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Non Factory Upgrades
Done some really neat personal upgrades to your boat?
Share and compare them with others.
I installed this vent right
in the middle of the fore deck. It does an excellent job of keeping
the interior ventilated when the boat is closed up and not being
used.
This one is only plastic, and I was worried that it would get stepped on and broken fairly quickly. But after 5 years its still running and in one piece. (A stainless steel version is available)
I have not had any problems with leaks either,
(an occasional drip) but then I sail on inland waters (Lake Ontario).
I don't know if the fore deck is a good place for those who are
out on the coasts.
I found the stock back stay
to be undersized and had a lot of trouble with a sagging forestay
as a result.
I fabricated a second stainless chainplate, using the stock "one" as a template. I moved the original one outboard and mounted the second one the same distance from the center line. (back the new chainplates with reinforcing blocks and thru bolt with bolts and locking nuts, NOT SCREWS ). I had a local rigging shop make up a split backstay (giving them the old one as a guideline). They put a couple of small blocks on the two lower portions so I could rig a simple backstay adjuster. It works great!
RAISE THAT KEELDrawing of the winch and board that I believe is original Winch Board
Here is a drawing of the keel plug from "NODROG" drawn by Gordon Johnson and provided by Rod Johnson. I'll be using it to make one for Ruta...Bagas as it's never had one. (As far as I know)
The drawing is large so download it to look at it. it's saved as a jpg and is 221K compressed
For some reason the Cal 21 was designed without a means of shedding water that might get on the seats. So Gordon and Rod decided to remedy the problem with a simple solution. Here's the modification described by Rod.
We used "flush-head" thru-hulls in the seat tops, size: 1/2". On to these I threaded 90 deg. hose barbs for 5/8" hose. I used two 18" pieces of reinforced clear hose to join the hose barbs to a Tee-fitting amidships, and a 12" piece to join the Tee to a mushroom-head thru-hull in the aft bulkhead of the foot-well of the cockpit.
This is from Rod also. This picture shows the anchor rode locker that Rod's Dad added to their 1970 Cal 21. On later models such as Ruta...Bagas ('74) the factory added a full bulk head that goes from the berth up to the deck with a large access hole.
This pic also shows a small shelf added, along with the holding tank hose and vent tube. Not to mention the sparkling paint job.
Richard, here (finally!) are the pics of our gas-tank locker! The top, which is level with the seats, is bolted down to the oak-strips that are themselves bolted to the seat-risers. The tank rests on 2 oak cleats (approx. 2"x3/4"x14") bolted to the seat-risers and resting on the cockpit sole. The tank is held in place by brackets made from 3/8" plywood and cut to match the shape of the tank. The tank is accessed by removing the front panel of the locker, and the fuel line is fed out through a 3" (Nicro marine) "snap-in deck plate". I can take measurements of the top, if anyone needs them. BTW, we have a Johnson 4DLX and so our tank is a standard OMC 3 gallon metal tank. - (The shadow must be Rod, note the hat is on backward!)
Someone once sailed a Cal 20 from California to Hawaii. Looks like Nodrog is ready to do it too.
I
installed a bimini on my Cal 21. It wasn't easy but it wasn't
too hard either. I had to do a little finessing but it seems to
work very well.
The mainsheet is clear and the hatch and boom vang operate fine
also. The only two minor glitches, when folded back the tiller
will not settle all the way down and going from the cockpit to
the upper deck is a little awkward,
but that is not bad considering the gain. I raised the boom a
little and took about 11 inches off the mainsails foot at the
clew. Not as difficult as it sounds.
- Eric John, Endless Summer - 1970, Hull #257
