S/V Soggy Paws - CSY 44 - Rigging & Sails

(30 Apr 09 CSYO Post) I painted my mast 10 years ago (1998). Here are a few bits of advice.

1 Remove abosolutely everything from the mast before you start cleaning and painting. When you reattach any metal parts esp SS use a good corrosion inhibitor and or thread lock as appropriate. I also placed a piece of flat rubber mat between flat objects like steps and winches and the painted mast. It will go a long way toward keeping the corrosion down.
2 Make absolutely sure you have the aluminum down to bare metal including in all cracks and crevices before you apply the cleaning and primer coats. Any corrosion left on will end up bubbling out the paint later. Preparation is everything.
3 Use the best two part polyurethane you can get to do the painting. Awlgrip works well and is available from distributors like Gold Coast Distributors in Miami for up to 50% discount.
4 After I did all the prep work including the acid wash I had a local spray painter spray it for about $50. You will get a better looking job and it is quick and easy.

(12 Nov 2009 CSYO Post) The holes through the mast and partners with the allthread, nuts and washers are original. The arrangement is so that the middle of the cabintop has vertical support to prevent flexing. It also helps hold the mast in fore and aft column. It is not designed to hold the mast in athwartships column-the blocking does that. The original blocking was cut to fit wood. It doesn't keep the mast from falling out of an inverted boat.

Re the leaking, this is one of those things that requires substantial sleeping on to solve. I guess I haven't slept on it enough yet because mine still leaks after 12 years. Since we are still hauled out with bottom work to finish, and it hasn't rained here in months, it is not at the top of my To Do list, yet.

My next effort is going to be seal the entire mast partner cavity with a product similar to Spartight. This is on my list for next month, so I will let you know how it works. Tom Service on Jean Marie used 3 tubes of silicone caulk and says it has held up well. He hasn't even covered it yet. Both of these solutions have the added benefit of acting as blocking to hold the mast in place as it passes through the partners. The trick is going to be how to deal with the allthread so that it is sealed but can still be easily removed when unstepping the mast.

(13 Nov 09 CSYO Post) We have water coming from the top of the mast around the halyard sheaves which are open to allow the lines to pass through. We also have line entrances in the mast to allow all our halyards to run down inside the mast. I think that water runs down the inside of the mast and then hits the bolt and runs outboard in which ever direction you are heeled. You could prove that theory by taking a quart or so of water to the top of the mast and pouring it in the sheave hole to see what happens.

I have a fairly well sealed mast boot, boot cover and full mainsail cover that closes in all the mast winches and halyards down to the deck. So I don't think it is coming in around my mast boot or from the outside of the bolt.

The problem is how do you seal that bolt as it exits the mast. There is not much room in there, and there is probably some movement as the mast pumps in a seaway. I think Spartight or Silicone caulk may be the best solution.

(7 Dec 09 CSYO Post) I'm now about 80% done with my mast seal project. Here's what I used as a substitute for Spartite as a seal:

(27 Dec 09 CSYO Post) Mast partner seal project is done and doesn't appear to leak. Sherry made a new Sunbrella cover to keep the sun off the top layer of Silicone.

So far have just tested the seal around the mast from the deck with buckets of water. It remains to be seen what happens when rain water is introduced from the mast top.

December 2012 Update: We are happy with the end result, and it has kept us leak-free for the last 3 years.

We have 6 sheaves in the end of the boom to handle the outhaul and 3 reefing lines with two spares. Our outhaul comes out the forward side of the boom to a cleat. The three reefing lines run inside the boom and then out under the forward end of the boom through line stoppers to a self tailing winch on the back of the mast.

Reefing lines for the clew reefing cringles (large gromments in the leech of the sail) should start with a slip bolon tied around the boom directly under each cringle. From there each reefing line should go up through its respective cringle and then down and aft to one of the sheaves in the end of the boom. Each reefing line will then run forward inside the boom, exit at one of the exit plates on the side of the boom and then through the cam cleat to hold it in place. A cleat forward of each cam cleat would be much more secure than just a cam cleat.

The other grommets in the sail forward of each clew reefing cringle are called reef points and are used to tie off the foot of the sail around itself using a square/reef knot (no grannies). This keeps the reefed foot of the sail from flopping in the breeze and chafing your bimini/dodger.

The outhaul should go from the fully hoisted clew cringle around the center sheave and then forward inside the boom as do the clew reefing lines. Using the center sheave helps keep the boom upright and from laying over on its side.

For security most sailors tie a separate short line through the active reefing cringle and around the boom so that if the reefing line breaks you won't end up tearing the sail at the reef points.

Either way of securing the bitter end of the reefing line will work. However, I believe that tying it around the boom is more secure as then there is no danger of the padeye pulling out or breaking or the line breaking at the sharp turn of the padeye.

The "reef points" are best secured around the foot of the sail if it is loose footed in order to control the bulk of the reef sail. If yours is not loose footed then I guess you will have to tie them around the boom also.

If the reefing line breaks all the load of the reefed sail will go on the reef points and the sail will rip, so we (and most racers/cruisers) tie another line around the reefed clew cringle and the boom just to make sure it is secure.

The staysail is a very important part of your sail inventory. And you should have it set up so that you can use it both up and down wind.

During our recent passages from the Galapagos, via Easter Island and Pitcairn to French Polynesia the staysail was up the entire time except for a day or two when motoring in a flat calm.

Our normal sail configuration upwind and beam reaching was main, usually reefed, full staysail, and 120 pct jib, usually reefed. All sails on the same side of the boat. Down wind we used Tom's rig of reefed main vanged and prevented out leeward, jib on the fixed pole upwind and staysail sheeted tight down the middle of the boat. In both cases we tried to get the main reefing right long before we needed to reduce sail and then just rolled the jib in and out as needed. Sometimes the jib was reefed up to 90 pct. But the staysail was always out 100 pct keeping us steady and moving.

We usually had at least one reef in the main. Most of the time wind speeds varied from 15-25 kts. We put the first reef in the main at 15 kts and the second at 20 kts.

We always carry the RIB dinghy upside down on the cabin top while at sea. If we had had the staysail on a clubfoot, the sheet and traveler would have interfered and we would have had no place to adequately stow the dinghy. You need to both stow the dinghy on the cabin top and be able to fly the staysail, especially if you encounter a storm at sea. Beaujolais had this problem during their recent downwind passage from the Galapagos to the Marquesas, so could not fly the staysail down wind to lessen the roll and help reduce the boat's tendency to round up. Much better to fly the staysail loose footed with all rigging out of the way of the dinghy.

Topica Post 10/31/08. In the Fla Keys I had many near heart attacks passing under the Channel 5 and Moser Channel bridges while doing Boy Scout charters. We often heeled the boat with all hands to one side or the other just to 'make sure' and to the great delight of the scouts. I also removed all the equipment at the top of the mast. Both those bridges were near 65' at MHW with no chop. During spring high tides, however, it was some times too close to call, so a couple of times we ran all the way to Key West down the North side of the Keys.

When I moved to Melbourne I encountered a reported 64' bridge at Pineda Causeway. So just to make sure of our current height I took careful measurements. It turned out that the height from the top of the truck (horizontal aluminum piece at mast top) to the water was exactly 63'-5". So theoretically I had 7" to spare. At the time I took the measurement we were at about half liquid/provisions load, having raised our waterline in years past about 5" and in brackish (salt and fresh water mix). The water salinity you are in and your load will definitely make a difference. As will whether or not you still have the original Kenyon tall mast. The best way to determine your mast height is to take your own measurement, as yours will probably be a few inches different than every one else's.

As it turned out we went under that bridge several times with the depth board reading 64' and we seemed to always have more than a foot to spare. I know of at least one owner, Ed Marill of Siesta, who before moving back to the Keys had his mast top cut down 18".

We don't have that bridge problem here down south, so I have reinstalled all my stuff on top and haven't had a near heart attack in many months.

CSY Post 9 Aug 09 The number 65' is just a round number for the tall mast. It was designed a bit shorter to allow the boat to get under the 65' Inland Waterway bridges.

Actually, when I very carefully measured from the top of our aluminum mast cap to the water, while on an even heel, just before we left Melbourne Fl in 2007 we were 63'-5". That allowed us to get out under the 64' Indian River bridges by 7", lots of room. I had stripped the top of the mast of lights, antennas etc so we wouldn't have a problem.

I think we are about 4-5" down from the designed water line. So that would make the top of a tall rig Kenyon mast cap about 63'-9" from the designed water line if I did the math right. My mast is the original Kenyon with the internal track.

Like some others, we also have rigged internal halyards with rope clutches on our tall Kenyon spar. We think it is a much better arrangement than the original and much safer if you are using the halyard and windless to go up your mast. It also will more than double halyard life, especially if you end for end your halyards periodically and use sacrificials while in port for more than a couple of weeks.

Below are several other worthwhile modifications that can be made to the tall rig mast:

Since we have arrived in the light-air tropics, and diesel fuel has gone up over $4/gallon, we decided we needed a light air sail. We have recently purchased and installed a new Code Zero sail with a Facnor Continuous Furler. After getting quotes from various sailmakers, we again went with Super Sailmakers in Ft. Lauderdale. We talked at length with Peter Grimm and told him what we were looking for. Here is what we ended up with.

- 988 Sq Ft (Luff 55.83', Leech 52.23', Foot 30.97')
- 4.18 oz Challenge Performance Cruise Dacron
- Vectran Luff Rope
- Leech cord
- Head and Tack Stainless rings suitable for the Facnor Furler
- Double rows of three step stitching, with corner reinforcements
- Optional light-weight stick-on UV cover (an additional $800)
- Bag

We asked Peter to have it cut a little fuller than the normal Code Zero (which is really designed to be a close reaching sail), so we could use it off the wind as well. It is designed to sheet to the back of the genoa track, where we have added a second lead block.

We did a few measurements for them (by then the boat was in Panama) and they shipped the finished sail to us in Panama via Marine Warehouse. It fit perfectly and will last us for many thousands of miles of light air sailing.

When not using it, it is lowered and coiled into the bag, and completely detached from the bow, including the Facnor furler. We use the spinnaker block at the top of the mast (be sure your block is a strong beefy block, because we have blown out 2 cheap plastic blocks already, due to the large sail area).

A roller furling Code 0 sail is a specialty sail optimized for upwind light air sailing (5-12 knots apparent). But it will also work well reaching and off the wind. We wanted to be sure we could go both up and down wind and thus were willing to give up a little down wind efficiency, that a fuller cut lighter spinnaker sail has, in order to do that. It is made of heavier and different cloth than a traditional spinnaker made of rip stop nylon. There are more expensive cloths made for this purpose, like Contender's Stormlite or Mylar, but we chose a light weight Dacron based on it being nearly as effective, comparatively UV resistant and at significantly less cost.

Some good reading material includes the following, all from the May 2005 Cruising World:
-Breaking the Code, Kenny Wooton
-Heavy Hitters for Light Air, Carol Hasse
-Ghosting Across the Tasman, Evans Starzinger
-Also Doyle's Phamplets on light air sails, UPS and APC

Dimensions: Sail area maximized to move boat in light air 10 knots apparent and below, while still able to furl in a hurry. For our I of 57.00' and J of 20.25' the Luff is 55.83', leech is 52.23', and foot is 30.97'. Total square footage is 988. Based on having the foot of the sail just clear the bow rail to prevent chafe we could have added another 2' to the luff.

Shape: This sail is basically a large light weight Genoa but with some refinements. It is cross, not radial or miter, cut. The draft is set at 15% instead of the traditional 18% for asymmetrical spinnakers. This makes it a flatter sail, better for up wind work. The clew is positioned about 5.5' off the aft deck so that we can still see under the sail at a moderate heel. The sail is designed to sheet at the back of the Genoa track so that we will have sheeting to all the track forward when the sheet is eased.

Cloth: 4.18 oz Challenge Performance Cruise cloth. This is a great cloth for the job as it has some give like nylon which helps keep it from slatting too much or bouncing around in choppy conditions. It also has much better strength, chafe/tear resistance and UV resistance than nylon

Edges: The luff rope is made of doubled 3/8" Vectran to reduce stretch and inhibit twist when the halyard is tight and the boat is going up wind. It is sewn into the luff in two parallel strands beside each other from the tack ring up through the head ring and back down. There are leech and foot cords with the adjustable ends attached at the clew with a knot to sewn in nylon webbing. Thus no plastic or metal hardware to chafe or corrode. There is a light weight 2 oz UV sun cover so the sail can be left hoisted and rolled while underway without sun damage.

Sheet lead: Here are our notes to the sail maker re where to sheet the clew of the sail:
To clarify the sheet lead we think it best to sheet the sail to the jib track rather than the old and possibly weak bail on the front of the jib turning block or an additional pad eye aft of that. One other complicating factor, not previously mentioned, is that we have a lifeline stanchion on the toe rail that may be in the way of a sheet led directly to that area. It could be moved if necessary. But if there is no other over riding reason to sheet the sail further aft than the jib track, let's sheet it to an appropriate spot on the track so that we can move the car, if needed, for the wind conditions. We will attach a turning snatch block to the front of the jib turning block bail and keep a close eye on it.

A turning block shackled to the forward bail/pad eye on the jib turning block would put it about 20" behind the aft end of the jib sheet track. Since it is so close it might be better to just run the Code 0 sheet through a lead block at the aft end of the track and then to the jib turning block as I currently do with the jib sheet. The current bail is now 30 years old and of 5/16" SS, so maybe a little weak for a 1000 SF sail.

Size: Here are the notes we gave the sail maker re sail size:
Regarding size, we will take your recommendations, keeping in mind that we may be rolling it in and out a lot in the tropics where light air often mixes with violent squalls. We want to keep the boat moving, but also it needs to be of a size that we can handle it easily when furling in a hurry. We certainly don't want to risk tearing the sail or having an accident just to get a few extra square feet. Harmon's (Dutch Love) 4 oz Dacron miter-cut older light air sail measures 58x35x54 with about the same rig and boat size. He says it works well if that's of any help to you in determining approximate square footage. The halyard top (bottom of halyard knot under pulley sheave) to center of pin at tack pad eye (on anchor roller tray in front of bow rail and jib tack pad eye) = 60'-10".

Tack of sail should be up no less than 3' from the tack pad eye to clear the bow rail and allow room for the Facnor roller furler. Head of sail should be down no less than 1' from the halyard knot to allow room for the Facnor upper swivel. Allow about another 1' for stretch and slop. Total sail luff I figure should be no more than 55'-10".

(Topica Post 02/01/2004) Just finished contracting with Supersailmakers in Ft Lauderdale for three new sails. Thought some of you on the list might benefit from the following information and specifications that I worked up for our new sails. It was quite an enlightening experience and well worth the effort.

Over the course of four months I sent out 10 sets of basic specs and received quotes from Calvert, Mack, Atlantic Sailtraders and Super Sailmakers in the US and Lee and Hong Kong overseas. The quotes ranged from $7.5K to $10.5K. Sails ordered direct from overseas firms are subject to about $1K in shipping, duty, and customs agent fees and may require finishing full batten construction in the US. After including all costs for equal sails the least expensive overseas sails from Hong Kong were only about $1.2K less than Super Sailmakers with a slow season and commercial discount. I considered working with a local sail maker that would measure my boat and provide other personal advice and services well worth the difference.

I found the following to be some of the major discussion/decision points:
--Batten length and details
--Cloth quality and weight-look very closely at quality
--Layout and cut
--Mainsail reef details
--Corner construction
--Chafe and sun protection
--Use-Seasonal, coastal or blue water
--Leech and foot construction
--Jib and staysail clew positions
--Measurement procedures
--Mainsail luff construction and hardware

My file of reading material is now a full 2 inches thick and includes many good recent resources including:

--Sailrite Catalog
--Sail Care catalog
--Sail Warehouse catalog
--Practical Sailor articles from 1 Oct and 1 Nov 2003
--Dashew's Cruising Encyclopedia
--and a host of various magazine articles

Recent info from the past three years is generally better as cloth and sail making technology is changing rapidly. The two major US sail cloth manufacturers, Challenge and Contender, also have excellent info on their websites.

I recommend you do your homework well as this is one of the most expensive and important projects you will do, and one with which many of us are not well acquainted. In the end I found myself shopping more for an experienced sail maker I could trust to advise me well than one who would do it my way at the best price.

24 Sep 09 Hull Rig, Buy New Sails 44
I bought new cruising sails about 4 years ago for my tall rig 44, after a substantial amount of research, from Supersailmakers. Since then several other CSY owners, including Jim Dill, have bought from them also. Their sails are superb.

Our main is full batten which I would highly recommend. Most of the others have done the same. Just pay attention to how the full battens are done as there can be a chafe problem sailing down wind.

My jib is 120 pct, 720 sf, but if I had to do it over again I think I would buy somewhat smaller like around 110-115 pct. (Note, for the record, we have a Tall Mast CSY 44)

We have since then purchased a 1000 sf light air Code 0 so we don't really need such a large sail. Don't buy a sail with a low clew. A yankee works well on a cutter, especially up wind. If you are not going to use a yankee just make sure it is cut so that you can see under it when heeled. Ours is cut with the clew about 7' above the deck which gives plenty of height to see under.

Not all cloth is created equal and each cloth maker has several levels of quality. It is worth reasearching this a bit so that you know what cloth is being quoted when you go to buy sails. Cheap cloth won't hold it shape as long as the more expensive cloths and will deteriorate quicker in the sun. We bought the best cloth because we wanted it to last a long time.

There are lots of other things to consider when buying new sails, so be a knowledgeable buyer and do some reasearch, ask lots of questions of sailmakers and make sure you have done a good job of comparing the quotes. Each sailmaker has his own idea about how things should be done when building a sail. Also, there are lots of ways for sailmakers to cut costs, so make sure you know exactly what you are getting before you buy.

(6 Oct 09 CSYO Post):8 oz cloth is probably the minimum you would want to use for a 44 cruising main. Heavier cloth will last longer in the sun and hold its shape for longer. It will also give you better chafe protection. Before you sign up with a sai maker be aware of the quality of the cloth you are getting and how the sail is constructed. Better cloth, construction and chafe protection will cost more. You could also ask sailmakers to quote you several grades of cloth so you can see what the difference in cost is. Our main was constructed with 9.77 oz cloth, and although heavy it is bullet proof. I initally wanted only two reefs but later Tom Service and some additional reasearch convinced me that 3 'gears' was better

One other thought. If you are considering using a foreign sail maker, like Hong Kong or Lee, be sure you know exactly what they are doing for you and exactly what the shipping, customs and agent costs are going to be. I contacted both directly by email, not through their US agents, and they were not able to give me the extra costs. After a bit of research I found the costs to total near $1000. The other way you can buy from overseas sailmakers is to use their US agents. In this case they add extra for their costs to import the sail plus a markup. When I discussed my new sails with Hong Kong and Lee I found the following disadvantages to using a foreign sailmaker:
-they will not come to your boat to measure your rig and discuss your needs.
-they will want to construct your sail their way and will not offer many options compared to most US sailmakers
-they cannot ship full battons and may not be able to construct a full batten main
-they offered only one grade of cloth
-if there was a problem with the sail due to the measurements I had taken the fix was on me

So the bottom line on using a foreign sailmaker is be careful and know exactly what you are getting.

SOGGY PAWS SAIL SPECIFICATIONS

General Specifications for All Sails

Boat & Crew: a heavily constructed 21 ton CSY 44 tall rig walkthrough cutter, my wife and i are preparing for a 10 year trade wind circumnavigation commencing winter 2004/2005

Sail Construction: extra heavy duty for long term blue water cruising, maximum uv resistance throughout, maximum chafe protection and minimum long term stretch

Layout: jib, staysail and main crosscut, generally shaped with full entries and straight exits with draft well forward

Stitching: triple stitched, uv resistant v-138 or better thread, extra wide seams at least 1.5" wide to allow for future repair without stitching over existing stitches, webbing and acrylic sun covers stitched with minimum same thread

Corners: heavily reinforced extensive layered patches with at least 6 layers of cloth to spread loads and support corner rings and webbing, acrylic on jib and staysail to be doubled over edges as both chafe protection and sun cover, no leather

Corner Rings: use #35 hydraulically pressed rugerson all stainless steel rings at jib and staysail clews and main head and clew, use heavy welded ss exposed rings at jib and staysail head, tack and main tack, exposed rings to be attached with heavy webbing and sun protected

Chafe Protection: for jib and staysail use 4" 3 oz tape over all chafe points on seams including shrouds and spreaders, mainsail chafe protection described under mainsail specifics

Maximum Dimensions: indicated are approximate maximum edge distances ring to ring available, loft must take own exact measurements and deduct appropriate number of inches in each dimension, especially luff, to allow for heavy weather tensioning and ultimate stretch due to aging
-leech and foot construction: two ply leech and foot tablings, install extra thickness of wider tape under the doubled leech tabling and leech line, heavy duty leech lines centered in the tabling with stitching on either side, leech lines adjustable at clews and at all leech reef cringles with cam cleats to hold adjustments

Repair Kit and Spares: Provide repair kit consisting of extra batten and leech end fitting, 5 awlslip slides, webbing for slides, and misc strips and squares of 9.77 and 10.77 oz cloth, telltale material

Staysail Specifics:

Maximum Dimensions: Luff 38-0, Leech 33-0, Foot 13-10, approx 230 SF

Size/Shape: Maximum size to fill staysail triangle without touching any foredeck equipment, allow clearance over dinghy on cabin top, shape for power under 30 knots of wind but flatter as roller reefed to storm jib

Reefing: Nr 5 luff tape for roller furling/reefing on Profurl NC 42, stitch in best quality closed cell foam in luff enclosed in polyester cloth to flatten sail shape when roller reefed as storm jib

Clew Position: Generally high to clear dinghy on foredeck and so reefed sheet leads remain nearly same as unreefed, unfurled clew position should just clear mast and forward lower shrouds

Sun Protection: Charcoal grey Sunbrella acrylic, sewn on port side, cover entire length of leech and foot and head and tack corners back approx 2' along luff edges, sew acrylic around edges and corners and over cloth and all strain relief webbing, install sun cover so easily replaced without removing any webbing or cloth

Telltales: Place three telltales 12" aft of luff at 20/40/60% up from tack

Jib Sail Specifics:

Maximum Dimensions: Luff 56-0, Leech 50-6, Foot 26-9, approx 700 sf . Note that Soggy Paws has a TALL rig.

2016 Note: After cruising many miles, and buying the Code Zero for light winds, we think this sail as specified is TOO BIG I would cut it down to at least 110% and not try to use it as a light air sail. The original CSY sail plan called for a Yankee with a high cut foot. If you plan to sail in areas where the wind is consistently more than 10-15 knots, you might consider going with a Yankee.

Size/Shape: Approximately 120% overlap for my cutter rig with full entry and straight exit

Reefing: Roller furling/reefing for profurl nc 42 (with heavy nr 6 luff tape), stitch in best quality closed cell foam in luff enclosed in polyester cloth to maintain sail shape during roller reefing

Clew Position: Near boom height about 6' off deck and so reefed sheet leads remain nearly same as unreefed, ensure matches up with pole end approx 2' longer than J dimension

Sun Protection: Charcoal grey sunbrella acrylic, sewn on port side, cover entire length of leech and foot and head and tack corners back approx 2' along both edges, sew acrylic around edges and corners and over cloth and all strain relief webbing, install sun cover so easily replaced without removing any webbing or cloth

Chafe Protection: Sew in generous sized spreader patches of UV resistant polyester p & s

Telltales: Place three telltales 12" aft of Luff at 20/40/60% up from tack

Mainsail Specifics:

Maximum dimensions: Luff 52-9, Foot 15-7, Leech 53-8, approx 430 SF. Note that Soggy Paws has a TALL rig.

Size/Shape: Loose footed cruising main with full entry and straight exit, easily flattened for heavier wind with outhaul and cunningham, maximum draft well forward, design with 12" roach that does not touch backstay

Reefing: 2 reefs at approx 31 and 58 percent of sail area, 9' and 19' up luff, second reef should leave head near inner forestay junction, use hydraulically pressed large SS Rugerson #25 luff cringles with hand sewn webbed rings port and starboard, positioned to reach reefing hook at gooseneck over stacked sail, leech cringles same construction but larger #35 Rugerson cringles, extra cloth layering opposing strain at all reefing cringles, extra cloth layer under reef point eyes

Chafe Protection: Sew in heavy chafe protection port and starboard over batten pockets and sail where they contact shrouds or spreaders, accommodate full hoist and both reefed positions, goal is to protect sail on long down wind runs with boom fully out and sail in contact with rig for long periods of time, chafe material to be further discussed

Luff: all intermediate mainsail slides to be hand sewn on with 1" heavy tubular webbing, use PTFE Awlslip internal slides, double up at head and major stress points, use full length 3/8" New England spun Dacron boltrope with 9 oz tape over along entire luff

Telltales: Position top two at leech end of top two battens and bottom two at max draft 25 and 50% up from foot

Corners: Use #35 all SS hydraulically pressed Rugerson ring at head and tack, use heavy welded SS exposed ring with strong webbing strain reliefs at tack, use extra thickness reinforcing patches at corners as necessary to ensure extra strong attachment

Cunningham: Place Rugerson all SS hydraulically pressed Cunningham ring along luff above tack

Battens: Install five full length batten pockets in sail consisting of 3 layers of 9 oz cloth (27 oz total) producing a tube for the batten sewn on a separate heavy cloth slab,
- Leech ends to consist of 4 layers of 9 oz cloth to hold the protected batten end,
- Use Bainbridge Aqua Batten A305 hardware at forward ends to tension the batten and provide a universal joint with the Awlslip internal slides
- Provide four 7/16" and one 3/8" full length round pultruded fiberglass battens with glued on leech end fittings

Reefing Safety Straps: Owner to make two straps made with 1.5" heavy tubular webbing long enough for three passes around reefing cringle and boom (boom 1'-9"), using hook and loop strapping sew hook on one side and loop on other full length
(top)

(Posted 4/23/2004) Mack Sails of Stuart FL is a high quality sail maker specializing in cruising sails. Both Tom Service/SV Jean Marie and Ron Sheridan/SV Memory Rose have had or are having sails made by Mack. My current Yankee Jib and Staysail are old Mack sails probably 15 or more years old. I have checked Mack out carefully and they are top notch but also not inexpensive.

That said, I chose Super Sailmakers of Ft Lauderdale for all the reasons I mentioned in my post of a couple months ago. They are starting to construct my new sails next week. My Mainsail is also full batten and loose footed but with a different batten/slide system and a recent change to 3 reefs. We too are planning a circumnavigation and I believe either sail maker can properly advise you and construct suitable sails for that kind of service.

Be sure to check out all the features each offer, especially the quality of sail cloth before you sign up. Also, it is most important to have any sail maker you choose come and personally measure your boat with you present so you can review with him the myriad of details that will require your attention. That may be difficult if you are on the West coast. I sure was glad I was there when Peter Grimm measured my boat. (top)

(Topica Post 11/23/2004) In reply to David's post re installing a roller furling staysail here's what we did. An article in Cruising World several years ago by Peter Rabbit's owners describes most of this project.

First, the club foot on the staysail is unnecessary and very dangerous in a really heavy seaway. I was convinced to make a change after the 20 year old SS fitting that holds the club gooseneck broke while underway on a Boy Scout trip. The sail is small and can easily be tacked after you are done tacking the jib, usually without even a winch handle. I initially installed a new 3/8" wire stay with toggles top and bottom and a new turnbuckle to replace the existing 1/4" wire stay. I removed the track from the roller furling main, another headache now gone, cut two 4' sections and installed them outboard port and starboard on the cabin top. I moved the two Lewmar 30 ST winches, originally used for the double ended main sheet, to the forward cockpit combing port and starboard. The Barient 27 ST, originally used for the staysail sheet, I moved aft on the port cockpit combing for the mainsheet (now dead ended on the other side). By fair leading the staysail sheets on each side through sliding blocks on the two cabin top tracks and then through standup blocks at the aft end of the tracks you can lead the sheets through small holes in the dodger front direct to the Lewmar 30 ST winches. In the last two years I have added rope clutches just forward of these two sheet winches to allow them to be used for other lines.

And finally the roller furling for the staysail I added just this year as I was able to pick up a Profurl NC 42, used, for $600 that matches the one I have on the jib. I originally chose Profurl over the others because of the reputation it has with the round the world racing sailors. If you find one used with bent extrusions they can easily be bent back straight. Profurl, now owned by Wichard, can also make repairs at reasonable cost. Although the argument against using roller furling on the staysail includes the slight possibility of mechanical failure, most riggers and sail makers now agree that the state of the art in furlers is such that the chance of a failure is very small.

There are two compelling reasons to use roller furling for the staysail. First, the much more convenient furling and unfurling of the sail results in greatly increased use when you need it. And second, when sailing in very rough conditions, you can easily reef the sail to storm jib size from the safety of the cockpit rather than having to go to the fore deck to replace the staysail with a storm jib. If you have a club foot it is downright life threatening.

My new staysail is built heavy enough and sized to get to storm jib size in two rolls of the roller furler. The only additional running rigging requirement is to lead the roller furling/reefing line to the cockpit. It has to be strongly made, kept in good condition and lead through strong fairleads all the way to a winch in the cockpit. I added a rope clutch to the cap rail just forward of the mid ships steps and a Barient 27 to the aft starboard cockpit combing for just this purpose. After 20 trips up and down the Keys I can tell you that this system works just fine. The only down side to all this is the added expense, a new sail, a couple of boat $ units, and some work on your part installing the furler and deck hardware. Anyone that can read instructions and get up their mast can do this project. If you plan on keeping your boat and sailing in blue water you'll find it all well worthwhile. (top)

(CSY Owners Post 5/23/2009) During the past 12 years I have had three staysail arrangements on the boat, original clubfooted RF with Hyde Streamstay, loose footed hank on and now loose footed RF with Profurl NC 42.

We now use a 120 pct (700) SF jib and a nearly 100 pct staysail on the boat. Both use Profurl NC 42 furlers. The jib has no problem tacking through the slot between the two because it can slide on the staysail extrusion easier than on a staysail stay alone. When tacking we deal with the jib first and then the staysail. A child could tack the small staysail without a winch handle, and actually it helps the tack back winded. And, most important, if properly sized and weighted you can quickly furl it to storm sail size in a blow. No need to go out on the fore deck to hoist another sail in really heavy weather. You will use the stay sail much more if it is roller furled. And it is a great sail for the boat because you can quickly reduce the sail plan to heavy weather/storm size without losing all your headsails as would be the case with a sloop rig.

If you read any of the storm tactics literature on heavy weather you will find that a club foot is a liability as it prevents you from safely working on the fore deck. If it ever gets loose in a blow you have real trouble. Finally, most cruisers use the top of the main cabin in that area to stow the dinghy while underway offshore. A club foot boom and its running rigging will usually foul that area.

(Topica Post 2005) Here, for anyone interested are our specs for a new storm trysail for Soggy Paws to be built by Super Sailmakers in Ft Lauderdale. By way of explanation as to how we arrived at the square footage target, the ORC maximum, (P X E)X.175, for a tall rig is about 145 sf. Since our third reef in the new main is 185 sf, not too much more than the 145 sf, we decided to drop down a little more to allow the sail to be carried in a bit stronger wind and yet still move the boat. This is where the sail maker's offshore experience will help you make the right decision the first time. I am now growing tired of spending money on sails so this will be the last one. When we leave for the Pacific we will carry the three new sails, jib, main and staysail, the new storm trysail and our old but refurbished staysail. At the advice of several cruisers who have crossed the Pacific, and because of our rising waterline and overflowing lockers, we will not carry a spinnaker/drifter. I feel somewhat better about that decision now that we have installed a new additional fuel tank and can carry 160 gallons of diesel, enough for about a week of motoring.

Below are several pictures of the original CSY SS boom gooseneck fitting and a new tack fitting with reefing horns made by JSI in St Petersburg, FL. Also there are pictures of modifications I made to the boom for the control lines, the vang/boom brake system and the new location for the reefing winch on the aft side of the boom. This winch has been upgraded to self tailing in 2007.

The issue of whether or not to replace 30 year old 304 SS internally mounted chainplates should be a no brainer. Any rigger will tell you it is at least 10 years past time. When I took mine out in 2000 in Trinidad, I cleaned them up and set them on the ground overnight. The next morning it was easy to see all the small hairline cracks.

There is no way you can evaluate the chainplates without taking them out of the boat. It is a worth while project if you expect to retain your mast intact in any wind. There are several posts describing the technique on this list. Also at least two of the CSY owner websites have information.

I have seen one break and heard of several others. A friend with a 44 WO doing Boy Scout charters had his original cap shroud chain plate break just below the caprail in 15 knots of wind. He was able to tack quickly and avoid a dismasting. I sold him my 5 year old 316 SS original design chain plates and had new round external ones built to Ron's design. If you want to retain the original internal mounting I'd recommend doing them all in one piece, no welding, like Chilly Pepper did.

Any 304 SS over 15 years old is suspect. Risking losing your mast is not worth it. This project should be right up there at the top of your work list. And while you are at it, how about those 30 year old mast tangs at the other end of your rigging?

(Topica Post 14 April 99)This is no easy task but well worth the time, money and effort. From the start, because they all showed moderate corrosion, were 20 years old and had persistent leaks, I had decided to remove and inspect them all, rather than just try to clean up and inspect the inside surface. Now that I've removed them, I don't see how you could do a proper inspection, especially of the critical hull/deck joint area, without taking them out. Because of the age and importance of these pieces to the strength of the rig I had pretty much convinced myself that this was going to be a replacement job.

During removal I encountered few problems until I tried to punch the lower 1/2 inch bolts out from the inside the boat after removing the locknuts. Most would not budge. Moderate heat applied to the threaded end of the bolts with a propane torch softened the 5200 and resin enough so that they popped out easily with a center punch and hammer. The upper bolts were removed by attaching vice grips to the nut inside and turning the flathead slotted bolt outside with a ground to fit chisel held with another vice grip.

After cleaning the chain plates thoroughly, we could see small stress cracking/crevice corrosion on all the 3/8" flat bar portions and one even had very small radial cracks around the clevis pin hole! We have Rig Check dye penetrant aboard but didn't need it to see the cracks once the chain plates were clean. Also, after a thorough cleaning with toilet bowl cleaner and left out over night, the rust came back in the cracks, making it very easy to see the problem areas.

All six were replaced with 316L SS using mine as templates. The plans I have (drawings 47-18 and 47-19 both alt A ) say the originals were made of 304 CRES SS. The slight loss in strength with 316L SS is offset by the improved corrosion resistance. All our new standing rigging wire is 316 SS for the same reason and with the advice of a good rigger. We also replaced all the bolts with new but since they are way overkill (a 1/4" bolt is worth 7000 lbs in shear) I saw no need to use any exotic metals here and besides 316 or better SS bolts were not available locally.

In order to try to prevent future leaks at the cap rail I did as I have with all the deck and hull fittings. By beveling the opening at the top of the teak cap rail around where the chain plate exits we were able to form a ring of caulk (I used 3M 101) around the chain plate that gets pushed into the joint as you apply pressure with the SS trim piece. This works especially well if you allow the caulk to set up before applying final pressure to the four screws on the trim plate. Also, I carefully smoothed the openings in the cap rail with a small chisel. Then I applied a solid coating of West epoxy and removed the amine blush with a wet 3M pad. This gives the caulk something solid to grab other than raw wood. I believe a big factor in our leaks was this raw wood joint and the unfinished cap rail allowing the water to run through to the hull deck joint. 3M says that 101's adhesion is greatly improved if you use their primer first on raw teak.

If you take this project on plan on two days to remove and the same to replace. We painted the inside of the hull inside the cabinets and left the 1/4" oak ply trim wood off so we can see how the chain plates are doing at any time. They make a great "show and tell" for visitors. Total cost for 6 chain plates using a large industrial welding shop in Trinidad and new 304 SS bolts and nuts was about $750 US. I was sure glad I took the time to do the replacement then as the 20 year old SS was giving me nightmares during those dark stormy nights at sea.

2005 Update: After much frustration trying to stop the leaks coming into the boat through the chain plate cap rail penetrations, and after seeing Ron Sheridan's solution on Memory Rose, I finally bit the bullet and replaced my 5 year old chain plates I had had made in Trinidad with new exterior round ones.

They are all one piece, made of 316L SS, 1/2" instead of 3/8" thick, and fit entirely above the rub rails. Using the same design as Ron, they were made and hand polished by Rick Heim of Gulf Coast Industrial Repair in St Petersburg. Cost for the six plates was about $1500 as the cost of SS has skyrocketed in the past year. The shroud angles were taken from my boat using thin aluminum mockups provided by Rick. They were all done the same with two holes at the top for attaching the shrouds and eight holes for the hull bolts. Inside I used large fender washers under lock nuts since the bolts are in shear. Now no more leaks and I feel even better about my chain plates during those dark stormy nights at sea. They truly are bullet proof. At least four sets of these plates have been made by Rick as of 2007.

I don't have specs for the chain plates, but if you look at Ron Sheridan's Blog site there is lots of detail on the round chain plates. To the right is Ron's sketch of one of his chainplate sections. Here is Ron's writeup on Chainplates.

Rick Heim, our welder in St Pete, also has the info to make these.

Re the fiberglass strength in that area, I believe it is plenty strong as the glass is over 3/4" thick there. Again read Ron's info on his Blog site. We both agree on the strength there. If you have any further doubts google "hand laid fiberglass strength in shear" and see what you get. I know for example the bolts are plenty strong because 1/4" bolts in shear are worth 7000 lbs, and we are using 8 1/2" bolts. No need for titanium or other exotic metals here!

New round external chain plates, three each side with PVC covers	Old internal chain plates with Sunbrella covers, original cap rail
Close up of new chain plates during cap rail change out	Port side view of boat with new chain plates and cap rail

See also Beaujolais' writeup about their chainplate replacement project, and Roger's special tool that made it possible to get the old chainplates out.

Several other CSYers have made chainplate drawings and documented a little bit their trials and tribulations. Here are some zipped chainplate drawing files.

Topica Post 1/13/08 Also, I just replaced my shroud mast tangs with new 316L SS. All the rational for replacing old chainplates applies to these too. I had already replaced two of them with stress cracks years ago. And, like the chain plates, they are almost 30 years old. While we were at it we replaced most of what's on top of the mast also.

As usual, this job I thought would take a day or so took almost four. After years of hoisting someone up by halyard winch we decided to try my Mast Ascenders, similar to ATN's Top Climbers, since we had work to do at the top of the mast. I had never used them although purchased several years ago. They work but are somewhat tiring, especially if you are going up and down more than once a day. However, they do allow work on the top of the mast which you can't do sitting in a chair unless you have steps at the top.

So the third day we decided to try rigging our new spare main halyard with a long tail forward to the windlass. Wow, what an easy way to get up and down. And it's really safe, if you use an internal halyard with a rope clutch on the mast and a good fair lead forward. For added safety we also rigged our main halyard to the bosun's chair. This system is so easy we'll use this from now on to go up and down the mast. Of course, the rest of you have probably figured this out long ago. I'm just glad it's all finally done.

(25 Jan 2010 CSYO Post): I wouldn't want to go up our 65' mast more than once a day with the Mast Ascender, but the Top Climber might be better. Even so, I'm not looking for a workout when doing this, so easier is better.

However, now that we've had that experience and discovered the "windlass powered elevator option" we will never do it any other way in port. This option uses your horizontally mounted windlass to power you up and down as follows:

You will need two main halyards. Both should be 1/2" or better line and led internally over the aft sheaves at your mast top. Don't use an external spinnaker halyard because if the block breaks you may be headed down fast.

The first one, your hoisting halyard, needs a tail long enough to be fairlead to your windlass. In our case this is the boom topping lift which doubles as a spare main halyard. To get the extra tail length you could tie in a suitable length of similar line as a knot will easily roll around the windlass rope drum. If you are unsure what knot to use consult with a good Boy Scout to get help with the bend (knot used to tie two lines together).

Obviously tie your own knot.
The other is your safety halyard, and it is firmly attached at both ends near the deck alongside your hoisting halyard. In our case this safety halyard is our main halyard.

Attach your bosun's chair to the hoisting halyard and run the other end down through a mast mounted rope clutch around a mast mounted halyard winch and then forward to your windlass's rope drum. It helps if you can stand at a proper tailing angle to the windlass and still operate the windlass controls. A good reason to use a wired remote for the windlass instead of deck mounted foot controls.

Climb into your bosun's chair and attach a 3' length of about 3/8" line from the chair lifting point to either side of the safety halyard with a rolling hitch or something similar. The knot you use should easily slide up and down by hand, but should hold firmly if tightned suddenly. Again get help from a Boy Scout, if you are unsure.

Now have your mate operate the windlass to hoist you up while you slide the rolling hitch up with one hand. Do the same coming down. If anything should break or your mate keels over you will still be secure and can yell for help to get down. The rope clutch is a great safety stop on the way up, but must be released, and therefore is of no use on the way down. That's where the short line and rolling hitch come in.

We also have mast steps to the first spreaders for short trips up to get a better look at shallow water ahead. We have used them for that purpose only three times in 10 years.

I doubt that this method would be effective in a gale offshore. But I don't plan to have to go up in that case. That is why we have spare halyards. It works great in calm conditions and makes me feel really safe aloft. And, the best part is that Sherry never complains anymore about having to hoist me up the mast.

After having been up the mast several times on steps in a seaway, they are not necessarily the best solution either. With the mast whipping back and forth, you have to hang on TIGHT! and then you have no hands left to do the work you are trying to do.

And, you get very fatigued very quickly. In just a few minutes (when I was in good shape and under 40), I was in fear of losing my grip due to fatigue. I had to come down and rest (arms and legs shaking) before I could go back up and finish the job (the radar had come off its mounts, after 2 months of pounding to weather on the 'thorny path', and was swinging by its cable!)

But going up the mast with ANYTHING in a seaway is going to be problematic.

Though we do regular rig inspections, we missed a corroding toggle on the backstay until it actually broke. Fortunately, we discovered the broken toggle while doing another pre-passage inspection. I had missed the problem on earlier inspecations because the corrosion was in a place that was difficult to see from my bosun's chair. The backstay toggle had a severe case of crevice corrosion around the pin-hole and needed to be changed out ASAP.

Old and New Toggles

New Toggle in Place

I had 5 spare toggles aboard, but all were for the lower shroud/stay toggles and none were the longer upper stay variety. After searching online and in rigging catalogs, I found that no one makes a toggle that fits our mast cap. So we had to have a new toggle fabricated. I was fortunate to have a friend in Ecuador, where we were at the time, who was fluent in Spanish, and had a car, and the time to hunt down a good fabrication shop in Quito.

I was able to have 2 new ones fabricated of 316L 6mm stainless steel for a total cost of $300. The stainless and the machining was of top quality.

The extra thickness makes up for the loss in strength when changing from 304 SS, which the original toggles were, to 316L SS.

Changing Profurl Bearings

(9 Sep 09 CSYO Post): Below is information on how to change out a Profurl Roller Furler frozen bearing.

I've had my two Profurl NC42s now for about 10 years with no problems. I have, however, heard of one or two bearing problems in the past. If you figure out how to take yours apart look closely for any sign of water intrusion into the bearings and where it might have come from.

I believe the Profurl manual says to wash them off with fresh water after use. So if you haven't been doing that and salt water got inside that may be the problem. It could also be a problem with the extrusions and their connecting pieces that ride around the headstay. Or a bent extrusion. You might want to look around carefully for other things that might be causing the problem before you launch into the bearings.

(29 Sep Jackson CSYO Post): Ok, I removed the system and found that the bearings in the main swivel unit had started rusting up. The double lipped seals had let moisture in.

Taking them apart is pretty much the same as any mechanical seal, I first drilled a small hole into the seal in order to get a scratch awl into the seal without damaging the bearing surfaces in order to pry out the seal (you are going to destroy the seal any way you do it). I have pictures and a diagram of how they are assembled in case anyone needs it. Once the seal is removed, there are three snap-rings in the interior of the swivel, both internal and external types. The first one is mainly a stop for the seal, then on some there is an aluminum spacer that needs to come out before you can remove the next snap-ring that holds the bearings. After removal of the second one you can press the center section of the swivel out of the carrier which will push out the other seal.

I found info on the bearing sizes from Pro furl and went to Miller Bearings in Tampa and they ordered the correct sizes for me. The old bearings are carbon steel, open faced, as an extra precaution I ordered sealed bearing as well as outer seals as before.

Assembly is a little different than removal, you must install the first seal onto the center section and put on the first snap-ring before pressing it into the carrier, unless you have some very long snap-ring pliers.

The system is back up and working smoothly at a cost of less than $120. I also found that this is a more common problem than we thought. Most riggers do not even bother replacing the bearings, they just order new assemblies. Don't want to think about how much that would have cost.

Profurl of course advertises their systems as having lifetime seals, but they don't warrant them that long. There are some of their furling units that they no longer make parts for, my particular one is in that category as it is a mainsail furler unit. replacing the whole assembly was not an option.

Once you have reviewed the theory from the books, it is a good thing to learn from a rigger the first time you have it done. I hired a local well-regarded rigger to do my boat, and took good notes my first time and have done it myself ever since. (Nowadays, you can probably find a Youtube on this...)

Using a Loos PT-3 rig tension gage is a big help so that you can tighten to the same tension each time. New wire stretches. You should retune after a haulout, and once fully loaded for cruising.

Below is how Gary of Keys Rigging taught me, but other riggers may do this differently.

The tension numbers off the Loos gage I use for my CSY Tall Rig are:
-Lower shrouds 21-23
-Intermediate shrouds 23-26
-Upper/cap shrouds 41-43
-Backstay 41-45
-Staysail stay 23-26

You start by loosening up all shrouds and stays including any upper diagonals. Use two strong screwdrivers, one to turn the turnbuckle body while holding the upper screw attached to the wire with the other. Use lubrication on the turnbuckle screw threads to keep them from galling. Tefgel is best but others will work.

Then position the top of the mast in the center athwart ships of the boat by direct measurement with a strong tape to the cap rails.

Next, have a look from about 100' away at the side of the boat and make sure the mast is vertical fore and aft, or slightly raked aft, but no more than a degree or so. It should not be raked forward at all. My rigger told me that the normal eye can see the difference in a degree of mast angle. You could also use a level for this.

Starting with the upper shrouds and moving down, sight up the mainsail track and get the mast straight by tensioning at least half full tension on both sides.

Starting with the bottom shrouds and moving up, tighten to full tension by tensioning equally on both sides. Keep the mast track straight. The longer the shroud the more tension it will need.

Tensioning the stays requires some trial and error. Since the fore and backstays are about the same length as the cap shroud they need about the same tension. Also, you want a little bend in the mast, but no more than half the fore and aft mast dimension. 1.5-2.0" is best for the 44 masts. You also want the fore stay tight enough so you don't get the jib falling off too much to leeward when going up wind. Same for the staysail.

Start by tightening the forestay and backstay equally to half tension. The backstay tension should approximately equal the forestay tension, so if you have a furler on the forestay you will only be able to gage the backstay. Check the mast angle to make sure it is still vertical as described above. Next tighten the backstay to full tension and see what this does to the mast bend. Sight up the rear of the mast from the side, and if you get satisfactory bend stop. If not you will have to work with the two turnbuckles until you get proper tension and bend.

Finally, check the intermediates to see if their tension is still correct. If not, adjust them and/or the staysail stay. Staysail stay tension will be approximately the same as the intermediates.

Once all is done, reinsert straight cotter pins and bend the ends out no more than 20 degrees. That's plenty to hold them in place and will allow you to get them out easily next time.

Then take the boat to sea. Check to see if the mast remains straight in 15 knots of wind on a beam reach. Check that you still have proper mast curve. Also, you should have no floppy shrouds. Finally, check the two headsails for no more than about 12-15" camber in the two stays.

That's about it. At the dock it will take you a good half day and it's best done with two persons-one to keep an eye on the mast track and the other to turn the turnbuckles.