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Hello sailors!

I live on my Catalina in Massachusetts and desperately want to get out sailing this winter. Unfortunately my marina doesn't allow boats to leave the dock during the winter season. Boats and docks are tied together for storm safety. My question is, do any of you sail in New England during the winter months and would you mind having an extra crew member aboard (or know anyone else)? I am a novice sailor but I know the basics and am safety conscious. Let me know if you plan to sail this winter and need some crew! 

UPDATE

I was able to finally get this project completed yesterday! Woohoo! I drilled out the rivets with a 1/4" drill bit and used a screw driver to push them out of the hole and into the inside of the boom. I then held a screwdriver against the end cap and banged the other end of the screwdriver with a rubber mallet to work the cap off. Don't forget to loosen the outhaul! This took a few minutes as there was a small bit of corrosion on the inside of the boom. I sanded this off and then applied a healthy layer of lanocote to the inside of the boom where the end cap sits. Then i removed the rigging from the end cap and spent quite a while trying to get the pin out that holds in the sheave. This was held on tight by lots of corrosion. I let it soak in a ton of WD40 then used a hammer to bang it out. Next I coated the new upgraded end cap with lanocote, slapped on the rigging (with a brand new sheave and pin) and used the rubber mallet to get the cap on the end of the boom. Then I pre-drilled the first screw hole which I ended up doing too small and it resulted in shearing the head off the machine screw. OOPS. removing this will be a project for later... I was able to get the rest of the 3 screws (which I also coated in lanocote) in without a problem by switching to a larger drill bit, just down 1 size from 1/4". I drilled the self tapping screw in slowly and backed them out a bit then screwed in further and repeated this until the screw was all the way through. I used pretty short 1/4" stainless steel screws and added nice wide washers as well. On one of the screw holes on the boom there was a pre-existing hairline crack. I figured the washer would help spread out the force a bit better. My surveyor said the crack should not be an issue in any case... This project took the afternoon and honestly there was only mild frustration. Very happy to have the boom operational once again! Thanks to everyone for the tips and assistance. It was incredibly helpful!

UPDATE

I was able to finally get this project completed yesterday! Woohoo! I drilled out the rivets with a 1/4" drill bit and used a screw driver to push them out of the hole and into the inside of the boom. I then held a screwdriver against the end cap and banged the other end of the screwdriver with a rubber mallet to work the cap off. Don't forget to loosen the outhaul! This took a few minutes as there was a small bit of corrosion on the inside of the boom. I sanded this off and then applied a healthy layer of lanocote to the inside of the boom where the end cap sits. Then i removed the rigging from the end cap and spent quite a while trying to get the pin out that holds in the sheave. This was held on tight by lots of corrosion. I let it soak in a ton of WD40 then used a hammer to bang it out. Next I coated the new upgraded end cap with lanocote, slapped on the rigging (with a brand new sheave and pin) and used the rubber mallet to get the cap on the end of the boom. Then I pre-drilled the first screw hole which I ended up doing too small and it resulted in shearing the head off the machine screw. OOPS. removing this will be a project for later... I was able to get the rest of the 3 screws (which I also coated in lanocote) in without a problem by switching to a larger drill bit, just down 1 size from 1/4". I drilled the self tapping screw in slowly and backed them out a bit then screwed in further and repeated this until the screw was all the way through. I used pretty short 1/4" stainless steel screws and added nice wide washers as well. On one of the screw holes on the boom there was a pre-existing hairline crack. I figured the washer would help spread out the force a bit better. My surveyor said the crack should not be an issue in any case... This project took the afternoon and honestly there was only mild frustration. Very happy to have the boom operational once again! Thanks to everyone for the tips and assistance. It was incredibly helpful!

Parallel thread: boom gooseneck  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,10037.0.html

Thanks everyone! It's been a very busy week and I have not yet been able to get this project started. I've gone out and purchased all the necessary tools and hardware and will get working on this very soon. Looking forward to getting the upgraded part on and having a functional main again!

Hi Mark, how did you secure the new casting to the boom? It does not seem to have the holes where the rivets should go through.

The holes are not pre-drilled in the casting because they might not line up with where your boom holes are located.  Drill and tap the fitting to match your boom holes.  Use four SS screws with anti seize.

Thanks Mark,

I went out and bought all the necessary tools/hardware. Will be attempting this project very soon!

Hi Mark, how did you secure the new casting to the boom? It does not seem to have the holes where the rivets should go through.

Here's a photo(hopefully it's attached, link to Cat Direct: http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=957) of the upgraded gooseneck I just installed.  You can see that there is a large SS pin holding the gooseneck stem in place which also eliminates "roll", or "twist" in the boom and eliminates torsional stress on your rigid vang.  I used a "slide hammer" to remove the casting/cap from the boom.  The outhaul assembly and associated line was in pretty bad shape, which I anticipated, so I replaced it with a 10:1 model I bought from catalina direct(the outhaul I bought was designed for the 30 but fit just fine.  I had them add an extra 20' of line, just in case of any length issues....).  I sanded and cleaned the inside of the boom and coated the casting with Lanocote prior to installation.  New outhaul works like a dream.  Unbelievable how little effort it takes to haul out the clew.

So the new upgraded casting does not have the holes where the rivets should go through. Is it recommended to drill holes into the new casting and install a bolt all the way to the other side of the boom and secure with a washer and nut or am I to put in new rivets? Thanks for the help - total newbie here!

Thanks guys! It just so happens that I recalled seeing that exact upgraded part onboard. I actually did find it last night. Looks as though the previous owner had the intention of installing it when he upgraded to a rigid vang but never got around to it. Saved once again by the PO!! I appreciate the help! Now to get the old cap off... Looks like there are no screws holding it on, but something I can only describe as two "rivets"? Any idea as to how to pop those off?

Ahoy all,

I've got a question about how the boom is supposed to be secured to the mast. The other day I was loosening the boomvang quite a bit and suddenly the boom just slid off the gooseneck! Upon closer inspection there is a hole in the front end of the boom and a thick metal "pin" on the end of the gooseneck with a washer on it. It looks like the boom just slid right off the "pin". Nothing looks damaged but I was wondering if this is how it is meant to be. Is there anything that is supposed to securely fasten the boom to the mast or does it just sit on this "pin"? Thanks! :)

Thanks all! I'm leaning towards the diesel because I don't have room for propane tanks, and I'd love to have the convenience of being able to run a line from the main diesel tank to a day tank to gravity feed the heater. John, how was it putting the hole in the cabin top? Also, what did you use to protect the sheets from getting tangled in the vent?

Mine is an '86 as well and there is no drain there. Would make sense to have one wouldn't it? 

Ahoy!

I recently moved aboard my 1986 C34 and plan to winter over on the water. I need heat! I will be purchasing a Dr. Heater, I've seen great reviews on Amazon... However, I'd really like to install a Dickinson Newport diesel heater on the port side bulkhead as the main source of heat. http://dickinsonmarine.com/product_cat/diesel-heaters/ I'm worried the exhaust will be too far forward on the cabin top. I would obviously install "granny bars" (is that the proper term?) over the chimney vent. Has anyone attempted this? What are your thoughts on the positioning? If anyone has pics I'd love to see! Thanks in advance!

-Mike

Mike,

http://c34.org/bomar-hatch-re-bedding/ for my 1986 boat.  Includes the model #.

Ron Hill did another in Feb 2012 for an '88 boat.

A couple of years later it started dripping again.  I used Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure on the port forward edge of the lens inside the moving top, stopped right away, hasn't returned.

Thank you Stu, you're very helpful!

Mike - When my salon hatch was leaking, I looked for a new gasket. But I decided to go ahead and re-bed the hatch.  It was actually really straight forward and only took an hour or so.  Use Butyl tape. No more leaks.  Never needed a new gasket.

Rob

Rob,

No kidding? That sounds like a breeze! I've temporarily closed the hatch down on top of a layer of butyl tape and dogged it tight. Seems to be working but definitely not a long term fix! I will look into re-bedding the hatch. Good to know it's not a nightmare of a job.

The only ports I've fiddled with are in the V berth and saloon.  My inventory shows:

Ports: gaskets   9-Mar-05   Beckson   GK-512   $45.15    (6) gaskets for ports 203-333-1412


Don't know if that's a phone number or a part number extension of the GK-512.

My aft cabin two are the same size.

Any reason you went to CD instead of Beckson or did you check both?

Hi Stu,

Beckson wanted to charge me $21 for shipping whereas CD charged $10. Simple as that!

Hopefully the GK-512 size will fit all beckson ports aft and forward. I'll report back once installed.