First the good news… I just picked up a Prindle 18-2 w/trailer and it looks pretty sweet sitting in my driveway! Now the maybe not so good news… I’m new to cat sailing. I have done a bit of recreational “sailing”. My family had a couple of wind surfers while I was growing up and a couple times a year I would get to sail a dingy. I hadn’t sailed anything for about 10 years. A couple years ago, I picked up an M-scow for next to nothing. I’ve been out on that quite a bit and have enjoyed every minute of it. But of course, the need-for-speed never seems to let go, so I’ve been researching and watching for a decent cat (don’t get me wrong… a scow is quick, but not like a cat). I settled on an 18-2 and am pretty fired up about it.

The PO was great about walking me through stepping the mast and showing me the whole setup. I have the manual downloaded, but it really isn’t the most helpful and the pics aren’t exactly the best either so of course, I have a couple questions about its setup.

Does anybody have a pic of their downhaul setup? I attached a pick of the way the PO had it setup, which I’m pretty confident is not right. I rerouted the lines a little and think I have it figured out, but would like some confirmation from someone. Sorry, I didn’t think to take a pic of my new line route while I had it setup in the driveway.

2nd. I have a four-way jib setup. Holy smokes… talk about infinite adjustments! My ’69 scow had an outhaul and a jib sheet. Again, the manual isn’t to clear on some basic settings and tuning the jib. Can someone give me a quick run down on where to start with this jib?

3rd. With my scow, I never cleated the main sheet. That was just a good way to get dumped in the drink. With this setup, just by tightening the sheet, it gets pulled through the cleat. Do you guys/girls sail with the main cleated or do you just give the extra pull up and out of the cleat every time you tighten the main?

Finally. I’ve found that a lot times, if there’s a shackle or block mounted from there factory, there is a reason it’s there, whether people us it or not is different, but there’s usually a reason for it to be there. So, what’s the purpose of the hole in the middle of the tramp in the pic?

Sorry for writing a book. Thanks for your input

I could only seem to attach one picture. Here's the one of the tramp.

See this recent Catsailor thread here...there are two schools of thought regarding cleating. Getting in and out on the wire is greatly simplified by cleating the main, however, some say that learning how to keep the main uncleated can be faster....my personal jury is still out on that one.


Catsailor Thread

Thanks for the link. So it sounds like if I were racing, then it might make a difference between a 4 and 6 second tack, but for my purposes (recreation), it's more of a preference thing. Also sounds like the cats heal over much slower than my scow did, so even if I have it cleated and get hit by a gust, there’s plenty of time to uncleat and loosen the main, or turn upwind a little?

With my scow, it was more of a pressure thing. Once I had the boat healed some, If I kept close to the same pressure on the main sheet (through puff or lull) I was able to keep the boat on the same healing angle and didn’t have to change my line or play with the rudder so much. If I just held onto the main and got hit by a heavy gust, I’d either have to head up or get pushed over. Sounds like the cat will accelerate easier through the puffs.

Sounds like I just need to get it in the water and play around with it. I won’t be able to take it out this weekend, but hopefully I’ll get a chance next week.

Sorry to keep referring back to the scow, but that's where most of my experience is.

Congratulations on the new purchase and welcome to the cat community.

I'll try to desribe the proper way to rig your "cascading" downhaul, without writing a book.

From your first picture. There are three small blocks and two lance cleats you need to get into the mix. The complete system will have involve three seperate lines, one continuos from side to side and two shorter lines at the mast. You should have two single blocks with a line tail attached to each no more than a couple of feet long. These blocks should be about the same diameter as that cheek block bolted to the mast below the boom. First remove the continuos long line you have threaded through the swiveling exit blocks and double block on the sail and set aside. Now, take the end of each line and thread (from back to front) through stationary double block attached to the Main sail. Then feed these ends down through the lance cleat located aft of your swivel blocks. At this point adjust the line length in the cleat so each block is hanging off that double block midway between the sail and top of the boom. Now take the long line and, as before thread into the exit block, up and through the "hanging" block on this side, down through the rotator arm, around the cheek block at the bottom of the mast, back up through the rotator arm and hanging block on the other side and down and out the exit cam on the opposite side.

I'm sure someone will have more comments.

I've sailed an MC Scow a couple of times (I assume this is what you are talking about?). I can tell you that relative to each other, both boats feel very similar up to about 10 degrees of heal. After that, the Scow QUICKLY starts to loose righting moment and starts to turn over more quickly. You won't have that sensation with the cat because it maintains much more righting moment at high degrees of heal and it looses sail power as it gets higher (I presume because of "ground effect" as the sail gets closer to horizontal). You'll be quite surprised how much heal you can maintain on the cat relative to the Scow. HOWEVER, it is imperative that you can quickly uncleat the main quickly and easily. We rarely sail in trapezing conditions with the main cleated - I only cleat it just to free up a hand during tacking manuevers or when sailing downwind. Which brings up another point...

Downwind on a main and jib cat the mainsheet is left cleated - mast rotated 90 degrees and the sail set to carry an apparent wind of about 90 degrees (a tale mounted on the bridle or masthead is usefull to get accustomed to this). You work the angle of the boat to the power you have...if overpowered, you steer deeper to depower...underpowered, you steer up. That's a simplified example but as you become overpowered and steer down, you'll find that your apparent wind will remain the same because you sped up with the increase in pressure.....ANYWAY...downwind, cleat the main and steer to the power and wind angle you have.

Thanks flatlander. That first picture doesn’t quite show all of the parts very well. There are actually 3 cheek blocks mounted to the mast. 1 on each side and the one you can see on the aft side of the mast. The hanging block that you mention actually has 2 blocks mounted back-to-back twisted at a 90 degree angle from each other. (not sure what the right name is for that type). I found the 2 short tails and figured that they were supposed to go up to the mast blocks like you said and down into the lance cleat, but that’s where I just started to make it up.

I’ll try to explain how I set it up… I’ll also try to get a picture uploaded after the weekend.

I have the long line threaded into the port pivoting exit block, up around the lower portion of the hanging block, back down to the port side cheek block, up around the upper portion of the hanging block, down through the aft cheek block, up around the upper portion of the hanging block on the starboard side, under the starboard cheek block, over the lower portion of the hanging block and down through the starboard pivoting exit block (hope you can follow all of that).

So I should I have all of the lines on the inside of the mast rotator? I had it setup with all of the lines on the outside, sort-of like the picture of the PO’s setup except with the long line going back and forth 4 times on each side.

Sorry, yes, I am talking about an MC scow.

Thanks for the downwind lessons Jake. I’m sure I’ll have questions after I get it on the water next week. But for now, I’m happy to soak up as much advice as people are willing to give.