Fore Side Stay Length - Barrel Adjustment

[Doug Gill]

I have just purchased a Catalina 34 (1986, Lake Ontario now at QCYC). As received, the barrels of the fore side stays are just engaged (the holes for the pins on the rod do not show. At the same time the barrels of the aft side stays are well engaged. (1 to 2 inches of the rod to the holes are showing at each end). The rigging is tight in my estimation. The mast appears to be straight. Is it possible that the fore side stays are too short, or is this just a matter of adjustment of the rake. Any advice from experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Doug Gill, Oakville, Ontario (905-844-4610)   

[Ron Hill]

Doug : From you description you gave, I'd say the forward lower stays are too short.  Easy to have 2 new ones made.  If your rigging is original, you're well past the 15 years that's recommend for rigging life. 
I just had all of the standing rigging replaced on my boat.   

[Stu Jackson]

Doug

You can check the length of the forward lowers against the listed lengths by going to the Manuals section of the website (if you don't have your own manual).

It's at:  http://www.c34.org/manuals/index.htm

Just go page by page until you find the one with the lines (running) and standing rigging lengths and diameters.

[Ron Hill]

Guys : On the Owners Manual page 4.1.3 titled "Rigging Wire Length Check list", it gives the length of stays to with in 1/4". 
However, Catalina will not make you a replacement without you sending them the OLD stay!!  Any rigger will tell you that they use that list for planning only.  They will not cut and swedge wire using that list.  They use your old stay, but only after they note where the ends are in the barrel of the turnbuckle!!

For what it's worth we found a difference from that list in my C34 rigging.  Was it an anomaly on my boat or is the entire fleet like that - don't know?  The upper stays had a 5/8" pin on the top while the turnbuckle end had a 1/2" pin!!   Didn't even check the lengths against that list!!   

[Ted Pounds]

Any chance the forward and aft lowers were switched?  I don't know if they're dirfferent lengths.  But if they are that might be the problem.  Just a quick thought...

[Ron Hill]

 FYI - The Catalina chart shows the FWD lowers should be about 4 inches SHORTER than the AFT lowers!!   

[Doug Gill]

Thanks Ron
The reason that the fore lowers are shorter is that their bases are closer to the centre of the boat -- they are both the same distance fore and aft of the mast step. Your suggestion that it is time to replace the rigging is well taken -- I will do that if I cannot verify that it is newer.

The difference in distance from the centre line for the fore and aft bases also means that there is no chance that the fore and aft stays where switched. If the fore stays were moved aft they would be really short.