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Michael Rogers
Lexington, KY
Boat Name: Saturate Before Using
Model/Year: 71
Hull No. 498
Hailing Port: Lexington, KY |
 05/10/2004 4:58 AM Pacific Time
I have just finished replacing my damaged old style mast with an exact replacement old style mast. All of the hardware and rigging are installed and I am ready to step it. I am curious if anyone has any suggestions or warnings regarding quirks to this process. Also, completely off this topic, I hope to have pictures and measurments of my $15 Bimini design available withing the week. Thanks, Michael |
Deb Shea
Redwood City, CA
Boat Name: Babalou
Model/Year: Catalina 22, late '70s
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Redwood City |
07/12/2004 12:21 PM Pacific Time
I'm looking for a replacement mast/boom for a late '70s Catalina 22. Any help with resources would be great. |
Josh Brown
Brentwood TN
Boat Name:
Model/Year: Catalina 22/1976
Hull No. 7339
Hailing Port: Percy Priest Lake, Nashville TN |
07/13/2004 4:33 AM Pacific Time
The mast & boom are still available. In fact, the mast is still rigged with, deck mast step, speaders, shrouds, stays, bow stem plate, halyards & boom lift. Everything is in excellent condition. The whole package is $450 plus shipping. I am located near Nashville, Tenn. Where are you? Please respond to [email protected].
Josh |
Joseph Schuler
Princeton, NJ
Boat Name: Cats' Feet
Model/Year: 1971
Hull No. K26
Hailing Port: Raritan Bay, NJ; RYC |
07/13/2004 7:33 AM Pacific Time
I have one, but it is in NJ. |
Stephen Fleming
State College, PA
Boat Name:
Model/Year: Catalina 22 1977
Hull No. CTYH6294M76H
Hailing Port: |
10/25/2017 11:52 AM Pacific Time
I had to replace the mast for my Catalina 22 last year. At the time, I could not locate a used mast.
After combing through various forums, I learned of Dywer Aluminum Mast Company in North Bransford, Connecticut (near New Haven). They carry a mast that corresponds to the Catalina 22 as a stock item that is 28 feet and priced at approximately $700 with the sailfeed cut. (Note that the the sailfeed slot opening was only 2 inches which does not allow for the boom fitting to enter; I am sure that they would have cut it to the right size had I thought about asking; however, I was able to extend the slot with a drill and routing bit without too much difficulty).
Cutting the mast to appropriate size to match the original Catalina 22 at 25 feet can be requested or done by you. The difficulty in sizing the actual length needed is that the masthead for their mast fits down into the top of mast some 2-3 inches in slots that must be cut fore and aft rather than sitting on top of the mast like the original Catalina 22 masthead. Thus, the mast length must be somewhat greater than 25 feet to have the point of connection for the fore and back stays be approximately equal to the original.
I also purchased the corresponding masthead, spreader brackets, spreaders, mast step, tangs, and corresponding hardware. That added about $350 to the price for a total close to $1100. I ended up traveling to their factory to pick up the items to avoid the costly shipping charges. Although I could have rented a U-haul truck, I decided to avoid even that charge (which would have been near $600 by my calculations) and simply trailered my boat along behind my vehicle to be able to carry the mast back home. (For me, it was about a 6 hour drive each way and worked very well to take a day off and travel to New England).
All the parts were of excellent quality and smartly designed.
However, at their recommendation to be sure I had the measurements exact, I decided to cut and rig the mast myself. (The company would have done the work but they indicated that they would charge something like 30% extra. I thought it extremely honest of the company to suggest I undertake the rigging where it could have easily pushed additional sales).
The actual cutting of the mast to size was not difficult with a quality hand hack saw and a simple metal file (cut away from the desired length and file down the last 2-3 millimeters for a proper fit). The nerve-wracking part was deciding where to cut to accommodate the new masthead without shortening or lengthening the existing stays. With patience and multiple measuring, the task is really just a matter of time not craftsmanship skill.
One other note is that the spreader brackets do not have the tangs for the mid-mast shrouds incorporated into the unit like the original Catalina 22 design. Thus, to avoid alteration of the shroud lengths, you should install the spreader brackets some 6 millimeters above the middle point to accommodate the extra length of the tangs you need to install. (I actually did not take that into consideration and had to shorten the shrouds).
All in all, though, the cutting and rigging was manageable. But, if I had to do it again, I might have the company take care of that; I just did not know how to provide all the correct measurements to them.
They appear to be a very quality manufacturer of masts and related parts that had its heydey during the 70's and onward when there was a greater market of sailboats. Some reviewers I found noted that the company was not customer support oriented. I found the company to be very honest with excellent products at very reasonable prices. It is true that they might not be quite oriented to the retail level customer. But, you can order items on their website with special requests that are honored. There is no heavy sales push. It appears that the company is run by an older generation that no longer has massive manufacturer's orders and may be letting the company settle into the niche market that remains.
I am extremely satisfied with the new mast and feel as if I obtained it at a reasonable price, especially considering that the age of my boat would not warrant the cost of expensive replacement parts. |
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