Boom on Horizon Cat

[Subsailor637]

Just took delivery of a brand new Horizon Cat.  Thought I had researched these boats enough to know the ins and outs but apparently not.  I have had a couple of 30 to 34 ft Catalina's in the past so I am used to the boom being attached to the mast via a gooseneck.  This doesn't seem to be the case with the Horizon Cat; the boom floats freely not fixed to one position.  Am I missing something or is this correct?  Just seems weird to me.  Also, seem to be having a hard time lowering the throat end of the gaff/sail.  Peak drops fine but luff and gaff seem to hang up.  What am I doing wrong.  After sailing for 40+ years I'm a newbie again!

[Salty19]

I can't answer your question, but bet there is information in the manual that pertains to this issue

[Subsailor637]

The manual, what passes for one, doesn't even show any diagrams of attachment points etc.  I'm sure a fellow Horizon owner can straighten me out

[Mokey7]

The boom does "float" but should be restained by a downhaul to maximize sail shape. When raising and lowering the sails, you want to keep the gaff level with the boom. If you don't, it will bind. I have a Picnic Cat, but the setup is relatively the same. I'm sure more informed people will respond with better information =)

[Subsailor637]

Thanks Mokey7.  All info is helpful.  That floating boom will take some getting used to.

[Craig]

Congrats on new HC! First, the gooseneck slides in the sailtrack to allow the boom and gaff to slide below the mast hinge so that the mast can be lowered easily for trailering. On Kailani I raise the throat to full hoist while keeping the gaff parallel to the deck. Then raise the the gaff until the sail has a good set (no wrinkle). The tension on the peak(gaff) halyard will vary according to windspeed. Use the downhaul to fine-tune the luff tension according to conditions. Keeping the gaff parallel to the deck when lowering makes the sail much easier to drop as well. One of the great things about the "modernized" gaff rig is the the wide range of adjustments possible with a four-sided sail. If you haven't already, go to: www.go-embedded.com/Sailingmanual.pdf  and download the Catboat Manual. It is a treasure trove of information about all things catboat. It will answer a lot of your questions and some you haven't thought of yet. Also make sure you keep the sailtrack well lubricated with a non staining track lube. I have also added a downhaul to the throat gooseneck to help drop the sail quickly. Tom Ray has a really good set of pic on: www.tropicalboating.com on how to install one. You are going to LOVE your HC! We love ours!

[capt_nemo]

After all is said and done - ADD A LIGHT DOWNHAUL LINE TO THE SLIDING GOOSENECK, and all will be right again with the world.

Many of us Sun Cat Owners experienced the same CHRONIC problem when dousing the main, despite lubrication of the track and slides. The "Gaff Downhaul" solves the problem, every time.

Congratulations on your New Horizon Cat, she's a mighty fine big sister to our Sun Cats. Wish you many happy hours sailing her.

capt_nemo

[Subsailor637]

Thanks to everyone that provided input on this subject.  The sailing manual certainly contains some great information; now I have additional reading material while I eat lunch at my desk!  I really am looking forward to taking the HC out, so far just sitting on it at the dock, cleaning the interior and topsides.  Still have to varnish all that raw teak (which I love to do and my sailing buddy thinks is insane).  FYI, I will be using the boat mostly on the Illinois River out of Peoria.  I actually had to wait three weeks for delivery because the river was so high there actually wasn't a marina to bring it to (not even a parking lot)!

[Subsailor637]

Congrats on new HC! First, the gooseneck slides in the sailtrack to allow the boom and gaff to slide below the mast hinge so that the mast can be lowered easily for trailering. On Kailani I raise the throat to full hoist while keeping the gaff parallel to the deck. Then raise the the gaff until the sail has a good set (no wrinkle). The tension on the peak(gaff) halyard will vary according to windspeed. Use the downhaul to fine-tune the luff tension according to conditions. Keeping the gaff parallel to the deck when lowering makes the sail much easier to drop as well. One of the great things about the "modernized" gaff rig is the the wide range of adjustments possible with a four-sided sail. If you haven't already, go to: www.go-embedded.com/Sailingmanual.pdf  and download the Catboat Manual. It is a treasure trove of information about all things catboat. It will answer a lot of your questions and some you haven't thought of yet. Also make sure you keep the sailtrack well lubricated with a non staining track lube. I have also added a downhaul to the throat gooseneck to help drop the sail quickly. Tom Ray has a really good set of pic on: www.tropicalboating.com on how to install one. You are going to LOVE your HC! We love ours!

Do you know what section (on tropicalboating.com) the pictures for installing the downhaul are under?  They don't come up on main page when I click link.  Thanks

[Craig]

Go to:topics,boat repairs/upgrades. Look for adding a down haul. The pics are for theSuncat but are the same for the HC. Go to: older posts and then to :modifying my Suncats rigging.

[CaptRon28]

I tend to use the long pin to hold the boom ABOVE the hinge when I'm going to raise the sail OR when I plan on keeping the mast up for an extended period. The gooseneck has some friction when sliding up or down over the hinge, and I like the extra 10 or 12 inches of clearance under the boom when parked. When the mast goes up, I immediately lift the boom, gaff and sail above the pin. When the mast is being lowered, the pin will the keep the boom and gaff under the hinge. This was its intended purpose.

On my Horizon the gooseneck sits around 6 to 8 inches above the pin when the gaff is raised as high as possible. You can then pull the gooseneck down to tension the luff. It will wind up about an inch or two above the pin. And it is much better to keep the gaff roughly parallel to the boom when raising or lowering the sail. Any significant angle will make things more difficult. Also give the mainsheet about a foot or two of room to allow the boom to raise when the sail goes up.