Sailing Catalpavideo

New Upgrades on our 44 year old sailing boat Episode 467

November 1, 2025 · 23 min · 10K views

What this video covers

The owners of a 44-year-old Pearson Yachts 530, Catalpa, perform a series of rig and hardware upgrades using Schaefer Marine components to replace aging, original equipment.0:05 The refit focuses on replacing corroded blocks, shackles, and slides that have reached the end of their service life.5:23 The crew replaces the mizzen running backstay blocks with 50475 fiddle blocks and installs soft shackles to replace unreliable snap shackles.4:09 To improve tender handling, they upgrade the davit system from double to triple blocks, increasing mechanical advantage for lifting a four-stroke outboard.13:33 The project also includes installing a new spinnaker pole track and pulley system, utilizing Tefgel to prevent galvanic corrosion between stainless steel hardware and the aluminum mast.16:09 The crew emphasizes the importance of replacing worn sheaves and stress-cracked shackles before offshore passages to prevent failure under high loads.6:30 Regular rig inspections and the use of high-load-rated hardware are presented as essential for long-term reliability.

Watch on YouTube

Boats in this video

Pearson Yachts 530Their boat

More from Sailing Catalpa

the most sharks we have ever seenOct 2026the clearest water we have ever seen...The TuamotusOct 2026arriving to the most remote atolls on earth...the TuamotusSep 2026they weren't expecting thisSep 2026

From Sailing Catalpa — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.

Report an issue