Messages

Gene,
Let me know if you'd like the tool sent, or if you end up getting the job done with the one you made.
Aaron

Thanks folks. I finally was able to get the winter cover off the boat, and inspect the furler. The bearings feel fine, but I am feeling/hearing a bit of friction between the furler's top plate, and the cage. I wonder if with a bit of load and deflection, that friction increases to the point of jamming the drum. On others systems, is there a gap between the cage and the top plate?

I didn't notice it until the end of last season.never any issues unfurling.  I think it happened suddenly. There was on day we got caught out in some pretty wild weather. Even heading up I had to use all my strength to furl in the head sail, with a which, to a manageable size. I'm guessing that's when it happened, though I didn't notice it until a few weeks later. This is a good reminder that we should check our rigs after extra spicy sails.

Aaron,

Is this something that happened suddenly, or over time, or have you just noticed it? Before doing anything else I'd check the furler, on a calm day you should be able to pull it out smoothly by hand. If the action is stiff or clicks or offers a lot of resistance you've probably found the cause.

Thanks guys, yeah, I'll have to measure it so I can order a replacement, just as soon as I can get the winter cover off. I'm wondering if a bearing may be shot in the furler, causing the whole thing to have twisted, rather than the furler turning. I've never actually removed the furler from the forestay. Is it a difficult process? Any idea if these bearings are serviceable? It's a Schaefer.

Hey folks, sorry, I had intended to post a photo, but I guess it didn't upload! Sorry for the poor quality, but it's a screenshot from a video I took during the summer. I'm definitely not comfortable with that much distortion in a piece of rigging. Though, in my conversations with Garhauer, I also mentioned that many of my other toggles are splayed. They weren't concerned about those, and said "they all end up like that eventually." But the splayed toggles concern me far less than this twisted one. While we're on the subject of rigging, and potential failures, has anyone ever heard of one of our boats being dismasted? I've never come across a story.

The lower toggle on my forestay has a 20 degree twist in it. I suspect it occurred while trying to furl on a particularly intense day late last August. I reached out to Garhauer, and it does not appear to be one of their parts. Any ideas on who Catalina may have been sourcing from in 1998?
Aaron

While we're on the subject, anyone out there have a starting point suggestion for colour matching the white on our boats? I guess they all age differently, but I've got a white base gel coat, and a basic tinting set.

A friend loaned me some white gelcoat.  I asked this question.  He said, "It's Catalina white."  A year later he asked me to point out the spots I'd done.  I couldn't.  He fessed up and said, "I just use white, it all fades pretty soon."  He has a C36. 

Or call Catalina and ask them for "their tint."

Or wait for someone else to answer here. :D:D

That's hilarious. So, presumably Catalina white is pretty white.

I now have the tool. Just waiting for my bearing to arrive, and I can ship it off to the next customer. Thanks again for making this Indian Falls!

There's a channel on YouTube called Fish Bump TV, with a video called "Gelcoat Repair 101". It's well worth a watch. Also BoatWorksToday has lots of good videos. I've been watching a bunch as I have some repairs ahead of me this spring. Just needs to get warm enough. While we're on the subject, anyone out there have a starting point suggestion for colour matching the white on our boats? I guess they all age differently, but I've got a white base gel coat, and a basic tinting set.

Coral Wave came with a Garehauer engine hoist. We've never used it as we have an electric outboard for the dinghy, and it's light enough that the hoist isn't needed. I'll take a picture of the mounts when I'm at the boat later this week, should give you some idea.

Looks like we need to schedule the bearing tool soon. I have it currently and it's ready to go. Just give up your address and when you need it.

PM sent.

Are you planning to use a swivel to connect the chain to the anchor or a shackle?

Shackle. Swivels tend to be the failure point. I have been considering something like an omni link. I am curious to do some pull testing to compare Grade A American made shackles, to Grade B Chinese shackles (which are available in smaller sizes). I may buy a few, and bring them by my local rigging shop, for science. Will report back if I do.

Bringing this thread back from the dead, incase any one else comes across either of these issues.
Re the hiss: After a full season of sailing, I am confident that the oil filter assembly pressure relief valve was the culprit. The hiss has not returned.
Re the stuck injector heat deflectors: My Kubota dealer said just reuse them if I can't get them off. Well, things were good for maybe 20hours of motoring, and then the injectors started to sound off again. The 2023 season was just about over, so I left them to deal with until the winter layup. When I pulled the (new) injectors, they were black. Looked like they'd been in there for years. Had a friend who's a heavy equipment mechanic come by with a slide hammer, and it popped the cups out with little issue. Only the aft most cylinder posed an access problem for the slide hammer, but with removal of the aft cabin access cabinet, the slide hammer was able to fit. I put the old but rebuilt injectors in, and had no issues for the entire 2024 season. I had the new but filthy injectors serviced, and now cary them as spares. So, if anyone has an issue with stuck injector heat shields in a B series engine, do not try to reuse them. Get a slide hammer, and it's a two banana job.

Thanks for the replies. I don't have a copy of Calder's cruising handbook, probably the only one of his I don't own! I know that shackles use a higher safety factor than chain, which in theory  makes shackles with a lower WLL than chain actually suitable. But, it's not great practice to use anything other than WLL for calculations, sure wouldn't do it in overhead lifting, so why with our boats? One of the reasons shackles use a 5:1 or 6:1 safety factor, is because of the massive reduction in strength in the event of a side pull. A 5/16 Crosby shackle, suitable for 1/4 chain only has a WLL of 800# when side loaded (4,800# ultimate strength). The ABYC table gives us 4,800# in 60 knots, so it is possible, but that's a whole lot of bad luck to end up with a 90 degree pull on the shackle, and 60 knots of wind. A more likely scenario would be a 45 degree pull, which would give us a WLL of 1,050# or an ultimate strength of 6,300#. Shackles distort well before breaking, so I could definitely see bending a shackle being a realistic occurrence in a summer storm. That would probably require cutting the shackle off the chain to replace it. It also probably means we should make a habit of inspecting our 5/16 shackles after sitting out big weather.
All this is to say that while our 5/16 shackles are most likely completely sufficient, 3/8 shackles would likely live longer, have a lower risk of the pin binding, and give a little more safety factor. So, if running a 5/16 chainwheel turns out to be a simple affair, why wouldn't we (other than chain weight)? That being said, if it turns out to not be an option, I'm certainly not about to throw more than a handful of boat bucks at it, because 1/4 chain and a 5/16 shackle will be fine 99% of the time.

I meant - if the standard clevis pin is longer than necessary (hits the mast) and the next shorter pin is too short, just make one the precise length with a titch of slop so the cotter isn't tight against the clevis.

Ahhh, I see what you mean. The clevis shouldn't be resting against the mast, it isn't on the other side. It seems to have worked its way into that position. Presumably when installed, it was a close enough fit to hold the clevis in position, with its head against the fitting, and it has worked its way into contact with the mast. Good to know about wear on the cotter being a non-issue. That makes sense.