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Tom LeDuc
Monterey, Ca
Boat Name: Aloha
Model/Year: 1984 Catalina 27
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Monterey |
 12/24/2008 8:39 AM Pacific Time
Greetings,
Just purchased a 1986 Cat 22 that had been sitting unused on a mooring for at least 2 yrs. Replacing a few items that are bad.
The exit blocks for the halyards have the old white plastic that is now so brittle that it breaks if you look at it hard. Ordered a pair of blocks from Cat Direct.
The problem is that the mounting screw pattern for the new ones is different enough from the original that a direct replacement will not happen. The original has 6 mount screws and a wider mount base than the new ones with 4 screws.
The fore and aft screw spacing of the old one is 1 1/8 inches,and the new one is about 31/32 in.
Vertically the spacing on the old one is .8 in between screw, with 3 on each side, so the space batween the corner screws is 1.6 in. New block is 1.7 in.
Just offset enough that everything lines up about 1/2 hole off, and there isn't enough metal on the new one to elongate the holes to fit the existing ones in the mast. Topped off by the fact that the existing screw holes in the mast have threads tapped into them, so I'd really like to use them, not drill new ones.
Catalina Direct tech support says they have no record of Catalina using these particular exit blocks, but the slip next to me has another 1986 Cat 22 with the exact same ones.
Anyone else run into this, and how did you mount the new ones? Right now I'm leaning toward elongating the holes in the new block, but since this will take the hole to the edge (or beyond) of the mount base, using a large area stainless washer to spread the load to the base over a wider area.
Thoughts? |
Andy Kohler
Canton, GA
Boat Name: Good Times
Model/Year: 1989
Hull No. 14778
Hailing Port: Atlanta |
12/26/2008 6:16 PM Pacific Time
Take a picture (of both boats / masts / blocks) and e-mail it to Cat direct; they will work with you - as they have with me in the past over issues similar to this.
For what its worth
enjoy your boat
Andy |
Geoff Endris
Carmel, IN
Boat Name: Repose
Model/Year: 1989
Hull No. 14949
Hailing Port: Indianapolis, IN |
12/27/2008 9:31 AM Pacific Time
Can you just replace the plastic sheave in the exit block and reuse the existing exit block? I would imagine you can find the correct sheave to replace the brittle ones. |
Tom LeDuc
Monterey, Ca
Boat Name: Aloha
Model/Year: 1984 Catalina 27
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Monterey |
12/28/2008 6:06 AM Pacific Time
Update: I came up with a way to mount the new one from Catalina Direct.
Tech support had suggested modifying the mast to accept the new block, but there, but there isn't away to do that without more modification to the mast than the problem deserved.
I first was going to just replace the pulley itself, but it's kind of an odd size, with a small center hole. It would have meant unriveting the pulley, then searching catalogs to find a match. The new units from C.D. were a good price and available now, so I ordered them. The mount difference was only revealed when I tried to install them.
The mount holes were about 1/2 hole off, but elongating the holes in the flange of the block would leave a tiny ( about 1/64" in) bit of metal at the outer edge. I did that, but then cut the mount flanges off the old blocks, trimmed the edges smooth, and used them over the flange of the new block as a reinforcing plate, to spread the load out.
I'll take some pics and send them to C.D. it may help or give them an idea for the next person who runs into this. If the new block had maybe 1/8" wider mounting flange, someone could just elongate the holes and use a washer.
I think I've resolved all the major issues resulting from the boat sitting unused on a mooring for 2-3 yrs, I'll finally get to sail it today! |
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