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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

A couple of questions...

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frants
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/08/2007 : 15:03:35

Where on the foredeck is the best location for the spinnaker pole downhaul?
In gusts I have a tough time keeping the boat on course, any trim ideas?
Any leads to LED navigation lights?
Deep scratch repair advice? Fiberglass is showing.
Do you have any experince with the storm jib from CD?
Thank you for your feed back.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2007 : 15:23:40

Keeping on course--can you be more specific as to what is happening in the gusts? Are you rounding up into the wind, just feeling excessive weather helm, lee helm (trying to fall off the wind)...?

For scratches, I've used the one-part gelcoat patch in a tube from WM (and most other places)--built it up above the surface, sanded it down with very fine sandpaper, and then polished it up.

Edited by - on

Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2007 : 15:32:54

Hello Frats,
Although I'll probably not be much help to you, it would help the members on this forum who do know what they're talking about, (as opposed to me) if they knew what year, Sail number, what type of rig,(stnd or tall) and type keel you have. One thing everyone seems to do is put that info in their signature so it's always there.

Everyone seems to like [url="http://www.marinetex.com/"]Marine-Tex[/url] for scratch repairs to gelcoat, but that depends on what year the boat is. In my opinion, a newer boat would be better served if gelcoat was repaired with gelcoat. Catalina has gelcoat that will match your boat if it's new enough. They don't have gelcoat to match older boats. Older boats are faded and the gelcoat won't match anyway. If it's older, and it's white, Marine-Tex should be just fine.

Welcome to the group.
Dan

Edited by - on

frants
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2007 : 18:18:27

Hi Dave, I am rounding up into the wind pretty strong. I have an 83 tall rig - currently with a standard main. Thank you for your reply.
Frants<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 Keeping on course--can you be more specific as to what is happening in the gusts? Are you rounding up into the wind, just feeling excessive weather helm, lee helm (trying to fall off the wind)...?

For scratches, I've used the one-part gelcoat patch in a tube from WM (and most other places)--built it up above the surface, sanded it down with very fine sandpaper, and then polished it up.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

frants
1st Mate

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USA
55 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2007 : 18:20:23

Hi Dan, thank you for your reply, I will update the profile.
Frants<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Happy D
 Hello Frats,
Although I'll probably not be much help to you, it would help the members on this forum who do know what they're talking about, (as opposed to me) if they knew what year, Sail number, what type of rig,(stnd or tall) and type keel you have. One thing everyone seems to do is put that info in their signature so it's always there.

Everyone seems to like [url="http://www.marinetex.com/"]Marine-Tex[/url] for scratch repairs to gelcoat, but that depends on what year the boat is. In my opinion, a newer boat would be better served if gelcoat was repaired with gelcoat. Catalina has gelcoat that will match your boat if it's new enough. They don't have gelcoat to match older boats. Older boats are faded and the gelcoat won't match anyway. If it's older, and it's white, Marine-Tex should be just fine.

Welcome to the group.
Dan

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 12/08/2007 : 22:33:27

Navigation LED Lights - Checkout Lopolight and OGM Navigation LED Lights

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 12/10/2007 : 06:49:54

The original location for the downhaul was a block on the deck just forward of the sail locker. You can see it here

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/manbro/pictures/pc2.gif

I ran mine from a block on the base of the mast and that worked well too.

Keeping the boat on course in a puff - you might be oversailed. What size sail are you using and in what windspeed are you having the problem?

Edited by - Champipple on 12/10/2007 06:51:14

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/10/2007 : 13:56:08

Hi Frants... Rounding up can be due to one or several of the following:

- Too much mainsail, as Duane suggests. On blustery days, try reefing for a more comfortable and often faster ride.

- Mainsail not flat enough. The more "draft" (or pocket), the more "power" that will cause heel, and excessive heel can cause the rudder to lose purchase such that even normal (and desirable) weather helm will round you up. Remedies include a boom vang, a cunningham, tightening the outhaul (it should be hard), and last but certainly not least, a new mainsail. (B.O.A.T... Break Out Another Thousand.) How old is yours?

- Excessive weather helm. If your mast is raked too far back, you will feel excessive pressure on the tiller whenever you're sailing to windward. My opinion is you should have a slight amount of weather helm so if you let go of everything, the boat points up and stops. But you shouldn't have to have a death-grip on the tiller.

- Sail trim. Easing the main and trimming in the jib/genny can change the balance somewhat. As you see a gust approaching, you can ease the mainsheet a little, which will allow the top of the main to "twist off" and not contribute as much heeling force. Generally you want to keep the jib pretty flat upwind. It contributes less to heel and much more to speed than the main, and it helps counteract the forces that round you up. Speed is your friend for keeping the boat on course. (On really blustery days when I wasn't going anywhere in particular, I'd sail on my roller-135 alone--it drove the boat very nicely, gusts and all.)

Hope this helps...

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 12/10/2007 13:58:23

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/10/2007 : 14:31:44

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by frants
 ...I have an 83 tall rig - currently with a standard main...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I forgot about that part... A standard main is roughly the same sail area as a first reef on a tall main. Now, the question is, are you hoisting the main to the masthead, or keeping it lower. I suggest about 2' down, giving you the boom height of a standard rig. And are you keeping tension on the luff with the halyard and boom downhaul? In 15 knots and up, a standard rig generally sails better when reefed, so that's still a consideration.

Edited by - on

millermg
Navigator

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159 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2007 : 17:07:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Champipple
 The original location for the downhaul was a block on the deck just forward of the sail locker.

I ran mine from a block on the base of the mast and that worked well too.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Normally running your downhaul from a location that close to the bow would not be ideal, because it would require constant adjustment to the downhaul every time the pole end moves forward or aft to keep the pole height constant. A block off the mast solves the above problem, but leads to another- i think it would force you to attach the downhaul to somewhere near the middle of the pole, which causes a lot of bending stress in the pole unless it's extra strong (I learned this the hard way on my Santana 20

) The best location (on any boat) is dircetly under the center of the pole, as it's attached to the mast and resting against the forestay, with the downhaul shackled to a bridle (a legnth of line running between both ends of the pole, slightly slack, to transfer the load to the ends of the pole. this location should be just forward of the Vberth hatch.

If you look at 'd' on page 22 of the C25 parts manual http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/manbro/C25Partsmanual.pdf there's a picture of what I'm talking about, and where I think the original downhaul block was intended to go.

Garner

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2007 : 19:18:50

My downhaul is in the middle of the foredeck, forward of the v berth hatch and aft of the anchor locker (right in the middle). There is a backing plate inside the v berth. Perfect location.

When getting close to rounding up, do in this order
- crew weight on weather side
- outhaul tight
- traveller down
- start dumping main in gusts
- flattening reef
- first reef

I have replaced the in-hull nav lights with a West marine halogen light on my pulpit, down low so as to not snag the spin.

Marine Tek for the stratches.

I have the 60% storm jib. Useful when double reefed in winds well above 30. I'd almost never leave the dock in those winds, I have the sail in case I get caught out in them.

The double reefed main and 110% jib can stand up to a lot of wind.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/11/2007 : 21:54:17

Yup--I forgot to mention "traveler down"--I forget that because it isn't much of a traveler, especially for the end of the long boom.

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 12/12/2007 : 06:55:48

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by millermg
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Champipple
 The original location for the downhaul was a block on the deck just forward of the sail locker.

I ran mine from a block on the base of the mast and that worked well too.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Normally running your downhaul from a location that close to the bow would not be ideal, because it would require constant adjustment to the downhaul every time the pole end moves forward or aft to keep the pole height constant. A block off the mast solves the above problem, but leads to another- i think it would force you to attach the downhaul to somewhere near the middle of the pole, which causes a lot of bending stress in the pole unless it's extra strong (I learned this the hard way on my Santana 20

Edited by - on

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