CAL SAILBOATS

October 9, 2016 | by Rich | 16 comments

Cal Yachts (aka Jensen Marine) was a manufacturer of performance oriented fiberglass sailboats from the 1960s to the 1980s. The Costa Mesa, California, headquartered company was founded in 1957, among the earliest of all-fiberglass, mass-production sailboat builders. Although the brand has been out of production for three decades, the existing fleet is still substantially active in racing and cruising.
– wikipedia

cal 20, cal 24, cal 25, cal 27, cal 28, cal 29, cal 9.2, cal 30, cal 31, cal 33, cal 34, cal 35, cal 36, cal 39, cal 40, cal 43, cal 44, cal 46

Information for Cal owners and Enthusiasts

I’m collecting as much information about Bill Lapworth’s Cal sailboats as I can find and posting it here.  So if you have something, please email it to me.. If you need something I have here, go ahead and download it.

Cal Boats General Documents

Wanna Get Work Done on Your Cal?  Check out these recommendations sent to me by Faith who had a lot of work done on the Cal 34 s/v Sea Jewel.

External Cal or Lapworth related Websites

Cal Model-Specific Information (Owners Manuals, Line Drawings, and more)

Cal 20       Cal 24       Cal 25      Cal 27     Cal 28      Cal 29

Cal 9.2      Cal 30       Cal 31      Cal 33     Cal 34      Cal 35

Cal 36       Cal 39       Cal 40      Cal 43     Cal 44      Cal 46

16 comments on “CAL SAILBOATS”

  1. Hi, I’m not exactly sure how to email you directly so am leaving a message here. It was suggested by someone from the Sailboat Owners CAL forum site that I get in touch with you to share some resources I discovered during the course of rebuilding my 1975 Westerbeke 4-91 and Paragon transmission. I am located in Bellingham WA and my CAL 2 34 is at Squalicum harbor.

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    • Ask your question at the Cal Boats page on facebook.

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    • Hi Faith, wanted to let you know that I finally had time to add your content. I wasn’t really sure the best way to do it so I added a Vendor Testimonials page of sorts with your notes. I hope others find this useful.

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  2. Hi Will, thanks for your reply. I don’t do facebook so I don’t really have that option :). What I did do was email Richard directly so he could post the resources I have to offer on his site. I’m not sure if he has seen fit to include them as I haven’t checked that site for a couple of weeks. In any case they’re out there in the ethernet should someone want to take advantage of them 🙂 Again, thanks for your interest and happy sailing!

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    • I did get your docs, unfortunately I haven’t found time to figure out how best to put them online. I’ll do that soon. Thanks!!

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  3. Excellent information on transmission adjustment, Does any one know the part number for the binnacle transmission cable, mine is very stiff,.

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  4. Thanks for the downloads , I found this and it really helped me adjust my paragon 500 v drive
    Sorry this took so long! The Walter V Drive has a part # of RV-10S
    with a 2-1 reduction
    Paragon SAO V Transmission adjustments
    To adjust the forward clutches, remove the 4 bolts that hold the top
    cover down and take off the cover. (Try to save the gasket, but new ones
    are cheap) As you look down into the guts, there is a fore and aft
    shaft that goes through the clutch pack that has a castle nut on the
    end( about 1-1 1/2 “). With the transmission in neutral, turn that
    shaft with a screwdriver until you find a locking bolt. Back off the
    bolt until you can turn the castle nut. _Careful, a small adjustment
    goes a real long way and there is no frame of reference as to how far
    you have turned it._ In your case, I would try turning it only 2
    notches. In other words, from the locking bolt turn the nut
    clockwise(facing aft) 2 indentations in the nut (for the locking bolt),
    and lock it down again. Try it out. If you have gone too far, the prop
    shaft will slowly turn over in neutral, meaning that the clutches are
    not fully released. Back up one notch on the nut a try again. (Though
    neutral is kind of a moving target on this transmission) If you still
    have slippage, you have not gone far enough, try turning the nut one
    more notch.

    Adjustment of the reversing clutch or band
    With the top cover off, as you face aft, on the back left side of the
    gearbox, there is a largish nut with a spring clip around it.
    Turning that nut clockwise will tighten the band. Again, small
    adjustments! One or two flats on the nut make a significant change.
    This will move the reversing movement closer to the neutral spot on the
    shifter, in other words you will not have to push so far down on the
    shifter to fully engage reverse

    The overheating and slippage should go away. Let me know if you need
    clarification.

    Ralph Landfall 38 White Bird Rochester NY

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    • I read of a guy named chris thats a paragon guru any chance u have a direct contact also could you possibly email me a copy of the manual we have the same tranny and are cruising. I cannot find it online [email protected]
      TIA

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    • This info greatly helped my captain to better understand Thanks!

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  5. This is fabulous information, clearly disseminated and I am so grateful to have it step by step with what to look for after making the adjustments. Thank you so much!! The only guy I know who works on these things is in SC, (please see the vendor list I gave Richard which he has posted on this site). His name is Chris and he is amazing but he’s also on the other side of the country from where I am. He knows his stuff and can fix pretty much anything having to do with the Paragon and if he doesn’t have the part he’ll find someone who does.

    It’s just great to have a step by step guide on this piece that makes sense and shows me what to look for when doing the work.

    Thank you,
    Faith
    Cal 2 34 S/V Sea Jewel
    Bellingham, WA

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    • Hey Faith. Nice writeup of the work completed on Sea Jewel.
      I sail out of Everett. Maybe we will see each other in the Islands.

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    • Do you have a contact for this man chris? Have you found a link for this tranny manual? Could really use a copy we are cruising and cannot find one online.

      Thanks
      [email protected]

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      • Hi Angel,
        Sorry it took a minute to get back to you. The contact info I have for Chris is Paragon Transmission – Chris Jones – South Carolina 843-822-1019. It’s been a while so who knows if he’s still working on them but I wanted to at least get back to you. I hope this helps.

        Happy Cruising,
        Faith
        S/V Sea Jewel

        [email protected]

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        • Thanks for that info Faith!! Were u ever able to find the manual online?

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          • You are most welcome! I’m not on my boat at the moment so this may not be completely accurate information but it seems to me that I either already had the manual from a previous owner or Chris helped me find one. He either sent me one or gave me the resource to find it. In either case Chris can help you find what you’re looking for as he is the hook up for all things Paragon!

            Best of luck and happy cruising,
            Faith

  6. The Cal 24 should refer to the original California 24 which became the very first..’Cal’ 24. What you’re showing is actually the fourth iteration of a 24′ Cal. It goes, Cal 24, Cal 2-24, Cal T4, then..I guess, Cal 24-3 which is what your list shows. there were something like 170 or the original Cal sailboats, the Cal 24, built from ’58 to ’65 according to SailboatData.com…I think. The second Cal design was similar, but came out after the Cal 28, 25, 40, 34 and had an iron bold on keel, similar to the first Cal 27. The sailboatdata.com site has a chronology under Bill Lapworth. Of course, the Lapworth 24 design predates the Cal24, the boat named “Dove” skippered by the teenage Graham made so famous as he circumnavigated till he arrived after being dis-masted twice, and demanded he be given a bigger boat, I think it was a New York 35, to complete his circumnavigation, wherein he transited the Panama Canal and visited the Galapagos Islands, before returning to Marina del Rey. Oh my! His book is great (had forgotten about him till a lookie Lou saw my boat on the hard at Anacapa Marine in Channel Islands Marina, and gave me the book, thinking my boat was a replica, which is close, not not actually so. The first time I’d seen an actual Lapworth was when I parked next to one in Santa Barbara at 3AM prior to doing the Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race (we won our division in winds that hit 30 knots…Woo-wee!-beginners luck. That’s another story)

    Reply

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