Messages

Welcome, Raymond.

System integration between nav instruments and autopilots is a fascinating subject.   It breaks down simply:  Yes or No.

The Yes camp says it's great for using routes.

The No camp suggests that most autopilots require a confirmation before a new course is actually implemented so it's not a step-saving device anyway.

I don't think integration is worthwhile or makes sense to me.  I have an ST3000 belt drive wheel pilot and a handheld Garmin GPSMap 76Cx.  Having them separate helps me keep my head outside the boat where it belongs.  Changing AP course is not hard, a button push away.  I placed my AP control head midway so I can easily reach it from either behind or in front of the wheel.  I spend all my time in front of the wheel except for docking.  I believe one shouldn't "be a slave behind the wheel."  There's a few Single Handing 101 threads in the 101 Topics you might enjoy reading.  I sail singlehanded by choice and with my son we sailed from San Francisco to British Columbia in 2016 with this gear and borrow large scale charts and cruising guides to harbors.  I had one skipper who provided us with waypoints in his route feature for going up a river on a cruise back in San Francisco.  He had literally a hundred of them in maybe 10 nm!  I used four!

Congratulations on your new boat.  Please familiarize yourself with the Critical Upgrades topic, too.

Mufflers 101 - What's in Your Muffler?

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6728.0.html

A quick note on Butyl... I prefer this stuff most of the time.  However, when I reset my forward hatch and tried Butyl, the screws into the fiberglass did not have enough purchase to properly compress and seal the hatch to the deck.  Additionally, in trying to compress them, some of the holes stripped.  When I have a fastener with good clamping force like a thru-bolt, butyl is great.  I ended up using something else for the hatch, but no longer remember what.

I had a similar "issue" when I redid mine.  But instead of thinking  the screws were the issue, I identified it as simply not enough thickness of Bed-It-with-Butyl.  Once I doubled the thickness of the butyl, things were just fine.

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Then re bed with 3M 4200 and reseat the hatch !!

You don't need an adhesive, use Bed-It-with-Butyl from Maine Sail.  I did.

Andy,

I don't think anyone is questioning what YOU have on your boat, just pointing out what has been "normal" on other C34s.

1.  Ever since the first boats were built, there was a small door in the aft cabin expressly included by Catalina for access to the oil dipstick.

2.  When the first Mark IIs came out, one of their skippers posted a thread here showing how he'd "cleverly" add that door to his boat!  Evidently the factory forgot it on his hull.  AFIK, all other boats have that door.

3.  There have been discussions about where the oil dipstick for M25 series engines were on the original tractors that these engines came from.  A respondent pointed out that the tractors had them on the port side and someone pointed out that the change was made during the "marinizing process" and involved a slight change to the oil pan, too, at that location.  This makes sense since IIRC that tractor manual in our wiki for the M25 shows it on the port side and the oil pan would be slightly different in that dipstick location.  In addition, the M25 series engine was used in multiple Catalinas, including the C30 and C36.  I don't know whether the C30 would "benefit" from a starboard location since I recall access is from the seat cover above it although there is side access from starboard.  I think the C36s have a little door like ours, too, although once their companionway stairs are lifted, access to port is just fine.

from Catalina Yachts and a photo

Here are some views of how it is all arranged under the head sink.  I made the hand drawn diagram well before digital cameras. 

Alex,  there really is no need for a street elbow because by the time the water gets through the elbow it's going horizontally anyway and the elbow is just causing more pressure drop.  As an engineer, I believe it is probably not what you'd want.

I knew it!!!  The 101 Topics that I built has the link to the nipple:

Westerbeke Nipple Source  https://www.westerbeke.com/Product/NIPPLE/299693

from a link on a post on page 2 of Critical Upgrades:

https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4556.msg26740.html#msg26740

I have seen a few Ts used for just that purpose on the internet and one in person:  a friend bought a used M25 to replace his Atomic 4 in his Pearson 30; he put it on a dolly in garage to get it all set up and serviced before he put it in his boat...awesome, and that's what he used.  All he did was thread a short piece of smaller pipe into the end of the T, to have the OD of that nipple to mate with the ID of the 5/8" HX output hose from the vented loop, ask your plumber friend how to do that.  First time I ever saw it but have seen others online.  Functionally see no reason it shouldn't work on our boats.

A few years ago I saw a nipple section of pipe offered for sale online.  Maybe Westerbeke, don't think it was CD.  You could look to see if it's still around - just a nipple into a short pipe section, but I don't know if the pipe was threaded at the top end.

Good luck.

Here's another reason to NOT use a bolt:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f54/sheered-bolts-exhaust-flange-280511.html

Shearing the head off a bolt seems harder to repair than cutting off a nut and clamping what's left of a stud.  But maybe that's just me...

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The stud came out with the nut still attached. My question is, can you just screw this back into the engine side when the new exhaust riser is ready to install? Or get a hex bolt of same thread as the stud engine side and appropriate length? What is the advantage of this stud/nut arrangement? The studs are $27 at Catalina Direct. https://www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/catalina-38/engine/exhaust-system/exhaust-flange-studs-and-nuts-universal-3-hole-flange/

Thanks,
Junaid

I'd get the stud. The very last thing you want to be dealing with to replace the flange and ever remove a nut again is a bolt, especially with the tight clearances.

You could get a stud for next to nothing from a Kubota dealer.  The tech wiki has an M25 engine manual for tractors with all the parts #s.  I use Kubota regularly for this stuff.  Put some blue locktite on the inside threads.

Noah,

Why?

I think Noah was talking about access to the under side of the coaming to put the backing plate and nuts... but I could be wrong.

I fully understood.  I'm just telling you it is not required.  Screws are all that's necessary.

Thanks for the replies. Do you both keep it assembled full time? I was going to put it away till needed. Will probably use it 8-10 times a season.

That's what I used to do.  Once I put it up when we started our trip up here in 2016 from SF I just left it up.  Not in the way, great grab hold.  Still just as shiny as that 2016 photo off Havens Neck anchorage in California.

Your boat, your choice. 

I can imagine that was a "fun" spot to install a back-up plate and to tighten nuts.

Noah,

Why?

I analyzed it and screws are just fine.  The pushpit ring keeps the tube in column, so it puts the deck fitting in compression.  And any small possible sideways load on the screws is just fine 'cuz they're in shear.  The deck fitting's goin' nowhere, bolts are not required.