This includes wedges in the step as well as the mast partners. Mast wedges play a very important part in the catboat rigging. These pieces of hardware can be under a great deal of stress at times and they can get bent or broken. Inspect both the gaff and boom gooseneck fitting every spring as well as the gaff saddle to make sure they are in solid shape. Stiff blocks can cause difficulty in raising and lowering the sail, and as halyards and the main sheet get older they can get stiff which will hinder their ability to easily run through the blocks. It is always a good idea to make sure your halyard and mainsheet blocks are in good working order and your running rigging is in good shape with no worn spots or frayed ends. This allows for the saddle and mast hoops to slide freely up and down which makes raising and lowering the sail much easier. Prior to stepping the mast each spring we recommend waxing the mast and the inside of the gaff saddle. On the other hand, teak is impervious to rot, so if you like the appearance of naturally grayed teak, leaving it bare of all finish is acceptable and requires very little maintenance just a little cleaning once in a while. If there are bare spots from the previous season it is a good idea to sand and spot coat these prior to a full coat in order to get some built up layers. This helps protect the finish from the sun’s harmful UV rays which can wear out the coatings. In the spring we recommend applying a fresh coat of finish to all of the exterior teak trim, whether you are using oil, Cetol or varnish. Starting fresh will give you a smoother finish, reduced weight and a cleaner environment. There are many different types of bottom paint which can be used for various types of uses of the boat. If years of bottom paint application has led to chips falling off, we recommend stripping the paint. In most instances where your boat will be kept in the water during the sailing season we recommend applying a fresh coat of bottom paint to prevent growth. This can be a fair amount of work with mixed results, so painting the hull with Awlgrip is another option. For badly oxidized hulls you may need to use a more aggressive coarse compound before the fine compound and wax. If the hull has faded and you are trying to restore the color, try some fine compound. This is especially important with dark hulled boats as the fading becomes much more noticeable over time. We always recommend cleaning and waxing a gel-coat hull every spring to keep the gel-coat from oxidizing and fading. We are always available for advice or parts, and if you want us to take care of these jobs for you we offer storage and a full range of services at Marshall Marine. All boats can be fun to work on and we certainly encourage the do-it yourselfers to tackle many of these projects. In order to maintain your catboat in top shape we offer the following basic tips.
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