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I bought a few replacements but could not get the latches off to replace. Whats the secret here?

Today after a lovely sail started my low hour Universal on c34, 1990 boat, 25xp and it ran rough and would not come up above 2000 rpm's. Oil check was fine. Any ideas as to what to check for? First our week trip cancelled due to Admiral's rib fracture and now the long weekend trip cancelled due to engine malfunction but hey life is great and wife at least now has a diagnosis for a pain that was worrying her.

Where is the shower sump pump, and how hard to replace and whats the replacement pump? Ours still works but is 20 years old and I know it will fail when we go on our annual summer cruise.

I wanted to put something in the anchor opening to prevent the anchors, line, etc from getting wet. Any thoughts on this?

I raised the issue once before but here goes again. I would like to touch up the mast and boom in a few places where the paint has come off. I scraped off the loose paint and sanded the places but now I would like to use a good touch up paint. Whats the best approach w/o doing the entire mast and boom? Thamks very much.

I would like to cut a hole in the fiberglass under the seat in the head for the batteries that run the electric toilet. I hate cutting holes in things on the boat. Can someone school me in the right way to do this?

Are there any nicer boxes and vents that match the holes in a catalina 34, 1990 boat?
Its time to replace mine for the second time.

Its been a while since I had to do one. Can someone give me the link? The one I have to do is the one opposite the frig where the vent comes out. Thanks

Noticed many pin holes in main, not very old, perhaps 5-7 seasons. Well maintained sail, kept in loft over the winters etc. Any thoughts on this?

I know this has been posted before but I am interested in learning what has to be done to convert to propane and where to put the new tank on the c34. On a different subject whats best and safest to use for sail washing.

So here we are for our first trip to California and its Catalina heaven!!  Man would I like to have my old 34 here. Its hard for me to walk away from staring at the boats all the time!! You guys and gals really have it good out here.

I bought a few porthole replacement plastics but I could not figure out how to remove the locking piece at the bottom. I know I have read about this before and wonder if there are any good links. Thanks

A subject people were kind enough to help with in the spring. got it to work only to be apparently damaged by the tornado (?) they claim hit Great Neck. the deck light works just find; the steaming light cap disappeared....can't get the steaming light to work now at all. Replaced the bulb; nada. Was thinking of going with new, better made (?) forespar recplacement. Are the holes in the same place as our 20 year old units?

I was about to put it in the vee birth after which I could not return it. In this heat I wondered how it would stand up in the marine environment. Do these dept store products do ok or is there some cotton or other materials that is less likely to disintegrate, absorb moisture etc than the these dept store mattress topper memory foam products?

anyone recall the U-tube site for lub of Lewmar winch?

Given that the engine turns over very reluctantly and then suddenly pops to live after a few tried, I thought I would go around and check/tighten all the connections particularly the push on connector on top of the selenoid. Anyone have a diagram as to location of all the wiring to check. I have never been comfortable fooling with the electric system lest I make it worse, so any suggestions would be appreciated, as always.

I am embarrassed to ask some of these questions, but everyone is always so helpful on this site that I will simply go ahead and ask away:

1.            My roller furling furls the sail counterclockwise with the UV cover on the port side of the boat.  Unfortunately, this results in the window of the hark and roller being almost perpendicular to the port side and therefore an unacceptable angle on the reefing line.  However, I did move the "window" so that it faces more towards the port/stern.  This is a decided improvement, but I wonder if, in such a circumstance, I should move the window over to the starboard side and bring the reefing line on that side of the boat.

2.            Hot water heater.  I installed a new Atwood 6-gallon hot water heater two years ago.  I get no hot water whatsoever.  Yes, I have checked the lines to make sure that water is flowing freely through.  I also have a photograph as to my setup, which I assume is fairly typical in this Universal 25 MXP.  The lines into the tank do not get hot, even when I run the engine for 45 minutes, and I wonder if it is possible that somehow the water is not getting through, but the engine otherwise is running fine and is staying at its correct temperature?  I am not sure what to test next.

3.            I have a Glassmat battery and the engine is reluctant to turn over.  What is the life of those?  I would suspect mine is probably in there 4 or 5 seasons now.  It is sealed and no way really to test it.  Do you think it is ready to be replaced?  What is the latest technology people are using for a starting battery?  Mine is a size 27.

2 seasons ago put in new Atwood hot water heater. No hot water! Any suggestions to diagnose? I did check the antifreeze level and a little more was added. I do not think the pipes at the heater end are heating up even when I run the engine for half an hour or more. Could the water be circulating everywhere else and not through the hot water heater?

My Harken roller furling winds counerclockwise. With the window on the port side, this means that the line makes a 90 degree turn as it comes out of the drum and heads down the port side of the boat. Does it make sense to move the reefing line to the std side or simply move the window further  away from its port side orientation.  I am attaching the handwritten diagram of how the roller furling drum is currently set up.

My 20 year old autohelm autopilot sometimes without warning will let go and I have to reengage the lever. Is that repairable or is it time for a change. Whats the replacement unit and how difficult is replacement. Can I use the same wiring and display unit?

So its been 20 years and still on same tank. Obvioulsy we do mainly day sailing and did not use it much. There is still gas in there and it works fine but it seems that a little rust is now appearing on the tank and perhaps its time to modernize. I am sure there is a link to someone that has done this job and made the conversion. Thanks very much.

Might as well take the winches apart and lubricate them after 20 years. Whats a good link for that or other suggestion? Thanks

Great boat. Low hours. Fin keel. Folding prop. New canvas. new hot water heater, all LED lights inside and out including anchor light, new instruments, teak grate cockpit floor, relatively new sails, like new a-symm sp., storm jib, holding plate refrig, high output alternator, glass matt batteries, great boat that I love but family obligations intervene. Asking 52,000. Will consider selling like new achilles tender and 5hp 4 stroke nissan for extra.

old sail cover about had it. Admiral wife wants a sail bag thats fast to zip up after a day sailing. I know that Mack and others make such an animal...and we do have relatively new lazy jacks. Queston: how do they work, can you retro to prior lazy jacks with a loose footed sail and whats a reasonable cost?

to replace my original which I assume is a Forespar, need I drill out the rivits and replace with screws? Any advice on how to approach?

When replacing the steaming light, I noticed some water in the lens of the deck light. Works perfectly well and only a year old. Perhaps got in there because I did not have a steaming light or lens for about a year. Since the deck light works, replace the bulb or just let it dry out....if it does, when exposed to the heat of the lamp?

The new flo jet water pump suddenly will not work. Tanks are empty. Power getting to unit. Can it be clogged? Any way to check what else may be going on.

Are the replacement bulbs simply the same festoon type or is it better to put in an LED panel display with a false festoon connector?  What brand seems best? Thanks

How does one reach the sender to replace it? From the locker topside or via the panel in the rear berth?  Is there any special technique? Thanks

Any difference? I have used the GFO. Is the GTU simply a West brand. This is for the stuffing gland, of course and I am ready to replace mine.

A very nice guy and knowledgeable. His hull number was close to mine, 1022

Refinished sole only a few years ago.  Has developed two darkening areas and a few small areas which finish is orange yellow flaking. Need entire piece be refinished or can it be cleaned with bleach and spot refinished? Thanks

Upon a close inspection this weekend I have paint peeling down to the gel coat. Each year its repainted with Micron and it does not take to the old gel coat. Is there a reason for that and whats the solution?

Since my mast was put back last spring I have a leak where the mast comes thru the deck. It makes quite a mess. I put on a new mast collar, plenty of silcione sealer, mast tape and it still leaks !!!  Cannot image what else to do .....

Now that we have a kid and an apt in Phila area, I am thinking of moving the boat from LI Sound (where mother and family live) to Delaware R or Jersey Shore both for winter and next spring/summer. Any comparisons, suggestions for new locations and cost difference in winter and summer? I know that Winter Marine in the Delaware near Phila is a Catalina dealer. Now I keep the boat in Great Neck, LI Sound. Thanks for suggestions, ideas etc.

I noticed an oily substance which appeared to come out of the unit; the drive unit. But it seems to function fine. If I replace it, whats the replacement unit and can it be used with the same display? Thanks

On my tall rig, 1990 boat, whats the size and length of the furling line?

My 18 year old furler turns nicely on the top but seems to grab on the drum. I will replace the original line but any suggestions as to what is to be lubricated and checked? Any link for that? Can it be done with the rigging in place? Thanks PS what is the length and size of that line?

I feel like I have asked this before (last season?); but here it is again.  The engine runs fine, hoses running into the hot water heater get hot but no hot water; a nice stream of water from the tap but alas not heated at all. 
Obviously the hot water is running thru the hot water heater well; its been burped, checked etc. The fresh water runs thru fine. Any thoughts or ideas? Toss out the old hot water heater (a pain to get out ) and start from scratch? Thanks

Could bow berth, at its widest, really be 86" as someone measured it? I wanted to get a topper from Overstock. com but thats wider than a King. Unfortunately I live approx 200 miles from the boat or I could run out and measure it.

Now that I have cleaned he fresh water  tanks, filters and got rid of the algae, whats the best preventative for reoccurance

I have a lot of hairline cracks along horozontal of toe rail running along port side only. Most are just spider-like cracks but in one place it does look like the gel coat is lifting off. Whats the best simple fix, if any?

Finally removed my old plastic ones when I put the mast back up. The issue is whether to forget them altogether or put on the stainless, alum, plastic or leather ones. I sent the Garhaure SS ones back since they were too short and did not cover the studs. The riggers don't seem to like them at all since they cover the turnbackles allowing bad things to happen in the wet dark. They look nice but properly placed pins eliminate snagging anyway. What are people's thoughts and does anyone like the polyester or leather ones that do not require removal of the newly tuned turnbuckles? Thanks

Where can it be obtained for a 1990 boat?

I noticed in foward bilge what looked to be like 2 or 3 vertical cracks in the liner from the botttom of the bilge upward. I also notice a hairline crack in the paint horozontally on the keel a bit below the same level. My first thought was that when the mast was removed for the first time in 17 years perhaps it was stuck and took part of the boat with it. The head guy in the yard, whom I think is very good, said it was just left over "tab" from the fiberglass when the boat was built. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing. Perhaps I should  take a photo of it and post it. The strange thing is that I never noticed this before.

My starboard tank has an access port to clean the tank which is real dirty. Does the aft tank and where is it?
What Lewmar windows do we have? And can the cheesey inside plastic be replaced easily?

I was thinking of replacing my old Airmar transducer which does not send data anymore and I wonder if anyone has tried the ones without paddle wheel? Where is a good place to buy a new one, either type?

Anyone know the numbers for the Forespar deck and steaming light and the bow and stern aquasignal lights. I think the deck light is an MR16 flood but what about the festoon bulbs on the other fixtures?   I was going to replace the interior lights as well but the dome lights do not seem to come apart. Is that correct or am I just doing it wrong? What about the bulbs in the bow and stern cabins on a 1990 c34? Having bought a few LED flashlights, I am sold on the idea.

So here I am in NY thinking about putting the mast back in the boat. I managed to to put a new topping lift on (not very hard) and new blocks in the boom for the outhaul (a little more difficult). In cleaning the mast up, I noticed a rubbery stuff around the mast at the point where it met the cabin top under the mast collar. I got a new mast collar from Catalina but what was underneath it that formed that nice reliable water seal? Thanks to all.

After 17 years my Grohe faucet/shower handle is shot. Catalina now used some other brand. Any idea if a new one can be obtained with a water saving cutoff switch on the handle? Thanks much