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| How did the Capri 14.2 become what it is today? |
Through the seventies and into the early eighties, Catalina built a boat called the Omega 14. (It was originally called the Capri 14, without the .2, but another builder forced Catalina to stop using that name - they said they owned the name.) In 1983, Frank Butler and his designers set out to build a more modern version of the Omega 14. They added a foredeck and cuddy, which the Omega 14 lacked, and made it 14.2 feet long, and named it the Capri 14.2. Frank says his intention was to build a family boat with a simple rig, and build them in quantity so that they could be competitively priced. They obviously succeeded - over 5200 happy owners can't be wrong. Catalina didn't envision the boat being used for racing, but in Southern California three racing fleets spontaneously formed within two years. Others formed later as far away as New Jersey. The first boats (called Mod 1s) were well made, but some problems surfaced. One was that the cuddy door wasn't as watertight as it should be, and if the boat capsized the cuddy usually took on a lot of water. So about 1990, they came up with a fix, which was to fit an open fiberglass box, about 18 inches on each side, into the cuddy opening, then cover the open side with a canvas door. These modified boats became known as Mod 2s. It solved the problem of water getting into the cuddy, but it meant the usable storage space was only a fraction of the volume actually available. It also made hull repairs and modifications more complicated, because the glued-in box had to be removed to get access to the space under the foredeck. Finally, in 1996, a major redesign was undertaken, creating the Mod 3. The cuddy box was discarded, making all the space under the foredeck useful again. A large, rugged, completely watertight plastic cuddy door was installed. The foredeck was rounded upward somewhat, giving the deck more strength. Also the teak splash boards were eliminated. Another major change was to bolt the deck and hull together, (Previously they had been glued, and sometimes the glue joint leaked.) A bulkhead was added across the aft end of the cuddy, which made for three separate watertight compartments, the cuddy and each side under the seats. It also added lateral rigidity to the hull. Lastly, the centerboard control was greatly simplified, reducing the number of turning blocks required for the control line, which made for less line drag, making it easier to raise the board. And it de-cluttered the cockpit. All together, these changes made the Mod 3 a lot more user-friendly, safer, and much stronger. But what about speed? Either by luck or by design, the speed of the Mod 3 is about the same as Mods 1 and 2, based on an earlier analysis I did of race results in our fleet. The Mod 3s seem slightly heavier, but the stiffer hull makes for less flexing in the chop, so the overall effect is roughly equal speed. I've owned two Mod 1s, two Mod 2s, and now I have a Mod 3. I would say in terms of quality, ruggedness, safety, and features the Mod 3 is clearly superior. But if you own a Mod 1 or 2, you still have a fine boat that will give you many years of service. |
| Where can I buy a sail for my Capri/Catalina 14.2? |
| You can buy a class legal sail from any of the following sailmakers:
-North Sails: https://www.northorder.com/class/capri142/capri142.html -Quantum Sails -Scott Sails scottsails@cox.net or Scott Sails Information Page |
| What type of Outboard motor should I buy for my sailboat? |
Outboard Motor Options for the Capri 14.2 Power - In my opinion, 2 hp is more than enough for a 327 lb. Capri 14.2. I once owned a 22’ keel boat, weighing in at 2500 lbs, and my 4 hp motor was fine for that. So lets say 2 hp is OK for the Capri. Weight - Anything under 30 pounds should be easy to mount and unmount. Shaft Length - If you want to mount the motor on top of the transom (see more on this below), then a long shaft (25”) is essential. (Shaft length is measured from the top of the bracket to the tip of the shaft.) Fuel Tank - My choice for simplicity is one with an integral tank, mainly because there’s no good place to put an external tank in the Capri 14.2 cockpit. Gear Shift - Although a shifter is useful, I don’t think it’s really needed for just a simple, get-me-home motor. This is not a keel boat, where you sometimes must throw a powerful engine in reverse just before crunching a dock. So I say no shifter. Just come up slowly, kill the power, and drift up to the dock. This ain’t the Titantic, dude. Two Stroke or Four Stroke - Definitely four stroke. Have you used one? They’re wonderfully smooth, more fuel efficient, quiet, and much less polluting than 2 strokes. And you don’t have to mix the fuel. Da Bottom Line - So let’s open the envelope and see which motor meets these criteria. Okay...ta da...the only one is the Honda! (Model BF2) It has 2 hp, four cycles, weighs 27 lbs., has a shaft length of 20” or 25”, costs $809, has no shifter, and has an integral tank. Motor Mount - What to use? Catalina will sell you a fancy mount, but I don’t think it’s needed. You can mount the motor on top of the transom, on either the port or starboard side. (Steer with the tiller.) Make sure it’s far enough to one side so the rudder can’t touch the prop. Only don’t clamp the motor right to the fiberglass transom. I’d glue and/or screw a pair of thin (say 3/8” or 1/2” thick) oak pieces to the transom on each side of where the clamps would go. This gives a more secure grip for the clamps and doesn’t screw up the fiberglass. The width and height of the oak pieces depends on the motor and clamp configuration, but they will probably end up measuring about 5” x 10”. One reader sent this: “I use a Fulton 380321 adjustable bracket with a Fulton transom adapter. The bracket slips out of the adapter when not in use. I drilled two new holes in the adapter just below the top two so that I could through bolt through the Capri's internally reinforced area on the Port side of the boat. The adjustable bracket lets me skim shallow in low water areas and place the motor deep into the water when waves are running high (though I seldom need a motor when waves are high). Cheapest source is C-ME marine but they often run low on supply (they have an 800 number and a website - ship UPS from Buffalo).” |
| What should I consider when buying a C14.2? |
| Before you read any further, we urge you to click on the History page, especially the section on the evolution of the class. Finished? Good, because there's a pop quiz later. (Only kidding...) Briefly, the Mod 1s have an open cuddy with a teak door (not very watertight). The Mod 2s have a closed cuddy with a storage box (covered with a canvas panel). And the Mod 3s have an open cuddy with a large, robust plastic hatch, completely watertight. The Mod 1/2s have basically the same hull, one that's lighter than the Mod 3s. For that reason, lots of racers prefer them. But the Mod 3 hull is stiffer, which will flex less in a chop. Thus the Mod 1s do slightly better on flat water, but in waves the Mod 3 can have the edge. I race a Mod 3 myself, as do others in my fleet, and we are usually competitive, so the differences seem to be minor. Most importantly, the Mod 3s are stronger, more durable, and lots more user-friendly than the Mod 1s and 2. What to look for when evaluating a boat? Condition of Hull - Look for gel-coat cracks. A few are okay, but an extensive pattern of cracks could indicate structural damage. Mod 1/2s often have a lot of cracks on the seats. These can get worse - a heavy crew could be be a problem. (Don't laugh!) The Mod 1s have some plywood braces between the hull and the cockpit floor. If you can squeeze your upper body into the cuddy, shine a flashlight back there and see if some look like they are deteriorating. If so, that's not good. How is the finish? Some older boats with colored hulls will be faded. Some can be buffed out, others are hopeless. Was the boat pulled up on beaches? Look for scratches and gouges on the bottom. Minor scratches can be wet-sanded out, gouges must be filled and sanded.
Rudder and Centerboard - Older boats (Mod 1/2) used foam-filled blades that can be easily damaged. Look for cracks or chunks gouged out of the edges. New blades run about $200 each.
Rigging - If the shrouds and forestay are several years old, plan on replacing them. It's a minor expense and could prevent a dismasting. Check the tangs, pins, etc. Any that look shaky should be replaced. Running rigging (sheets and halyards) are easily replaced if they look tatty, and it's a good opportunity to use smaller diameter lines, as the original ones are way too thick. Figure on about $100 up, depending on how fancy you want to get with super-no-stretch lines, etc.
Sails - What kind of sailing do you plan to do? If it's an occasional sail with the kids or Aunt Matilda, then the original factory sails are probably okay. The problem with them is they aren't very durable and tend to lose shape. If you're interested in racing, plan on close to $1000 for a competitive set of new sails from one of the major lofts. Trailer - Galvanized ones are obviously best, especially in salt water. New ones run $800-1000. In fresh water, a painted trailer is okay, but check it over for rust. Minor rust spots can be sanded out and painted with Rustoleum. Check the wheel bearings and tires. Look for sidewall cracks. Prices - Here are typical prices. Keep in mind these numbers don't reflect the condition of the sails. A fairly new set of racing sails can add $500-800 to the value. Mod 1s - $500 - $1500 (But really nice ones can be more. I found one that had been kept in a garage since new in 1985, and only sailed five times! A friend was thrilled to snap it up for $2500.) Mod 2s - $1000-2500 Mod 3s - $2000-4000 (But an almost new one can be more. Keep in mind brand new ones can go for as much as $6000 with a galvanized trailer, a cover, and taxes and license.) Bottom Line - If you want an inexpensive "starter" boat, a Mod 1/2 should be fine. But if you want a boat to last for a long time, try to get a Mod 3, even though used ones are harder to find. |
| What should I do to prevent turtling? |
| We’ve been getting swamped (no pun intended) on our website
Message Board with reports of Capri 14.2s turtling. I was puzzled by this rash
of reports, as I’ve been racing these boats for 17 years in the largest
fleet in the U.S., and I’ve never actually seen one happen to a Capri
14.2. Lots of capsizes, yes, but no turtling. But after thinking it through,
I think I know why. Here in San Diego, the weather is mild and we seldom see
winds over 15 knots. But in places like the Great Plains, the wind howls.
A fleet in Wichita, Kansas was concerned about this, as they routinely sail in winds of up to 25 knots. (Kids, don’t try this at home.) So they solved the problem by adapting streamlined Hobiecat floats to their mastheads. It provides 32 lbs. of lifting force. Problem solved. No more turtling. It costs $88.50 and it is part number 30115. Go to Hobiecat.com for the name, address and number of your nearest dealer. But it’s up to you to make an adapter for your Capri 14.2 mast. But why does the boat turtle in very high wind and merely capsize in lighter wind? It seems the main cause of turtling is the wind pushing against the boat as it lies on its side. It’s a light boat, and the broad bottom acts like a sail, driving it right over. A year ago we ran an article in the Mainsheet on turtling, and capsizing in general. We think parts of it are worth repeating: First Steps - If you are all wearing lifejackets, as we highly recommend, it might help for one of you to swim out to the mast head and try to hold it up while the other one climbs out onto the centerboard. But if you can both get onto the C/B before it turtles, that’s even better. The boat usually capsizes slow enough that a quick-witted sailor can usually slide down the side and be on the centerboard by the time the masthead hits the water. And it helps if that same quick-witted sailor pops the mainsheet loose as soon as he/she sees the boat going over. Getting the jib undone under that circumstance is harder, because it's hard to get upward leverage on the jibsheet as one is going over. But getting the sheets undone helps the recovery immensely, as the sails no longer act as giant sea anchors. Of course, it's best not to capsize to begin with. One of the main causes of capsizes is having the slack jibsheet not run free when tacking. It can hang up on the jibcar adjusting knob, or simply fall back into the jam cleat. To prevent this, we remove the restraint strap that goes over the top of jam cleats--it's not needed for any reason. Be careful when taking out the machine screws that hold the cams in place, or you can lose the roller bearings. Have one person hold each cam in place while the screws are taken out and re-inserted. Another problem is having the jibsheet wrap around the jibcar adjusting knob. What some (including myself) have done is to cut the knob off, grind the top of the post smooth, and cut a screwdriver slot in the top of the post. This requires removing the jib car from the track. To do this, remove the back three track machine screws and lift the back end of the track a half-inch or so. Another contributor to turtling is the fact that most older Capri 14.2s don’t have a water-tight mast. Having a mast that floats is clearly better than one that doesn’t. The current boats use a foam plug at the masthead. Does yours have one? Just drop the mast and look. You can see it just under the main halyard sheave. Some people have made them by simply wadding up a sheet of bubble wrap. I think a more elegant approach is to fill the mast with the “foam in a can� sold at hardware stores for helping winterize houses by plugging airleaks. The Following is from a post by Matt Schneider on the Capri 14 Comments board. I found an alternative for the buoy method. I took out the pulley at the top of my mast and peered down the length of it. I discovered the cause of my turtling problem. The plug that Catalina designed and installed into the mast of my 14.2 had nearly disintegrated, changing the mast from a buoy to a dead weight. To solve this problem, I did my best to wrench out what remained of the old plug. Then I went to Home Depot and bought a can of water proof foam (>$5.00) that is used to hold windows in place. I sprayed this foam down the mast and let it expand to re-plug the whole (After spraying this foam as a liquid it expands to the size of your opening and then dries hard). This allows the air trapped in the mast to naturally keep the boat from turtling. Being an engineer, I followed (actually proceeded) this procedure with some calculations. Trapping the air inside the mast changes the mast from a dead weight (that wants to sink) weighing 14.6 lb(f) to a buoy (that wants to float) with 18.3 lb(f) of buoyancy. That is net swing of almost 33 lb(f)! If the mast is 20 feet long, that changes the mast from being a proturtling torque of 146 ft-lb to a 183 ft-lb anti-turtling torque. A real help in keeping the boat from turtling! (note: I did the numbers quickly so I can’t guarantee they are exact, but I think they are close). If you want more information, feel free to e-mail me.
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| Who can I contact with questions? |
Ed Jones Website Technical Support |
