[C320-list] Standing rigging

[mseyler at cox.net]

I did pretty much the same "mast refit" last year.  I replaced the wind sensor at the masthead, and used the opportunity to replace the steaming/deck light, and replace the single anchor light with a combination tri-color running light and anchor light.  I also replaced all the wiring in the mast (electrical wiring and radio antenna cable), with solid cable runs all the way to the radio, wind instrument, and electrical panel.  I left slack in the bilge beneath the compression post to be able to install plugs the next time the mast comes down.  But I hope that won't be for a long time.

My project was kicked off because of a crack in the stem fitting (where the forestay attaches), and when I pulled the deck covers off the chain plates I found some crevice corrosion, and replaced them, as well.  The external chainplates for the backstay bridle were fine.  I also replaced the solid bronze Catalina turnbuckles with chrome-plated bronze open body turnbuckles, and replaced some of the toggle fittings and clevis pins.  I'd check all of those fittings while you have the mast down, and replace anything that looks iffy.

Catalina Direct wanted you to send the old rigging to them before they would make new ones, which theoretically should eliminate concerns about how they fit.  But last year Catalina Direct had a long turnaround time to return the new rigging, and I was trying to avoid losing most of my summer to this project.  You should check with them about current delays.

I wound up doing a combination of visual inspection and penetrant dye testing on my old rigging, and only found issues with one lower shroud.  I had the shroud made up by my local rigger, who turned it around in less than a week.  I did replace my forestay, but only because it wasn't possible to inspect it inside the roller furler, and you couldn't remove it from the furler for inspection without cutting the stay.  I had my local rigger swage the stud on the bottom of a new forestay, and installed a StaLok eye on the top of the stay after wiggling new forestay back through the foil on my furler.

Most of the sheaves in my masthead were in OK shape, but the rollers for the spinnaker halyard (to exit the masthead above the forestay) were seriously worn.  I couldn't find anyone who could sell me a roller with the same inner and outer diameter, so I wound up fabricating new rollers by cutting blanks from Teflon tubing near the correct size, and drilling it to fit the axle pins.  Catalina Direct now appears to have a rebuild set that includes all of the sheaves and the rollers, so that might be worth considering while you have the mast down.

Many people told me I should replace all the standing rigging because it was more than 10 years old, and warned me that my insurer might claim lack of maintenance if I had a rig failure.  I wasn't anxious to spend that much money based solely on the age of the rigging, and the visual inspection and dye testing seemed to confirm that most of the rigging was sound. I would argue that the documented inspection and dye testing prove that I didn't neglect maintenance.  You should choose what balance of expense/peace of mind works for you.

Good luck with your rigging re-fit.  Please share anything else that you learn in the process, as much of what I know about these boats comes from the experiences of others.

Mark Seyler
S/V Reality,
Catalina 320, #232
New Orleans, LA



-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of P.F. Ross via C320-list
Sent: Wednesday, May 10, 2023 2:51 PM
To: C320-List at catalina320.com
Cc: P.F. Ross <pfrstl at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Standing rigging

Peter, sorry to hear your trip is off but in this case, much better safe than sorry!

I cannot speak to your standing rigging, but when my mast was down for the first (and only) time in 2015, I replaced all sheaves (rigrite.com), all lights -- LED anchor, LED combo steaming and deck lights (marinebeam.com), VHF antenna, Raymarine wind direction and speed transducer and Davis windex.  Ran new wiring to all.  Bottom line is that I did not want to have to go up the mast again for a long time.  It was all pretty easy and I did it myself with the mast on the hard.

I did not worry about unplugging anything since I made continuous wire runs to switches, radio and cockpit wind instrument.  I left plenty of slack in all wires in the event I unstep the mast in the future and will cut wires and install plugs then.

I also rebedded all chainplates as well as the mast step plate.

All FYI from my foggy memory.

Frank Ross
Beta Wave #206
Naples, FL

On Wed, May 10, 2023 at 2:29 PM nibj via C320-list < c320-list at lists.catalina320.com> wrote:

> Unfortunately a rigging check reveals we need new standing rigging.  
> My co-owner and I are thinking of doing it ourselves (ordering premade 
> stays and so on from Catalina Direct).  Has anyone done this?  Of 
> course we will have the mast down but it looks like putting on the 
> premade stays will be easy.
>
> Rather than order premade stays, an alternative is to have a local 
> rigging company make up the stays by measuring ours.  Is that a better 
> alternative?  Are the boats sufficiently different that premade stays 
> might cause issues?
>
> We plan to check the sheaves and VHF antenna.  Anything else we should 
> replace or examine while the mast is down?  Is there anything we need 
> to tell the yard before they unstep the mast?  How do we unplug the wiring?
>
> So many questions!  I hope someone can help - we don’t want to loose 
> the whole summer season.
>
> Thanks in advance for comments
>
> Peter
> 1995 c320 #226
>
>