How Do I Rig a 19' Cougar Mark IV Cat ?

[Cougar Mark IV]

I just bought this boat, and never sailed a cat before. In fact, a little sunfish was about it, besides a 600+ foot destroyer for 5 years. I could use a bit of instructions on how to rig it. Any chane anyone has directions? I know it's a pretty old boat................................John

[Cougar Mark IV]

Originally Posted by Cougar Mark IV

I just bought this boat, and never sailed a cat before. In fact, a little sunfish was about it, besides a 600+ foot destroyer for 5 years. I could use a bit of instructions on how to rig it. Any chane anyone has directions? I know it's a pretty old boat................................John

PS: I was told it rig's just like most standard cats...............means nothing to me though.

[TaoJones]

Welcome to the Forum, John. With all those lakes in Minnesota, there must be dozens of sailors close to you, and some of them are probably Hobie, Prindle or Nacra beach cat sailors. If the boat is normally rigged like one of those, find someone who has one and ask him/her to help you.

When you bought the boat, did it come with everything; that is, is there a mast with a bunch of multi-strand cables attached to it? In my experience, most beach cats will have the side stays and the back stay permanently attached, and the forestay is the active one. This allows the fairly-quick stepping and unstepping of the mast to accommodate trailering.

If you're asking about hauling the mainsail (raising it up the mast), I again assume the boat came with a full suit of sails - main and jib, possibly spinnaker. If you've sailed a Sunfish, you already know the basics - you'll just have a few more sheets to account for (jib sheets, traveler, downhaul, etc.).

I'm not familiar with the Cougar Mark IV, however, so it's possible there will be something unique to the vessel, but I doubt it. It would be interesting if you could post some pics of the boat, John, preferably with the mast stepped, and with and without the sails hoisted.

TaoJones

[cal40john]

There was a Cougar in our storage yard, never saw it rigged but it had a roller furling jib using a foil, so not exactly like modern cats, but probably just forestay and shrouds. The Cougar is from the Shark era of cats.

Contact one of the people in this thread, see if one of them remembers, or peruse or ask on the forum at catsailor.
Anyone race Sharks? (besides Rick?) - Catsailor.com Forums

Another beach cat site that might help:

www.thebeachcats.com

Picture:
http://www.clyciowa.com/01-cougar_start_a.JPG


Good thing the people who owned the one in our yard never sailed it. The front crossbeam is wood core fiberglass with no triangulation of the force from the forestay. At some point the wood core rotted and the eye for the forestay pulled through. The repair was to put a u-bolt in 2" to the side and no repairs were done to the wood or fiberglass. They also ruined the hulls, the boat would fill with water, then the hulls sagged over the roller bunkers.

John

[cal40john]

I just had a zoomed look at the picture link I posted. Those boats don't have the roller furler that was on the boat in our yard, so the one I've seen has probably been modified. In that case Tao's probably right, just find your local Hobie or Nacra fleet, they will be able to figure it out for you.


John

[Cougar Mark IV]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

Welcome to the Forum, John. With all those lakes in Minnesota, there must be dozens of sailors close to you, and some of them are probably Hobie, Prindle or Nacra beach cat sailors. If the boat is normally rigged like one of those, find someone who has one and ask him/her to help you.

When you bought the boat, did it come with everything; that is, is there a mast with a bunch of multi-strand cables attached to it? In my experience, most beach cats will have the side stays and the back stay permanently attached, and the forestay is the active one. This allows the fairly-quick stepping and unstepping of the mast to accommodate trailering.

If you're asking about hauling the mainsail (raising it up the mast), I again assume the boat came with a full suit of sails - main and jib, possibly spinnaker. If you've sailed a Sunfish, you already know the basics - you'll just have a few more sheets to account for (jib sheets, traveler, downhaul, etc.).

I'm not familiar with the Cougar Mark IV, however, so it's possible there will be something unique to the vessel, but I doubt it. It would be interesting if you could post some pics of the boat, John, preferably with the mast stepped, and with and without the sails hoisted.

TaoJones

Yes, everything's there!

[Cougar Mark IV]

Thanks for the help guy's, I'm sure once I figure what goes how, I'll be fine! There must be sailing clubs around here. The guy I bought it from used to race it, and said she's a great boat, can't wait.

[Cougar Mark IV]

Originally Posted by cal40john

There was a Cougar in our storage yard, never saw it rigged but it had a roller furling jib using a foil, so not exactly like modern cats, but probably just forestay and shrouds. The Cougar is from the Shark era of cats.

Contact one of the people in this thread, see if one of them remembers, or peruse or ask on the forum at catsailor.
Anyone race Sharks? (besides Rick?) - Catsailor.com Forums

Another beach cat site that might help:

www.thebeachcats.com

Picture:
http://www.clyciowa.com/01-cougar_start_a.JPG


Good thing the people who owned the one in our yard never sailed it. The front crossbeam is wood core fiberglass with no triangulation of the force from the forestay. At some point the wood core rotted and the eye for the forestay pulled through. The repair was to put a u-bolt in 2" to the side and no repairs were done to the wood or fiberglass. They also ruined the hulls, the boat would fill with water, then the hulls sagged over the roller bunkers.

John

That's it, I think. In the anybody race cats link, except mines blue fiberglass instaead of wood.

Those right there in this pic! Mine's like the blue one in back, only it's painted white, where the pic looks like sealed wood. That gives me a bit of an idea at least!
http://www.clyciowa.com/01-cougar_start_a.JPG

[Grav]

John,

Did you get the help you needed to rig the Cougar? If you need more information let me know...I've sailed a Mark III for the last 20 years and can help you with just about any question.

Great wet boat!

[Cougar Mark IV]

Yup, rigged and sailed last summer no wind but, now I know how. I made one mistake though, Went to Clear Lake, IA last summer.

Anyway, I guess I never figured I could hook the side stay cables up and walk the mast up, (Stupid!), so as I'm walking the mast up I lose my balance, (second mistake, had a stoke in 2002, and my balance sucks anyway). Long story short the mast leans to the right, so do I, and the base of mast snaps off as I fall to the sidewalk onto my back. I think I broke a couple of ribs, and knocked the wind out of myself for what seemed like an eternity! And in front of a bunch of people! Look at the pic, it's quite a fall off the boat to the ground, but I'm one tough 50 year old! lol.
Anyway after that we were pretty much putting her away, and a lady drove up and asked if we were getting ready to sale the cougar, (popular boat in Clear Lake 30 years ago), about 5 people going by asked where I got a Cougar at. Told her what happened and she said her husband used to build those, and might have a few parts lying around. She called him, and guess what? He had the whole mast sitting under his deck and no boat, FREEBIE! Now, I have 2 masts for my 39 year old boat. Talk about luck, I can still walk, and I got my boat fixed like 5 minutes after I broke it up! wooooot!

Now, if I could just laugh without hurting! This video was the first thing I thought when lying on the ground moaning trying to breath..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDKhZ8l1n8A

[Cougar Mark IV]

The rest of the story, lol,
Well, since I wrote that one a bunch has happened. I did get the other mast, so, I plan on swapping some parts. I found that I didn't break my ribs in the fall, just cracked em. I broke them when I rolled over onto my right side about 3:30am Friday morning. I heard 2 snaps, both sounded like one of those thick as your thumb wooden pencils being broken in two, and it kind of felt like that. I can say for certain, I've never felt pain quite like that, just breathing was unbearable. Luckily I had about 30 Percocets lying around from previous unmentionables. So, after getting pain pills down, and ribs wrapped snuggly, I can at least get out of bed. I was disabled from a stroke in 2002, but this is REALLY disabling, had the hiccups this morning, and thought about suicide lol, (just kidding, but you get the idea) Man, I believe this is just about the worst bones you can break. And cracked ribs aint sheet! I hope I get well soon enough to sail one more time before the ice and snow hit's Minnesota!

[CalebD]

Cougar,
Sorry to hear about the cracked ribs. I know from my own experience how painful that can just breathing. Been there, done that. Lacking any Percocets I recommend rum, whiskey or hard liquor of your choice. The trouble is that it takes a few weeks for the bones to knit which could make for a pretty bad hangover.
Be careful raising that mast.

[Cougar Mark IV]

I have been sober since May 2nd 2002, and glad I had the Percocets, well, actually a freind had some from back surgery, lol. I've learned thru lifes lessons I can't ever drink again.......................but, thanks for the warnings!

[briangogo]

I have raced several of these and am looking to buy one.. Call me and I can help you with the rigging and some tips. Brian 402-304-6363