c14_Ken
New Member
I just returned from my memorial day sailing trip and I am glad I made it to the dock. Using the Capri 14.2 center board model which is great in our shallow waters. Sailing Charlotte Harbour, Florida Gulf Coast. Winds were 8 mph sustained with <24 mph gusts, according to the weather forecast. All sails fully up and running the boat was near planing. And although the rudder tends to become useless in higher speeds the boat will react very good-natured in puffs meaning it will steer into the wind by itself slowing it down.
Then it happened: With a loud ‘bang’ the backboard steel wire shortly before the spreader broke while being in full speed. The mast and both sails ended up in leeward water and I am glad I didn’t end up there too. Thank god, nobody was sitting on that side of the boat when the mast and sails rained down. And thanks to the trolling motor I was able to make it back to the ramp at all.
After my self-directed evacuation, a closer examination showed the cap shroud wire rusted inside the white insulation that comes standard with the boat. The maststand ripped all out of the fiberglass. Deforming the steel plate that the mast should hold to useless. See attached foto. I always had a bad feeling seeing the mast dancing on the maststep. Only to be hold in place by the cap wires, the selfsupporting jib and a long screw in the mast foot?
Oh Catalina Corp.: That doesn’t give much stability!
My tip of the day: Check all of your wires. Replace the insulated wires with those that you actually can see oxidizing. The insulation keeps them from drying. Keep the wire in tension with the shroud adjuster. You may want to replace the standard shrouds with stainless screwable shrouds. Or: Buy a better boat with a better engineered mast stand. One, that goes all through to the keel and still would be trailerable.
Then it happened: With a loud ‘bang’ the backboard steel wire shortly before the spreader broke while being in full speed. The mast and both sails ended up in leeward water and I am glad I didn’t end up there too. Thank god, nobody was sitting on that side of the boat when the mast and sails rained down. And thanks to the trolling motor I was able to make it back to the ramp at all.
After my self-directed evacuation, a closer examination showed the cap shroud wire rusted inside the white insulation that comes standard with the boat. The maststand ripped all out of the fiberglass. Deforming the steel plate that the mast should hold to useless. See attached foto. I always had a bad feeling seeing the mast dancing on the maststep. Only to be hold in place by the cap wires, the selfsupporting jib and a long screw in the mast foot?
Oh Catalina Corp.: That doesn’t give much stability!
My tip of the day: Check all of your wires. Replace the insulated wires with those that you actually can see oxidizing. The insulation keeps them from drying. Keep the wire in tension with the shroud adjuster. You may want to replace the standard shrouds with stainless screwable shrouds. Or: Buy a better boat with a better engineered mast stand. One, that goes all through to the keel and still would be trailerable.
