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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Installing New Mast (II)

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Bruce Baker
Captain

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USA
402 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/12/2002 : 09:23:46

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a note about whether I should step my own mast or get professional help. I’ve decided to take the plunge myself, but of course the new mast comes with no instructions. I’m replacing my broken original mast with a new mast from Catalina Direct with internal halyards. I’ve got a few technical questions:

1. The new spreaders come with two sets of cotter pins. Evidently, the large ones attach the spreaders to the mounting hardware. What is the purpose of the other ones? There are some smaller holes near the outboard ends of the spreaders, but the black caps on the ends do not have matching holes, so the cotter pins can’t be designed to hold on the caps.

2. Speaking of caps, I was surprised in disassembling my old rig to see that the caps were held to the shrouds with “baling wire”. One might have expected that the caps would be securely attached to the spreaders with some kind of strap holding the shrouds in place. Is this baling wire original equipment?

3. The new hardware includes deck organizers and rope clutches.. Evidently, the mounting is just holes through the deck with washers below. Can that be strong enough? I was expecting to see some kind or reinforcement below. I would also mount the winch that used to be on the mast on the cabin top. With just one winch, I guess I’d put it on the genoa instead of the main.

4. In tensioning the new shrouds, I’ve seen reference to the fact that I need two Loos gauges? Are the top shrouds different from the bottom? Forward from rear? I’ve got one of those crazy off-center back-stays. I’ve noticed that my aft-lower shrouds are not the same on port and starboard.

5. I need to attach some hardware to the mast, especially a ring for my spinnaker (or whisker) pole. What size screws should I use? I want the things to be well attached, but don’t want screws inside the mast interfering with my new halyards. What diameter holes should be drilled for the screws?

6. My boat also came with a block to raise my spinnaker pole, which I can just re-attach. But there is no spinnaker halyard. How do I rig one of those? I understand that I need buy a block and attach it near the top of the mast. Where and how? I also understand that the spinnaker lines are all external.

7. The new mast has four prong electrics. The old one had three prongs. Supposing that I put a new four-prong outlet on the deck, I guess my best bet is to run four new wires directly to the electrical panel. Will I need to add a new switch to control the deck light? I note that my steaming light is already connected to the “bow light” switch.

8. I’ve given up on my roller furling. With the halyards running back into the cabin, I can raise a hank-on jib single handed, and I get better choices for racing. My local sailmaker wants $200 to convert my roller genoa to hank-on. Is that reasonable? Sounds high to me. Generally speaking, I hate sewing, but I’m ready to go buy myself an industrial sewing machine so that I can do my own sail repair!

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 11/12/2002 : 12:44:55

Firstly, I would contact Catalina Direct if you have any questions concerning the proper installation of your new standing rigging. They are very helpful and can probably give you the definitive answers you are seeking.

1. The new spreaders come with two sets of cotter pins. Evidently, the large ones attach the spreaders to the mounting hardware. What is the purpose of the other ones? There are some smaller holes near the outboard ends of the spreaders, but the black caps on the ends do not have matching holes, so the cotter pins can’t be designed to hold on the caps. 

I’m not sure of your new setup, but it would seem reasonable that the smaller cotter pins hold the endcaps to the spreaders. Contact Catalina Direct to find out the correct setup.

2. Speaking of caps, I was surprised in disassembling my old rig to see that the caps were held to the shrouds with “baling wire”. One might have expected that the caps would be securely attached to the spreaders with some kind of strap holding the shrouds in place. Is this baling wire original equipment? 

The “baling wire” is essential in that it allows the shroud to move up and down within the groove of the spreader endcap. Shrouds should never be permanently fixed to the endcap. The shroud is held in the spreader endcap groove with stainless steel wire that is woven in a figure eight pattern. On some rigs a cotter or roll pin is sometimes used instead of the wire.

3. The new hardware includes deck organizers and rope clutches. Evidently, the mounting is just holes through the deck with washers below. Can that be strong enough? I was expecting to see some kind or reinforcement below. I would also mount the winch that used to be on the mast on the cabin top. With just one winch, I guess I’d put it on the genoa instead of the main. 

You can use the winch for both the genoa and main halyards by running both halyards to the same side of the cabintop top as your winch. A rope clutch would be installed forward of the winch to hold the halyards. After you have tensioned the main halyard with the winch, the clutch is engaged and the halyard is removed from the winch. Then the genoa halyard is wrapped on the winch and tensioned, then the clutch is locked. Using stainless steel washers as backing plates to spread loads is very common. Almost all of the deck hardware on North Star has large washers as backing plates.

4. In tensioning the new shrouds, I’ve seen reference to the fact that I need two Loos gauges? Are the top shrouds different from the bottom? Forward from rear? I’ve got one of those crazy off-center back-stays. I’ve noticed that my aft-lower shrouds are not the same on port and starboard. 

Shroud tensioning is a very interesting topic and is similar in controversy to the Cetol/Teak Oil issue. Check out this link to a previous discussion on shroud tension.
http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=884

5. I need to attach some hardware to the mast, especially a ring for my spinnaker (or whisker) pole. What size screws should I use? I want the things to be well attached, but don’t want screws inside the mast interfering with my new halyards. What diameter holes should be drilled for the screws? 

The screw size and diameter of the holes should be what the maker of your spinnaker ring recommends, but you can select the best length so they don’t interfere with your internal halyards.

6. My boat also came with a block to raise my spinnaker pole, which I can just re-attach. But there is no spinnaker halyard. How do I rig one of those? I understand that I need buy a block and attach it near the top of the mast. Where and how? I also understand that the spinnaker lines are all external. 

The spinnaker halyard block is attached to the forward clevis pin of your masthead(the fore stay is attached to the second clevis pin) and the halyard is then led either internally or externally down the mast.

7. The new mast has four prong electrics. The old one had three prongs. Supposing that I put a new four-prong outlet on the deck, I guess my best bet is to run four new wires directly to the electrical panel. Will I need to add a new switch to control the deck light? I note that my steaming light is already connected to the “bow light” switch. 

You have two choices here. If the old three prong plug in the cabintop is still good then you could splice the old three-pronged mast connector to the mast wiring and be done with it. The other option is to replace the cabintop connector with the new four-prong connector and running new wiring to the electrical panel. This setup will allow you to install a deck light with the extra power wire. Do a search on “Mast Wiring” to get specifics on how to install new wiring and deck fitting.

8. I’ve given up on my roller furling. With the halyards running back into the cabin, I can raise a hank-on jib single handed, and I get better choices for racing. My local sailmaker wants $200 to convert my roller genoa to hank-on. Is that reasonable? Sounds high to me. Generally speaking, I hate sewing, but I’m ready to go buy myself an industrial sewing machine so that I can do my own sail repair!

Given up on…on…roller furling? I’ve given up on going forward in a blow, but since you are a racer I understand. I’m not a sailmaker, but I believe a roller furling sail has a different cut to allow the headsail to roll up nicely on the foil. Since you plan on racing, I would skip having the roller furling designed headsail converted to a hanked on sail and just get hanked on sails. You could sell your furling sail and with that money, and the money you saved not having hanks sewn on, you could buy a new headsail.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
Catalina