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Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry #268597
01/20/14 04:50 PM
01/20/14 04:50 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3
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dynomatt Offline OP
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dynomatt  Offline OP
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Hi guys,

My name's Matt and I'm from Canberra in Australia. Hi!

I purchased an old Freestyle 474 locally here in Australia a few months ago. As happens with a boat that's probably more than 30 years old, there's a few things modified/lost that are confusing for me, and I'd appreciate the collective experience you all may be able to offer me please. I should also add, I'm new to sailing...never sailed before!

1) Traveller - it has a traveller car on the rear beam. It's a boomless main. However, I suspect there's bits missing from the traveller that I need help with. What is the standard Freestyle traveller system? This is the car:
[Linked Image]

You can see I've just tied it off so as to have it locked in position, but this isn't really working for me.

You can't quite see the eyelet on the back of the rear beam that I suspect allows a figure 8 knot tied to it much like a Hobie 16 (like in this photo http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures/?g2_itemId=63062)

I'm pretty sure it should have a captive cam cleat somewhere in front of the car? Either on the front of the rear beam like in the Hobie 16, or elsewhere. But there's nothing that I can see and no evidence of there having been anything? There's no evidence of any cleats or pulleys at either end of the rear beam either which to me implies it's not like some of the more complicated traveller setups in some of the newer boats? The hole you can at the front of the car has wear marks suggesting something was attached to it and pivoted on it...but what?

2) Jib - the boat has been retrofitted with a small jib. However, the rigging for the jib is also confusing.
[Linked Image]
In the photo above, you can see two blocks in the middle of the tramp on wires that join the front to the rear beam. They are covered in foam and handily are also foot supports...but it begs the question what they're for? In the photos I've been able to find of other Freestyle 474's, none of them have these blocks...why?

There's also this sheet that runs across the front beam (see below)...I'd initially thought this as some sort of mast rotating limiter (for some reason) but, although it's sitting behind the ball in the photo, I've now put it in front of the ball and am wondering if it's a way to control the jib? Admittedly without cam cleats it's going to be more difficult, but it would probably still function?


[Linked Image]

3) The main halyard pulley at the top of the mast is missing. It's been replaced/modified and the original mast hook has been ground off. Consequently there's nothing to secure the main sail when it's raised except a good knot at the base of the mast...and I'm not that good...as soon as I try and put some downhaul on, it inevitably loosens. I'm interested to get any photos of the original hook setup please?

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

Matt

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: dynomatt] #268608
01/20/14 11:21 PM
01/20/14 11:21 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 351
Santiago, Chile
Andinista Offline
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Andinista  Offline
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Posts: 351
Santiago, Chile
1. I guess it had rollers on the back to guide the line and a cleat at the front. Similar to this one but not exactly [Linked Image]

About the line at the front beam, attach the hook at the center to the bar at the base of the mast, with the little hole, and you have a mast rotator. I think that was the idea.
2. For the jib sheet, one each side, 2:1: start from the block, go through another simple block attached to the jib clew, back the the first block, trough the cam and to your hand. (and back to the other side block and tho the clew.

3. You really need the hook and the ring on the halyard, forget the idea of not having it..

Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: dynomatt] #268652
01/21/14 09:00 PM
01/21/14 09:00 PM
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 3
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dynomatt Offline OP
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dynomatt  Offline OP
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Thanks for the reply. That's very helpful.

1) What's stops the traveller moving side to side if the cleat is mounted to the traveller? I thought the cleat would have to be fixed to something (the beam I thought) for it to limit travel?

2) I appreciate this detail. I'll have a go at setting it up like this.

3) Yep, need to find a similar system and replace it all.

Cheers,
Matt

Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: dynomatt] #268663
01/22/14 05:51 AM
01/22/14 05:51 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 351
Santiago, Chile
Andinista Offline
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Andinista  Offline
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Santiago, Chile
1) the line is tied at the center of the beam, on its back side (there's probably an eyestrap) and goes through the supposed rollers and to the cam cleat. As you see one segment only, it looks like 1:1, but when you pull it it turns into a 2:1 system, the second segment appears between the cleat and your hand, so it's as good as the set up with cleat fixed at the beam. I've had both and both work fine.

Last edited by Andinista; 01/22/14 05:52 AM.
Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: dynomatt] #268664
01/22/14 06:05 AM
01/22/14 06:05 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 351
Santiago, Chile
Andinista Offline
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Andinista  Offline
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Posts: 351
Santiago, Chile
It won't be so easy to install the swivel base. I think there was one before, through the hole on the plate, but if you get a new one you will realize (i think) that you can't disassemble it and just insert it trhough the same hole. You will proabaly need to take it to a workshop. Or if you itend to keep the rotating base of the new one and install it above the plate on the traveller, check that it doesn't end up too high.

Last edited by Andinista; 01/22/14 06:06 AM.
You will love this boat, 747 Freestyles are awesome [Re: dynomatt] #268676
01/22/14 11:16 AM
01/22/14 11:16 AM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 144
Near SLC, Utah
tomthouse Offline
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tomthouse  Offline
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Posts: 144
Near SLC, Utah
I also currently have a 747 (15 ft) Freestyle catamaran.

We've sailed the sock off that thing for the last ten years or so.

It is a great single-hand boat that is easy and forgiving to sail and we've even run it lots of times double crewed.

We've even used it for boat camping and cruising to Catalina, an island about 30 miles off the coast of southern California.

You'll enjoy the boat, once you get it going again.

As already posted, the traveler has a single swiveling cam cleat that attaches to the hole in the forward part of what's left of the traveler car picture you posted.

That strap pictured, also is the attachment point for the bottom of your mainsheet block.

The aft end of your traveler control line attaches to an eye strap just aft of the middle of your rear beam, then runs forward through the eye strap pictured on top of your traveler car, and then forward through the swiveling cam cleat you are missing.

I tie my mainsheet tail to the tail of my traveler control line, so I am holding both, in one hand all the time, when sailing.

When you sheet in the traveler control line, the traveler car tends to center, the harder you sheet and more towards port and starboard when you ease the line.

As you suspected, unless sheeted in very hard, the traveler will run freely, from e.g., post to starboard, when to tack or jibe, until the slack in the traveler control line again becomes taunt, stoipping the car's travel.

To me that's pretty handy, however, when tacking or jibing in heavy air, I'll tighten the traveler control line as I'm coming around, so the traveler doesn't bang hard to the other side, or suddenly throw the boat hard over into a capsize.

The boomless set up is simpler and easy on your head when ducking under it, compared to a boom set up.

By the way, the several hole on the clew of your mainsail allows to affix the top end of your mainsheet block, more forward or aftward on that clew.

That helps tighten or loosen your boomless sail's foot, making the sail flatter or less flat.

I believe the original sail plan was unirigged with main only and no jib.

Those foam covered things you have on your tramp that were retor'd for a jib, were originally flat nylon webbing foot straps to put your feet under when hanging out while seated on the tramp to help stablize the boat, when theree's not quite enough wind to trap out on the trapese.

The main halyard originally was wire with a integrated lead stop that stopped at a crow's foot, located about six inches or a foot down from the mast head on the front of the mast.

When I get a minute, I'll take some photos and post them of my 747, which is still rigged mast up for its winter snooze.

Those photos will answer most if not all of your questions, but give me a week or so, the boat is at our cabin and I'm not there right now but will travel there next week.

Stay in touch, these are great boats.

I'll send a PM and give you my phone and email.

Tom

Re: You will love this boat, 747 Freestyles are awesome [Re: dynomatt] #268684
01/22/14 02:36 PM
01/22/14 02:36 PM
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dynomatt Offline OP
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dynomatt  Offline OP
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Thanks guys these are all really helpful.

I had a think about the swivel cleat last night and it made more sense the more I thought about it.

Tom, photos will be excellent too thanks.

Matt

Re: You will love this boat, 747 Freestyles are awesome [Re: dynomatt] #286708
04/18/17 01:44 AM
04/18/17 01:44 AM
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nobrush Offline
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I'm really stoked to finally find some info on my boat after looking for years but never even realizing it was a 474 model. I'm assuming you've gotten your's dialed in by now but if you still need any pics or help on the stock set up, I'm more than happy to take some next time I get up to our cabin. Mine never came with a jib but for some reason I was never able to tack it so I'm wondering if a jib would allow that, or if I just didn't know the trick to doing that on a cat.

I've got one that I'm getting back on the water after a 20 year hiatus. Someone stole my truck with all my rigging and I was wondering if anyone would be able to tell me the measurements from the inside of the swages from each end for each stay, unless there's an easier way to do it.

I did find a place in San Luis Obispo, California that sells the trampoline already built specifically for the 474. You can see how the stock configuration already has the belts in there for your feet. http://www.slosailandcanvas.com/freestyle-474-catamaran-trampoline/

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

B

Last edited by nobrush; 04/18/17 01:46 AM.

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” - Nikola Tesla
Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: dynomatt] #286713
04/21/17 10:16 PM
04/21/17 10:16 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 425
Toledo, Ohio (western end of ...
Mike Fahle Offline
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Mike Fahle  Offline
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Toledo, Ohio (western end of ...
"There's also this sheet that runs across the front beam (see below)...I'd initially thought this as some sort of mast rotating limiter (for some reason) but, although it's sitting behind the ball in the photo, I've now put it in front of the ball and am wondering if it's a way to control the jib?"

Yes, that looks like your mast rotation limiter which would be behind the mast base as pictured and attached to the mast rotation lever so that it can be adjusted to whatever mast angle you want to the boat centerline (normally about 45 degrees upwind and 90 off the wind.

You can replace the halyard ring hook by ordering a new one online and attach it to the mast where the old one had been. It is the only good way to keep the mainsail fully hoisted.

You should look online for more info about your boat to help you rig it and get other useful info. Here are some web addresses to get you started:

http://www.canadianyachting.ca/boat-reviews/79-sail/3519-freestyle-474

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtokcTUuI4

http://photos.cowco.net/thumbnails.php?album=64

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/tcdyc/TiTGK_fS4bE

Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: Mike Fahle] #286730
04/29/17 06:27 PM
04/29/17 06:27 PM
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nobrush Offline
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Thanks for the links. I had seen some of those before but after more searching it sounds like the mast needs to be raked back a bit from vertical, but I'm wondering how much. This is where exact dimensions would be really helpful. I'm hoping that someone has one of these boats locally I can look at and am having a hard time believing that my 474 is the only one in California left.

Last edited by nobrush; 04/29/17 06:29 PM.

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” - Nikola Tesla
Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: dynomatt] #287279
06/14/17 04:21 PM
06/14/17 04:21 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11
Stoney Lake, ON, Canada
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Ian Cowie Offline
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Ian Cowie  Offline
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Stoney Lake, ON, Canada
Hi, I'm Ian and the owner of Freestyle 474 #209 (serial numbers are embedded into the transom of each hull.)

I posted pictures up on cowco.net many years ago.

I have owned my cat for 16 years now and have sailed it every summer since buying from the neighbour in 2001. You might be able to deduce from my spelling of neighbour that I am Canadian living in Ontario, about 2 hours NE of Toronto.

Currently I am re-rigging for the summer and would like to figure out the "right" way to rig. If anyone has an original Freestyle manual ... that would be soooo cool. PDF would be awesome!!

Anyway, like Matt any advice would be very welcome.

I'll start with a question regarding trampoline lashing.

[img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bza1yYAVuahSUVM5eVVwSkp4b2c/view?usp=sharing[/img]

As shown in the photo, there are 2 eyelets on the tramp, 2 hoops on the starboard hull and 1 hoop on the underside of the front crossbar.
Any clue how these are used or how they are laced?
The boat does not have a jib so there is no hardware for that purpose.

Thanks fellow sailors!

Ian


Freestyle 474, Hobie 18, Hobie 16, Tornado
Re: Freestyle 474 rigging questions...forgive me, I'm new sorry [Re: Mike Fahle] #287280
06/14/17 05:09 PM
06/14/17 05:09 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11
Stoney Lake, ON, Canada
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Ian Cowie Offline
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Ian Cowie  Offline
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Stoney Lake, ON, Canada
Just read the Canadian Yachting article ... nice info!

A couple of key points I picked up are:

-
Quote
The 474 rig is not an easy one to control. It is simple in that it has no boom and no control for mast rotation.

So that answers the question - Was there any hardware to control mast rotation? ... No

-
Quote
One helpful innovation is in the mainsheet and traveller control being one continuous line so that you will never find yourself hiked out to windward while the traveller control is hanging over the leeward side.

So that kinda spells out how the mainsheet and traveller control is rigged.

Article was written in 1979 so certainly confirms that these boats were built during the mid to late seventies.

Ian

Last edited by Ian Cowie; 06/14/17 05:16 PM.

Freestyle 474, Hobie 18, Hobie 16, Tornado

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