Garhauer line control genoa cars

Details on what you get for being an ITOA member, and how to get it.
Ron
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
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Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Ron »

Got an ITOA group price from Garhauer for their 1 1/4 inch line control genoa cars. Price includes the cars and rail mount swivel cam cleats, but probably not the line or bungee cord you'll need to complete the installation. Should be a relatvely easy install too - remove the forward stop on the track and slide the old car out and all of the new ones in.

I think Dan spent over $600 for this exact setup, Garhauer wants $318 for each set based on our group pricing. We'd have to add shipping and sales tax for any going to California.

Let me know if you want one. Once we have all of the info I'll call them to see how to order the batch. I imagine checks or credit cards will be OK. Send the stuff to me and I'll forward it to Garhauer.

You may ask why do I need this thing? Well, you don't actually need it, but if you have any intentions of ever moving the genoa cars while under load, you will be sorry if you don't have it. No more need for a spring loaded car pin and bandaids after you get your fingers trapped. Just pull the line or let it go using the swivel cam cleat.

Image
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Dan

Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Dan »

Ron—

Here's the Garhauer setup installed on my Telstar:

Image

I'd highly recommend making this upgrade.
trashpad

Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by trashpad »

Any news on a Traveler kit from them?
Mark G
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Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:26 pm
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Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Mark G »

I have tried to install this on my boat and the car would not slide past the windows. I could get them on the track with no difficulties, but the car with the sheave WOULD NOT fit. The equipment was great, the people were very willing to work with me, but.... Please check with Garhauer on the clearances needed before you purchase, because I do not believe PCI uses a jig or a template when they install the track and a 1/4 or 1/2 inch difference between the track and the window can really put a crimp into your upgrade.

Also, be vary careful when you attempt to install the car with the sheave - it has (what seems like hundreds of) bearings that will end up all over if you aren't very careful. Garheuaer sends the car with a piece of flat bar in place of the track. I took the bolt out of the aft end and used a piece of tape to hold the flat bar to the track so no gap developed. Once the car is on the track, you can peal off the tape. Be very careful when you take the bolt out though - the flat bar moves VERY easily if you let it go and happen to have the car tilted the wrong way. I can't tell you how many times I hunted those blasted ball bearings.
Ron
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: SW Florida
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Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Ron »

Mark, Dan -

Are the Garhauer cars any wider than the stock PCI car? If we can find out how much wider we could judge if the kit will fit properly. After thinking about it for a second - it's got to be the sheeves on the slider car that's causing the problem. Could one of you measure the width of the slider car sheaves when you get a chance. The distance from the center of the track to the window and fiberglass has got to be greater than half of the sheeve diameter. And I could ask Garhauer to substitute a smaller (but same load rating) pair of sheeves for the car too. Considering the 4 to 1 purchase, 1/4 inch line would more than enough. The load is virtually all on the block anyway. The first one of these Garhaouer systems with the rail mounted cam cleat was made for my big Catalina around 12 years ago. We sat down at the Annapolis boat show and drew it on a napkin while sitting in my cockpit.

I never asked Garhauer about a traveler. I figure that it would be far too expensive to replace the Schaeffer track with another custom made one which has been raised up several inches. The real problem is the height of the track as compared to the height of the tiller arm and shaft. My line control traveler system works great and the other one with the block to guide the line apparently works also. I've been using it for about a half year now and I've never had that control line hang up on the tiller. It's a matter of setting the outboard end height to compromise between rear platform access and inteference with the tiller. My wife even steps over it to get to her seat. It's only about 3 inches above the seat where you would step over.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Dan

Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Dan »

Ron—

It isn't the car, but the sheave itself that is the problem. I was able to get the cars onto the track using a bit of brute force, but it really depends on the exact placement of the track. On some boats, it may be too close to the cabin top for the Garhauer genoa fairlead cars to fit. If Garhauer can make them with a slightly narrower sheave, that would be great.

Mark's point about the ball-bearings in the Garhauer car is a good one... I spent a bit of time chasing the little bastards down, and getting them back into the car is a RPITA. The cars work quite well. The only thing I would change is adding a bungee cord to the aft end of the car, where they have a becket for it. The cars don't really return in light winds...so the bungee cord would fix that minor issue. Other than that, they're great.
Ron
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Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
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Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Ron »

Dan -

Which car is causing the problem - the stationary car at the front end of the track with the stacked sheeves, or the slider which is layed out in a fiddle arrangement (smaller and larger sheeves at the same level). I was assuming it was the slider. If so I'd ask them to decrease the radius slightly if possible, or stack them if the smaller one would become too small to be usable. If it's the stationary block then I'm sure they could make them a drop smaller, especially with the 1/4 inch line we'd probably be using.

Either way we'd have to post some number showing the minimum spacing between the center of the track and the part of the boat that could interfere. Once I know exactly what the problem is I'll ask Garhauer to take a look at a possible redesign. He started out as a very good machinist who caught a break when his friend Frank Butler (Catalina) set him up to start making his hardware. Bill has made some very interesting stuff over the years.

You gotta be carefull with the shipping track on the ball bearing car to avoid having the damn little things go over the side. I usually tape the two tracks together (at the top) then carefull slide the car back. Never lost a bearing yet.
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Dan

Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Dan »

IIRC, it was the fixed sheaves, not the slider car. The stacked sheaves on the fixed car were the problem. The fiddle block setup on the slider car was low enough that it didn't have the clearance problem which is caused by the glazing on the ports... the stacked sheaves are too tall to clear the glazing.

If they went with a fiddle block setup on the fixed car, not a set of stacked blocks, that should fix the problem.

The reason I'm sure it was the fixed sheaves is that I used the four-part tackle to convince the fixed block car into position on the track. :)

BTW, you have to install from the front end of the track. The bolt for the ama folding system at the aft end doesn't allow you to do the installation from the aft end.
Ron
Posts: 1136
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:15 pm
Location: SW Florida
Contact:

Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Ron »

Interesting. I thought it would be the slider. I'm sure Garhauer could use smaller sheeves in the fixed car especially if we use 1/4 inch line or maybe even a drop thinner. I already wrote to him describing the problem as "one of the cars". If it's that close I wouldn't mind doing it with smaller sheeves on both of them.

We can probably get you a replacement car(s) if you want. They have just about the best customer service I've ever seen
Ron Marcuse
Telstar 28 #359 "Tri-Power"
Dan

Garhauer line control genoa cars

Post by Dan »

Ron-

The sliding car isn't a problem IIRC. The sheave height on it isn't high enough to cause an issue. The stationary car is the issue, since it uses a double block instead of a fiddle block. If it had a fiddle block setup, it wouldn't be a problem either.
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