Association Forum - Anchor Light

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Anchor Light

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Rollins
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
50 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/15/2004 : 23:36:36

Don't you hate forgetting things

I checked and double checked everything (I thought) before launching Wind Walker yesterday. Minor issues are so much easier to handle on the cradle! But after rigging the boat post-launch in the slip, it dawned on me to check the lights. Naturally, the one that does not work in the anchor light at the top of the mast. I haven't fully investigated yet. Are there things to check before going up? I have never seen anyone use a bosun chair; how much fun is that? Is there some info on general safety tips?

Any advice appreciated. Not sure I have the guts to ride up the mast in the chair anyway. May have to coax a willing dare-devil at the marina, if I can find one.

Thanks in advance,

Mike R
Wind Walker 1989 SR/WK #5947

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 23:48:12

How much do you weigh?

I don't know what it takes to dump a C25... but I'd be leery of going to the masthead with more than 200 lbs. (or so).

I'd be inclined to lower the mast for a problem like this. Often mast lighting issues are due to a pinched wire at the mast foot. It would be discouraging to hang around up there for awhile and find out the problem was down at the bottom.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 23:48:55

Maybe you can ask Spike, the C25/250 National Association website editor, to check out your anchor light!

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2004 : 23:58:22

Mike,

If you don't have a meter, go to Sear's and buy a $10.00 meter that will read volts and ohms, then check to make sure you are getting voltage at the deck connector. If you have voltage at the connector, then check continuity (resistance) between the ground wire going up the mast and the wire that is going to the anchor light. You should read almost no resistance if the wiring and bulb are good. If the meter indicates an open (very high resistance) then you either have a burnt bulb or an open in the wiring.

If you go and buy a meter, you might want to spend the extra $5.00 and get a digital meter with an audible continuity check. It makes troubleshooting easier.

Edited by - dlucier on 04/16/2004 00:08:24

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 08:44:05

Generally I'd recommend dropping the mast before going up in a chair. Especially because your in a boat that has a deck step mast and is built for raising and lowering often… In short, even though you probably don’t think so, its easy to do in relation to other boats.

My second suggestion is to go up in a mast hoist if your location has one for stepping the mast on larger boats.

If you really have to go up in a bosuns chair I recommend the following –

<li>Before going up, inspect all shrouds and stays and then double all your docklines and remove all of the slack you can. Also add a fore and aft springline</li>

<li>A minimum of two halyards attached to you – one to carry the load, the other as a safety line. If you only have a main and jib halyard – go up on the jib side of the mast and use the main as an emergency</li>

<li>If you have a clutch cleat (spinlock) that allows your halyard to move in one direction, lock it and use it.</li>

<li>Do not use shackles or hasps, tie bowlines to the chair with the lines. If your shackles are spliced into your halyards and you are unable to tie bowlines with the line tape the release pins or clevis pins on the hasps closed.</li>

<li> Ideally have 2 people on the ground – on the hoist, one can tail the line off the winch, once up they can be a gopher. Always have one person stay with the boat</li>

<li>Once up, double cleat your line, or tie a hitch (counter clockwise) around the winch after the clutch cleat</li>

<li> Attach a bucket to your spare halyard to send up anything you might need – remember to use the lanyards on tools that have them.</li>

<li>work quickly</li>
<li> Help the person winching you up by climbing the mast</li>
<li> Take up 2 or three spare bulbs </li>

Hope these help

dw

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 10:23:56

Go to sailnet, buy the Davis utility megalight for a few dollars. It is a better anchor light anyway. Go sailing. Worry about it next time you are on the hard. UNLESS you need it to illuminate your Windex, then drop it and FIX IT.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 11:36:58

I would still check the circuit before either going up or dropping the mast because a lot of problems happen around the deck plug.

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1772 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 13:45:04

I would still check the circuit before either going up or dropping the mast because a lot of problems happen around the deck plug. - Don

I have to agree. I'm guilty of having taken my mast down once to replace the bulb, only to find out that the bulb was OK and the connection at the base of the mast was bad ... that was a lot of work for nothing

Edited by - on

falco_esq
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
60 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 13:53:43

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Rollins
 Don't you hate forgetting things

I checked and double checked everything (I thought) before launching Wind Walker yesterday. Minor issues are so much easier to handle on the cradle! But after rigging the boat post-launch in the slip, it dawned on me to check the lights. Naturally, the one that does not work in the anchor light at the top of the mast. I haven't fully investigated yet. Are there things to check before going up? I have never seen anyone use a bosun chair; how much fun is that? Is there some info on general safety tips?

I have the same problem, but luckily the mast is still down. Let me know if you figure it out!!

Any advice appreciated. Not sure I have the guts to ride up the mast in the chair anyway. May have to coax a willing dare-devil at the marina, if I can find one.

Thanks in advance,

Mike R
Wind Walker 1989 SR/WK #5947
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 16:55:47

As usual, Don is right on. Buy a digital meter with a continuity tester. However I had two Sears meters go out on me in one year. Cheap Chinese crap. I finally bought an Ancor meter. don't know where it's made, but it hasn't failed yet.
and if you need some pointers on using the meter, buy don Casey's book "Sailboat electrics Simplified" you will be glad you did.

Good luck

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2004 : 20:00:10

Fluke produces an excellent line of meters and other electrical instruments.

How can you resist buying from a company with the slogan...

"If it works, It's a Fluke".

Edited by - on

Ed Montague
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2004 : 22:36:49

Bruce, I have a Fluke, but it cost substancially more then $15. A few years ago it cost well over 1 boat unit.

I agree, buy the meter and check everything you can from the base of the mast first.

Edited by - on

Rollins
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
50 Posts

Response Posted - 04/18/2004 : 17:51:46

As usual, tons of great advice. Good point on checking with a meter first. I'll check that out next trip to the lake.

Sounds like avoiding the use of a bosun's chair is the consensus of the group. I'll try all the other options first. Then maybe its time for me to learn to take the mast down. Gotta learn sometime, right?

Thanks again. I'm sure I've said it before, but being a member of this forum is one of the best things about owning a Catalina 25. You guys are great!!!!

Thanks,

Mike Rollins
1989 SR/WK #5947

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.