Wooden spreaders

[Uwe Rumohr]

I just bought a 1977 Catalina 30. The surveyor said I should change the wooden spreaders immediately. He said replacing with a rot resistant wood would be fine as I'm budget minded. I am experienced with woodwork but am concerned on the shroud to spreader attahment. Is there a bracket that would keep the shroud from eating into the wood? Where would I go if I wanted to buy an aluminum spreader kit? Thanks, Uwe

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina]

Catalina Customer Service

I'm sure they'd be able to get you the parts you needed and any pricing to make the decision. Contact them at 818/884-7700.LaDonna

 

[Zephyrus]

Aluminum Replacments

Catalina Direct at www.catalinadirect.com They have the replacment kit. Go to the page look for Catalina parts. The kit contians new S.S. spreader brackets new nuts and bolts. It would be a very good investment!

 

[Dan Ruffin]

JSI Spreaders

I had the same problem on my 82 Catalina 30. Opted to order new aluminum spreaders from JSI. You can get their numbers etc. from sailnet.com who own them right now. The spreaders are $310 and are very high quality. And you do not have to mess with removing the bracket assembly off of the mast! (it can be a real bear) You will need to send one of the wooden spreaders to JSI so they can ensure an accurate fit. Installation involves drilling the bolt holes in the new spreaders and mounting them using your existing hardware. Well worth the investment for the piece of mind!

 

[Bob Camarena]

Existing Part?

My 1981 C-30 has wooden spreaders and there is a metal strap wrapped around the end that follows the contour of the spreader end with an indentation for the shroud. Are you sure that that your's is missing this part? When I get around to changing mine I'm going the JSI route. The bolt-on simplicity beats the work involved in the Catalina supplied replacements.

 

[Larry Olson]

New wooden spreaders

I have a '78 C30 standard rig. My spreaders also had a case of dry rot. I replaced them with a set made from oak covered with a light coat of fiberglass rosin. Time will tell how long they last, but I don't worry about any aluminum corrosion. The original brackets were reused. I had a metal plate between the spreader end and the shroud. On one side we used the original. The other one, of course, fell in the water. We simply cut another one from light aluminum sheet with metal cutters. They seem to be working alright, and the oak spreaders look a lot nicer than the aluminum ones. Oh ya, the total cost was about $30.