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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Installing new masthead sheaves

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/24/2007 : 16:32:57

Just got back from the lake after installing the new sheaves from Belpat Marine. We did NOT drop the mast - crew went to masthead on main halyard, tied himself off to the masthead and then removed the old ones and installed the new. Reeved the halyards over them and untied himself so that he was supported again by the halyard. Then we brought him down. Total time taken - 40 minutes.
Sure beats all the work involved in dropping and re-raising the mast..

Derek Crawford
Chief Measurer C25-250 2008
Previous owner of "This Side UP"
1981 C-25 TR/FK #2262 Used to have an '89 C22 #9483, "Downsized"
San Antonio, Texas

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2007 : 18:05:00

Hi Derek, is it a four or two sheave masthead? I didnt't mind dropping my mast because I had so much more to do to it. Cheers.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2007 : 18:12:19

It's a 4-sheave masthead, Dennis. The Belpat sheaves seem to have a deeper groove than the stock Catalina ones, and certainly the 1/8" Vectran sits in them much better.

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djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2007 : 19:00:27

I used the ones from CD but am not sure what brand they were. The old sheaves were cracked and woobeled out. Cheers.

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PZell
Admiral

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USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 09:03:30

Wow. I spent probably 40 minutes trying to put the CD direct all rope halyard sheaves in while standing on the dock. Dropped the mast because also had other things to do to it. But changing them was very tricky by the water because the center metal cylinder easily drops out and it would have been all over if that had happened. It really would have been a trick trying to do it while tied off to the masthead. You guys must have a different type of sheave.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 10:55:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Derek Crawford
 ...crew went to masthead on main halyard, tied himself off to the masthead and then removed the old ones and installed the new. Reeved the halyards over them and untied himself so that he was supported again by the halyard. Then we brought him down...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Whew! Better him than me!

Leaves me wondering how he "tied himself off to the masthead..." ...maybe to the topping lift cleavis pin?

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 11:25:48

Paul - the sheaves that we replaced were from CD and only about 3 years old. One broken edge looked like saw teeth and had ruined a vectran halyard.
Dave - I don't know exactly what Tim tied himself too - I did ask him how much room there was and he said "just enough"! BTW He's the 2nd person to do this at our masthead so it really isn't as difficult as it sounds.
With all due respect, I just don't understand the reluctance a lot of people have about working at the top of the mast (excluding those with a genuine fear of heights).

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 12:25:31

I did extensive googling on 'fell from mast' 'fall from mast' and 'mast accident' and could not find a 'small boat' accident reported. Did find one where a trainee fell 67ft from a tall ships masthead when he clipped his safety harness to a stay instead of to a a safety line.

Of course... you may find something!

Paul

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 14:54:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Derek Crawford
 ...With all due respect, I just don't understand the reluctance a lot of people have about working at the top of the mast (excluding those with a genuine fear of heights).
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
With all due respect, I be one of those. If I were up there, you'd be well advised not to be directly below (or to leeward)!

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 17:18:59

Remember, it's not the fall that gets ya it's the landing. I'm with Dave on this one. On a boat that is designed to be readily dis-masted, all things being relative of course, I think that would be the more prudent route. At least for those of us that won't go to the top of the Eifel Tower regardless of the view and all that structural steel.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 20:50:56

Sorry guys. I don't think that a TR C25 can be "readily dismasted".
Having only dropped the mast once (to come to the Nationals) we did not have some of your expertise. We would also have had to pull the boat (and we don't have a trailer!)as there is not room on the docks unless you completely release the mast from stays and shrouds. Having finally got her perfectly tuned that was not a pleasant option. Taking 40 mins to do a job rather than 3 - 4 hrs with much more work definitely is more appealing.
There has to be some C25'ers out there not afraid of heights - what do y'all say?

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2007 : 21:31:28

We have a hoist at the club which allows for a bit safer condition - i.e. the guy is hanging from land, not the boat. I have however been up in the chair in 5 different boats in my time - Evelyn 32, O'day 30, the c25, a c&c 33 and a bennie slow 42. At 225 the challenge now is finding enough beer to give the grinders payment to haul me up there.

The only thing I would say about your job Derek is the tranfer of your guy up top from the halyard to being tied off and then back. No mention of a safety line. That is scary to me. When I go up or we send someone up at minimum 2 of the 4 (3 on our boat) halyards are schackled then tied to the guy's harness or chair.

dw

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2007 : 09:41:22

That was an initial worry to me too, Duane. However, Tim assures me that when he's tied off, nothing short of a tsunami would shake him free. Unfortunately, when you are replacing the sheaves there is not another halyard available as a safety line (normally we use them) because each halyard goes over 2 fore & aft sheaves which are on separate pins, so you can't remove sheaves from one halyard at a time.
Believe me, if I had any doubt about Tim's safety we wouldn't have done it. Fortunately, both of the crew who have done this procedure are both long-term sailors (Tim since his time in Opti's at age 5!)and extremely knowledgeable.

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