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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Captmorgan	Posted - 03/21/2020 : 11:15:29 I sail my cat 25 swing keel on Barnegat bay. NJ. Its often windy. Not too windy for most , but I like 10-12 not 14-16. I will often reef before others. Just so Im relaxing. I have been doing this a while and dont expect Ill change much. I have taken many lessons and Im out there to enjoy not ride as fast as I can go. I also get a lot of sun during the day and have a bimini but cant put it up with the main. I also have an extra main I could experiment with. Is it a crazy idea to chop 1 foot off the bottom. Losing close to 10 sq ft/ to enable the pop up and bimini to be up. The gooseneck is adustable. I understanding sailing physic s little and would be worried about the keel force and sail force balance. How will it effect weather helm and drift. Or is it a small change and should I just do it. Has any done this or thought about it.
22 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Captmorgan	Posted - 04/07/2020 : 20:12:22 Well I did mount it already but have to raise the topping lift to use it at the height I like. Im tall. So maybe Ill just try to raise the gooseneck with a reef and see how it does. Thanks
Stinkpotter	Posted - 04/05/2020 : 21:35:31 Tall rig, standard rig, coaming mount, deck mount, fixed gooseneck, sliding gooseneck below or above () the mast gate, 45 or 55 degree legs, sail cover, no sail cover,... Too many variables. Mount the bimini, see how it clears, try out your high school geometry, cut off a little, see how it clears, and then maybe cut off a little more... (When it's over, tell your geometry teacher how well s/he prepared you. )
dmpilc	Posted - 04/05/2020 : 12:51:10 Our bimini's leg length was 36" and mounted on the deck outside the coaming. The boom barely cleared it, sometimes brushing the fabric as we tacked. Cutting the legs to 35" should be fine for a tall rig.
Boomeroo	Posted - 04/03/2020 : 19:21:09 Comfort is important. Unless racing. I have my sliding gooseneck just above the gate, drill small hole thru the sailtrack near mast, and put in SS pin . Then pull main up fully and start reef and pull mainsheet on until just clears bimini. My 1st reef small flattening reef is almost in. I use Cunningham to hold boom 1/4 in above mast track pin. Sail works well and I can stand under bimini while sailing. My lazy jacks are set to stop boom hitting bimini when lowering .. Don't cut the main
bigelowp	Posted - 04/03/2020 : 15:15:09 FWIW -- everyone complains about how the tall rig has so little room from boom to "head" I have a Tall Rig with Tall Rig sails and could easily instal a Bimini. To me it all depends on your height ('m 6'2) and how you set your sail. I keep it as far up the mast as possible.
dmpilc	Posted - 03/30/2020 : 12:57:40 alfreddiaz, you might find it easier and cost-effective to sell your tall rig boat and find a standard rig boat. There is another C-25 guy who installed a traveler at the front of the cockpit seats. That would allow for single handing, if desired, rather than a cabin-top traveler.
alfreddiaz	Posted - 03/30/2020 : 10:36:47 I have a C25 tall rig and have considered what you are doing for a number of years. But cost and work involved are the factors that keep me from doing it. If money and time were not an issue, here is what I would do: (1) Move my boom up a good 8 to 10 inches and attach it there permanently. I would also have to make new track slot opening, which would not be that hard. I think I could grind these out. (2) Have a new sail made to properly fit the new specs. Or have my current sail reshaped from the top. Again, money is not an issue, so I would have a new sail made. (3) Install a new traveler over the companionway, making sure it was designed and installed as such that I can still use the pop top. You could also install instead a traveler between the seats in the forward section of the cockpit, which might make more sense considering the pop top. Of course, along with this, you would need to add a triple block to the boom and include proper boom bails. It's doable. I have sailed on boats with mid-boom travelers that attach at the seat in the cockpit or over the companionway. I find them to nice. FYI to all the crew, please forgive me if I am using the wrong terms, but I do have the right idea. I have been studying this for years. Once you do this, you can get a really long Bimini, put in on tracks if you want, and enjoy the shade while sailing. Also, I am interested in which adjustable goose neck you are using. I have always considered getting one but worried they could not handle the full load of a hard boom slam (not that I should be letting the boom slam). If you don't mind posting or sending either a picture or link or both, that would be appreciated. Thanks. Al
Stinkpotter	Posted - 03/28/2020 : 13:52:05 As I recall, I set the topping lift to be just a little slack at full hoist with the mainsheet fully tight. Then I figured the bimini height so the center hoop barely cleared the edge of the sail cover. I think I cut it twice to get what I wanted--it's wise to take off not quite enough the first time. Here was my result: (Simple geometry shows to lower the height 1", you take off 1.4" of the 45-deg. leg.)
Captmorgan	Posted - 03/28/2020 : 12:40:43 Thanks for all the feedback. I have a mast gate but I wouldn't count on it holding the gooseneck in. Next time I'm out by the boat I can test some ideas. I think I can lower the legs on Bikini a little. Whats a good clearance distance? 1 inch, 2 inches.T ine tune it I'll have to be under load. I won't cut it for now.
dmpilc	Posted - 03/25/2020 : 14:00:49 I put a bimini on our tall rig C25 and could sail it under full main. We transferred the bimini our C22, and it just barely fit without shortening the legs. Being a tall rig, of course you couldn't stand up under the bimini, but we could sail in light air that way. The boom would skim across the bimini frame, sometimes very lightly touching it. If we reefed the main, no problem. Our bimini height measurement was 36" and we had it installed just outside the coaming on the deck, too wide to mount it on the coaming. With your standard rig, how much would you really need to shorten the main to keep a full hoist?
sethp001	Posted - 03/24/2020 : 14:19:58 quote: Originally posted by Stinkpotter I wouldn't rely on mast gates to hold the gooseneck under load. But they are good for containing the slugs when you reef or drop the sail. Agreed. If you go with the mast gate, watch for deformation of the gate while under load. The gate will bend and fail before the fasteners fail.
Stinkpotter	Posted - 03/23/2020 : 20:44:05 I wouldn't rely on mast gates to hold the gooseneck under load. But they are good for containing the slugs when you reef or drop the sail.
sethp001	Posted - 03/23/2020 : 13:14:03 quote: Originally posted by Stinkpotter Just don't take an approach that raises the gooseneck so far that you risk it popping out of the opening in the mast slot, such as when you tension the halyard after tucking in a reef. You can get a MastGater sail track gate from Catalina Direct, which will prevent the gooseneck from popping out of the slot.
Stinkpotter	Posted - 03/23/2020 : 08:42:44 Just don't take an approach that raises the gooseneck so far that you risk it popping out of the opening in the mast slot, such as when you tension the halyard after tucking in a reef. How much would you need to shorten the bimini legs to clear the boom without a reef? We put a bimini on our SR, and shortened the legs enough to clear, both at full hoist and with the sail cover on. We could sit comfortably under it, and I could stand behind it and see over the top to leeward when under way. Squaring off the top would require a new headboard as well as a batten up there, and you wouldn't be able to raise it to the top--it would hang up on the backstay on your first tack. So that might not allow you to raise the boom very much.
Captmorgan	Posted - 03/23/2020 : 06:12:51 Thanks. This is a good Idea but I often sail wtih the main reefed. it will probably be the same right?
islander	Posted - 03/23/2020 : 04:38:27 The difference is that normally to reef you would lower the sail but that wouldn't change the height of the boom. This way you don't lower the sail but instead raise the boom to the reef cringle's. .
Captmorgan	Posted - 03/22/2020 : 20:57:26 This is a good Idea butI often sail wtih the main reefed. it will probably be the same right?
islander	Posted - 03/22/2020 : 08:06:55 You could reef the main then unlock your gooseneck so it slides then raise the main up untill the boom clears the Bimini then lock down the gooseneck and tighten up the main halyard. You could then sail it like that to get a feel for how it would be before cutting things up.
Voyager	Posted - 03/21/2020 : 23:26:46 How about cutting a foot off the head and squaring that up. You might need a batten up there to maintain sail shape but if I were going to trim, I�d do it where the effect might be less impactful.
Captmorgan	Posted - 03/21/2020 : 20:47:56 Thank for the feedback. Since I have and extra main sail I can try it with little loss. I like having both points of view. I think I could modify the Bimini but I would give up head room. Ill ponder some more
sethp001	Posted - 03/21/2020 : 14:01:57 My old slip neighbor did exactly what you�re considering. He�s been very happy with it. The improved comfort outweighed the loss in performance.
Steve Milby	Posted - 03/21/2020 : 12:26:19 First, a bimini can be installed on a standard rig C25 so that it doesn't interfere with the mainsail. Many of our members have done it. So, my suggestion is that you let them help you modify your installation so that it works without interfering with your main sail. I wouldn't worry too much about messing up the boat's balance or weather helm. Weather helm and balance aren't fixed. They're adjustable. You change the adjustments when you change the size of the jib or reef the mainsail, and even by making sail trim adjustments. Generally you keep those matters in reasonable balance by your sail choices and trimming practices. But, even if you're not a racer, you probably enjoy it when your boat performs well, and become frustrated when you can't keep it moving in light air. Losing 9' of mainsail will affect your boat's sailing ability in lighter air. Speed begets speed. Conversely, the slower your boat goes, the slower it is capable of going. Personally, I wouldn't cut a foot off my main sail if I could solve my problem by modifying the installation of my bimini.

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.