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Rigging Upgrades |
This page will eventually feature the installation of a new mid boom traveler and solid vang currently on order from Garhauer. |
I'm changing the outhaul setup to a 5:1 internal assembly. My boat being so incredibly old didn't come this way from the factory. To facilitate the changeover I have to swap out the old, non sheaved end castings for the newer style. Here the newer gooseneck casting is shown on the right. |
One problem I faced was trying to get the new gooseneck to fit the older boom-end assembly. My mast, probably unlike yours uses an external T-track with sail slides versus a rope bolt. Because of this configuration the boom-end assembly shown here on the left is unique to the first three hundred C30's* This piece is not interchangeable with a newer model and is no longer available. My first thought was to press out the stainless head casting from the old unit and swap out the newer one but thirty-four years of salt air exposure had virtually welded the two pieces together. Plan B was to machine the new piece to match the dimensions of the old. We had to reduce both the width and length of the stainless piece. Shown in the picture at left is the piece after machining the width, I didn't know the end would have to be shortened until I did a test fit. Everything now fits together as it should. You're not likely to have this problem unless your boat's serial number is below three-hundred. *According to Lowell Richardson at Catalina Direct |
To make room for the sheave on the new end casting I had to cut a slot on the underside of the boom, which was easily done with a hacksaw blade in my jigsaw. I had to perform this procedure on both ends of the boom. |
"You can't make a race horse out of a pig,... but you can make it a mighty fast pig." |
Not quite ready to install the traveler and rigid vang yet, but I just had to get it up on deck to see what it was going to look like...it looks good, very good! |
Lifelines replaced with uncoated dyform stainless wire. Lucky for me that the guys in our rigging department could get the cable for me at cost, but all the new fittings were crazy expensive. |
My boat never had any kind of bow roller and the edges of the gunnels had the scars to prove it, I figured now was a good time to add a pair. |
I upsized all the cleats at the back of the boat from the originals. |
I chose to temporarily install my dodger frame and mock-up the leading edge with masking tape just to make sure there was enough clearance for the new traveler. |
Here I'm drilling the three outer mounting holes on either side of the traveler through the cabin roof. Once I have placement of these holes I'll use the included backing plate to drill out the other three holes on either side. And for those of you that were paying attention, yes I did in fact install the traveler backwards. No big, I'll just unbolt the risers at the base and rotate the assembly 180 degrees. In my own defence the good folks at Garhauer include no installation instructions whatsoever with their hardware. |
Okay...Time to install the traveler for real |
- Caroll Shelby |
Unlike later production C30's my boat never had the wiring run down inside the mast support column. Because I'm adding an anchor light and spreader lights I'll have to drill for the wiring. Here I've drilled a 1" diameter hole which exits in the centre* of the support column. You can see the stubs of the old steaming light wires which ran somewhere under the cabin roof. |
I've epoxied a short length of 1" PVC pipe with a 90 degree cap to help avoid any water intrusion |
Drilling the matching holes in the new stainless baseplate was a bit of a bitch! |
New chainplates installed. These are the same as the ones used in later model boats. They're longer, use more bolts, and the bolt holes are staggered. With all these differences I doubt that they could be retrofitted to an existing early style bulkhead. On the later boats that I've seen, the hanging locker and drawers are reversed when compared to mine which have the drawers on the right. Because of my older design I had to cut an access hole in the hanging locker wall for drill/wrench access. (not visible in this photo) I also need to hacksaw the bottom two bolts shorter as they intrude into the drawer slide. |
I suppose this shouldn't be on the Rigging Upgrades page but... While the mast was being rewired I had a chance to take a real close look at the standing rigging and here's what I found covered up by some rigging tape. There wasn't much holding this lower stay in place. Normally you might write this up to wear and tear, but this was the only location on any of the lower stays that was covered in rigging tape. This leads me to conclude that the previous owner was probably fully aware of these breaks while telling us the boat was in "Bristol" condition. Amazing what some douchebags will do or say to sell a boat! |
Here's the Harken micro blocks that I'll be using to handle the 4mm line. |
I'm not sure, but I think I've discovered why the mainsail was always so !#@&*?!! hard to raise. I've ordered new ball bearing sheaves from Garhauer for the main. Seeing as we run a self furler and the jib stays up all season, I'm replacing those sheaves with the cheaper standard variety. While I'm at it I'm replacing the wire/rope main halyard with all rope .375" Sta-Set. I've ordered 120' which should be more than enough to run back to the cockpit. |
I found these beauties never mounted, never used at a very good price on Craigslist. The fellow that listed them had amassed quite a collection of very high end hardware for a boat he was going to build. These Lewmar 40ST's were to be his secondary winches. Unfortunately his marriage fell apart and he was forced to sell off all the hardware. On a lighter note, the day I purchased these, he was going to look at a Catalina 27 for sale. I mounted these as far aft as I could in order to make singlehanding a little bit easier. |