This almost sounds like a rediculous question, but which shrouds attach to which chainplate? I would assume aft lower to aft chainplate, fore lower to fore chainplate, and upper to the center? I looked everywhere and couldn't find anything that said. Also, is there only one attachment point for the backstay?
Shroud Attachment Points
- Thread starter Cincy020
- Start date
I am assuming you have a Catalina 22 because of posting on this blog.
Yes, you are correct at were the shrouds attach to the deck. The backstay could have one or two points for attachment.
Because of the question I am assuming you have the boat and none of the shrouds are attached to the hull.
I recommend you setup everything at home and make sure you understand everything before you take the boat to the marina for launching. If you don’t have a crutch to support the mast at the stern then use a stepladder to support the mast hanging out over the back of the boat and attach the base of the mast to the cabin top. Locate the 2 main shrouds attached to the sides at the very top of the mast. Follow down each cable to make sure no other cables or ropes are rapped around it and attach it to the middle one of the three deck eyelets. Do the same with the two rear baby shrouds attached right below the crossbar in the center of the mast. Do not attach the front baby shrouds. Now to the backstay, again follow it down from the top back end of the mast and attach to the stern, lay the loose part of the cable on the cockpit floor, do not let layout over the stern of the boat! With two additional helpers, stand with each foot on one of the cockpit seats and lift the mast above your head and walk forward as far as you can go to the back of the cabin lifting the mast as you go. Have the other two helpers standing on the cabin top facing each other. Have them take the mast and hold it at this same angle while you check the two main shrouds and the two baby shrouds for being caught under something in the cockpit or cabin top. With every shroud clear have these two fellow finish lifting the mast to the vertical position. While they hold the mast up untangle the two front baby shrouds and attach to the deck plates. Make sure all the clevis pins point towards the cabin so the safety keys are not out towards the deck to catch a sail or a barefoot. The 4 baby stays will hold the mast vertical till you attach the forestay.
Do an inventory of everything that came with the boat and figure out where and how it attaches. Late in the evening when no wind, raise the sails, this is a better time to find something wrong than when you want to use the boat for the first time and find it when you are out there.
When you lower the mast for trailering do not disconnect the two main shrouds, the two rear baby shrouds and the backstay!
Yes, you are correct at were the shrouds attach to the deck. The backstay could have one or two points for attachment.
Because of the question I am assuming you have the boat and none of the shrouds are attached to the hull.
I recommend you setup everything at home and make sure you understand everything before you take the boat to the marina for launching. If you don’t have a crutch to support the mast at the stern then use a stepladder to support the mast hanging out over the back of the boat and attach the base of the mast to the cabin top. Locate the 2 main shrouds attached to the sides at the very top of the mast. Follow down each cable to make sure no other cables or ropes are rapped around it and attach it to the middle one of the three deck eyelets. Do the same with the two rear baby shrouds attached right below the crossbar in the center of the mast. Do not attach the front baby shrouds. Now to the backstay, again follow it down from the top back end of the mast and attach to the stern, lay the loose part of the cable on the cockpit floor, do not let layout over the stern of the boat! With two additional helpers, stand with each foot on one of the cockpit seats and lift the mast above your head and walk forward as far as you can go to the back of the cabin lifting the mast as you go. Have the other two helpers standing on the cabin top facing each other. Have them take the mast and hold it at this same angle while you check the two main shrouds and the two baby shrouds for being caught under something in the cockpit or cabin top. With every shroud clear have these two fellow finish lifting the mast to the vertical position. While they hold the mast up untangle the two front baby shrouds and attach to the deck plates. Make sure all the clevis pins point towards the cabin so the safety keys are not out towards the deck to catch a sail or a barefoot. The 4 baby stays will hold the mast vertical till you attach the forestay.
Do an inventory of everything that came with the boat and figure out where and how it attaches. Late in the evening when no wind, raise the sails, this is a better time to find something wrong than when you want to use the boat for the first time and find it when you are out there.
When you lower the mast for trailering do not disconnect the two main shrouds, the two rear baby shrouds and the backstay!
Sorry, yes, I certainly meant a Catalina 22.
Watercolors, thanks for the info, as those were some of my next questions. I started laying everything out last night on the deck and was going to attach anything that needed to attach when I discovered I didn't know where they went.
For raising the mast, instead of lifting, is attaching the trailer winch to the forestay to help crank it up an advisable method as long as you keep an eye on all the shrouds? My first boat was a Hobie 16 and that is the way I did it, and the mast lenghts/weight seem pretty close. It was very easy to get shrouds caught up on that Hobie, so I know how important it is to look out for those.
Watercolors, thanks for the info, as those were some of my next questions. I started laying everything out last night on the deck and was going to attach anything that needed to attach when I discovered I didn't know where they went.
For raising the mast, instead of lifting, is attaching the trailer winch to the forestay to help crank it up an advisable method as long as you keep an eye on all the shrouds? My first boat was a Hobie 16 and that is the way I did it, and the mast lenghts/weight seem pretty close. It was very easy to get shrouds caught up on that Hobie, so I know how important it is to look out for those.
Using a device to help in lifting the mast is all about angles, the greater the angle the easier the lift with the device.
Using the trailer winch you will need someone lifting the mast to the 30 degree angle to allow the trailer winch to take over, if you can get the winch cable to pull at the top of the mast at a 30 degree angle no one would need to start the lift, which means the cable would have to go over the top of a tower above the winch to create the angle, and then you still have the catching of the cables up on deck. Without the angle of lift on the winch cable two fellows are needed and if strong enough they could lift the mast into place without all the setup of using the winch. Look up gin pole or A-frame on youtube.
Three more ideas;
1.5 people, yourself and a teen or wife. Using a 100 foot line attached to the forestay and stretched out in front of your tow vehicle about 4 more car lengths, a teen or wife can hold the mast after you make the cockpit lift. At this angle of the lift one or the other can pull the mast up very easy after you clear all the shrouds on deck.
Yourself only. With practice I have attached a line to the forestay and run it through the hole in the mooring bow cleat and lay the line on the cabin top. Lift the mast in the cockpit and when I get to the cabin hold the mast with one hand and grab the line on the cabin top and pull it tight and then in one quick move let go of the mast and hold onto the line with both hands and then cleat it off on top of the cabin top. Clear the cables and then finish the lift from the cabin top, I was much younger and stronger when I did this.
I now use what I call a double mast crutch system, the second crutch is placed on the cabin floor in the hatch way and is just the right height to lift the mast in the cockpit and when I get to the cabin set the mast into the second crutch. This holds the mast at the right height to clear the cables and lift the mast from the cabin top by myself when I was younger and stronger. Now, no one has to hold the mast part way up while I clear the cables on deck, and with help finish the lift from the cabin top.
A lot of this has to do with your own ideas and capabilities, after you lift this mast a dozen times ideas will start to flow, just make sure you have help the first couple times you try something, you could injure yourself or do lots of damage to the boat!
Using the trailer winch you will need someone lifting the mast to the 30 degree angle to allow the trailer winch to take over, if you can get the winch cable to pull at the top of the mast at a 30 degree angle no one would need to start the lift, which means the cable would have to go over the top of a tower above the winch to create the angle, and then you still have the catching of the cables up on deck. Without the angle of lift on the winch cable two fellows are needed and if strong enough they could lift the mast into place without all the setup of using the winch. Look up gin pole or A-frame on youtube.
Three more ideas;
1.5 people, yourself and a teen or wife. Using a 100 foot line attached to the forestay and stretched out in front of your tow vehicle about 4 more car lengths, a teen or wife can hold the mast after you make the cockpit lift. At this angle of the lift one or the other can pull the mast up very easy after you clear all the shrouds on deck.
Yourself only. With practice I have attached a line to the forestay and run it through the hole in the mooring bow cleat and lay the line on the cabin top. Lift the mast in the cockpit and when I get to the cabin hold the mast with one hand and grab the line on the cabin top and pull it tight and then in one quick move let go of the mast and hold onto the line with both hands and then cleat it off on top of the cabin top. Clear the cables and then finish the lift from the cabin top, I was much younger and stronger when I did this.
I now use what I call a double mast crutch system, the second crutch is placed on the cabin floor in the hatch way and is just the right height to lift the mast in the cockpit and when I get to the cabin set the mast into the second crutch. This holds the mast at the right height to clear the cables and lift the mast from the cabin top by myself when I was younger and stronger. Now, no one has to hold the mast part way up while I clear the cables on deck, and with help finish the lift from the cabin top.
A lot of this has to do with your own ideas and capabilities, after you lift this mast a dozen times ideas will start to flow, just make sure you have help the first couple times you try something, you could injure yourself or do lots of damage to the boat!
From the way you had described, Watercolors, I suppose either the initial idea or the 1.5 people idea would work. I totally intend on having one additional helper with me. I'm still in my younger years, so hopefully I can muster up the strength to get the mast up.
Making a crutch for the mast is on my to-do list before I give it a shot. I was going to make one with a length of 8 feet from the transom. Is that high enough to get the desired angle?
Making a crutch for the mast is on my to-do list before I give it a shot. I was going to make one with a length of 8 feet from the transom. Is that high enough to get the desired angle?