T5AUS Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 New to this whole sailing thing and using an old 4.3 Maricat which I purchased locally last year. My first major problem happened yesterday when I had the halyard break on me, luckily I was pretty close to my shore mooring so was able to limp in using the front sail (jib?). When I initially rigged this I needed help getting the mast up and it was quite a task, so once up, I decided to leave it up since I moor in mangroves at the bottom of the garden virtually. My question is, to save me dropping that damn mast again, is it possible to lean the whole cat over on it's side to replace the halyard or are there good reasons why I shouldn't do this? Also, while I do this should I also replace the mast stay wires too, what's the life expectancy of these, they look good but maybe it's prudent to change them too while I am about it. What can I expect to pay for new halyard and stay wires and who would you recommend as a good supplier of these in the Brisbane area Many thanks anyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettb Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Regarding mast stays, I used australianwirerope (.com.au) to replace my rigging after finding a broken strand. In Brisbane. IMHO this was cheaper than marine suppliers, and better than DIY crimping since they use 'proper' copper ferrules and swaging press. I sent them a detailed dimensions and am happy with the result. Life expectancy is said to be 5-10 years. Very variable you'd think depending on usage, whether it's moored or stored, etc. I decided to replace the lot when I first saw a broken strand. A complete set (forestay, 2x shrounds, 2x outer shrounds ('side stays'), jib halyard, 2x bridle) cost about $100 from memory. [ As an aside, I'm always looking for co-catters to do weekend overnighters (eg. Moreton Island) with. Are you interested? I have an old Calypso 16' (4.8m). ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Please have a look at your dophin striker. If that wire breaks then there is every chance that the rear beam and the main beam will colapse and you will need to be towed home. I have seen this hapen quite often, always when windy, and many of us now use a slightly heavier wire. You can replace the halyard by tipping the boat on its side. As to the stays, I understand that they should be replaced every 3 to 5 seasons, or sooner if you see rust developing. However, I have had a new set of stays in my shed for at least 5 years as I am too slack to replace the old ones on the boat. The ones on my Maricat are at least 20 years old and may possibly be the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pointed Reply Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Rigging a maricat is simple and quick when done the right way. Read the tuning guide at the top of the maricat section on how to set the mast. Standard maricat stays are plastic coated. Unless damaged stays will generally only break attje swag.if you want to replace take your old ones to a sailing chandler and get them made. Replace the dolphin striker wire. Getting the position of the swag on the halyard which jams in they v cleat at the top of mast is important so user sold halyard as a guide. Most maricats are 4.3......so you must haves short one ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T5AUS Posted February 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Thanks for the responses guys, very helpful. I have added a couple of photo's of parts which I am not sure about condition wise and would appreciate comments, thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T5AUS Posted February 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Thanks Pointed, Ha Ha, fixed it, 4.3 it is... could you clarify please, where is the "swag" located Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QB2 Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 I would tighten the hell out of your dolphin striker as it is a major support for the mast down forces. Having the front beam slowly crumple in the middle is an expensive lesson. I would also strip off the black plastic as that could conceal rust or broken strands. Ditto for the shrouds Don't muck around with shrouds. Replace them just to guarantee minimum safety and durability. if you leave the cat in the water or in daily water contact you risk saturating fibreglass through gelcoat scratches and gouges, (an old boat will surely have hull scratches along the keels), a quick path to delamination and osmosis bubbles in the hulls. you also get slime build up which makes the boat slower and stains the hulls. Check out any gelcoat cracks on the deck tops in front of the main beam and get them repaired by cutting out the cracks and laying down new glass and flowcoat. crack the hull bolts and retighten. Most old maris had cast alloy chainplates and these did corrode and over time loosen up. They were replaced with two stainless steel plates bolted through the gunwales. Check that the old alloy have not pulled loose and are not enlarging the bolt holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrock Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Tighten the dolphin striker but not the hell out of it. Tightening the hell out of it will cause the beam to reverse too far the other way and cause your mast step to pop its rivets at best, at worst structural damage. With weather being such a changeable thing your boat will cop a true battering one day so certainly if those shrouds look a bit dodgy, replace. not just for peace of mind. Happy sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darcy1945 Posted August 17, 2014 Report Share Posted August 17, 2014 Over tightening the dolphin striker can damage the hulls, take out the slack, plus 2 full turns, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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