Duncan
Wiltshire UK
Boat Name: North Star
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1991
Hull No. 15197
Hailing Port: Ullswater UK |
 01/03/2014 2:18 AM Pacific Time
Hi Everyone
Firstly happy new year to all
This is my first post to this site as I am a relative newbie to it and C22's having bought boat # 15197 North Star, a 1991 boat, mid of last year. Having played around on it for last summer I now have it at home in a barn doing a significant amount of maintenance, refurb and improvements which I am enjoying almost as much as sailing it! So it's great to find this forum as we don't have that many C22's here in the UK and I have already got many tips. ideas etc just from reading existing threads and you guys collective experience. Anyway I now have some questions of my own and hope you can give some advise. My main query is on the best way to set up the mainsail as I regularly sail single handed and need to be able to control the main from the cockpit. Get yourself a cup of tea, sit back comfortably and let me explain.
The gooseneck on my boom is floating ie it is not fixed in a static position on the mast but is free to move up and down the sail track which I think is standard on C22's. It also has a short line tied to a hoop on the underside of the gooseneck. When I raise the main I hoist it as far up as it can go and tie off. I then secure the short line under the gooseneck to a cleat lower down the mast which tensions the luff but this means there is no ability to adjust the luff tension without going forward.
So my first question is......is this the correct way to set the main as a number of people have commented that the boom looks to be quite high...about 30' of the deck? I have read somewhere about raising the main to the masthead 'black line' but not sure what this means or if it is significant.
For luff tension I could easily add a Cunningham or downhaul (are these the same?) as there is a luff cringle in the sail about 10' up from the boom (I saw some good pics on a website from a guy called Dale Mack) and run the line back to the cockpit. If I do that then when I raise the main I assume I should tie of the short line under the gooseneck very loosely so as to have no tension on the luff. This would mean when I use the Cunningham to apply or release luff tension the gooseneck moves up and down the sail track and the short line under the gooseneck (should I call this the boom downhaul?) simply acts to stop the boom riding too high ie it determines the maximum height of the boom. Does that sound correct or have I got something wrong?
So my second main query revolves around installing a single reefing line back to the cockpit which I am thinking of opting for the Harken system as detailed on Chip Fords website as link below
http://www.chipford.com/reefing_1-2-3.pdf
My only slight query on this is that it says to position the reefing tack block on the mast just below the boom but if the boom moves up and down where exactly is that? My own answer to that is that if the boom downhaul determines the max height of the boom then that determines the position of the block. Again does that sound sensible or way off?
I am also assuming that if I install a Cunningham then this becomes irrelevant when reefed as the cringle for this is below the first luff reefing point?
Finally when putting in a reef with this system the process is
set up the topping lift to support aft end of boom
drop mainsail to required position
pull in reefing line
then re-tension main halyard
But by following this the forward end of the boom will surely drop almost to the deck. Therefore is the answer simply to install a mast stop under the boom at the required position?
If I do this then I effectively have a downhaul limiting upward movement of the boom and a mast stop limiting downward movement...so why have a floating gooseneck in the first place?!! Seems to me it would be better fixed?
So there you have it! I may have gotten things wrong or my boat is missing/got wrong bits but any comments/advise/help you guys can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for listen (if you made it this far!) and hope you enjoyed youR cup of tea whilst doing so
Cheers
Duncan |
Kevin M. Morton
Sacramento, Ca
Boat Name: Serenity
Model/Year: 1976 C27SR
Hull No. 2366
Hailing Port: Richmond, Ca |
01/03/2014 8:35 AM Pacific Time
Hello Duncan.
Let me start by saying that what I am about to share with you is my personal opinion, based on how I use my boat (I am not a racer, but do enjoy getting the most out of my boat).
Your description of how you secure the gooseneck slide is spot on. I am not a fan of a sliding gooseneck for exactly the reasons you've put forth. I have locked my gooseneck into place, and use the halyard itself (which is led to the cockpit) to adjust luff tension. I have a cunningham, but it lives in a drawer somewhere and has never been used. Racers will use a cunningham to prevent stretching the luff of the sail beyond the prescribed luff length dictated by the class racing rules.
Your description of how to reef is also on point. I am not as fond of using a topping lift, however, as I am of a device called a Boomkicker. It supports the boom for you without requiring another line you need to control, and that can foul the leech of your sail. Take a look at Catalina Direct's part number D1676 for the correct version for the Catalina 22. Take a look at part number H1965 to see a color photograph of a Boomkicker installed on a Catalina 27. The beauty of the Boomkicker is that it allows you better control of sail shape without adding any additional lines (although you must have a block and tackle style boom vang in order to use it).
Welcome to the forum, and welcome to the Catalina family! We Catalina owners love our boats dearly as they are built well, sail well, and have a loyal following. Happy sailing!
Kevin
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Duncan
Wiltshire UK
Boat Name: North Star
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1991
Hull No. 15197
Hailing Port: Ullswater UK |
01/04/2014 2:29 AM Pacific Time
Hi Kevin
Thanks for the reply, advise and the warm welcome to the forum.
The C22 is my first "big boat" as having started sailing on big boats 25 years ago I moved down to dinghies when the kids came along. Now that they are up and (nearly) gone I am moving back up. So I really love the C22 and although have only had it for part of the last sailing season have had some good times on her already. Spent this winter sorting her out and looking forward to getting back on the water first weekend April
Have checked out the boom kicker and think that looks like a good option so will be adding that to a very long list of bits due to be ordered from CD shortly. Incidentally the rope kicker that came with the boat seems to be pretty ineffectual .....I have a better one on my Laser dinghy...so I am planning to upgrade this also.
How have you fixed the gooseneck to make the boom static? Is it the boomkicker that does that or have you done something else? I only trailer twice a season ...once to get it there in April and once to bring her home in Nov so fixing it would be good
Thanks
Duncan
|
Kevin M. Morton
Sacramento, Ca
Boat Name: Serenity
Model/Year: 1976 C27SR
Hull No. 2366
Hailing Port: Richmond, Ca |
01/06/2014 10:31 AM Pacific Time
Hi Duncan.
The Boomkicker does not fix the gooseneck into place. The simplest way to accomplish that task is to buy two of product number D1150 (sail track boom stop). Mount one above the slide and one below it. That will fix the slide in place without doing anything permanent to the rig, allowing you to change it later should you find a reason to do so. I hope this helps!
Kevin
"Fair winds and foul friends" :-) |
