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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 Catalina 25 Specific Forum
 Pop Top Power lift		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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diySailor
1st Mate

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USA
39 Posts
Initially Posted - 05/31/2013 :  19:12:06  Show Profile

This is probably the best modification from a safety standpoint I’ve done on our Catalina. I was always hesitant to raise the top with others on board when walking on deck with the top open. Now I wouldn’t even be concerned with my wife lifting the top and securing it to the mast by herself. One installation procedure that I modified was drilling the holes to mount the bracket to the top. Since on my boat there is no wood sandwiched between the two layers of fiberglass, I drilled the holes undersize and used the screw threads to “tap” the hole both on the top and the bottom. When tightening the nut, the two fiberglass layers didn’t compress at all and since the caulking gets in the threads the final assembly is extra watertight. Also, my shocks had a flat metal circular spring that snap fit on each end to the ball on the bracket without the added locking pin described in the instructions; an upgrade I assume. Rather than use the plastic clips to hold up the seadogs, I used the dual lock tape so I didn’t have to drill more holes in the top and avoided another protruding item to hit my head on. The screw hole locations to mount the brackets are super critical; I should have used the brackets as a drill template so I wouldn’t have had to enlarge one of the holes that was drilled slightly off center. All in all, a really great upgrade!
Rog&Barb
1983 Catalina 25 SR/FK
HYC Hull, MA
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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9075 Posts
Response Posted - 06/01/2013 :  07:45:38  Show Profile
Great report! The guy who bought my C-25 immediately hurt his back lifting the pop-top, bought the kit, and then sold the boat--I believe without installing it. If I'd kept the boat another year, I would have installed one--it had risen to the top of my list. That top is a beast. But I'm surprised by your report that there's no plywood inside the top--the weight suggests otherwise--maybe there wasn't any in the perimeter where you were drilling. (?)
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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.