Thanks for the help earlier on rigging my Prindle 18, I almost finished it. I got the tramp laced up, the jib rigged, the rudders on, trailer wired, etc. The last step that I have should be the easiest... What is the correct pathway for the main halyard and are there any tricks to getting the halyard ring to "hook" and release the mast tip? Pathway wise the manual looks like the ring end of the line is on the stern side of the top pulley with the line running inside the mast. Instructions say to raise the main by pulling the halyard from the base of the mast and there should be a sheave/pulley, any pics? If this is correct it would mean the mainsail and the halyard are traveling in opposite directions through the same space? Thanks for the help and pictures.

Travis

Travis, if halyard ring is already attached to main halyard then halyard will run over sheave on mast head, down the inside of the mast and will exit mast over sheave on mast base, tie off a loop on halyard bottom to prevent halyard from accidently unravelling back inside mast. When raising the sail, boltrope on sail is eased into track on mast, make sure track is free of debris, while mast is on ground slide sail boltrope up mast a few times just to check for problems such as possibly a "pinched" track. Also check to make sure hook is level with inner diameter of ring

When mast is stepped and you are ready to raise the sail is when the real "fun" begins, the ring and hook system is one of the crappiest capture systems and takes real finess to master

1) THE CAT MUST BE FACING DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND - any deviation will cause problems, no capture
2) RAISE SAIL COMPLETELY - when you feel sail hit masthead keep tension on halyard
3) RING MUST BE LEVEL WITH HOOK - you checked this when mast was on ground
4) GRAB MAST ROTATOR AND ROTATE MAST TOWARDS HULLS - hook will touch inside of ring
5) RELEASE TENSION ON HALYARD WITH ROTATOR HELD OVER
6) PULL DOWN ON SAIL TACK - check to see if hook and ring capture was successful
7) PRACTICE....PRACTICE....PRACTICE - repeat procedure untill completely familiar and comfortable

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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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Thanks, I guess my issue is I dont see a sheave on the mast base... Is the sheave actually attached to the mast, mast base casting, front crossbar, etc? My base casting (right name? it is the insert into the mast base, has dome for half ball) looks like it had a tab or something coming off the rear of it, but appears to be broken off. I thought that was just for stepping the mast, but is that the sheave for raising the main? Also, when you say the base of the mast do you mean the very bottom, or right above the mast rotator where I start the leading edge of the sail? I was able to raise the sail to get all my lines right, but I currently have the main halyard around the top sheave then back out and it binds bad in this configuration. Thanks for the help, now that I have seen the sails up I am dying to get out.
Travis

Travis, I will shoot you a pic via e-mail, and yes the sailtrack begins just above the mast rotator.



Edited by turbohobo on Feb 23, 2011 - 09:44 AM.

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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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I think you are mostly ok here. yes the halyard travels down the same path the bolt rope travels up. I have had no real problems with this.

Halyard with ring should go from outside the track up around the sheave on the top of the mast

Then travel inside the track all the way down to the bottom casting

and out through the sheave there.

The bolt rope enters in gap in the track above the rotator arm then when you apply down haul the bottom of the bolt rope will slide a little below the gap in the track.

The casting you are describing on the bottom with the tab sounds like a P16 mast base casting.

If this is what you have on the bottom then either someone replaced your P18 base with P16 base or You are using a P16 mast or your P18 is actually a Prindle Escape which is P18 hull with a p16 rig.

You may have to play with your knot a bit to help get in out of your ring. Sometimes removing the ring to lower the sail is trickier than setting it but they are right practice helps. Make sure your knot is on the outside. if I think of It I will try to take picture of mine it is working pretty well now I've got the kinks out. If you can't get it down you can always tip the boat over on the beach and unhook it.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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The mast base casting I have looks like the middle picture above except that the sheave/tab is broken off... Time to spend some more money on my "free" boat. Thanks guys.

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Time to spend some more money on my "free" boat. Thanks guys.

BOAT...break out another thousand...

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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twilliams.907

The mast base casting I have looks like the middle picture above except that the sheave/tab is broken off... Time to spend some more money on my "free" boat. Thanks guys.

Yep looks like you need a new casting for the mast base. Can't imagine how that broke.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
--

I got the new parts on order. In the mean time I am checking over all standing rigging and was looking for information on how tight I should have the stays, as well as if I want to worry too much about the mast rake? I read as many posts as I could on mast rake, but didnt find any for how to measure where you are at (place boat on flat ground and look up? measurements and trig? etc?), or what the proper rake for a new boater/P18 combo is.
-T

The mast rake is extremely difficult to measure as is it the degree of angle the mast is leaning foreward or aft and with hulls that are somewhat curved, this will be very difficult to measure accurately. You can use the main halyard to make sure the mast is upright between the hulls by measuring it at the stays. With the cat fairly level, measure or pinch the main halyard at one stay and walk it around to the other side and measure your pinch at the other stay. This should ensure the mast is upright between the port and starboard hulls. If you can somehow obtain exact level, you can use a small weight tied to the main halyard to see if and how far this weight hangs aft or foreward from the mast at the base. Slight aft mast rake is recommended, however, this seems to be an opinion from someone experienced to look at it or sail it and say...hmmm...I think it needs a little more rake this way or that way.

You'll know if you need to adjust the mast rake and/or rudders by the amount of strength it takes to hold the cat slightly leeward while close hauled in heavy winds.

remind me do you rake the mast more forward for less weather helm? or is it aft?

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
--

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do you rake the mast more forward for less weather helm?

correctamundo, but the more you rake back, the faster you get. no matter where you have it set you still need to balance the helm for desired level of weather helm. the prindle's lockdown bolt will let you adjust the rudder rake way under the hulls giving it fine tuning ability at any mast rake. my shrouds are adjusted to the next to last hole on the chainplate(way back), i'm going to rake the rudders under a little more(too much weather helm now). mast/rudder rake/tune was the biggest performance boost i got with the boat...rudder slop clean up was nice too.

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Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook!
bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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I would also replace the p.o.s. plastic sheeve in the mast head and base (if you use one in the base) sometime with decent aluminum or better sheeve. This will help make raising the main a bit easier.

It did not break off! The Prindle 18 does not have a mast stop, as it uses a mast rotation control and if the tab was there you could not use the control properly.

twilliams.907

The mast base casting I have looks like the middle picture above except that the sheave/tab is broken off... Time to spend some more money on my "free" boat. Thanks guys.

HULLFLYER, I am not sure what you are saying above, but I guarantee that I have the mast base casting pictured above, and the sheave portion is broken off. As I just got the boat I do not know if it has been used in the configuration or not, but yes, it is broken... Or should I say was, as the new mast base casting is on with a sheave included this time.