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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 Catalina 250 Specific Forum
 Mainsail/spreaders question:		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Initially Posted - 11/01/2006 :  11:27:46  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
Running downwind, the mainsail pushes against the spreaders. I notice that the main is not reinforced at that point. Shouldn't it be to prevent a rubbing tear over time?
Frank Farmer
Long Beach, CA
aa.diver@verizon.net
http://mysite.verizon.net/aa.diver

PRETTY PENNY
'01 C-250 WK, Hull #558
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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts
Response Posted - 11/01/2006 :  16:03:02  Show Profile  Visit aeckhart's Homepage
You can have a sail maker do the job, but for less money you can avoid the potiential chafe by trimming the main so that it doesn't make contact with the spreader. The same applies to chafe on the shrouds. Some is unavoidable, some is.
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Response Posted - 11/01/2006 :  17:27:41  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
"...trimming the main so that it doesn't make contact with the spreader."

That would prevent 250's from sailing on a beam reach, broad reach, or a wing and wing run. Not a "solution". I'll ring Catalina and get some input as to why the spreader contact on the main isn't reinforced.
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5895 Posts
Response Posted - 11/01/2006 :  17:38:40  Show Profile
If you have rubber covers on your spreader tips, it shouldn't be a problem. I had a 20 year old mainsail on my C25, and the spreaders never chafed the sail, even though it laid against the spreaders frequently on a run. If you're a long distance cruiser, and might sail downwind for days at a time, it might be a concern, but for most of us, a downwind run of more than an hour would be fairly unusual.
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Response Posted - 11/01/2006 :  19:04:40  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
Catalina returned my call. They're sending me "chafing strips" to have sewn on my main; free strips but I have to pop for the stitching from a local loft.
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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts
Response Posted - 11/01/2006 :  19:29:41  Show Profile  Visit Champipple's Homepage
These days most chaffing strips are adhesive backed and can be put on easily without stitching.
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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts
Response Posted - 11/01/2006 :  19:56:16  Show Profile  Visit Frank Hopper's Homepage
and are worth about 60 cents a piece but I got mine free. You can see the round patch to protect from the spreaders, I also have patches you cannot see to protect the battens when the sail is reefed. It takes a lot of patches to cover all the bases.
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kevinmac
Admiral

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USA
732 Posts
Response Posted - 11/02/2006 :  10:05:42  Show Profile
FWIW Frank, I sail my C250WK on all the points of sail that you mentioned without letting the sail contact the spreader (most of the time, sometimes I slip and let it touch). I was taught that if the sail should never touch the spreader, because of the wear you talked about. I am not an expert on sail trim, not sure why yours is different. Maybe I run my sail flatter than you.
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Response Posted - 11/02/2006 :  12:22:00  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
How far aft are your spreaders raked? Perhaps not as far on an '06 as on my '01. My main touches the spreaders between a close and a beam reach. I'll post a pic tomorrow.
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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts
Response Posted - 11/03/2006 :  06:28:33  Show Profile  Visit Arlyn Stewart's Homepage
Frank... are you hardening the vang well when off wind?

I found the vang to need some upgrading from stock configuration on the 250. It benefitted from adding a wire section and wire block to double the purchase from 4:1 to 8:1 and modifying the cam angel on the block to provide a proper angle for cleating and releasing.

If the vang is led aft through a deck organizer, then of course there will be no cleat on the block and likely no need for additional purchase but there will be increased drag likely requiring the winch to get the vang hard enough.

If the boom doesn't bow down slightly with the vang hardened, it probably isn't enough.
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Response Posted - 11/03/2006 :  11:36:57  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
Even with the vang snugged tight the main bulges from spreader contact from a beam reach to a run. Catalina's sending me chafing strips which I hope I can glue on and not have a loft sew them on.
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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3439 Posts
Response Posted - 11/03/2006 :  12:06:29  Show Profile  Visit OLarryR's Homepage
I agree with Steve in that my sails are about 16 yrs old and they do not have any tears or one brewing near where the sail touches the spreader. My thought is that if one has a relatively new boat or recently bought new sails, there would be much more concern over this issue because no one knows what your long term effects will be. The fact that they have strips to address this issue would suggest that area could wear over time for some but probably not an issue for most. Having old sails, it is much easier for me to do nothing. I probably will be replacing the sails in the next year or two anyway...and then I will probably be mulling over this issue as well.
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AADIVER
Admiral

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USA
966 Posts
Response Posted - 11/03/2006 :  18:53:57  Show Profile  Visit AADIVER's Homepage
Although the bulge isn't apparent in this pic there is one where the spreader touches the sail. This point of sail is halfway between a close and a beam reach:
Edited by - AADIVER on 11/03/2006 18:55:22
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