improvements

Joe Greco

New Member
My Capri 14.2 is in the water today. But, as I sail it, i find that it is a miserable little boat, with no way to reef unless I add hardware, a silly shock cord that runs the entire length of the floor to the stern to coax the centerboard down, halyards that are too large for the cleats on the mast, the need to reef if the breeze is over 15mph, and the "traveler" on the stern wraps itself around everything back there including the trolling motor when it is slack.

So, i removed the "traveler" and rigged a 2:1 on the barney post alone. I made some reeling cleats out of a cutting board I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond to make the inside reef points workable. I shortened the centerboard bungie cord to connect under the barney post so it would be something less to stumble in in the small cockpit. Not spending any money on new halyards unless I fall in love with it.

I took an adjustable aluminum door jam and fabricated a boom kicker that works well.

Added hardware and small mechanical advantage to the main sail reef set up.

Added lazy jacks to prevent the mainsail from coming down into the cockpit as it is lowered. Works better than having none at all.

My dream boat is a Beneteau 235 but they are too expensive and too far away. I guess I settled for the Capri 14.2. If I can't get it to work less miserably with the next few weeks, its going to the sale yard. It getting better.
 

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Yes I understand your complaints, I bought my 1986 version 1 for $1200 and knew it would take a lot of work to get it where it needed to be. My few shakedown sails last fall confirmed much of what you say here.
Issues and how I dealt with them:
1. Yes the boat is a bit overcanvassed and gets squirlley in gusty conditions. So I devised a way to drop the jib while underway by installing larger hasps and then inserting a 5/16" line in them. Run it through the clip that secures the tack to the boat and then back to the cockpit. Then you have a way to pull it down and keep it secured as needed. Originally was going to do roller furling but this is much cheaper. And on the plus side the big canvass does make for better light air sailing. There is a fixed keel version of this boat which is quite stable but also much heavier, harder to trailer, store and launch.
2. Installed reef points on the main just like you did. Probably would be a bit dicey to reef down while underway so will need to decide whether reef or not prior to leaving dock. Also added slugs to luff so sail can be flaked on the boom for motoring along with facilitating the reef setup. Slugs make it a lot easier to hoist/lower the sail.
3. Also shared the pain of the traveller line getting tangled with the tiller. By raising the height of the pulley assembly as much as possible hopefully this problem will be solved.
4. I'm installing a motor mount and swim ladder on the transom. My boat had no reinforcement so I inserted wood backing through holes created in the seating areas. The mount puts the trolling motor about 10" behind the transom so that should also help keep it clear of lines. I can see where hanging the motor directly on the transom would be a hassle.
5. Did invest in properly sized lines for all the rigging, since what came with the boat was shot. Shortened the jib leads to the minimum lengths required. Have a small canvas bag that clips on to the hatch cover, that's where I can stuff my halyard lines. It is a crowded cockpit area for sure, this should help that condition.
6. Years ago I owned a 14' AMF Pintail. It had a steel swing keel. Also the seating was lower in the cockpit because it had no second shell. The floor of the cockpit was the hull itself. Therefore I recall it being more stable than the Capri, but not as fast. Some day I plan on having a pro fabricate a steel board for my boat, which should improve stability.
7. What I do like about the boat is it's easy for a singlehander like myself to trailer, launch, and store the boat on my property. It's also an exciting (and challenging) boat to sail! Also a former owner a Catalina 22 for 6 years so wanted to make this into a smaller version of all the goodies I had on that boat. The only catch here is how to leave the helm unattended while doing work with the sails. I bought a device that mounts under the tiller so it can be locked in place. Hopefully this all works out..........

Best of luck to you!
 
I just bought an 85 in perfect condition. I have been after this boat for a while. I have read the short comings, ordering the baby's bob etc.

How are you handing reefing the main? I have read getting the main to a sail maker to put in a reef point? Is that the solution?

I am fairly new to sailing so excuse the ignorance.
 
Mine has reef points already in the main sail. I added some permanent lines and a jam cleat to make it work faster b/c I reefed it quite a bit.

Adding reef points will be a good invstment for your boat.
 
Update. Mine did too. I was surprised but there is another hole in the main. I assume it's the reef point.
 
My only piece of advice is to get that battery mounted in the "cabin" or hold or whatever you'd like to call it. I single hand my Capri and find that it hates having weight in the back (weight in my case being me). Whenever I carry anything (cooler, gear, anchor, etc.) it always is secured at the lowest possible point in the middle of the cabin. I have to imagine that between the battery and the motor you're pushing 50-60 pounds right on the transom, and in my experience, its a lot of weight in a spot that the boat doesn't like. I use the tiller extender and sit as far forward as possible. I'm pretty heavy (apprx. 210 lbs), so maybe I notice it more than others. But if I'm sitting right at the back all the handling characteristics go to crap, there is no way to get enough weight on the rail to prevent being overpowered, and I have a hard time handling the jib lines. I agree that the lack of reefing points is a detriment, and the boat should have come with them as standard. My solution is to sail without the jib and a full main in winds over 15 kts. In anything over that I've found that the jib is just as capable of pulling the boat over as the main is.

My family used to own a 235, what an amazing boat it was. We let it go because I was going to college, but boy do I miss it. I keep an eye out for them regularly, but I only occasionally see them come up for sale, and hardly ever do I see them under $10k.
 
Yes I understand your complaints, I bought my 1986 version 1 for $1200 and knew it would take a lot of work to get it where it needed to be. My few shakedown sails last fall confirmed much of what you say here.
Issues and how I dealt with them:
1. Yes the boat is a bit overcanvassed and gets squirlley in gusty conditions. So I devised a way to drop the jib while underway by installing larger hasps and then inserting a 5/16" line in them. Run it through the clip that secures the tack to the boat and then back to the cockpit. Then you have a way to pull it down and keep it secured as needed. Originally was going to do roller furling but this is much cheaper. And on the plus side the big canvass does make for better light air sailing. There is a fixed keel version of this boat which is quite stable but also much heavier, harder to trailer, store and launch.
2. Installed reef points on the main just like you did. Probably would be a bit dicey to reef down while underway so will need to decide whether reef or not prior to leaving dock. Also added slugs to luff so sail can be flaked on the boom for motoring along with facilitating the reef setup. Slugs make it a lot easier to hoist/lower the sail.
3. Also shared the pain of the traveller line getting tangled with the tiller. By raising the height of the pulley assembly as much as possible hopefully this problem will be solved.
4. I'm installing a motor mount and swim ladder on the transom. My boat had no reinforcement so I inserted wood backing through holes created in the seating areas. The mount puts the trolling motor about 10" behind the transom so that should also help keep it clear of lines. I can see where hanging the motor directly on the transom would be a hassle.
5. Did invest in properly sized lines for all the rigging, since what came with the boat was shot. Shortened the jib leads to the minimum lengths required. Have a small canvas bag that clips on to the hatch cover, that's where I can stuff my halyard lines. It is a crowded cockpit area for sure, this should help that condition.
6. Years ago I owned a 14' AMF Pintail. It had a steel swing keel. Also the seating was lower in the cockpit because it had no second shell. The floor of the cockpit was the hull itself. Therefore I recall it being more stable than the Capri, but not as fast. Some day I plan on having a pro fabricate a steel board for my boat, which should improve stability.
7. What I do like about the boat is it's easy for a singlehander like myself to trailer, launch, and store the boat on my property. It's also an exciting (and challenging) boat to sail! Also a former owner a Catalina 22 for 6 years so wanted to make this into a smaller version of all the goodies I had on that boat. The only catch here is how to leave the helm unattended while doing work with the sails. I bought a device that mounts under the tiller so it can be locked in place. Hopefully this all works out..........

Best of luck to you!

Can you tell what size twist on jib hanks you put on to run the 5/16 line between them? 5mm? Thank you.
 
So, i removed the "traveler" and rigged a 2:1 on the barney post alone.

I don't know if you're an active member or not, but if you are, how did this work out for you?

I was warned not to place too much pressure at a single point on the boom or it could bend the spar. I'm also curious if the Barney Post mounts are strong enough to take the entire load from the mainsail, without the added help the traveler gives, given the boat is over-canvassed.

My plan is to mount two or three separate blocks to the underside of the boom, about a foot apart, in an attempt to spread out the pressure on the spar.

Yesterday while trying to dock, downwind in a stiff breeze, the tiller kept getting tangled in the traveler lines, effectively locking the steering at the worst possible time.

I recently ordered new sails for my 14.2, and I made sure to have the sailmaker install a set of reefing points.
 

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