Catalina 310 Owner's Manual

Spar and Rigging Maintenance

Original manual page 15

Standing Rigging:

Your boat is equipped with stainless steel standing rigging, and Dacron running rigging, to give you years of trouble-free service. However, due to normal wear and tear, it is recommended that a periodic inspection be made on all fittings and wires. Turnbuckles should never be neglected and should be unscrewed from time to time in order that they do not seize. Every three months should be about right for the average sailor. A slightly bent turnbuckle shaft or broken wire in your shrouds should be replaced immediately.

Under most conditions, 1 X 19 standing rigging has a safe "working" life span of approximately five years: seven years under ideal conditions. Factors which reduce the life of the wire are environmental factors such as high humidity (Florida, the Caribbean, and Gulf States); high salinity (Great Lakes, Gulf States, or mooring near a sea wall with constant salt spray); extremes in temperature; and industrial pollution (pulp mills, generating plants, acid rains, and smog). High loading of the rigging as required in most racing boats also induces stress in the rigging system. Many of us have to deal with at least one of these conditions and should consider replacing standing rigging at the five year limit.

Unlike running rigging wire rope, which gives us clear signs that it is deteriorating by broken strands and "meat hooks", standing rigging may give no sign that failure is imminent. The usual point of failure of stay or shroud is approximately 1/4" inside the bottom swedged threaded stud fitting which threads into the turnbuckle barrel.

Although the stud is compressed around the wire during the swedging process, salt water and pollutants work down into the fine cavities between the wire strands and the inevitable corrosive process starts in the crevice first time the rigging becomes wet with salt water.

A common method of visually monitoring swedge fitting conditions, employed by distance racers and cruisers, is to dab a small ring of enamel paint around the joint between the wire and the swedge fitting. This will help provide a means to see if the wire is pulling out of the fitting.

Another technique used to check the condition of swedge fittings is a "dye penetrant" test. This simple test will detect any cracks which may develop in the fittings due to internal pressure from the corrosive process. Inexpensive dye tests kits usually are available from most welding supply stores. Dye tests usually are not required by weekend sailors, but may be done before an extended cruise or ocean passage if any doubt about the integrity of the rigging exists.

All stainless steel wire rope rigging will develop some rust film when new. This is normal. The rust is caused by two factors. When wire rope is manufactured, the wire strands are fed over steel rollers during the process of twisting or laying the wire. Trace amounts of the ferrous steel from the rollers and dyes are transferred to the wire strands. As this small amount of steel rusts it causes a film on the new wire. The second cause of the rust film on new wire is the microscopic veins of ferrous material which exist in all stainless steel. After a period of time, as the surface material veins are depleted, and the stainless steel has been cleaned several times, new rust film development will slow to a minimum.

For the average sailor, the best insurance against a rigging failure is a periodic (every six months is recommended) inspection of all rigging parts, including turnbuckles, and replacement of standing rigging as required.

IMPORTANT: If any wear or sign of broken strands is found on the running or standing rigging, it is time to replace that part. Using your boat when the rigging is worn could cause the rigging to fail when you least expect it.

Fittings:

Marine fittings today need minimal maintenance. Deck hardware should be hosed down with freshwater after each sail in salt water. Stainless steel fittings such as pulpits and lifeline stanchions should be cleaned and waxed periodically to maintain their appearance. Winches require occasional cleaning and lubrication. Where possible, a maintenance brochure for your winches has been included in this manual. Masthead fittings, halyard sheaves, etc., should be inspected, cleaned and lubricated periodically. Keep your equipment clean of dirt and salt.

Spars:

Like all other fittings, the mast and boom suffer from salt water, air and spray. These should be kept waxed where possible, and at least always hosed down with fresh water. Always see that the halyards are tied off away from the mast. This will eliminate slapping in the wind, and subsequent marking of the mast. Find a high pressure nozzle and shoot fresh water to the top of the mast and spreaders. This will help keep your sails clean, too, as they rub on the mast and spreaders.

Sail Maintenance:

Your sails should be protected from chafing. This can be done by either padding the areas that touch the sail or by having your sailmaker attach chafe patches to the sails themselves.

You should check your sails frequently for any signs of wear and have any tears or frayed stitches repaired immediately.

Sails should never be stored in the sun because they are susceptible to decay through exposure to too much ultraviolet light. Always keep your sails covered when they are not in use.

Sails should never be put away wet. If they are wet after sailing, leave them in loose bundles and dry them at your first opportunity.

For most problems, such as common dirt, dried or caked salt, etc., try scrubbing the surface with a soft bristled brush and liquid detergent. Avoid harsh powder detergents and stiff brushes, as they may damage the finish or stitching. This approach should work nicely for most applications. More severe stains can be taken care of by the following:

BLOOD: IMPORTANT: FOR WHITE SAILS ONLY. Soak the stained portion for 10 to 20 minutes in a solution of bleach (Clorox) and warm water. Generally 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Scrub and repeat if necessary. Rinse thoroughly, particularly nylon, and dry thoroughly.

OIL, GREASE, TAR, WAX: Warm water, soap and elbow grease seem to be effective. On hard stains, proprietary stain remover and dry cleaning fluids should do the trick. Be careful to remove all fluids, as they can soften the various resinated coatings.

RUST AND METALLIC STAINS: These types of stains are very often the most frustrating and difficult to remove. First scrub with soap and water, and apply acetone, M.E.K., or alcohol. As a last resort, you might try a diluted mixture (5%) of Oxalic soaked for 10 to 15 minutes. Hydrochloric Acid, 2 parts to 100 in warm water, will also work.

MILDEW: Hot soapy water with a little bleach will generally prevail. After scrubbing, leave the solution on the fabric for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly. When using a bleach, a residual chlorine smell may be present after rinsing. A 1% solution of Thiosulphate (photographers' Hypo) should remove all chlorine traces. Here again, rinse and dry well.

PAINT AND VARNISH: Acetone and M.E.K. should remove most common paint stains. Varnish can be easily removed with alcohol. Generally speaking, use all solvents with care. Always rinse and dry thoroughly. It should be emphasized that nylon ripstop spinnaker fabrics are less durable and more sensitive than their polyester counterparts. Bleaches and solvents can ruin nylon if not used properly.

Follow the above guidelines, take your sails into your sailmaker for periodic inspection, and you will have many effective seasons of racing and cruising pleasure.

Rigging:

Stepping the Mast:

  1. Before stepping the mast check all standing rigging lengths against the checklist
  2. Check all mast light wiring, be sure the masthead anchor light, steaming light and deck light function, the wires exiting at the base of the spar should be taped up to prevent damage when the spar is set on the step.
  3. Prepare to step the mast in the following sequence:
    1. Check all rigging lengths and inspect all end fittings.
    2. Attach all shrouds, forestay and backstay. Tape clevis pins and spreader tips, check all halyards and tape to mast.
    3. Connect and check mast wiring and mast light wiring at mast step.
    4. Make electrical connections at base of mast for mast lights and check circuits.
    5. Run halyards through turning blocks at deck.
    6. Tune rigging at dock and when under sail.

Tuning the Mast:

Your mast is held aloft by the standing rigging (forestay, backstay, upper shrouds, intermediate and lower shrouds). The term "tuning" refers to adjustment of the standing rigging so that the mast remains "in column" (not bent) when under load, this is accomplished by following the procedure outlined below:

At the Dock:

  1. Adjust fore stay and backstay so that the mast is straight up and down. Tie a bolt to a 6 to 7 foot long piece of light line to make a quick plumb bob, and tape the free end of the line to the front of the mast as high up as you can reach. This device will help you to determine if the mast is perpendicular or not. Otherwise, sight your mast with the corner of a building.
  2. Adjust the upper shrouds so that the mast is straight up and down athwartships. That is, from side to side as opposed to bow and stern.
  3. The upper shrouds should be firm but not bar tight. A 50 pound push should deflect the upper shroud about 1" at shoulder height.
  4. The lower shrouds (4 of them) should be adjusted so that they are looser than the upper shrouds. While at dock, they should have no slack, but no tension either. No lower shroud, when pushed, should deflect the mast more than any other shroud when pushed equally hard. If this cannot be achieved, the upper shrouds are too tight. Back off one half turn at a time on the upper shroud turnbuckles until the tension on the lower shrouds is brought into balance.

Under Sail:

The object of fine tuning is to have the mast "in column" (not bent fore or aft or athwartships) when sailing in conditions typical for your area. This is accomplished through adjustments to the lower shroud turnbuckles. Here are some points to look for:

  1. When sailing on port tack, sight up the mast from the base. If the middle (where the spreaders are) is sagging to leeward, take up equally on both port lower shrouds until the mast is "in column". Repeat this procedure on starboard tack.
  2. If, when sighting up the mast while on port tack, the middle is bent forward (but not to leeward) take up a turn on the port aft lower shroud and let out a turn on the port forward lower shroud turnbuckle. Reverse these adjustments if the middle of the mast is aft of the "in column" position.
  3. If a perfectly straight mast is not obtained, the mast head (top) may be curved aft and to leeward. The mast head should never be "hooked" forward nor to weather.

All rigging wire used on yachts has a tendency to stretch, especially on a new yacht and after you have sailed in heavier wind than you are normally familiar with. Therefore, you should periodically check the tension on the shrouds and stays, tightening them up if it is required.

Rigging, as well as tuning, becomes all too important when setting up the mast. A knowledgeable person should oversee the rigging and tuning so as to eliminate the possibility of an eccentric load which might occur with an improperly loaded shroud. Special attention should be given to the initial stretch of the shrouds and a further gradual stretch of the wire over the first few hard outings.

Mainsail Reefing:

Reefing should always be done before it becomes necessary. Some sailors use the rule of thumb that the thought of reefing occurs to you, it is time to reef. Sailing at extreme angles of heel, 25 degrees or more, is not efficient, fast or comfortable.

Your Catalina is equipped with single line reefing, for reefing the mainsail. The system consists of a line tied around the boom and reeved through the cringles, internal boom sheaves, and blocks as shown in the illustration. A second reef line may be installed in a like manner, but to the opposite side of the boom, and led to the starboard side of the cockpit.

Tie a loop of line around the main boom with a bowline, through the cringles at the first reef and into the boom on the starboard sheave. The line exits the starboard forward sheave and through the cringle in the sail at the first reef. Lead the line to the turning block at the base of the mast, through the organizer on the deck and through the sheet stopper to the winch on the port side.

Reefing Procedure:

  1. Take up the slack in the main boom topping lift.
  2. Ease the mainsheet.
  3. Release the main halyard on the starboard side of the cockpit, to a predetermined point. (marking the halyard with ink or a colored thread into the line is helpful.) Recleat the halyard after lowering.
  4. Pull the luff and leech cringles down to the boom by pulling the reefing line through the blocks with the port cockpit winch and cleat off.
  5. Trim in the mainsheet.
  6. Tie off remaining reef points with lines around boom.
  7. Snug up the main halyard as required to flatten out the mainsail.
  8. Ease the topping lift.