Fishfinder/depthfinder

Not much to report on this. The unit has been functioning well. I still haven't decided on a good semi-permanent mounting material for the in-hull transducer. A small amount of high-grade silicone might be the eventual choice. I don't really like the idea of using a super-strong epoxy if I ever want to remove the transducer. By the time you read this, the plans for the swing-away companionway mount that I built should be available on the Catalina 18 website.

Backstay tensioner

It is working well. I bought a Pro model Loos gauge through Sailnet. I tuned the rigging with the gauge and was surprised at how loose my rigging was. The Pro model works very well and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. There's also a very good book on rig tuning that I found in November. It's called Illustrated Sail & Rig Tuning, by Ivar Dedekam. The publisher is Fernhurst Books. I found it at a Borders bookstore. It's somewhat pricey at $19.95 for 80 pages, but the illustrations and information is excellent. It has detailed procedures and theory on the tuning of aft-swept spreader fractional rigs (like the Capri 18). Due to the shroud and forestay tuning, the backstay adjuster unit needed to be lengthened a bit. A Ronstan # RF 173 stainless steel swivel (West Marine #121210) worked well in this application. Small nylon spacer washers keep the pins centered in the mainsheet yoke hole and adjuster lever end by. When I install the planned transom-mount traveler (a' la Catalina 22), the backstay adjuster will probably need modification again. Regarding the traveler installation: I plan to install a 6" diameter screw-in Beckson deckplate in the transom. It will be installed at the rear area inside the fuel tank locker. The deckplate should allow good access to not only the lower surface (inside) of the transom's starboard top edge, but also the nuts and backing plates that secure the swim ladder to the stern. By the time you read this, a traveler prototype should be installed on my boat. 

Mast Raiser

I've discovered a few important things on this project. The basic design of the raiser unit works well. I still need to install a secondary locking device for the winch. The winch is the only thing holding up the mast when I go forward to pin in the forestay, so I'd like a bit more security in that area. I've also found that when just beginning the raising (or the final feet of lowering) of the mast, it has less of a tendency to flop or pivot to one side if the mast crutch roller/cradle is as high as possible. My crutch is cut to a length that allows the mast to be stored horizontally between it and the top of the bow pulpit, where there's a removable mast clamp attached. I have been seeking a length of stainless steel tubing in the appropriate diameter that will allow the roller on top of the crutch to be extended another two feet or so for raising and lowering the mast. It's difficult to find .049" wall, 1 1/8" dia. stainless tubing. I will be contacting some of larger metals suppliers in my metro area to see if I can locate a remnant in the desired diameter. For those of you that don't have the stock mast crutch, maybe you can design and build a better unit that can be used for storage/trailering and mast raising.

I have also seen a tendency for the raiser to want to slide and flop quite strongly to one side as tension is applied to the jib halyard/winch line. Unless the higher mast crutch solves the problem, a mast raiser bridle might be in the works. A small pin in the butt end of the raiser unit that would index with a hole in the mast may be a solution, too. My concept for a mast raiser bridle is an adjustable nylon strap that would be attached securely at the top of the raiser and extend down on either side to the first lifeline stanchion bases. The strap would be adjustable on either side and use snap shackles to attach the ends to the stanchion bases. This shouldn't add much to the set-up/breakdown time or to the complexity of the system and should prevent the top of the raiser unit from move much more than a few inches to either side.

If possible, I will try to post any updates on the Catalina 18 website and make sure they are included in the May issue of Mainsheet.