[C320-list] Mainsail Hard to Raise/Lower

[Robert Seastream]

David:

Additionally, I'd appreciate any contact and procedural information  
you receive for Charleston Spar, Catalina, etc.

We bought our 2002 C320 in November of 2005.  We'll be looking at our  
mast ASAP.  It's certainly out of warranty, but if (worst case) after  
all is said mast replacement is suggested, I'll have to see what my  
insurance carrier says.  I'd like to think they'd replace it as a  
preemptive measure, rather than wait for a failure.

Bob

On Oct 13, 2008, at 7:01 PM, Robert Seastream wrote:

> David:
>
> Thanks for your input.  Now I know it's not just me or my  
> imagination.  It gives me fresh perspective, and a concrete point to  
> proceed from.
>
> Bob
>
> On Oct 13, 2008, at 5:02 PM, Henderson, David wrote:
>
>> This is a somewhat delayed response to Bob Seastream’s post of a  
>> couple of weeks ago.  Bob, yes, I have had issues raising and  
>> lowering my in-mast (Charleston Spar) furling main on my four year  
>> old 320 (#1049), and I think I have discovered a potentially  
>> serious problem.  I would love to know if others have encountered  
>> this issue.
>>
>> I noticed the problem for the first time during the 2007 season.   
>> It was slightly worse this past spring when I raised the main, and  
>> now just last week when I tried to take it down in preparation for  
>> haul-out, it is worse still and I couldn’t get the sail down.  It  
>> appeared that the head of the sail and/or the swivel first stuck at  
>> the upper spreader.  I was able to force it through.  But then it  
>> became really stuck at the lower spreader.  I feared that the luff  
>> tape was cut or frayed and somehow hanging up in the groove in the  
>> foil.  I also wondered if perhaps there was a joint in the foil  
>> that it might be catching on.
>>
>> This past weekend my 25 year old daughter went aloft to take a look  
>> (my days of going a loft are long over).  When she opened the  
>> shackle and disconnected the sail from the swivel, the sail fell  
>> easily down through the foil.  So it was now clear that the problem  
>> was not the luff tape or the sail, but rather the swivel seemed to  
>> be the culprit.
>>
>> Upon closer inspection, it became clear that groove in the outer  
>> part of the mast (that the sail passes through to wind onto the  
>> foil) was slightly narrowed in the area of the spreader.  And in  
>> fact, the entire mast cavity had narrowed and was pinching the  
>> swivel enough that it could not slide up and down through it.  She  
>> then went up to the second spreader and lo and behold, same  
>> problem, just slightly less severe.
>>
>> The broker who sold me the boat came by today for a look, and after  
>> attempting to raise and lower the swivel, he confirmed the  
>> problem.  He even pointed out that the narrowing in the outer mast  
>> slot is readily visible by line of sight as you look up the mast.   
>> Our joint conclusion is that the load carried by the spreaders is  
>> slowly but surely bending the mast and narrowing the slot and  
>> cavity, and it is a progressive problem.  Not being able to raise  
>> or lower the main is the first level of concern, but ultimate mast  
>> failure is obviously an even a greater concern.
>>
>> Though I am told that I am out of warranty, the broker immediately  
>> offered to contact Charleston Spar and Catalina on my behalf.   
>> Needless to say, I anxiously await their response.  Meantine, I  
>> wanted to bring this to the attention of anyone else with a similar  
>> vintage 320 that may be experiencing similar mast issues.
>>
>> Dave Henderson
>>
>> Dottie B    #1049
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>>
>> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:16:39 -0400
>>
>> From: Robert Seastream <robert.seastream at comcast.net>
>>
>> Subject: [C320-list] Mainsail hard to raise
>>
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>>
>> Message-ID: <AADF86C2-2204-418F-BFC2-BF17EEE6486F at comcast.net>
>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>>
>> All:
>>
>> Has anyone ever had issues raising their (in mast furling) mainsail
>>
>> past roughly the two thirds point, almost requiring winching to raise
>>
>> it fully?
>>
>> We've had this issue since we bought the (used) boat.  I don't think
>>
>> there's any 'burrs' in the furler track; I'd expect rips in the luff
>>
>> if that were true.
>>
>> I'm wondering if the roller furler might have gotten bent, although I
>>
>> can't imagine how.  By comparison, the roller furling jib goes up  
>> its'
>>
>> own track smooth as silk.
>>
>> Another question is how does one access the furling mechanism for
>>
>> inspection/repair, once the mast is unstepped?  Perhaps that's a
>>
>> question for Charleston Spars.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Bob Seastream
>>
>> Intuition # 906
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>