[C320-list] Rigging issue

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

Ahoy.....Joe, #245, 1995.......Last fall I purchased this boat. It was 
rigged when I bought it. Sailed it from Connecticut river to Long 
Island, then took the mast down. When stepping the mast last week I had 
the same issue. With both aft stays minimally connected, we were about 2 
inches short to connect fwd stay. I opted to release one aft stay. Then 
I could connect fwd stay. Even with a lot of tension on a main halyard 
on an aft cleat, I could not attach the other aft stay. Got a couple jaw 
toggles from Defender marine, 3/8 pin, and that was enough to make up 
the difference. ........Question is, did the standing rigging shrink?   
 
 
 On Tue, May 20, 2014 at 03:46 PM, tharrison at innovations-plus.com wrote:
 
 > I cannot get my backstays connected. After I connect the port 
backstay
> bridle the starboard Backstay bridle is about 3 inches short.
>
>
> I have a Schaefer 2000 forestay. The Catalina rigging length 
> specification
> shows this as 42 feet 11 ¼ inches. (note the Hood specification is 43 
> feet 3
> ¾ inches) – 4 inches of difference.
>
>
> The Aft Lower Shrouds show a length of 14 feet, 11 ½ inches and the 
> backstay
> bridle as 13 feet 3 ½ inches.(8 inches of difference) This difference 
> would
> be notices when we attaches the side turnbuckles.
>
>
> It is a 1997 Catalina.
>
>
> We stepped the mast by connecting all electrical and the lowered the 
> mast on
> the step.
>
>
> We then connected the Schaefer furling (foil).
>
>
> We then tried to connect the backstays and not even close. To just get 
> the
> mast on we used 1.5 inch shackles on each side. The turnbuckles are 
> just on.
>
>
> This is our first time rigging the boat and our second summer. When we
> hauled it out last fall the backstay had tension and the sprang fee. 
> We did
> not adjust the turnbuckle on the foil.
>
> We rigged a Catalina 34 before we tried to do ours and not a problem. 
> We
> looked at another Catalina 320 and a 36 and both skipper said they 
> have no
> problems.
>
> Has anyone encountered this problem? Any ideas?
>
>
> Ted
>
>
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