Book suggestions - sailing 27' sloop

[Steve McMahon]

I just got a 27' fin keel sloop. It's been almost 30 years since I last sailed on schooners and owned a 1930's 26' open sloop. Can anyone recommend a decent book that focuses on sail handling and boat handling? This boat has some strings and sails that I am nor familiar with the operation of: Boom vang, backstay adjuster, spinnaker, etc... I have a copy of Chapman's Piloting, and some sailing books that focus on navigation and outfitting.

[DeniseO30]

Steve, sloop rig is pretty common. I single handed my Oday 30 allot.

Complete Sailor was one book that I had.

ASA has some vids on youtube also.


Youtube is great for arm chair learning.

[DeniseO30]

she's pretty good on teaching docking.

[bamamick]

You'd be better served getting a friend with some experience to go with you. I have read many, many books on racing and except for Dr. Walker's tomes I usually already know pretty much everything that's in there. Doesn't seem to help.

Mickey Lake

[Steve McMahon]

You'd be better served getting a friend with some experience to go with you.
Mickey Lake

Unfortunately that is not an option. All my friends with any current sailing experience are a thousand miles away. There are no other sailboats in this area that I am aware of.
I need to rely on my past experience and a brush up on the basics by reading and you-tube. I've ordered a couple of books - The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, and Sailing, the Basics, Dave Franzel.

[DeniseO30]

Any photos of the boat n rig? Winch locations, sail inventory? Wheel or tiller?
http://www.sailboat-cruising.com/sailing-sloop.html

[Steve McMahon]

Any photos of the boat n rig? Winch locations, sail inventory? Wheel or tiller?
http://www.sailboat-cruising.com/sailing-sloop.html

She is a Catalina 27, 1978.
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=814

Tiller steering
2 Mains, 2 Jibs, Genoa, Spinnaker (won't likely be used here), storm sail, and a few others I haven't had time to take out of the bags to identify yet.

Only photos so far:

[Woxbox]

I'd get in touch with other Catalina owners. They can tell you a lot more than what a boom vang does. They'll tell you the best way to use it on that boat under all conditions. And so on. It's all out there on the intrawebs. This site, for example, starts with Catalinas but also links to other blogs and such like that discuss the finer points. The books are good, but you can't ask the author questions. Don Guillette has been talking sail trim online for years. You will find that a lot of the finer adjustments are key if you're racing, but for casual cruising the normal adjustments are not usually critical.

It will all come back to you once you get out there. The spinnaker could prove entertaining. At the very least, I'd get a sock for it if you don't already have one.

Another thought about this type of rig, the stays and shrouds do need to be tensioned properly. There isn't the same room for error you have in a traditional boat. If you're not sure it's set up to Catalina's specs, have it checked out or, much better, get a Loos gauge and learn to do it yourself. Good luck with it.

[DeniseO30]

woo hoo Steve! She will sail herself just about! Dave is spot on there is a huge aftermarket for catalina. You won't want for finding parts. Looks like you have the inboard model. and it's probably a mast head rig. (headstay goes to the mast head) backstay adjuster and winches on the cabin.. looks like she was raced.

Check keel boats, some of the mid 80s had plywood in the keel shoe. (catalina smile)

cabin window frames leak,

check the compression post also.

Ive sailed hunter 23, 31, endeavor 32, Chrysler 22, Oday 322, oday 30, 2 Catalina 27, and at least 4 of the 6 catalina 30's that were in my YC.

Garhauer makes tons of rigging components for Catalina. Also there is catalinadirect.

Sold her about 2 years ago now.

[Phil Y]

Probably the best way is just to ask here, with the starting point being that there's no such thing as a stupid question. Like "I've just bought myself an old Catalina 27 and it's a long time since I've sailed anything, and when I did it was a heavy traditional schooner (that part gets you across the line of being allowed to post here). Can someone please tell me what I should do with the ...Boom vang/adjustable back stay/main sheet traveller/ etc etc" I think you'll get some good answers, until it becomes a political or gun thread anyway.

[Ron Williamson]

Unfortunately that is not an option. All my friends with any current sailing experience are a thousand miles away. There are no other sailboats in this area that I am aware of.

This is the best part.
It might suck,but there are very few critics and no one to whip you in a race.
Enjoy it.


R
Finder of silver linings

[DeniseO30]

Boom vang This guy's vids are very good. I post vids rather then "tell" people how to do things.

[Canoeyawl]

Look for "Sailing, Wind and Current" by Ian Proctor.

Although it is touted a a "racing" book it is really about working to windward which is everything. Some of the very best downwind performance can be learned by watching a plastic bag caught in the wind...

[willin woodworks]

The Cat 27 is a great boat but like all Catalinas has some deficiencies. Check for backing plates under the stanchions, bow and stern pulpits. Check for backing plates at the chainplates. They were notoriouslynunder rigged so check the turnbuckles, shrouds, backstay etc.
As mentioned, check the keelbolts and the bonding.
Theres a number of Cat forums and Atomic 4 forums that you will find helpful and the guys at Moyer Marine are full of good free advice about how to keep that little workhorse running.
The rudder is probably delaminating and the foam core is probably saturated..

The Annapolis Sailing School has a good book about basic sailing and racing and covers spinnakers etc. No boat should be without Chapmans.

Have fun....

[Ted Hoppe]

She is a Catalina 27, 1978.
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=814

Tiller steering
2 Mains, 2 Jibs, Genoa, Spinnaker (won't likely be used here), storm sail, and a few others I haven't had time to take out of the bags to identify yet.

Only photos so far:

Good fun boat. Cheap enough to bounce off stuff and big enough to sleep on.
Go sailing often. Get a friend who knows how to sail and go sailing on her. Buy good food and good beer to share. Go slow. Don't be afraid and use caution when out. make sure your radio and cell phone are completely. Get Tow Insurance. Make mistakes. You will break stuff, hit stuff and leave your fenders on the sides when underway. Enjoy this boat. And yes you will use your spinnaker. just practice using it with lights winds and having another 1 or 2 sailors with you when you do for the first couple of times.

You can read as you physically learn how to sail. I like these 2 books.

[Jay Greer]

One of the most comprehensive books on sailing is, the "Yachtsman's Omnibus" by my father's friend H.A. Calahan. The book is a composite of three of his books, "Learning To Sail, Learning To Race and Learning To Cruise" These are books that were written and first printed around the time your boat was built.
The composite of all three was published by the Macmillan Company in 1964. Calahan was a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy and an avid yachtsman.
He also invented his famous Chilled Varnish which was very popular at one time. Amazon may have this book. It is well worth searching for! Fair winds,
Jay

[peb]

A couple of years ago, I bought this book, published by ASA, for my wife:

https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Made-...arning+to+sail

I think its pretty good for someone who is new. Well illustrated, well explained, well organize, not too big, fairly complete.

[Dave Hadfield]

Learn how to heave-to. It's invaluable. You accomplish it by close-hauling, then tack but don't touch the jib. Let it stay backed. Then let the mainsheet nearly all the way out, and steer hard-over into wind. The boat will stop, 90 degrees to the wind, quite steady, while you accomplish whatever needs to be done.

Next, learn how to reef the sails, and do it often. Do it as soon as you ask, "Is it time to reduce sail?" Have a storm jib.

Learn how to anchor. The correct scope is 7:1, if you can manage it. And in your part of the world -- rocky-- pick a pointy type, not a danforth. Go to full power in reverse to make sure it's set.

Have 2 GPS units on board -- it's foggy a lot where you are.

Have spare belts, and filters, on board for your motor. Don't run both your batteries down.

Never leave a Nflnd port without drinking water on board. Have canned food stored somewhere.

Have warm wool clothes and rain gear stored on board. And spare glasses.

Make sure your VHF works, but don't expect to be rescued -- this is Canada.

Get out and have fun!

Dave

[skaraborgcraft]

Learn how to anchor. The correct scope is 7:1, if you can manage it.

From what font of knowledge did this spring forth? May one assume you are refering to someone who trusts his boat and the safety of other boats around him to a length of warp?

[Zane Lewis]

If it's a mast head rig I would suggest that mostly the back stay will be a set and forget thing that you let off at the end of the day and load up just before the heads sall goes up.

Now the boom vang and traveller will need to become your new best friends. Even ahead of the main sheet on upwind legs assuming you have a straight level traveler.

quick lesson time.
Upwind. Very light. Traveler to windward a few inches off centre, vang slack and main sheet eased. This keeps the leach open and rounded so the sail does not stall and air flows.
7-15 knots. Progressively add vang/main sheet tension to keep the leach tight and straight. Use the traveler to control the angle of the boom.
Over 15 knots allow the leach to open and vent wind to de power the rig as the wind climbs. Probably you will have to give a slight ease on the vang and larger ease on the main sheet to control the loads. I would fix the traveler to an optimum position and easy the sheet in the gusts to allow the leach to open more. This is debatable of course.
Race practice is to play the traveler at all times or if you have the power in your vang to load that up then vang sheet.
The sail is more like a fixed wing with the camber controlled by the vang and Cunningham and the sheet used to control angle of attach.

Reaching and running it's a balancing act . More Vang reduces the twist in the top of the sail. This gives more power and running reduces the risk of rolling to windward. However the loads can become very high and if the boom comes in contact with water you are liable to break something.
In the fractional rig light keel boat I race which has a low boom, in conditions over 12 knots we back the boom vang off down wind. NB, we use a very powerful vang for vang sheeting and no traveler.

Zane

[Dave Hadfield]

From what font of knowledge did this spring forth? May one assume you are refering to someone who trusts his boat and the safety of other boats around him to a length of warp?

This boat will probably have a nylon rode with a chain leader. And he will seldom in Nfnld have a crowded anchorage. Seven-to-one is a good safe ratio.