Hi Paul & Heather:

You may want to try Garhauer Marine in New Zealand. Here is their web site
[url]http://www.garhauermarine.co.nz/[/url]

They are an extention of the Garhauer Marine in California who supply much of the deck hardware for Catalina. They have an adjustable genoa car system that works very well and fits your existing genoa track.

Garhauer NZ also sell through McIntyre Marine in Australia.
[url]http://www.mcintyremarine.com.au/main.html[/url]

Good luck

I think Garhauer is a Californian Company.

Paul, what is the approximate cost?

I Have installed the Garhauer Genoa cars on my 1999, MKII #1780. Everything fit on the existing track - I simply drilled through the end caps at the end of each track to bolt it down.

I have a 150 headsail - so I only use them in light air conditions, and they have come in very handy.

I recall the cost was about $100, for each side. Be careful putting the adjustable car on the existing track. The new adjustable comes on a length of track to keep the ball bearings in place and you have to line the two tracks together and roll her on over.

I beleive they are worth the investment.
Good Luck

Tom Bolen
SPIRIT, 1999 MKII, #1780
Northport, NY

Paul,

Firstly I misread Tom Grovers post- he did in fact note that Garhauer was a Californian company.
The reason I was interested is that I have recently bought some Garhaeur stuff from the US as it was about 3 times the cost here in Australia. Shioping changes the equation somewhat but still cheaper.

If you havent aready done so - persist with the search of the forums - there is a lot written about adjustable jib/genoa cars. Here is a link to the C34 forum showing the EZ Glide system installed.

[url]http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4076.15.html[/url]

Paul,

After doing some research I have located a pair for about $335 plus shipping, of course that is in the States matey.

Here is the link:
[U][COLOR="Navy"][I][url]http://www.marinerparts.com/garhauer-e-z-g-1ub-e-z-glide-adjustable-geno...

Paul,
None of the t-tracks on our boats are 1". They are all 1.25", so you will have to get at least one size larger.

Did I just hear the sound of a cash register??? Someone probably just saved a LOT of money.

Thanks, Tom.

I purchased a set in December 2008 and installed E-Z G3 with the SJ-1-1/4" Swivel Jammers and 40' of 5/16th line. Total cost US $418.84 with shipping being US $11 of that total. They were purchased direct from Garhauer.
Have tested them on Lake Mead in 35Kts without a problem using a fully unfurled 135 Genoa. Very important, do not even think about removing the small section of track that comes with them. Align this short section of track with the Genoa track and roll the car off the short piece of shipping track and onto your Genoa Track. If you mess around, you run the risk of loosing some Ttorlon balls from the Car. In case you have a problem, I believe there are 96 balls on each side of the CAR.
Needless to say, you should keep the short section of track just in case you want to remove the cars at some time in the future. I have been very happy with this addition to Hilbre.
John Meyer
Hilbre 2135 (2003)
Now in Cabrillo Marina in San Pedro, CA

[QUOTE=hilbre;3482]...Have tested them on Lake Mead in 35Kts without a problem using a fully unfurled 135 Genoa... [/QUOTE]

Maybe I am a chicken, or maybe I just don't want to ruin my headsail, but how can you have a full 135% in 35 kt winds?

On Buzzards Bay in NE, 30 kt gusts are not uncommon in the afternoon. (I know Folks in S.F Bay probably wouldn't even bother to go out unless it was blowing at least 30 kts.)

Our typical sail home is on a deep reach. My preferred sail plan on a day like that is a furled main, and the 135 genoa full out. You have the seas on the stern port quarter, and it is one wild ride. Occasionally we will even surf for a few seconds and see 8+ knots. When we finally run out of water at the end of the bay we simply furl the genoa, turn on the motor, and drive into the harbor.

Duane:
Lake Mead weather is always ready to throw something at you. We used to reef down at 30 Kts. and that was if we had time given the unpredictability of gusts that can go from 20 to 35 or even more in minutes. The notorious "Wind Tunnel" that comes zooming out of the Black Canyon where Hoover Dam is located kicks in usually for a south or southeast wind and can add 10-15 Kts or more for over five miles. It is often used in weather books to describe the effect of land formations on wind speed. While it only takes about 10-15 minutes to cross this patch, it can give you a wild ride, sometimes close to 40 Kts. even when the rest of the lake is blowing at 20. Well now I am down in San Pedro and on salt water where I do not have to watch out for those 180's that lakes can throw at you. It all seems a little too sedate, 20 Kts in the afternoons with just waves, currents and tides to manage.
I can tell you from some of the wild rides Hilbre has given me on Lake Mead that we all have a boat to be proud of and one that can take care of us sometimes even in unusually tough conditions.
John Meyer
Hilbre 2135 In the Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro

[QUOTE=hilbre;3504] The notorious "Wind Tunnel" that comes zooming out of the Black Canyon where Hoover Dam is located kicks in usually for a south or southeast wind and can add 10-15 Kts or more for over five miles. It is often used in weather books to describe the effect of land formations on wind speed. While it only takes about 10-15 minutes to cross this patch, it can give you a wild ride, sometimes close to 40 Kts.[/QUOTE]

Hi John, we sometimes get a similar effect up here in Santa Monica Bay when the Santa Anas are raging down from the Valley and you sail past a canyon exit. YIKES!:D Definitely gets your attention.

Thanks, John, Dave, and Mike.

A deep reach with a full Genoa and 35 kts I could take, but any other point of sail and I would already be reefed. Like you said, though, our boats can take a lot.