes out to the deck organizer pulley and then back to that cleat near the cockpit. .

On the boom....along with the Boomkicker that you should have (based upon that fitting), you should also have some sort of boom vang system. Something like this:
http://www.harken.com/rigtips/BoomVang.php

Your Jib tack in the 2nd pic is fine for starters. If you are sailing in higher winds, you can keep it like this or if the winds are lighter, you can do as scuzzlebutt mentions in his post above. This also gives you a better view below the jib.

I'd also get some shroud rollers /Turnbuckle covers ...especially for the fore-lowers and the mains. They can be made from PVC pipe quite cheaply and look fine, I think.

OldCat · Jun 29, 2011

jfrench said:
I have figured out the boom-kicker and found a shiny new vang in the bag with the mainsail. I rigged the downhaul blocks with some new 1/4" line and now have a cheap Cunningham. I replaced the mainsheet and think I'm now ready to sail. Thank you for your help.

Congrats! Good Stuff. A tip of the glass of grog

.

One more tip. I learned this the

way. Add a small line - 1/8" diameter or so from somewhere solid UP to the boom slide. This limits up travel of the boom and slide. Otherwise you might haul the boom up and out of the sail slot

.

Best of Sailing,
OC

Running rigging

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