i wonder if trailer sailing (rigging every time i sail) a capri 18 is feasible or is the rigging too complicated and difficult? im 62 years old 6'5" 205 and in good shape.
trailer sailing a capri 18
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Steve,
Looks like I'm your man for your Capri-18 questions. First, do you have the factory mast raising system? The reason I ask is for a reference. The factory mast raising system was easy to use, and just a neat gizmo! We trailed our C-18 the entire time we had her. For part of the time, we dry sailed her out of our yacht club. This was nice because we kept her rigged and on the trailer. We have electric mules at the club to tow the boat over to the crane. My boat already had the 1" stainless steel stub in the keel sump so I had an easy attachment point for my lifting harness. Anyway, I also had the boat set-up for easy rigging. All I disconnected was the forstay. I had a Johnson quick-lever on the backstay, so once I connected the forstay, all I had to do was pull the lever on the Johnson quick-lever and the rigging pulled tight. Very simple and quick. Peolpe were always surprised how quickly we rigged. We had it down to 30 minutes and we're in the water. My wife and I had a routine. The trick is to do it the same way every time. One year at the Havasu Trailer-Sailor convention, we rigged next to another C-18. We were launching before they had their mast raised. I also use velcro straps to hold my rigging to the mast while trailering. Home Depot sells it in 25' or 30' rolls, it's 2" wide and I cut it into 2' lengths. Holds the rigging nicely, is quick to put on and pull off, re-useable, and lasts a long time,(still use it on our C-22). Also my vang and main sheet attached with snap shakles,(my gin-pole for the mast raising system also attached to the boat with a snap shackle). Also we didn't have roller furling. I'm an old school guy, and the C-18 with the "T" fitting for the top attachment of the forstay is not consistant with the recommended installation of a furler. Our boat originally had one and it was the first thing I got rid of after I seen what it did to the forstay. I like the simplicity of a down-haul line, and the rigging is a lot quicker without a furler in my opinion.
Don
P.S. I'll be 62 later this year, so age isn't an issue, we regularly trailer our C-22, in fact, we'll be pulling her out of the slip Friday morning, de-rig her, trailer her and re-rig and launch before noon the same day.
Looks like I'm your man for your Capri-18 questions. First, do you have the factory mast raising system? The reason I ask is for a reference. The factory mast raising system was easy to use, and just a neat gizmo! We trailed our C-18 the entire time we had her. For part of the time, we dry sailed her out of our yacht club. This was nice because we kept her rigged and on the trailer. We have electric mules at the club to tow the boat over to the crane. My boat already had the 1" stainless steel stub in the keel sump so I had an easy attachment point for my lifting harness. Anyway, I also had the boat set-up for easy rigging. All I disconnected was the forstay. I had a Johnson quick-lever on the backstay, so once I connected the forstay, all I had to do was pull the lever on the Johnson quick-lever and the rigging pulled tight. Very simple and quick. Peolpe were always surprised how quickly we rigged. We had it down to 30 minutes and we're in the water. My wife and I had a routine. The trick is to do it the same way every time. One year at the Havasu Trailer-Sailor convention, we rigged next to another C-18. We were launching before they had their mast raised. I also use velcro straps to hold my rigging to the mast while trailering. Home Depot sells it in 25' or 30' rolls, it's 2" wide and I cut it into 2' lengths. Holds the rigging nicely, is quick to put on and pull off, re-useable, and lasts a long time,(still use it on our C-22). Also my vang and main sheet attached with snap shakles,(my gin-pole for the mast raising system also attached to the boat with a snap shackle). Also we didn't have roller furling. I'm an old school guy, and the C-18 with the "T" fitting for the top attachment of the forstay is not consistant with the recommended installation of a furler. Our boat originally had one and it was the first thing I got rid of after I seen what it did to the forstay. I like the simplicity of a down-haul line, and the rigging is a lot quicker without a furler in my opinion.
Don
P.S. I'll be 62 later this year, so age isn't an issue, we regularly trailer our C-22, in fact, we'll be pulling her out of the slip Friday morning, de-rig her, trailer her and re-rig and launch before noon the same day.
De-rigging is the setup for rigging!
When I was 62 I could raise the mast on my 22 myself without all the additional rigging attachments and I'm only 5.8 and 170 lbs. There're tricks to everything you just have to figure them out. As Don has explained quick releases and doing exactly the same thing every time is the big time saver.
One thing Don didn't tell you is that the de-rigging takes longer than the rigging because of having everything set-up for rigging the next time during the de-rigging and trailering.
When I was 62 I could raise the mast on my 22 myself without all the additional rigging attachments and I'm only 5.8 and 170 lbs. There're tricks to everything you just have to figure them out. As Don has explained quick releases and doing exactly the same thing every time is the big time saver.
One thing Don didn't tell you is that the de-rigging takes longer than the rigging because of having everything set-up for rigging the next time during the de-rigging and trailering.
stepping the mast
hey guys i have a bunch of questions (yes i have an owners manual). when i get ready to step the mast do i remove the forward shroud lowers from their chainplates and loosen the backstay. i have an easy up mast crutch and figured i would attach a single block on the bow deck and run the jib halyard through that and pull on it while i raise the mast upright once up i could cleat off the jib hayard and go forward and attach the forstay and furler. then i would reattach the lower shrouds and adjust the backstay. does that sound like the right procedure?
Re: stepping the mast
Presuming the Cp18 is similar to the Cp22, yeah, you'll probably want to loosen the backstay to raise/lower the mast, then tighten it back up. Don't mess with the forestay once you've got the length set correctly.
As far as the shrouds go, I trailer with the lowers disconnected from the fittings by the spreaders, but hook them up before I raise the mast. The uppers don't get disconnected at all. Once the boat is in the slip I set my tensions all around, then check again throughout the season. Technically the uppers & lowers should probably be loosened before lowering the mast, but I've seen posts from other Cp22 sailors who trailer sail and don't mess with loosening them each time.
One thing you might find handy if you are going to be adjusting things often, is to make some quick release cotters. Basically cut off cotter pins so they just fit in the turnbuckle, then sew them to a piece of velcro that wraps around the turnbuckle and secures them in place.
As far as raising the mast goes, with a tall rig I need some mechanical advantage so I use blocks on the ginpole and stem fitting, and run a line through them and back to the genoa winch to crank it up. I do run the jib/spinnaker halyards to the pulpit and use them to secure the mast while I disconnect the ginpole and hook up the backstay. If I haven't loosened the shrouds I have to use them to pull the masthead forward enough to pin the forestay in place.
Presuming the Cp18 is similar to the Cp22, yeah, you'll probably want to loosen the backstay to raise/lower the mast, then tighten it back up. Don't mess with the forestay once you've got the length set correctly.
As far as the shrouds go, I trailer with the lowers disconnected from the fittings by the spreaders, but hook them up before I raise the mast. The uppers don't get disconnected at all. Once the boat is in the slip I set my tensions all around, then check again throughout the season. Technically the uppers & lowers should probably be loosened before lowering the mast, but I've seen posts from other Cp22 sailors who trailer sail and don't mess with loosening them each time.
One thing you might find handy if you are going to be adjusting things often, is to make some quick release cotters. Basically cut off cotter pins so they just fit in the turnbuckle, then sew them to a piece of velcro that wraps around the turnbuckle and secures them in place.
As far as raising the mast goes, with a tall rig I need some mechanical advantage so I use blocks on the ginpole and stem fitting, and run a line through them and back to the genoa winch to crank it up. I do run the jib/spinnaker halyards to the pulpit and use them to secure the mast while I disconnect the ginpole and hook up the backstay. If I haven't loosened the shrouds I have to use them to pull the masthead forward enough to pin the forestay in place.
The Capri-18 is simpler to rig than the C-22 because it doesn't have dual lowers like a C-22, and both the upper and lowers attach at the same point. So all you have to remove is the forestay, which is attached with a "T" fitting on the mast, so it's best to just remove it and coil it while trailering. If you install a Johnson Quick-Lever like we did, once the mast is raised and the forestay is pin'ed, pull the lever and the rigging is tensioned and your ready to go.
But, the Capri-18 forestay system doesn't like the CDI furler. As the 3rd photo shows, the furler weight and stress twists and bends the forestay and weakens it. After loosing our rigging, I had a new forestay made and dumped the CDI furler and went back to the simplicity of a down-haul.
Don
But, the Capri-18 forestay system doesn't like the CDI furler. As the 3rd photo shows, the furler weight and stress twists and bends the forestay and weakens it. After loosing our rigging, I had a new forestay made and dumped the CDI furler and went back to the simplicity of a down-haul.
Don
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I loved trailer sailing my C22. Nothing like coming in from a long hot day on the lake and de-rigging in 95 degree heat while the Admiral and I are sweating to death. I especially loved hearing her complaints on the way home on how my trucks ac is not cold enough 
I had it stored mast up last year which was better but will be in a slip this saturday. I figure I'll get 3x the use from her.
I had it stored mast up last year which was better but will be in a slip this saturday. I figure I'll get 3x the use from her."Ditto", we dry sailed our Capri-18 and launched her with the crane at the club, but it was nice to have the option to trailer toe boat off to other destinations from time to time.I loved trailer sailing my C22. Nothing like coming in from a long hot day on the lake and de-rigging in 95 degree heat while the Admiral and I are sweating to death. I especially loved hearing her complaints on the way home on how my trucks ac is not cold enough
Our C-22 is in a slip most of the time, but again, it's nice to trailer her also.
Don
tried stepping the mast again today. never got it done. i got frustrated just putting up the extended mast crutch. when i picked up the base of the mast from the pulpit and rolled it aft seems like everything wanted to get caught. it was pretty windy (when i would want to sail) and i was pretty nervous. i did make a ginpole with an attachment point for the jib halyard and i figured on using the boom vang. the ginpole is wood about 6 feet long with a "yoke" at the bottom to fit to the mast. at the top are two eye bolts, one to mount the jib halyard to and the other for the vang to attach to before running it forward to attach to the bow cleat. i got frustrated and gave up again. as much as i sailed last year on my com-pac 16 (which can be rigged and launched in 25 minutes) i cant imagine having to rig the catalina every time. just the thought of it would keep me off the water. guess i should have done more homework before i laid down the dollars.
Don't give up yet. I just raised the mast on my C22 this weekend and was a snap. Maybe forget about the boom vang as a winch. My gin pole sounds like yours except I installed a small trailer winch to the bottom to do the cranking. I attach the jib halyard to an eye bolt on the top end and run the winch cable through a pulley on the bottom side that connects to the bow. I have a bolt on each side close to the yolk to connect a ratchet strap around the mast to help stabilize. I can hold the mast with my right hand and crank with my left. If things get tangled I can stop and fix.
kito, i have thought about a winch. do you put your mast in an extended crutch? and when you lower it can you control it with the winch handle? thanks for the input. steve b
I have a crutch that hooks into the rudder pintles. It gives me about a 30 degree head start. I just lift the mast into the crutch and slide it back until I can line up with the mast base holes and pin it. If you do install a winch, make sure it's the kind that ratchets in both direction. I found out the hard way that mine only ratchets when raising and free wheels when lowering
i have heard a lot of talk about baby stays, but no one says how long they need to be or where to connect them on the mast. i would just as soon not add to the things i have to rig to step the mast. do you use them in conjunction with the gin pole and winch?
I don't feel a need for them. But I wouldn't raise the mast in a high cross wind situation either. My upper and aft lower shrouds stay connected. I only remove the forestay and forward lowers. Once the mast reaches about 70 degrees, the lower and upper shrouds begin to have enough tension to help center.
Greetings Watercolors - here's a shot in the dark: you are not "related" to Watercolors II, a 24 ft cruiser coming up thru Florida Intracoastal last month??? (Out of Camden, NJ)???
We talked sailing for a short while... Anyway just wanted to touch base, but may be parking up the wrong tree
Over.
im gonna get a two way ratcheting winch and mount it on the ginpole and give it a try. thanks steve b
i took the cdi furler off the boat (happily the catalina forstay was in good shape). this should make stepping the mast much easier (thanks don), as i was worried about hanging on to the furler while raising plus it should be considerably less weight. im gonna try it tomorrow without the ginpole and see how it is. failing that i will finish my ginpole and then try again. i didnt buy this thing to let it sit in the garage. thanks fellas for the advice and encouragement
I bought the Capri to trailer sail. The most frustrating thing for me is trying to connect the front stay. My connector has a pin with a wire ring which has to pass through it. I do not know if there is a nautical name for the connection, I am new to this site. Is there a quicker connection which would still be safe to hold the mast up?
Of all the things I do to make rigging and de-rigging easier and quicker, the one thing I don't do is try and be quick and easy with securing the forestay. I don't like the hollow push-button pins due to the strength issue, it's hollow, and yes I know I'm probably nuts, but I still believe in a straight clevis pin and a round keeper ring. I also put a stainless steel washer under the head of the clevis pin and behind the keeper-ring.
Don
Don