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Home , Mast (sailing), Winch

Colgate 26 maintenance and operation handbook outline:

I. Purpose II. Maintenance Preventative maintenance • Hardware • • Roller furler • / • Vang • Rub rail • Topsides • Interior • Bottom • • • Motor • Trailer Trouble Shooting • Electrical • Play • Stiff Tiller • Leaking • Winches • Clutch Cosmetic Maintenance • Deck and nonskid • Topsides • Interior • Bottom • • Spars • Special Considerations I. Raising/Lowering the Mast • Special Cautions • Using a gin pole • Using another C-26 • Using a derrick or boat hoist II. Hauling/Launching • Hoist • Ramp • Trave lift III. Trailering (Paste current trailering instructions here) IV. Operation Powering/Docking Light air techniques Heavy air techniques tricks V. Appendix Parts and Suppliers

COLGATE 26 OPERATIONAL AND MAINTANENCE MANUAL

I. PURPOSE This manual has been created to assist Colgate 26 owners operate and maintain the Colgate 26 to the highest possible standard. The design and construction of the Colgate 26 as well as the hardware specified was selected on the basis of ease of use, durability and reliability.

II. MAINENANCE

Preventative Maintenance

• Deck Hardware The single most important preventative maintenance procedure is to keep moving parts of blocks, cleats, clutches and traveler cars free of dirt build up. This is easily accomplished by having crewmembers hose down the boat at the end of each sailing day. The Harken blocks, cam cleats and traveler parts should not be oiled except with a dry lubricant spray such as McLube.

• Winches The Harken winches like all winches need periodic servicing to keep them running smoothly. It is likely that the daily crewmember wash down will not adequately flush the dirt built up from the inside of the . Winches should receive a weekly fresh water flush. Winches should be serviced at least every 4 months or as indicated by stiff operation or sticky paws. Please see Harken 16st winch service in the appendix for service procedures. The following points are worth reiterating here: 1. Too much winch grease is a bad thing. Use winch grease sparingly to avoid trapping dirt, which will increase wear on the soft aluminum bearing surfaces and gear teeth. Use enough grease to cover all of the moving parts of the winch. 2. Winch Paws should never be greased. Paws can become stuck in the grease causing the winch to freewheel. Use oil on winch paws. 3. There are drain holes in the winch base, which must remain free of grease and dirt. 4. When servicing the winch it is important to replace the ratchet gear carefully. It is possible to install the gear upside down. This will cause the winch to slip under heavy loads. Double check to be sure the paws are nesting in the ratchet gear teeth with no gaps when installing the ratchet gear.

• Roller Reefing and Furling As with the winches, regular fresh water rinses are the key to smooth operation of the furling system. There are three custom (Harken) pieces that are easily lost when disconnecting the furling unit from the . First is the foil locator key, which is retained by the black collar at the of the torque tube. The second and third items are the clevis pin and clevis pin retaining washer. Care must be taken when removing these three items so they are not lost overboard. All three items should be reinstalled on the furling unit when removing the mast for storage or shipping. It is a good idea to maintain a few spares as back up in case one of these items is lost.

Occasionally the stainless steal retaining clips that snap over the clevis pin ends to the drum down slip off the clevis pin. There is no immediate risk of the mast falling when this happens but luff tension will be lost and it may become hard or impossible to furl the if the foil is allowed to ride up on the jibstay. This can be prevented by tightly wrapping the base of the furling unit with wire or tape. A dry lubricant such as SUPER LUBE can be sprayed into the luff grooves to make the sails slide more easily.

• Mast/Boom Key areas to watch on the mast and boom are the attachment points for the high stress fittings such as vang and attachment points. If the rivets loosen up they must be replaced quickly with 1/4" stainless steel rivets. Use a quality caulk to isolate the stainless from the aluminum.

• Probably the most important preventative maintenance a sailor can perform is the daily visual check of the turnbuckle and clevis pins. An unpinned turnbuckle or clevis pin will always work its way loose. The spinnaker sheets can drag past the shroud bases tearing away the tape over time. Eventually the spit pins or ring pins become distorted or get pulled out. The key is to keep the pins well taped. It is important that the entire turnbuckle is NOT covered with tape. Leave a gap at the bottom on each section of the turnbuckle for water to drain out.

Standing rigging swage fittings should be visually inspected for cracks and rust.

• Vang The rigid vang will support the weight of the boom and for short periods. It is important the take the weight off the vang when leaving the boat. Use the main to support the end of the boom. This is particularly important in rolly conditions.

• Rub rail The rub rail snaps onto a plastic extrusion that is bolted to the -deck joint. Occasionally contact with a seawall, piling or the straps of a Travel lift will roll the rubber off the extrusion. The rubber can be pressed back onto the extrusion with a rubber mallet. This is easier to do on a warm day than a cold one.

• Topsides Gelcoat becomes more porous over time. To slow this process down, it is important to keep a good coat of wax on the topsides and white parts of the deck and . A quality carnauba paste wax will give good protection and a high luster.

Occasionally the topsides will develop a yellow staining. This can easily be removed by applying OSPHO with a spray applicator or sponge. CAUTION: Ospho and other commercial hull rust removers can attack the copper biocide in the bottom paint if it runs down into the bottom paint. Many of these hull cleaners contain strong acids and should be used with care after reading the instructions.

• Interior It is easy for sailors to overlook the cosmetic appearance of the interior of the Colgate 26. It is after all the least used part of the boat during most sailing activity. It is important to remember that the interior may make the biggest impression on the new sailor. It must remain neat and orderly at all times. All loose gear should be stored in proper containers or in the cooler. The spinnaker should be stowed in its bag. Spinnaker sheets and twings should be hung. Life jackets should also be hung to dry if left aboard. Interior surfaces are prone to mildew. Clean with household mildew remover such as X-1. Some interior metal may rust. Clean with OSPHO or replace with new stainless steel hardware. If the boat can be opened daily to air out the interior, even when not in use, this will go a long way to eliminating mildew and a musty smelling interior.

• Electrical System The wet environment in a boat makes electrical system maintenance of particular importance. Dampness causes corrosion that eventually breaks down connections. All connections should be sprayed monthly with a corrosion inhibitor. A good product for this purpose is Corrosion and is available in marine stores. These contact areas are: The battery terminals, the solar panel plug in connection, the back of the electrical panel, the deck plug connection at the base of the mast and antenna and power connections on the back of the VHF radio. The solar panel will keep the battery at a proper state of charge if plugged in and left on the cabin house when the boat is not in use. The battery should be checked for water level monthly.

• Bottom The Colgate 26 with its efficient thin underwater foils is very sensitive to bottom growth, therefore the bottom must be kept clean. The bottom has been coated with an epoxy barrier coat to prevent blisters. • Rudder The rudder and rudder bearings are nearly maintenance free. The tiller occasionally needs some attention. The following should be checked at the beginning of each season and at eight-week intervals.

There is a small screw under the tiller head that is used to adjust the height of the forward end of the tiller. Turn the screw in the clockwise direction to lower the forward end of the tiller, counter clockwise to raise it. Use locktight to keep the tiller height adjustment constant.

There is a bolt that runs through the tiller head, which allows the tiller to pivot up and down. This bolt should be tight enough to eliminate any side to side play but not so tight that it is difficult to raise and lower the tiller. This bolt runs through the bronze rudder head.

Tiller Play The helm should have no play between the tiller and the rudder. Common sources for tiller play are: 1. Loose tiller bolt. This causes play between the tiller and the rudder head. 2. Loose setscrews. There are two hex head screws that clamp the rudder head to the rudderpost. These may loosen over time causing the rudder head to slip on the rudderpost.

The rudder head is connected to the rudderpost in three ways: 1. The rudder head is clamped to the rudderpost by two hex head set screws. It is important that these screws are tight and held with Locktight. 2. There is a small setscrew in the surface of the rudder head, which locates the rudder head vertically and fore and aft. 3. There is a flat head machine screw that runs through the side of the rudder head and through a hole in the rudderpost. The purpose of this screw is to keep the rudder from dropping out of the boat if the clamp and set screw fail. The hole in the rudderpost is oversized so this screw does not locate the rudder head precisely.

• Keel The keel is cast lead coated with an epoxy barrier coat. It is attached to the hull with eight bolts. The two aft bolts also hold a lifting eye for hauling the boat. The keelbolts should be checked at the beginning of each sailing season, after trailering the boat for any significant distance and after any major grounding event.

• Engine The engine supplied with the C-26 is a Nissan 3.5 horsepower. The engine comes with a comprehensive users manual. The manual should be read by anyone using the C-26 on a regular basis. This engine is powerful enough to push your C-26 yet light enough to be easy to live with. A pad eye is located on the port side of the walkthrough. This pad eye provides a place to secure a line that would also be secured to the engine. This safety line would keep the engine from being lost were it to become detached or dropped overboard.

Trouble Shooting • Electrical The electrical system on the Colgate 26 plays an important safety role and a minor convenience role. Like all safety equipment, the VHF radio and running lights may not be used daily but must work reliably when needed. The VHF radio should be wired directly to the battery bypassing the electrical panel. There is an inline fuse to protect the radio. The most common causes for nonfunctioning radios are dead battery, blown in line fuse, broken or bad connectors at battery or radio.

The electrical distribution panel is a likely source of trouble for the rest of the boat's electrical systems. The breaker switches may go bad or the connections to and within the panel may fail. The breaker panel is not an expensive item and replacing them is often the best solution.

• Stiff Tiller - Check that the top of the rudder is not binding on the hull.

• Leaking - The only man made holes below the waterline are the keelbolt holes. If the boat has had a hard grounding the nuts on the keelbolts may need to be tightened. Over time the keel bedding may contract. Again a little tightening on the keelbolts should solve the problem.

• Sails - Over tightening controls (, , halyard etc) can distort sail shape. Sails should be washed with a mild soap at the end of season and then be thoroughly dried before being folded and stored in a dry location. A properly cared for suit of sails should give good service for three seasons.

Special Considerations I. Raising/Lowering the Mast • Special Cautions-ALWAYS CHECK ON OVERHEAD POWER LINES. Be sure that all standing and is fair to run (not tangled) prior to raising mast. Be sure all work on the top of the mast is completed prior to raising, also check that standing rigging mast terminals are properly inserted in their key slots. • Using a gin pole-A gin pole is a on the foredeck that provides a lifting angle and purchase that allows the mast to be raised with minimal crew. This should be done only after some training with a gin pole. • Using another C-26-The halyard from a neighboring vessel can be used to aid in raising a mast. from both sides work even better. Again some training can be very helpful to this process. • Using a derrick or boat hoist-This process uses an independent . Remember to slot the mast base into the mast step.

I. Hauling/Launching • Hoist-The lifting eye is located under the aft end of the floor board. Properly sized slings and should only be used for lifting. It helps a lot if the upper end of the sling is bridled to the four corners of the boat. • Ramp-A 15 foot trailer tongue extension is necessary for ramp launching. Inspect the ramp ahead of time for underwater obstructions and drop offs. Remember that you trailer will be going 15 feet further down the ramp than most boats. • Travel lift-A travel lift would only be operated by a trained professional. II. Trailering

UNDERSTANDING THE C-26 TRAILER The weight of the boat is supposed to be held by the keel, which rests on the keel tray, a strong and padded pan mounted over the trailer’s axles. The trailer bunks keep the boat from tipping over in the trailer. They are not designed to support the weight of the boat as it travels down the road. If too much load is on the bunks, the hull can distort causing structural damage or the bunks may fail catastrophically. When loading the boat onto the trailer, be sure the keel contacts the keel tray before significant load comes onto the bunks. The Forward vertical support on the trailer contains a trailer winch and “V” shaped pad. The bow should nest in this pad. This keeps the boat from sliding forward in sudden stops. The winch cable is run through this pad and attached to the bow eye and tightened. This keeps the bow nested in the pad and keeps the boat from sliding aft. Do not over tighten the trailer winch. Hook up the safety chain. The boat is now secure on the trailer except that the aft end could possible bounce independently of the trailer if rough road conditions were met at high speed. A strong low stretch line should be run from one side of the back of the trailer over the boat but not over the mast or cockpit rails and down the other side of the trailer. This line should be tight but not so tight that it distorts the rub rail. If you stand aft of the traveler on a boat that is on a trailer that is not hooked up to a tow vehicle or blocked at the back, the trailer will tip backwards possibly damaging the boat or people.

SECURING THE INSIDE OF THE BOAT It should be obvious that the boat is going to bounce around quite a bit as it travels down the road. This means that any loose gear may be damaged or could damage the interior of the boat. Every thing must be carefully stowed. All small items should be wrapped and placed inside the cooler. This includes the VHF radio, the Windex (which should never be left on the mast), winch handles, compass cover (which should never be left on the compass during transport), tiller cover, spare blocks, misc. lines, pump handle, overboard throw bag, and all other small items. Large items like the , and vang need to be wrapped and secured so they won’t damage the boat. Sails should be folded and in bags and stowed forward with PFD’s. Pump the bilge dry. Check to be sure that there is no water trapped aft of the quarter berths or under the “V” berth. Excessive water in the boat creates handling problems and significant risk of roll over. Hatch boards should be in place AND THE TOP BOARD MUST BE SECURED WITH A LOCK OR A TO KEEP IT FROM FALLING OUT.

SECURING THE MAST AND BOOM The lower end of the mast nests in the recess in the bow pulpit. Slide the mast forward until the mast base is about three feet forward of the pulpit. It must be padded or the anodizing will chafe through degrading the value of the mast. The reefing horn can vibrate out of out of the mast and must be taped in. When moving masts that are rigged it is not necessary to strip them of standing or running rigging. It is important that both standing and running rigging is secured so that it can’t fly out of the boat. Halyard tails can be tied off at the exit holes and stored in the well. The top of the mast is supported by a 2x4 lashed across the cockpit rails. Care must be taken to ensure that the 2x4 can't fall off as this may break the mast when it drops onto the cabin top. The boom needs to be padded and lashed to the cockpit rail along the side deck. Do not leave the boom lying in the cockpit. The Harken furler should be completely reassembled (but not attached to the bow) with the foil key in place and the clevis pin in place. The drum assembly and the foil should be padded and secured to the mast. On new boats the Harken system is stored below in original packaging. The Windex must be removed and stored where it won’t break. Be sure that the standing rigging is not bent in small radiuses, which will kink the wire. Particular attention should be paid to the following areas; to of the jib stay above the foil, shrouds at the spreaders, shrouds near the swage fittings. Duct tape can cause a real mess if it is used to tape a mast, as the glue will transfer to what ever surface the tape is applied to. This will require clean up with acetone. If you must use duct tape, use a technique called back taping, where the first layer is applied sticky side out then the tape is twisted to apply sticky side down for subsequent layers applied over the first. Clear packing tape is preferred because it leaves less residue.

The main sheet, traveler lines, lines should be coiled and secured in the cockpit. Spinnaker sheets, twing lines and fore should be stored below. The tiller does not need to be removed or tied. The hiking stick and battens should be stored on the cabin sole.

GENERAL CHECKS AND OPERATION A final check should be done before departing. On deck look for loose items that could flog in the and damage gelcoat. Can low tree limbs snag the standing rigging coils? Is the mast and boom padded at all contact points? Are hatch boards secure? Check the boat on the trailer. Is there any deformation of the hull around the trailer bunks? Is the bow eye secure? Is the boat nearly straight up and down and centered on the trailer? Is there any way that any tie down or other line could drag on the ground or get under a tire? Check that the license plate is securely fastened to the trailer. Check the functioning of all running and signal lights. Check the towing ball nut to be sure it is tight. Check the trailer hitch connection. The catch must be firmly locked in place. Often if the ball is seated too far aft in the trailer tongue the latching mechanism will latch above the ball allowing the trailer to come unhitched. A visual inspection should be done to ensure that the latch is in fact engaging the ball. Twist the safety if the look like they might drag on the ground. Hook up the emergency brake engage cable. When attached to the towing vehicle, the trailer should be nearly level. This will cause both sets of wheels to carry equal loads.

If the boat is to be left disconnected from the towing vehicle, the back of the trailer must be supported by blocks. If it is not then a person walking around on deck will cause the trailer and boat to tip backwards if they step aft of the traveler.

DRIVING CONSIDERATIONS The trailer and boat weigh close to 4,000lbs. This is going to change the driving characteristics of the towing vehicle. Your stopping distances will be considerably longer. Use caution when road conditions deteriorate (rain and ), as it will take you even longer to stop. Do not tailgate and slow for all intersections. Be aware of the tow when making turns especially around trees and covered service stations. Try not to drive into any situation that requires backing out of unless you have experience backing the trailer.