Running Rigging

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Author First time rigging questions
Bill Burke
Plymouth, Mass

Boat Name: Irish Wake

Model/Year: Catalina 22, 1983

Hull No. 11499

Hailing Port: Plymouth, Mass
08/25/2008 1:47 PM Pacific Time

I've launched my new to me C22 into a lake this week just to get acclimated to the rigging. First question:

Is the mains sail the only thing that holds up the boom at 90 degrees to the mast or is there a line from the top of the mast (ie. pigtail)?- otherwise, without the main sail, it just hangs down.

Re: my CDI furler. I have the jib halyard ready to hoist the jib up through the furler track and the furling line seems good. However, there is another slot opposite the sail, with a line from the base to the top- not helpful considering I've already raised the mast and it doesn't connect or return. I think I can hoist the jib and use it, but I just don't know what this line is for??

Bill Burke
1983 Catalina 22
Irish Wake, 11499
Plymouth, MA
R. C. Luiken
Milford, DE

Boat Name: Ricochet

Model/Year: C-22 Swing Keel/1986

Hull No. 13560

Hailing Port: Milford, DE/St. Michaels, MD
08/26/2008 5:28 AM Pacific Time

There should be a pigtail on the back stay which clips on to the end of the boom to hold the boom up when the sail is down. One word of caution, you can be in for a scare if you dont take the pigtail off and try to go sailing.

As to your furler question; I'm not certain I understand what you are saying. Most furling systems have two tracks. The luff tape goes into one of the tracks. The second track is beside the other and is designed to be able to raise a second sail if you are over or underpowered. The other sail is then taken down. In order to do this you need two halyards.
Howard Friedman
Pisgah Forest, NC

Boat Name: Forspacious Seas

Model/Year: Wing - 1989

Hull No. 14907

Hailing Port: Lake Keowee-Seneca, SC
08/26/2008 10:48 AM Pacific Time

The CDI furler has 1 slot for 1 sail only. It contains its own halyard. The boats jib halyard is not used. CDI has a website where you can get a copy of the use handbook. I suggest you read it before using. It's fairly simple once you see an illustration and read the directions.
Copy this URL into your browser.

http://www.sailcdi.com/ffmain.htm
David Torrisi
Santa Clara, CA

Boat Name: Dumbo

Model/Year: 1975 C-22

Hull No. 4330

Hailing Port: Santa Clara
08/26/2008 10:49 AM Pacific Time

There are two other options for holding the boom up. You can use a topping lift which is a light weight line which runs from the aft end of the boom to the top of the mast and then back down the mast to a cleat. There are several incarnations of this but essentially, it's an adjustable line from the back of the boom to the top of the mast.

You can also invest in a Boomkicker (sold here and elsewhere) which runs from the boom just fore of the vang to the mast at roughly a 45 degree angle. It's made of flexible fiberglass rods or some such material. You can google 'rigid vang' to see the principle. There are home-made versions of this with PVC pipe, too.

David
Bill Braun & Christine Sammel
Evanston, Illinois

Boat Name: Da Doo Run Run

Model/Year: 1989 Catalina 22

Hull No. 14840

Hailing Port: Wilmette, Illinois
08/26/2008 12:04 PM Pacific Time

The "topping lift" we use is a small (1 foot?) piece of the same material as our shrouds and backstay, with a loop on the end. It hangs off the backstay 9" or so above where the boom would touch the backstay if it the boom were held horizontal. We have a spring hook on the back of the boom and fasten it to the loop when we're reading to lower the mailsail.

Regarding the CDI furler: There is a surprisingly light line that attaches to the top of the jib/genoa, is fed through a sheave at the top of the furler track, then attaches to a small black triangular "car" sort of thing that rides in the front-facing furling track. At the beginning of the season, the black car is at the top of the front track, and you pull on another (surprisingly light) line attached to the bottom of it. That pulls the car down the front track while raising the jib/genoa up the back track, as you feed the jib/genoa luff cord into the track. The jib/genoa stays raised for the season, of course, then you do the process in reverse to lower the sail when you want to take it off.

After the top of the sail is as far up as it will go, you hank down on the grommet at the tack of the sail as hard as you can, then use light lines to secure the tack as close to the CDI furling tub (for lack of a better word) as you can get it. There are holes in the tub that we feed the line through again and again. The light line that's attached to the small black car you do the same with. It seems rather jury-rigged, but it works. Once the sail is up, we remove the long line that's attached to the small black car and put it in safekeeping for the season, using a shorter line to attach to the furling tub.

Hope this is helpful.
Bill Burke
Plymouth, Mass

Boat Name: Irish Wake

Model/Year: Catalina 22, 1983

Hull No. 11499

Hailing Port: Plymouth, Mass
08/26/2008 2:35 PM Pacific Time

This is MOST helpful.

It turns out, the PO had no pigtail, topping lift or boomkicker. Is it possible to buy a pigtail from CD? I don't see one online? If not, I imagine I can make my own.

Re: the furler, I think I've got it - thank you all for your clarification - I do have the owners manual, but it focuses more on putting it together than raising and furling. You're input helps me understand what's going on- for whatever reason, the PO has a line (basically the halyard in the track opposite the sail track) that just ends with a knot at the top rather than having a messenger line coming back down. Thanks ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Bill
Greg Guenther
Belleville, IL

Boat Name: Magnificat

Model/Year: 1970

Hull No. 473

Hailing Port: Belleville, IL
08/27/2008 6:20 AM Pacific Time

Hi Bill,

I have a 1970 C 22 which had this pigtail arrangement to hold the boom up when the sail was not raised. On our first day out (in rather windy conditions) the blasted thing almost capsized us before I could get back there to release it. I replaced it immediately with a Topping Lift that I adjust at the lower end for height instead of running it back down the mast. I think a Boom Kicker would be a better choice but I am cheap and refuse to buy one. I strongly advise you to forget the pigtail option and either install a Topping Lift or a Boom Kicker. Your life will be quieter because of the investment.

Greg
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA

Boat Name: SAILYNN

Model/Year: SWING 1984

Hull No. 11994

Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA
08/27/2008 4:27 PM Pacific Time

The topping lift , pig tail and boom kicker have separate functions. The adjustable (or non-adjustable) topping lift keeps the boom from crashing down when the main halyard is released, which can happen when the aft of the boom is too far from your reach, such as adjusting the main to reef the sail. It is also good for an emergency if the main halyard rigging fails while sailing (happened to me on the start of a race once). The pig tail, because of it's short length can only be used when the aft end of the boom is within reach and is not used while under sail. The pig tails normal length lets the boom lie horizontal while at dock or when the sail is down for motoring and because of the pig tails limited length the boom swing can be controlled. The boom kicker is adjustable like the topping lift and works with the boom vang to control boom height up or down. If you have a boom kicker, you wouldn't need a topping lift, but would need a pig tail to keep the boom from swinging beyond your reach when not sailing. I have the boom kicker and pig tail because the boom kicker aids me more for sail trim when racing. Lots of people make their own boom kickers instead of spending the money on the model that CD carries. I'm not that mechanical and think the Boom Kicker CD sells is well worth the money. Just my three (inflation) cents worth.
 
 
Running Rigging
Catalina Direct Discussion Topics / Catalina 22 Discussion Area / Running Rigging / First time rigging questions