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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

How long are your halyards?

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/30/2005 : 19:42:48

I see from the owner's manual that an 84 SR has a 75' main halyard and a 78' jib halyard but has no mention on the spinnaker halyard (that I could find).

I also saw that some of you with lines led to the cockpit say 65' is the right length. Is the same for all 3 externally run halyards?

Trying to get the right stuff...

Fair winds,

Andy, Breakin' Wind, 1984 C25 SK SR

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 09/30/2005 : 20:22:28

StSimon,

There's no need to rely on the manual or our memories. A C-25 std. mast is 28', tall mast is 30'. You can easily measure the approx. additional length needed to route a line back to the cockpit. Throw in a couple more feet for splicing on the head shackle, and a few more feet for a tail. You might want to add 2' to the jib halyard to allow for the angle of the forestay. If you don't like long tails, subtract a few feet from the main halyard for the height above deck of the headboard when furled.

I'd suggest that at least one halyard, probably the spinnaker, should be able to reach a couple feet below the waterline in case something heavy (or someone) needs to be winched aboard. In that case, add about another 6' or so to that halyard plus enough to reach a winch if there's not one right where you tail.

-- Leon Sisson

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/01/2005 : 21:00:16

My rule of thumb is this, a halyard needs to touch the bowstem, touch the top of the mast and run back to the winch on the cabin top. I don't mind them long, as I swap them end for end each year to change the wear points. I agree with Leon. being able to winch someone aboard is a good thing and long is good too. I think I went with 85 feet, and that gives me plenty of play room.

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bahamadan
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2005 : 03:49:37

OK guys I just bought #3310 and this is my first post. I can't figure out a problem with my jib halyard length. I have wire-line halyards. The main hal seems fine. It goes over the wheel at the top of the mast with the wire aft of the mast to attach to the main. When the main is all the way up the wire comes to just above the winch on the mast. The jib hal is rigged opposite with the wire toward the bow, the problem is that if I raise the headsail all the way up the wire part of the halyard is so long that I can end up with 5 or 6 wraps of wire around the cleat on the mast!! Help!

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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2005 : 09:27:00

Danny B,

Assuming you have the stock halyard configuration, the single winch on the port side of the mast is for the jib halyard, which then belays to a cleat below the winch. The main halyard goes directly to a cleat on the stbd. side of the mast.

-- Leon Sisson

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bahamadan
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 10/29/2005 : 12:31:56

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. My single winch is on the starboard side of the mast.

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bahamadan
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2005 : 23:13:55

I was out at the boat yesterday and checked my halyard configuration to make sure I was describing this correctly. As the halyards are run over the top of the mast, the main hal is to stbd. and the jib hal is to port. As you can (sort of) see in the photos the winch is on the stbd. side of the mast. Therefore the couple of times I've had the boat out I've run the main hal to the winch and then to the cleat. I raised the jib by hand, but there is nothing on the port side of the mast but the cleat. When the jib is all the way up I have run out of line and I have wire wrapped around the cleat. There is nothing on the port side of the mast to indicate that anything has been changed. Any Ideas???????

http://thumb17.webshots.com/t/55/55/2/63/57/477826357FzZLCk_th.jpghttp://thumb3.webshots.com/t/52/52/2/55/43/477825543SBAAGV_th.jpg

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bahamadan
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 10/31/2005 : 23:23:38

Sorry

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/01/2005 : 11:52:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bahamadan
 Sorry

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Danny, go to the pages at my site, look at the deck layouts. When I bought my first 25 the very first thing I did was throw the wire halyards away and replace them with line that allowed me to run my halyards back. I REALLY REALLY REALLY recomend you do the same.

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pjeffarch
Navigator

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USA
135 Posts

Response Posted - 11/01/2005 : 22:14:12

Frank, what do you mean 'run my halyards back'? And why do you so strongly recommend changing from cable/line to all-line halyards? I've owned my '79 C-25 for a year, and the cable/line seems to work just fine.
and would I need to change out the sheeves at the top of the mast if I change to all line halyards?
Thanks!

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bahamadan
Deckhand

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USA
7 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2005 : 07:38:48

Frank, The 32.5 boat I learned to sail on had "all lines led aft" and you're right that's the only way to go, especially for sailing single handed. Also, I've always had all-line halyards so that idea seems natural to me, but I thought I'd give the wire/line a shot. Like Paul, I'm curious why you're so adamant about all-line vs. wire/line. My question, though, is about my jib hal length because if I raise the headsail all the way up the wire part of the halyard is so long that I can end up with 5 or 6 wraps of wire around the cleat on the mast. Based on Leon's reply my halyards are set up correctly but my winch is on the stbd. side of the mast. If I reversed the halyards I'd have an even worse problem with jib hal wire on the winch as the winch on stbd. is higher on the mast than the cleat on port. Has anyone else had this problem?

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/02/2005 : 07:58:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pjeffarch
 Frank, what do you mean 'run my halyards back'? And why do you so strongly recommend changing from cable/line to all-line halyards? I've owned my '79 C-25 for a year, and the cable/line seems to work just fine.
and would I need to change out the sheeves at the top of the mast if I change to all line halyards?
Thanks!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Your sheaves are probably shot anyway, the UV has been working on them for a long time. Your question makes me think you did not go look through my pages.
This discussion has been worked through many times and the vast majority of people who respond recommend tossing the wire. A good wire halyard is spliced at the union and has very little downside to it other than the increased wear factor that wire puts on everything it runs over or around, and the unnecessary weight for the strength. Catalina used CHEAP wire halyards with eyes and knots. Besides the amazing lack of nautical propriety they proved dangerous to me. I single hand at a lake fairly close to you. We are very windy. My eye/knot joints would often get snagged under the lower shroud mast tangs and require me to go to the mast to deal with it. (And this was with both halyards led back to starboard) Going to the mast as a single hander in high wind is inviting an "incident". I now have line that is guaranteed to run free both up and down and is stronger, lighter and not much larger than the wire. A sailboat is a compound machine made up of integrated systems. When you make access to those systems easy and a natural matter of course you become more in control of the boat and more likely to optimize the boat's systems for the conditions you are in. Ever eased your jib halyard on a run? You should. How often do you adjust your mainsail outhaul? It could easily need it several times during a sail. Ever use your Cunningham? Our boats are capable of being really slow or holding their own. The difference comes in our level of control of the various systems and our willingness to optimize those systems. I get great pleasure out of people telling me "you looked great out there" and I would not look great if my boat were not moving well and it only moves well because it is trimmed well. Leading lines back to the cockpit area, (mostly on the cabin top) puts you in control of your boats systems. We both sail on a lake, we have no where to go, we truly sail for the pleasure of sailing. Sailing well is more fun. I would love to have you come spend a weekend with us next summer, lake Cheney is a fun lake and you could see a lot of 25s. (By the way, of the 12 25s at our lake 5 are well rigged, several are so so and several are sad.)
Please look at the pages at my sight and reflect on how much nicer it would be to sail from the cockpit. On my 89 I have reduced the number of lines on my cabintop but not my level of control, if the 82 looks too busy there are other routes and means.

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