Just bought an 89 G-cat 5.0 and am planning to launch this weekend in Lake Michigan. All of the info posted here has been very helpful (thank you!). One question regarding the holes at the mast base and the foot - seems like they are made for a pin, but the mast needs to rotate, correct? Planning not to use a pin, but need some clarification! Thanks!

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Luke - Michigan
G-Cat 5.0
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The rigging manual says to run a piece or rope through the hole in the mast step and the ball. This is how I do it with no problems. I use a 12" piece of bungie cord and tie a square knot with the knot and slack forward of the mast step. This way if the mast slides off the ball the bungie will catch on the ball and keep it from going too far.

Another tip is to have one person use the winch on the trailer to haul the mast up by one of the trap wires while one person stands on the back trampoline and keeps the mast going up strait. When the shroud wires are slightly taught, remove the bungie rope that's through the step and then lift the mast slightly and slide the teflon chip between the mast step and the ball. The hobie mast chips work fine but if you don't have one a piece of plastic bottle, practice golf ball cut in half, etc... will work instead. Get everything tight by using a portuguese turnbuckle (doubled piece of rope) between the forestay and the ring in the forward bridle.

You use the trap wire to hoist the mast instead of the forestay because it's hard to attach to the bridle when there is tension on it from the winch.

Now if there are any hobie people where you sail they'll think this is all crazy that you use a rope instead of a pin for the mast and you use rope to attach the forestay instead of the adjustable metal stay like on the shrouds but that's the way it was designed to be done on the G-Cat.

The portuguese turnbuckle on the forestay is nice because you don't ever have to tension your shroud wires, you just pull the rope really tight. The mast rake on the G-Cat should be perpendicular to the deck most of the time. If you're in really heavy winds you can rake it back a bit by loosening the forestay rope and adjusting the shrouds.

Finally the jib attaches with a turnbuckle to the metal loop in the middle of the forward spar beam, not the loop in the bridle. The bottom of the zipper on the jib should be at the loop in the forward bridle.

Next time I get my boat rigged up I'll take some pictures of all the rigging pieces and post them up here in an album. Gotta get the big gaping hole in my pontoon fixed first though.

BTW, where are you located?

Thanks for the response and additional info. Fortunately, mine is in excellent shape and from what I can tell, it has all the rigging intact!

I am located in West Michigan on the shore of Lake Michigan (roughly half way between Muskegon and Pentwater).

Another question regarding halyards. Mine has line, but no wire. OK to just use the line and no wire? Hoping for a shakedown sail tomorrow.
Thanks!



Edited by nieuwenl on Jun 15, 2012 - 01:35 PM.

So the forestay is not a wire coming down from the mast? Can you post a picture?

The forestay is a wire and will connect to the forward bridle using a portuguese turnbuckle as you have recommended. My question is on the halyard itself. From what I can tell, it's just a line ("rope"). I am more familiar with spliced wire-to-rope halyards on larger, monohulls.



Edited by nieuwenl on Jun 15, 2012 - 01:35 PM.

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Luke - Michigan
G-Cat 5.0
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ohh, I guess I misread that. My jib halyard that goes through the block on the mastdog and connects to the head of the jib is wire. The wire is connected to a small rope line that is used hoist the jib and tie down on the mast cleat. The main halyard is setup the same way. I'm not sure how safe it is to use all rope line for the jib halyard. I have the both halyards off my mast right now so could take some measurements if you need.

Thanks for the offer to measure the halyards. I'll try out what I have and evaluate if I need a wire halyard.... Will let you know how it goes!

I found a few sites that sell the spliced wire-to-rope halyards for G-Cats, so if needed, I think I can order them in the proper size. Thanks again for your help!

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Luke - Michigan
G-Cat 5.0
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Another hard learned lesson I can pass on. For a righting line run 7/8 or larger line underneath the middle spar. I got 10' of the non-stretchy blue and white hobie righting line and it was a little long. Tie it with a bowline on each side around the spar and through the tramp laces between the hull and the tramp. It will look like a rope dolphin striker. You'll need to tie it beneath and get it pretty taught so it doesn't drag in the water. This is all you need to pull the boat over and hold onto to keep it from flipping the other way. I learned the hard way when I had a righting line around the mast step and had nothing to hold on to once I got it to flip over so it kept going and flipped the other way.

The G-Cat also pitchpoles very easily and violently so make sure whoever is on the trap can keep themselves from flying forward and is very aware of where the nose is at all times. If the nose digs in and the forward tramp goes in the water the pitchpole will happen so fast you'll find yourself in the water dazed and confused wondering what the hell happened. I hit the mast the first time it happened to me and broke a rib.



Edited by kraven on Jun 15, 2012 - 02:06 PM.

Learned today that you can use a pin to step the mast, the head of the mast has to be high enough that the front beam does not impede the mast rotator arm. Fortunately I have a tripod setup from my P18 that does just that. Can take pics of my mast step setup for the 5.0 if you like.

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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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So how did the shakedown sail go?

Post up some pictures if you can. I'm curious how your boat and sails look. Mine has the forest green and grey stripes on the side but they're very faded and scratched up. My jib is also not a match to my main. but it's close enough until I get new ones made or find some good used sails.

I think when I paint it in the spring I'll go with all white and just the black G-Cat 5.0 logo on the back side. My wife does scrapbooking and has one of those crikcut programmable cutters so I think I can make my own stickers for it.

I spent all day Saturday working on my hole. Got inside the hull sanded down using a pneumatic angle grinder with a 4" sanding pad. Fits just perfect through the inspection port and only cost me $30 for the tool, sanding pad, and replacement twist-lock pads. We did a good layup with couple layers of thick mesh on the inside against some wax paper taped over the hole on the outside. Once that setup we sanded outside and added a few mat layups on the outside. I think it's going to need another layup on the inside to get the thickness right once everything is sanded down on the outside. As ugly as it is right now I'm sure it would hold water though.

I wasn't able to launch this weekend. Strong storms and wrong wind direction. Unfortunately, due to high bluffs / sand dunes, to get it on the beach, I need to launch a mile north of our place - and the wind was straight out of the south. Didn't want to "practice" going upwind for a mile! Next weekend! BTW, How well does the g-cat point?

Great tip on the righting line, and the caution on pitchpoling.

I'll post some pics once I get it rigged & launched. I have a red stripe on the side, and the sails are green, yellow, orange, and red. Original, but still in pretty good shape.

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Luke - Michigan
G-Cat 5.0
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Quote

The rigging manual says to run a piece or rope through the hole in the mast step and the ball. This is how I do it with no problems. I use a 12" piece of bungie cord and tie a square knot with the knot and slack forward of the mast step. This way if the mast slides off the ball the bungie will catch on the ball and keep it from going too far

perhaps i am reading this wrong, but you use bungie to tie the mast to the ball?

If that is correct, i would advise you to never lift your mast with any person/car/bike/pet etc within 40' of your boat when you do this. The forces and possible pinching of the bungie make this a pretty risky method and i would highly suggest you upgrade to a strong line (dyneem or vectran would be best) or a bolt.



Edited by MN3 on Jun 18, 2012 - 09:01 AM.

Kraven, how did u get that hole in your boat?..........

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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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turbohobo

Kraven, how did u get that hole in your boat?..........

Prior owner was a moron. The old patch had a piece of the hull that was cut screwed to a hard piece of plastic so that there was an overlap inside the hull and then caked with resin and fiberglass mat on the inside. Of course fiberglass doesn't really stick well to plastic so it failed. Also failed because they didn't lay any mat on the outside of the hole. Was a problem just waiting to happen that I wish I had seen before buying the boat.

kraven

I use a 12" piece of bungie cord and tie a square knot with the knot and slack forward of the mast step. This way if the mast slides off the ball the bungie will catch on the ball and keep it from going too far.

Hate to contradict an G-Cat owner on how to do this because obviously it's worked for you.

But for other G-Cat newbies maybe reading this, the instructions call for line and not bungee, makes sense since line would hold a knot better and control the movement better.

Assembly Manual Download
http://www.thebeachcats.c…ictures/?g2_itemId=86558

Piece of the assembly diagram.



All the G-Cat scans are here
http://www.thebeachcats.c…ictures/?g2_itemId=80914

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

How To Create Your Own Cool Avatar

How To Display Pictures In The Forums.
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I didnt check these facts.. but i believe them...

http://www.performancehobbies.com/tibungee.htm

Bungee Shock Cord Physical Properties
Breaking Strength, Min. Pounds (4mm shock cord) - 61

NOTE: Bungee Cord should ALWAYS be backed up by tubular nylon, webbing, or
kevlar line!

It can, does, and will break. Just ask Ken, he knows!

Damon, what the diagram does not show is that when the mast is laying across the tramp, you cannot drop the mast base onto the ball, the rotator arm hits the beam, you have to have the mast at about a 30-35 degree angle before the rotator clears the beam, only then will the mast base drop onto the ball. I built a tripod using 2" PVC that I use to rest the mast head on, while the mast base butts up against the beam with the rotator arm pointing down through a cutout in the tramp sepcifically designed to accommodate the rotator. This gives me that angle, then I walk around to the mast base, lift it onto mast step ball, line up holes and pin with a phillips screwdriver, step the mast, remove pin, and attach forestay.

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TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
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Thanks for the info. I didn't realize bungie was so fragile. I just had it handy because I use it to secure the shroud and trap wires to the mast during transit. I'll use line instead next time.

Sounds like you're rigging with just yourself or one other person. I usually use my wife for the stand tripod and my son works the winch while I stand on the boat and keep it going up strait.

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you have to have the mast at about a 30-35 degree angle before the rotator clears the beam, only then will the mast base drop onto the ball

almost all g-cats, et al (on our beach) trailer backwards (sterns to the trunk of your car) so the mast is already in the correct position and will sit right on the ball... and give us a HUGE head start on lifting the mast

MN3

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you have to have the mast at about a 30-35 degree angle before the rotator clears the beam, only then will the mast base drop onto the ball

almost all g-cats, et al (on our beach) trailer backwards (sterns to the trunk of your car) so the mast is already in the correct position and will sit right on the ball... and give us a HUGE head start on lifting the mast

How do they get it up that way without the winch?

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How do they get it up that way without the winch?

the way we trailer our cats.. .all you have to do is push the mast back (towards your car) a few feet and you can pin the mast to the ball. (or use line)

then you walk to your rear beam and step it (can be done solo)

You mentioned that these boats pitchpole easily. Is there any sailing techniques that you can share that will help avoid that?

We sail in Central Texas lakes so there isn't much danger of any serious swells normally, but it never fails that someone in a big powerboat will come cruising by at hull speed and send a tsunami your way.

I just got the G-Cat 5.0 boat and have not had her out on the water yet (I have to do some restoration, please see my other post) so the pitchpole issue is something I would like to be prepared for. Has anyone ever had a 1.5 to 2 foot boat wake cause your G-Cat to dig in?

Thanks

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Simple is Good
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Quote

You mentioned that these boats pitchpole easily. Is there any sailing techniques that you can share that will help avoid that?

As you see/feel your bows digging in... move your weight to the back of the boat... if you have crew.. make sure they move back as well...

that about all you can do ....


PS boat wake will not cause you to pitch pole... it will bounce you around like crazy... and if you are moving with speed (13+) it can rock you around a lot, but as long as you hold your course, and are ready for it.. you should be fine...

spiritsailor

...so the pitchpole issue is something I would like to be prepared for. Has anyone ever had a 1.5 to 2 foot boat wake cause your G-Cat to dig in?

Up is up and down is down. If you let your hulls point down they will go under the water. If your hulls are level and you point them into the front or back of a wave they will go down, either by the force of the wave or your driving.
So don't drive down into the back of a wave, keep your bows high when driving in a wave face and in between waves or wakes keep your hulls level unless you are in heavy air- then either keep the bows high or head for shore.
Is you are sailing along and your lee hull starts to pearl (as in dive for pearls):

MN3

As you see/feel your bows digging in... move your weight to the back of the boat... if you have crew.. make sure they move back as well...

My additional 2 cents= grab your crew and run aft as they cut the jib sheet. If you are sailing more than a beam reach, steer more downwind. If you turn upwind, you will capsize because a cat turns so slow that you will be blown over sideways long before you reach head to wind.

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Sheet In!
Bob
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Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Sorry to bump this old thread, but I have been following the 'bungie instead of line' method since kraven told me about that a few years ago, and I finally had a situation that tested it. We were starting to winch up the mast when it moved off to the side (and I wasn't controlling it properly, mea culpa). Anyway it fell, and the bungie held tight, but the 3 pop rivets holding the casting to the bottom of the mast all sheared off instead. So at least in that one instance, the bungie was stronger than the mast itself.

The bungee stretched... thats what it's supposed to do and exactly why they are not the correct line for the job

control lines (guylines) would prevent this

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Anyway it fell, and the bungee held tight, but the 3 pop rivets holding the casting to the bottom of the mast all sheared off instead. So at least in that one instance, the bungie was stronger than the mast itself.