Six lines run aft on each side of the cabintop. The hardware is mounted on black anodized aluminum plates, which are mounted atop teak risers.
I wanted to position the deck organizer so it didn't stick out over the outboard edge of the cabin top. I wanted to have the deck organizer bisect the angle of deflection of the lines (so the fasteners resisted the shear loads better). I wanted to keep the angle of deflection under 90 degrees to minimize the total loads on the deck organizer and fastereners.
With those conditions met, the deck organizer limits how far forward the hatch can slide. We lost about 5-6 inches of forward travel on the hatch -- and I doubt very much we'll miss it at all. We tested to see if we'd miss the extra room, and we didn't. The hatch opening is HUGE compared to 99% of the boats on the water! Heck, even without the last 6" of opening, I'll bet a linebacker could slip through the companionway and look svelt! :^) The only thing we lost was a little of the potential for a scenic sky-view from the dining table -- but since we'll have a dodger over the companionway, it won't make a bit of difference.
(Note: The installation is not quite complete in these pictures. I have not yet installed a little teak block under the inboard end of the black aluminum plate -- it'll act as a stop/bumper so the hatch can't slide too far forward -- which will crack the flanges at the forward corners if it hits the teak under the deck organizer.)
On starboard, the top three lines run through Spinlock rope clutches to a Harken #16 single speed self-tailing winch. On port, and are the main halyard, 1st reef tack line, and 2nd reef tack line. On port, the three top lines also run through Spinlock clutches to a Harken #16 winch, and the three top lines are the jib halyard, the 1st reef clew line, and the 2nds reef clew line.
The bottom three lines on each side run through Sinplock PX rope clutches with a SWL of 400 pounds. The six bottom lines will be the vang, cunningham, outhaul, pole lift, pole guy -- and one more line that I haven't decided upon yet... maybe the control line for the spinnaker ring car.
A picture showing the slope of the cabintop vs the horizontal plate under the winch. The cabintop slopes at about 10-12 degrees. Therefore, all the holes drilled in the aluminum plate and the teak supports are drilled and countersunk at 10 degrees from the perpendicular to the plate. That way the fender washers and nuts on the inside of the cabin are flush and flat to the "ceiling" .
Master-Machinist and Sailboat-Magician Jerry Barrilleaux, fabricated the aliminum plates for me. He's incredibly talented, and knows what he's doing around sailboats. Click here to see the other gorgeous "boat jewelry" he's made for my Catalina 27. Thanks Jerry! I couldn't do this without your help!
