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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

A-Frame in Action!

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LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/01/2004 : 22:35:46

It works! It takes a bit of time to get it all set up, but once everything is in place the mast goes up great.

Dave & Sharon on "Leigh-Marie"
Hull #5128

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2004 : 15:12:58

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

Is your set-up the "Standing A-Frame" that Arlyn Stewart recommends, or does yours rotate with the mast? If it the the rotating kind, how do you attach the bottom ends to the boat?
I have been using a single-stut gin pole and would like to switch to an A-frame for greater stability.

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2004 : 17:37:17

Larry, my A-Frame does rotate with the mast. It is set up like Bear's Abode and the whole fram eventually lays on the bow as the mast goes up. It is really slick. I made brackets that I attach to the middle chain plates out of 2x4's and the bottoms of the A-Frame attach to it with bolts and wingnuts. Those brackets are probably the winkest link, but there is really no pressure on them. I have the bottoms of the pipes off the deck so it doesn't gouge the deck. My Dad is going to make a couple of brackets out of steel for me.

The standing A-Frame could work too, but I didn't want to get another roller for up there as I already had all the parts.

Edited by - LeighMarie on 05/02/2004 17:37:59

rclift
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USA
152 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2004 : 20:34:49

Dave, You said that you "made brackets that I attach to the middle chain plates out of 2x4's and the bottoms of the A-Frame attach to it with bolts and wingnuts."

Most of us leave the upper shrouds attached to the chainplates when we raise the mast. I attach my A frame to the forward chainplates. The uppers and aft shrouds are left on. The upper shrouds have almost no tension while the mast is being raised but they provide some needed lateral stability when the mast is up. In your picture it doesn't look like any of your shrouds are attached

Great job on the mast up and the A frame. Looks like you are using the mainsheet attached between the frame and the stem. I like that arrangement because it gives you plenty of purchase and keeps the operator clear of any problems that might arise.

Edited by - rclift on 05/02/2004 20:41:14

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2004 : 07:56:44

Ray, I am not using the forward shroud attachment, but the middle one. This leaves the rear shrouds still attached. When I get the mast up I immediately attach the upper shrouds in order to hold it. I did this because it seemed more stable to use the middle chain plate rather than the forward one. I don't know if it's the best way or not, but it works. I can use the upper shrouds (aren't those the ones that go to the spreaders and then up?) to stabilize the mast in case it starts swaying by tugging gently on the shrouds.

The use of the mainsheet works great as the person winching the mast up is in the cockpit of the boat using the jib winch (my wife feels safer being out of the way). When we bring it down she goes to the bow and lets the line out from up there in order to not be in the way in case it comes down quicker than desired.

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Ed Montague
Captain

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USA
499 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2004 : 15:26:55

Dave, I think most of us use the front lower stay chain plate to attach the A-frame because they are already disconnected from the stays in order to lower the mast back. This just makes putting the boat back together easier. Try it, you'll like it. The fewer wires disconnected during the raising process translates into fewer snares and snags.

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dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2004 : 17:01:24

hey dave and marie
are you standard or tall rigged?

i would like to see a post from all the tall riggers who have used this system successfully.

thanks
dave holtgrave
5722 sk/tr
sailing carlyle lake in southern illinois

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2004 : 21:20:16

I'm not a tall-rigger, but I put my stick up tonight with my "rotating" A-Frame.

First time raising it with the a-frame and it went pretty well. I guess I didn't know what to expect. Last fall I lowered the mast for the first time with the a-frame and, whaddyaknow?, came down smooth as silk. Putting it up tonight required me to use the cabin-top winch. I suppose gravity is like that. Much better than the alternative though, getting the brothers to come by after work and muscle up the mast!

I know I'm still probably at least two weeks away from my first sail, but even taking my boat to the dry slip yard, and putting up the mast makes me feel happy.

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2004 : 21:23:37

Dave, I have a standard rig.

Ed, I may try using the front chain plate. I measured the distance between the middle one for the guy who bent my A-Frame and since the distances are different I was concerned that then the pipes wouldn't meet in the middle. But, I think I will give it a try next time as it is a pain then to re-connect 4 shrouds every time. Thanks for the re-asking that.

Edited by - on

deastburn
Captain

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USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2004 : 22:40:25

Leigh:

Try using a hacksaw to "round off" the bottom of each A-frame leg. You can then bolt the legs through the forward lower shroud chainplates directly without a wood block. It takes a bit of experimenting the first time to get the bending angles right, and that translates to a lot of trips on an off the boat. But once it is set up, you have it for all time. I have the same system, with a neoprene bow roller on the tops of the mast support, which makes it really easy to maneuver the mast on and off the support, and get it lined up correctly. I copied my system from "Bear's Abode" and it works great. Every time I raise or lower the mast around here (Boston/MV area) by myself, I save between $125 and $275 in yard fees. Hmm, now what do I get to spend all those savings on...?

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LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 10:11:08

Great suggestion, Dave! I will work on doing that and try to eliminate the wood blocks. The guy who bent my pipes also has a handheld one that could bend them just a bit more, he said, if need be. The more I think about using the forward shroud chainplate the more I like that idea. Thanks!

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 10:26:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by LeighMarie
 Great suggestion, Dave! I will work on doing that and try to eliminate the wood blocks. The guy who bent my pipes also has a handheld one that could bend them just a bit more, he said, if need be. The more I think about using the forward shroud chainplate the more I like that idea. Thanks!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hi Dave,

I use pipe nipples on the ends of my A-Frame, and I attach the A-frame to the forward lower shroud chain plates ... it has always worked well for me. Here are a couple of photos showing the bottom of the A-frame and the attachment points:

'Hope that helps.

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 11:28:00

Buzz, very cool! Where were all you guys when I was scratching my head in trying to figure out how to attach them!? I figured everything else out pretty easily, but really wrestled with what to do with the bottom of the A-Frame. Well, it will help when we trailer our boat up north this summer. Thanks!

Edited by - on

dave holtgrave
Captain

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USA
427 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 13:22:31

hey guys
i am convinced that i am going to try the a frame.

but,one more question.

i have a non flexable harken furler.
i guess that i have one person handle the furler as i go up and is there room to pin the furler when you use the forestay chainplate to also hold the block to raise the a frame?

give me your procedures if you have a furler

thanks again and again
dave holtgrave
5722sk/tr

Edited by - on

LeighMarie
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 15:13:13

Dave, I have a non-flexible furler foil also and I wondered what to do. Someone on this forum suggested that I use the jib halyard, which is exactly what I do. My hunch is that the furler foil on the headstay would work, it would just be so heavy that I would be afraid that it would flop around too much. The jib halyard works great. Mine is set up with a wire jib halyard that goes through a halyard retainer (to prevent halyard wrap) just below the head of the mast and I worry about pulling that out, but so far it has not done so at all. I cleat off the halyard onto the cleat on the mast down by the winch so I'm hoping that takes some of the pressure off of the retainer. When the mast was down it appears as though the retainer is still in there fine. If it does pull out, I'll have to figure out some other way to anchor it in better. I should add the jib halyard is shorter than the headstay so the A-Frame is almost standing up (as in my original picture) when I hook it all together.

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