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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Standing Rigging woes

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/01/2007 : 23:08:28

As part of this year's pre-launch maintenance, I ordered a new set of forward and aft lower shrouds and backstay (headstay and uppers were replaced in 2004). Also on the plan was to install a Harken #252 lazy-jack kit I had aquired in 2004 but had not yet had time to mount. Catalina Direct was out of stock on some of the parts needed for the lower shrouds (these are a smaller wire size than the backstay), so they were apparently outsourced to another shop. The backstay was ready for me to pick up by the end of that week, but the lowers took 3 weeks. So, I finally had all the new rigging in hand last Friday afternoon, and arrived at the boat Saturday morning bright and early to do the install. The whole process took all day, including dropping the mast, installing everything, and raising the mast again. The last step was to adjust the new rigging, and IT'S ALL THE WRONG LENGTH!!!! The new backstay is about 8~9" too long: with the turnbuckle pulled in all the way, the wire is still completely loose and can be deflected about 12" before the slack is taken up. The new lower shrouds are all about 4" too short: with the turnbuckles extended all the way out to the very last thread, the toggles are still 2" short of even touching the chainplates. By the time this was discovered, it was only 1 hour to gate-closing time and I had to pack up and head home. So next weekend I will have to drop the mast again, remove all 5 wires, and take everything back to CD. I can't fathom how this happened. Aren't all Catalina 25's supposed to be the same? Or is there a difference between the Pre-88 boats and the 88-90 boats that resulted in slightly different wire lengths for the standing rigging?

With this fiasco of wrong-length rigging wire, it looks like I will not be able to get the boat ready to launch before the Camellia Cup, which is only two weeks from now. I suppose I should have compared the new to old wires before intalling them and raising the mast, but it never occured to me that a Catalina dealer could make a mistake on something like this that is supposed to be a standard dimension.

In other news, our water outlook for Folsom Lake is looking pretty grim. The California Department of Water Resources took their final Sierra Nevada snowpack measurements for the winter season last month, and the water content is only 35% of normal in the American River watershed. This means that there is a good chance that the Marina will have to close prematurely, maybe as early as mid-July, as happened in 2004. There is a low-water launch ramp available, but when the lake is down so much that the marina has had to shut down, most sailboat owners pack up and put their boats into "hibernation" for the rest of the year, or move them to other marinas, and sailing activity on the lake grinds to a halt.

Larry Charlot
Catalina 25WK/TR Mk. IV #5857 "Quiet Time"
Folsom Lake, CA

"You might get there faster in a powerboat, but in a sailboat, you're already there"

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 08:49:25

Hey Larry, its been a while. Sorry about the rigging deal. My new CD rigging required a toggle extension on the forestay but other than that it was great.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 09:09:35

"The new lower shrouds are all about 4" too short"

Hmmm.... did they send you stays for a standard rig rather than a tall rig... or are they the same? (not having a tall rig).

My last backstay from CD was also a little too long. I shortened the adjustable backstay system a couple inches by replacing the elongated stainless join plate with one shaped like an equilateral triangle. That was enough to do the trick.

Edited by - ClamBeach on 04/02/2007 09:12:50

mfasis
Navigator

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114 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 09:21:09

I replaced all the standing rigging last year with rigging ordered from Catalina Direct. All was well except for the backstay. I have a split backstay. The upper part was too long. When I called CD, Lowel informed me that for backstays they require you to send in the old one. This was news to me. I was not informed about this by the person that took my order over the phone. He told me the length of a single stay is pretty much standard and did not change over time. But the split backstays did.

Mark

Edited by - on

PZell
Admiral

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USA
548 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 13:29:51

What happened to Mark also happened to me when I did my standing rigging in 2005. I empathize with you about the double take down of the mast. I'm taking mine down again 2nd weekend in a row. Installed rope halyards and thought I fixed all my lights ---- NOT. I hate tracing out those pesky wires.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 15:37:52

First let me say all of you who were sold the wrong length rigging have my sympathy.

I think it's a common problem, not limited to Catalinas. In the books I've read which mention replacing rigging, every author emphasizes measuring the old rigging (not just length -- spec. diameter and terminals too, and where the length was measured, usually center of eyes and far end of studs) and/or sending the old rigging along to the rigger. I believe the difference in rigging length between the tall and standard rigs is a bit over 2' for masthead stays, and about half that for lowers.

When I installed new standing rigging on my 1979 C-25 about 10 years ago, I did my own calulations, ordered my own parts, and made up my own stays. It probably cost me a little more at the time than buying off the shelf rigging, but I think I'm better off in the long run.

-- Leon S.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 16:08:18

CD is not perfect - they have sent me c22 parts instead of c25 parts and I have never owned a c22! Yet they always want your hull number and model number when you place an order? How is this possible... I have been burnt a few too many times, for example, I am the proud owner to the table fastener stabilizer, whatever kit... Guess what, it does not work on a traditional interior as you can no longer store the table. When I bought it, there was no mention of that fact in the manual and the rep said nothing.... Of course, by the time I figured all of that out it was a little too late. But then again, try to order carpet from Catalina!

sten

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 19:16:43

??
I ordered carpet from Catalina. I sent my old carpet and they sent back perfect carpet and the old one nicely cleaned.

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2007 : 23:15:55

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ClamBeach
 "The new lower shrouds are all about 4" too short"

Hmmm.... did they send you stays for a standard rig rather than a tall rig... or are they the same? (not having a tall rig).

My last backstay from CD was also a little too long. I shortened the adjustable backstay system a couple inches by replacing the elongated stainless join plate with one shaped like an equilateral triangle. That was enough to do the trick.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

No, these wires are definately for a Tall Rig. If they were Standard Rig, they would have all been a couple FEET short, not just a couple inches. My boat doesn't have an adjustable backstay, so I can't take up the slack that way.

Edited by - on

ct95949
Captain

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Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 04/03/2007 : 11:20:46

Larry, your thumb nail pic looks like you're sailing on the San Joaquin or Sacramento River near Pittsburg or Antioch so I'm wondering why you don't berth there? I used to live in Grass Valley and thought about putting my boat in Folsom but decided against it for the reasons you mentioned earlier. What is the attraction?

Edited by - on

crcalhoon
Captain

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USA
303 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2007 : 10:11:26

When I first started working on my boat (before discovering this site and CD) I ordered an upper shroud from West Marine. Sent the old one in and very quickly received both back in the same box. Fit perfectly. I think the whole package was a little under $90.00.

Edited by - on

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