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Cal 21 Owners

47K views 140 replies 23 participants last post by  Arcb 
#1 ·
Doesn't seem like there are too many of us running around on the internets. She doesn't seem to have as big of a following as the other Cal boats, but I'm sure that's just due to the limited production run.

Curious if anyone knows of a email group or something similar for Cal 21 owners? Or, if none exists if anyone would be interested in starting one with me?
 
#56 · (Edited)
Re: mahogany tiller

Can you leave a wooden tiller in the water at all times? I have been removing mine after each use and am wondering if it is really neccesary.
I assume that you are refering to the RUDDER, since the tiller is unlikely to be in the water since it is attached to the top of the rudder. You could leave the rudder in the water all the time, but it would require painting the part imersed in the water with antifoulant paint (even in freshwater) to repel slime and other nasties. Even then the rudder and the paint and/or varnish finish will last a lot longer if the rudder is sealed with a few thin coats of a good Epoxy before painting. However, by removing the rudder when not using the boat, the life of the rudder and fittings will be extended tremendously! Especially if you stow the rudder inside the cabin when you are not aboard. This allows the wood to dry out between uses and reduces exposure to the harmful UV rays of sunlight. With the rudder staying in hte water 24/7 it will slowly absorb water through any crack in hte paint/varnish finish which will tend to lift the finish off the wood and could lead to dry rot, but definitiely will soften the wood leading to the edges being more vulnerable to damage. Taking the rudder off and at least laying it in the cockpit will help to reduce that water penetration.
We always removed the rudder on our CAL 21 before going ashore each day, and during hte week the rudder was stowed in the cabin. This kept the rudder looking good for 38 years with a yearly application of 2 coats of varnish. The lighter colored patch is epoxy filler where I faired the damage caused by the outboard prop contacting the rudder. We added a plexiglas plate to the side of our outboard later to prevent that damage. The plate extended out from the "anti-ventilation" plate/fin on hte outboard just enough so that plexiglas fin hit the rudder before the prop would (sorry, don't have a good pic).
 
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#57 ·
Hey, we are trying re-bed our chainplates. Does anyone know or can anyone measure the distance from the deck to the top of the chainplate or to the eyes of the chainplate? If you are browsing and see this post, we are trying to get this done today, 6/24! Thanks for your help!
 
#58 ·
Thank you for the information. I too have hit the prop with the rudder and had to repair the gouge.

The question is now unimportant as I hit something with the rudder leaving our canal into the river. This caused the rudder to jump off of the bottom pin and bent the top. Minor repairs ensued but entering our river with the rudder on is now unadvisable.

Thanks against for the information. I have read several of your posts and replys and you seem to possess a wealth of information on the Cal 21.
 
#60 ·
Hi, my husband bought a 1970 Cal 21 a few months back. We are trying to get her seaworthy, and now I think I'm more obsessed with the boat than he is.

Quick question: the end of the boom broke where the main sail tacks in at the mast, does anyone now of a decent place online (or near Sarasota, FL) that would have replacement parts? Thanks!
 
#61 ·
Well has been a while since I have been on here. My Cal21 project has been on the trailer for a while. Too much going on in my life. But am thinking of getting going again and have a question in case anybody is paying attention out there. I want to cut off a portion of the mast to "improve", read tame, my boat a bit. The boom is so high over the cockpit that I think I could drop it 12-14 inches and still have a comfortable boat. Wouldn't have to cut the sails either. Yes, ducking the boom would be needed when tacking or jibing, but hey aren't most boats like that? Any and all advice will be appreciated. Thanks
 
#62 ·
Well, speaking as someone who sailed a CAL 21 for 37 years, I wouldn't do it. First, it really isn't going to improve anything (except maybe reduce your "air draft" by that 12-14".... but that only helps if you have been squeezing under bridges).
Problems will far outweigh any minor benefits from shortening the mast. I assume that you would cut that length off the top of the mast, which means needing to replace the backstay with a shorter one. The jumper rigging will need to be modified, and that will change it's geometry.... might still be effective... but, might not. You can't just move the jumper struts lower to maintain the setup since they mount using hte same fitting as the forestay and the same bolt holds the upper shroud tangs in place.
Lowering the boom will interfere with opening the main hatch unless your boat has been modified to have a sliding hatch. Even with the stock position for the boom, it can slide down the mast when the sail is lowered and be in the way of opening/closing the hatch.
I now regularly sail an O'DAy Day Sailer and the boom is much lower than on the CAL 21, I miss the higher boom of the CAL, it was usually over head while sailing and did not have any effect on visability to leeward like the boom on hte Day Sailer does.
Lowering the boom will reduce your ability to effectively use a boom vang, a good addition to any sailboat. There will be less room for the downhaul, although I guess you could switch to a fixed gooseneck to eliminate the need for the downhaul to hold the boom from sliding up hte mast... but without the boom downhaul you would be limited to using the halyard alone to tension the luff of the sail, not easy to do on the CAL 21 (Better to have that downhaul). Alternatively, a cunningham could be setup, but that adds complication to the rigging.
Getting back to the first point.... dropping the boom by 12-14" is not going to have enough effect on stability to "tame" the boat, and will introduce far more "untame" issues than it stops. You might not mind having to duck under the boom EVERY time you tack, but believe me.... it does get tiresome at times. Again, I really don't see any way that lowering hte boom like that will "tame" the CAL 21, a boat that is already pretty "tame" if sailed as intended.

In the end, your boat is YOUR BOAT, not mine, but I see no advantage to shortening the mast 12-14" and lowering the boom. I do see plenty of disadvantages to doing so.
 
#63 · (Edited)
Did you find a source for a new boom end yet?
The BEST idea would be to contact Steve Seals in California, he used to work for Jensen Marine and now sells rigging parts for many of our good-old CALs (especially the 20 and 25). The 21 used the same mast (and boom?) as the 20 and the boom fittings are mostly the same. I know he isn't in Florida...... but what he sells is a direct replacement for the original. Seal Marine (not exactly sure of company name, but GOOGLE Steve Seals) is on-line and has pictures posted of most parts that they sell.

There is a GREAT marine surplus store in Florida (can't recal name) but they are on hte East coast, I saw them on Ship-Shape-TV. I'm also not sure how much sailboat hardware they have..... but??

I've included a pic of the gooseneck from our CAL 21.
 
#64 ·
Hey Rod, thanks for your attention to my query! You made one assumption that I think throws everything in a negative direction - that I would cut off at the top of the mast. Not what I had in mind. It would be a simple matter to take off the bottom of the mast. Then I think the only thing that would need adjustment are the shrouds/stays where they attach to the hull, and the hatch. You are right about the hatch! I think a sliding hatch at the companionway makes a lot of sense for me anyway. And the sails would all still fit.
I also am not sure that the heeling effect of a foot or so lower sail plan would not be beneficial for this old man. Looking at pictures of my Cal in the yard with the sails on, I almost think somebody put a new mast on from a different boat. It just doesn't fit this little 21 footer. Thanks for being on this thread. You have been a great help on many issues.
 
#65 · (Edited)
The original CAL 21 mast would be 26'0" extrusion length (same as the CAL 20) so if your mast matches (or nearly?) matches that length is is original or at least is the correct length.
I figured you would cut off from the top due to that requiring less modification of rigging. If you cut off from the bottom you will need to move everything up or else shorten all the standing rigging (instead of just the backstay and jumpers). I still don't think that shortening the mast will really make enough difference to notice, especially considering the extensive work to make the mod. You will only be reducing the height of the center of sail area by that 12-14", with a triangle shaped sail, most of the heeling force from that sail is towards the lower half of the sail (given stock CAL 21 sail plan the center of the sail area is 8'6" above the cabin top) reducing that to 7'6" or even 7'4" will make virtually no difference in the heeling force of the sail plan, The slight reduction in mast weight will have a negligible effect, if any.

Now, if it did turn out that your boat DOES in fact have a "non-standard" mast, that is longer than 26' and/or a larger section extrusion........ reducing the mast down to the original dimension of 26' might be worthwhile....... then again... it still may not make enough of a difference {although, it would not be a bad idea to get the spar back to as close to the original (Lapworth design/Jensen built) specs.... still best to consult with a spar maker or yacht designer, (or a friendly mechanical engineer?)}

I have a copy of the original CAL 21 Sail Plan as drawn by Bill Lapworth, however it is too big to scan. The brochure pics below are a good start.

So, anyway...... your boat, your choice, but I still think that shortening the mast is a lot of complicated work for very little if any gain... and possible will make thing worse in the long run. It would certainly reduce the resale value.

How old are your sails?? Believe it or not, older sails that have stretched out will increase heeling effect and reduce the driving power of the sails. We replaced our sails after 23 seasons and were "blown away" (pun intended?) by the improvement made by new sails! Adding a roller-furling jib also made sailing much easier for my Dad as he could then easily and quickly reduce sail by furling the jib, then increase hte sail as hte wind died back down by unfurling hte jib. I suspect replacing or at least "retuning" the sails wil lhave more effect on "taming" the boat and cost considerably less than modifying the mast height. A local Sailmaker can inspect your sails and recommend repairs/updates or else yo ucould send the sails to a company known as "SAILCARE" that will make any needed repairs, then recoat the sails with a resin to restore their life. As long as your sails are not terribly stretched out, this will be a very viable idea. Again, retuning the sails like that will help to reduce heeling while improving light air (and normal condition winds) performance. I'm not saying it will "turbocharge" the boat, that seems counter to what you wish to acheive,.... but that better sail shape goes a long way towards easier sailing and more enjoyment, improving control of the boat. It might even be worth having hte mainsail recut to slightly reduce it's area by eliminating the "roach" or outward curve of hte trailing edge, you won't really miss that area, but it will make handling hte sails easier (and might breath new life into a tired sail as well, for less $$ than new or rebuilt sails). Plus, a new mainsail if you were to sell the boat is going to be less $$ than a new mast of the original height.
 
#66 ·
Thanks again Rod, My mast is indeed 26' long. Same as the Cal20. The Cal20 has 1'4" more waterline, 4" more beam, 940lbs more ballast, and last but surely not least about 500lbs more weight in it's fixed keel. I think the sail area is the same too. I see a roller furling jib as mandatory for single handing this boat.
I expect to drop the boat in the water in about a month or so. I will sail it some more and make up my mind about cutting off the bottom of the mast.
 
#68 ·
Wow, lost keel at sea and made it back?! Hard for me to imagine how it could stay upright w/o ballast. But to answer your question, no I don't know where you can find a replacement unless you buy one of the boats for next to nothing that I have seen advertised. Haven't looked in a couple of years, but they were plentiful and cheap($1000?) then. BTW, where are you located?
 
#71 ·
Morning My Fellow CAL 21 Owners... I have had some inquiries regarding my 72 Cal 21 boat and trailer less the keel... Yes I have decided to part out this boat. I have a good sail set, most all of the hardware, pulpits, aluminum mast, boom, stanchions, rigging, etc... It currently on its own trailer. I was in the process of replacing the hubs and bearings, wheels, tires, lights and trailer wiring before I decided to go ahead and part this boat out since the keel was lost at sea by the former owner. I really like the hydrodynamics of the CAL 21 hull design and was hoping to replace the keel and take her out and put her through her paces however the project size and time just won't allow me to pursue that course.
 
#72 ·
Hi all... rippy here...trying to post photos that show some kind of hook that is located between the wire and the rope of my jib halyard. My friend figured out a way to do it so here it is! I have no idea if it is original equip or was added when an inexpensive Harken roller furling was put on the boat.:confused: As I have said before, I have just about no history on the boat. What I am lacking is the hardware it would attach to. I am assuming it would be located on the mast, but is a quandary to me. I have researched a few sources, Sailnet, Defender and Jamestown, with no positive results. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :)
 
#74 ·
That fitting is 100% original from CAL. We had the same thing on our 1970 model. the purpose was to allow furhter tensioning of the halyard after you raised the jib. The technique was to take the rope part of the halyard and hook it under the cleat on hte mast, then run it up over the hook and now have a semi 2x mechanical advantage. The hook is what is known as a "dumb sheave" (a pulley wheel that doesn't rotate) and you could then swig the halyard to add tension. You have it rigged correct, it doesn't mount to anything, it just fits between hte wire and rope parts of the halyard exactly as shown. We did have one difference, in htat my Dad had an eye splice with a thimble in hte end of hte rope part and that was shackled to the bottom hole in that fitting. but otherwise yours is just like ours was.
 
#75 ·
Wow Rod, You are the man when it comes to the Cal21!:):). Makes a lot of sense when you think about it. I was going to put a turnbuckle from the deck to the tack of the sail. Yeah, I know a nutty idea:p I have a Hobie 16 and that uses a sheave for the purpose you describe, i.e. to get high tension on the jib. I am rethinking the mast shortening idea. Might be easier to just reef the main when feeling nervous.:eek: Thanks again! ralph
 
#76 ·
Does anyone know how the deck is attached to the hull?

Under the metal rub rail is a line of screws around the hull that appears to screw into the wooden rail at the top of the hull inside the cabin.

On the top of the stern there are screws that appear to screw into a board on the transom top inside the hull.

Then there are the screws in the deck of the cockpit that fasten to the top of the swing keel housing.

Is it possible to remove all the screw and separate the deck from the hull?
 
#77 ·
Hi Othomas3... I did replace all 168 machine screws on my McGregor Ventura 21 previously with stainless steel machine screws, fender washers inside and nylon locking nuts. My Cal 21 looks like it has the same standard type of hull to deck coupling, mating the two sections with an over and under lip. I have not yet removed the rubber molding and the metal rubber molding track from my Cal 21 yet however I am getting ready to start. I think that the deck and hull can be separated at this point however besides the molding you will encounter sealing caulk and other sealing materials that will inhibit your work in separating the top from the bottom section. I would clean out all the old caulking and sealant and of course remove the chain plates, and other trims, etc. Maybe someone else on the net is an expert or has actually performed the operation of separating the two sections. I would like to hear more. All the Best! Ragman365
 
#80 · (Edited)
Well ,I haven't removed the deck from a CAL 21, but there were pictures of one that the owner did remove the deck to replace most of the interior woodwork, he created a custom layout as part of his rebuild. I think there was a link off the CAL 21 web site
http://www3.sympatico.ca/sailpair/21stuff/home.html

I'll see if I can find it and post a link here. In the meantime, I think I saved some of the pics from that web page. I did find a couple of pics of what the aft area looked like after he rebuilt the wood structure, but no "before" shots.
 
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#78 ·
Time for me to get rid of the permanent keel attachment set up and have a keel plug built. I have looked at the plug(s) described here: Keel Plug page
many times, but still not sure I understand them. Like what is metal and what is wood. I am unable to make any sense out of the "alternative plug" drawing. I probably should just be asking Rod about this, but I am sure he will see it anyway. Thanks in advance!:)
 
#79 · (Edited)
Well, they say it is always best to go back to the source for questions<GRIN!>
On the KEEL PLUG, most of it is wood, the JENSEN Marine/CAL original was (believe it or not) Mahogany. Any stable hard wood should suffice, pine might work, but may be too soft and swell too much.

The main body of the plug (lower plank?) is one piece of wood, the hinged flap is a second piece of wood, the amgled plate at the forward end is metal, we used Stainless Steel (about 1/16" -3/32" thick), but brass or steel could be used (steel will rust, but maybe if it was galvanized it would last longer) I wouldn't use aluminum (except maybe on a trailer-stored boat due to electrolysis. The vertical rod is metal, we used steel because we had some available, and added a short piece of brass at the top for hte wingnut that secured the plug to the keel well cover. CAL originally designed the plug with 2 bungee cord lengths to hold everthing together, but it did not restrain the plug from working up and down while sailing and so the rod was substituted (I think that was a modification sent out by CAL, but I'm not sure.

OH, and when inserting and removing the keel plug, it helps to tie a lanyard to it since ours tried to float away one time when my Dad dropped it (after a full 6-month sailing season o na mooring... the keel plug had absorbed water and was almost neutrally buoyant).
 
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#81 ·
I have begun construction of the keel plug using a very large piece of oak that was milled from a tree that got blown down a few hurricanes ago. I have yet to lower the keel when boat not on water, and have not examined closely the keel slot, except from the cockpit. Before I go much further in trimming the oak I need to understand how it sits in or at the slot. The drawing in Rod's earlier post(1 of 4) shows the plug mostly in the slot and the keel well with only the tip of the forward steel plate touching the keel. It also looks like the plug is tapered going forward as well as aft from the flat section. I am unable to picture what keeps the plug from riding up higher into the well or slot:confused:. Relying on Rod for more edification on the famous, or infamous, Cal21 keel plug. :D
 
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