Kanaloa Rebuild Page 6

Even though we have had the boat out and raced it (and won!), there were still enough odds and ends left that it took us almost a full day to finish. Fortunately, the temperatures had moderated and we were able to tackle below decks, which were a mess.

The results of a second round of getting rid of unnecessary weight below decks. Anything that didn't get used for racing was gone. My biggest problem is finding a place to put all this stuff at home, at least the stuff that didn't go in the dumpster. We got so serious that we took an angle grinder with a cutting disk and cut all the extra off the screwing holding all the deck hardware. They were head knockers anyway and needed to go so they didn't hang on sails or scalps.

The results of an hour of vacuuming and scrubbing. This is the only time I have seen David clean a boat. His usual response to cleaning is "It doesn't make it go any faster!" Well, this time it has a direct impact on racing, after cutting all the screw ends off, there was a lot of metal dust down below and we didn't want it getting on the sails. Between the metal dust and the dirt from the mud dauber nests, we probably pulled an extra pound or two of weight off the boat, but don't it look pretty? Didn't even leave the curtains! Notice the extra screws at the bottom of the starboard bulkhead.

So, this is what I am told the inside of a race boat is supposed to look like. In the lower right you can see the extra screws used to hold the port bulkhead in place for the internal stiffeners. Notice you can see all the way to the stern under the starboard cockpit seat. All the hatch covers have been moved into the V-birth to move as much weight as possible forward.

This odd looking contraption is a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe held in place by yard implement clips used to hang rakes and hoes on the garage wall. Why? Well..

Here is the top view. The pipe provides a clean exit for the spinnaker on launch. Yes, we do a cockpit launch, no bag on the bow. This keeps the bowline and top of the spin from catching in the corner of the hatch and the side. It is clipped in so if it get stepped on, it won't break, it will just pop out. Makes launching the spinnaker less of a headache, the halyard, knot and head just spill right out.

Yeah, I made you wait, but here they are, the new sails, or "wheels" as John Barlett calls them. Thanks to John and Bartlett Sails for a great set of club racing sails. The genoa is Kevlar with tabs instead of hanks and is as light as a feather. The main is dacron and very crispy and loud! Every new little crinkle hurts my heart, but I guess I have to get used to it, they won't be perfect for ever! The main is at the loft as I speak having a window added in front of the second batten from the bottom so the crew can see the leeward spreader while using the cross sheeting on the high side.

I bought a Bartlett "Elephant Butt" spinnaker a couple of years ago and it hasn't been out of the bag more than 10 times, so it is practically new. So, I hopefully will be good for a couple of years of club racing. New sails is not something I want to do every year. At least not at this level of racing. Had we been building sails for the Nationals or the NOOD, there are a few things we would have done different, sacrificing sail life for weight and shape.

Ok, I just had to throw in this picture of the whole rig at the work area at AYC.

Here she is, in the water, ready to go. And she went FAST.

What's Left?

Like I said, you never really finish, you just pick a point and quit. We have stopped the intensive phase of this project after 3+ months of working on Sundays. It look a lot more than I anticipated, but that is the case with any project. There are still things left to do:

So far, I am about $4000 into this project, including sails, hardware, line, rigging. This doesn't include the original cost of the boat or spinnaker, my time, David's time, lunches, gas driving back and forth and misc stuff. Many thanks to Vic Manning at West Marine in Austin and especially to David Rehberg for all his time, expertise and tools!

The opinions expressed on these pages are just that, opinions. The way we have rigged this boat works for us on this lake. There are as many different opinions as how to rig these boats as there are boats. Hopefully we have provided some suggestions you may find helpful. This is the 3rd Catalina that David has rigged and I am glad to get the benefit of his experience. The final word on whether we have gotten it right will come out on the water. I will keep you posted. Thanks for reading!

*The Rebirth of Kanaloa, Finished*
I have been told that you never finish a refit project, you just pick a place and quit. Well, we have picked a place and have quit. For now.
Even though we have had the boat out and raced it (and won!), there were still enough odds and ends left that it took us almost a full day to finish. Fortunately, the temperatures had moderated and we were able to tackle below decks, which were a mess. Just a reminder of what below looked like before we started. The results of a second round of getting rid of unnecessary weight below decks. Anything that didn't get used for racing was gone. My biggest problem is finding a place to put all this stuff at home, at least the stuff that didn't go in the dumpster. We got so serious that we took an angle grinder with a cutting disk and cut all the extra off the screwing holding all the deck hardware. They were head knockers anyway and needed to go so they didn't hang on sails or scalps. The results of an hour of vacuuming and scrubbing. This is the only time I have seen David clean a boat. His usual response to cleaning is "It doesn't make it go any faster!" Well, this time it has a direct impact on racing, after cutting all the screw ends off, there was a lot of metal dust down below and we didn't want it getting on the sails. Between the metal dust and the dirt from the mud dauber nests, we probably pulled an extra pound or two of weight off the boat, but don't it look pretty? Didn't even leave the curtains! Notice the extra screws at the bottom of the starboard bulkhead. So, this is what I am told the inside of a race boat is supposed to look like. In the lower right you can see the extra screws used to hold the port bulkhead in place for the internal stiffeners. Notice you can see all the way to the stern under the starboard cockpit seat. All the hatch covers have been moved into the V-birth to move as much weight as possible forward. This odd looking contraption is a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe held in place by yard implement clips used to hang rakes and hoes on the garage wall. Why? Well.. Here is the top view. The pipe provides a clean exit for the spinnaker on launch. Yes, we do a cockpit launch, no bag on the bow. This keeps the bowline and top of the spin from catching in the corner of the hatch and the side. It is clipped in so if it get stepped on, it won't break, it will just pop out. Makes launching the spinnaker less of a headache, the halyard, knot and head just spill right out. Yeah, I made you wait, but here they are, the new sails, or "wheels" as John Barlett calls them. Thanks to John and Bartlett Sails for a great set of club racing sails. The genoa is Kevlar with tabs instead of hanks and is as light as a feather. The main is dacron and very crispy and loud! Every new little crinkle hurts my heart, but I guess I have to get used to it, they won't be perfect for ever! The main is at the loft as I speak having a window added in front of the second batten from the bottom so the crew can see the leeward spreader while using the cross sheeting on the high side. I bought a Bartlett "Elephant Butt" spinnaker a couple of years ago and it hasn't been out of the bag more than 10 times, so it is practically new. So, I hopefully will be good for a couple of years of club racing. New sails is not something I want to do every year. At least not at this level of racing. Had we been building sails for the Nationals or the NOOD, there are a few things we would have done different, sacrificing sail life for weight and shape. Ok, I just had to throw in this picture of the whole rig at the work area at AYC. Here she is, in the water, ready to go. And she went FAST. What's Left? Like I said, you never really finish, you just pick a point and quit. We have stopped the intensive phase of this project after 3+ months of working on Sundays. It look a lot more than I anticipated, but that is the case with any project. There are still things left to do: Forward tracks for the 110% jib cars My old dacron 150 genoa is at the loft being cut down to a racing 100% jib I need a new whisker pole and a smaller spinnaker pole There is some rust on the keel that needs to be repaired and re-faired. I need to polish the bottom with teflon boat wax I should get a boom lift for the light winds during the summer I need to add 1/2 inch to the forestay to meet the tuning guide Practice, Practice, Practice So far, I am about $4000 into this project, including sails, hardware, line, rigging. This doesn't include the original cost of the boat or spinnaker, my time, David's time, lunches, gas driving back and forth and misc stuff. Many thanks to Vic Manning at West Marine in Austin and especially to David Rehberg for all his time, expertise and tools! The opinions expressed on these pages are just that, opinions. The way we have rigged this boat works for us on this lake. There are as many different opinions as how to rig these boats as there are boats. Hopefully we have provided some suggestions you may find helpful. This is the 3rd Catalina that David has rigged and I am glad to get the benefit of his experience. The final word on whether we have gotten it right will come out on the water. I will keep you posted. Thanks for reading!
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