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Shamelessly stolen from the catalinaowners website board:

Raymarine ST4000+ MK 1,2

I wanted to get spares for the belt on the autopilot and found this bit of information that I thought I would pass on. Raymarine wanted $70.oo for the belt. I did some searching and found out the belt is a:TAPEZOIDAL TOOTH Neoprene rubber timing belt, .200"pitch, Trade SZ 300XL, 30" outer circle 3/8" W. I found that McMASTER-CARR 6100 Fulton Industrial Blvd. Atlanta GA 30336-2852 carries that belt. I got two for a total of $15.55 Their part number is 6484 K239 if you care. Their telephone number is 404-346-7000. John USNret

All credit goes to:  LKYusnret of High Point, NC -- many thanks.

Terry

1.  I think you're right about your masthead light.  See: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/westadvisor/10001/-1/10001/navlight.htm

2.  Steaming light:  I believe Catalina used AQUA-SIGNAL Navigation Lights - Series 25, (http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/10001/-1/10001/12585/10001/236/235/9). at least that's what we have on our boat, and have seen on many others of your vintage.  I found that Catalina used lamp wire, of all things, on our boat, when I redid my bow and stern lights.  I also worked on the wiring connections at the base of the mast, and prepared a simple wiring diagram.  Given your experiences with shorting out, if the bulb is missing, you shouldn't have that problem.  What I recommend is that you check the wiring at the base of the mast.  I reinstalled butt connectors and in retrospect, I should have installed spade connectors.  My steaming light only works after the power's been on for about 10 minutes, so I know that the connections up there are pretty much gone.  I intend to purchase a replacement combo fixture, and will most likely rewire the steaming light while I'm up there.  At the present time, the deck light part works just fine, although I wish the steaming light was the one that worked, I hardly ever need or use the deck light!  Go figure.

See: "Anchor Light Bulb"  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=103.0

Kate

Seems like you're on a wine binge here.   

Please let us know your year and hull number to let us best help you.  For instance, storage on Mark IIs is different than Mark Is, since the earlier boats have the black smoked sliding doors that run the length of the cabin, where the newer boats have the portlights separating the compartments.  Please see:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=1506.0

We keep our wine with the cleaning supplies -- red wine stains, the Wall St. Journal, reports, are easily claned up with white wine.

We converted BOTH hanging lockers to shelving (see the Projects page).  With a few old sweaters at the bottom, or wrapped in large socks, wine storage has been no problem.

1. The cockpit porthole has a leak and seems to need re-bedding.  It doesn't seem like a big deal, but is there anythink tricky about the repair?

See: http://www.c34.org/faq-pages/faq-beckson.html

Also:  http://www.c34.org/faq-pages/faq-leakyports.html


2. There is a some water staining inside the cabin in the galley.  I don't know where it is coming from, any ideas?

Most likely from the stanchion which carries the starboard water tank vent line.  Just rebed the stanchion.  Be careful to make sure that the electrical outlet (120 V) is not affected.

3. It is a wing keel and the "Catalina smile" is appearing at the seam of the keel, is this a major repair?   

Use the search feature on this message board and look up the word "smile."  Not a problem, they almost all have it, repairable easily.

Is there anything I should look out for?

Read this:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=2629.0 and this: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=2768.0

Lots more reading for you to do, but this should answer your three questions.

Unless the boat is a visible "dog" you should have no problems.

Good luck, and we hope to welcome you and look forward to you joining the C34 IA.  Click on JOIN at www.c34.org.

CLR also advertises right here:  go to the upper right, click on C34 Store

For those of us with dodgers, that arrangement becomes a bit difficult.  On Aquavite, our traveler cars are set up so that the cam cleat is NOT on the car ends, but inside the dodger.  The mainsheet is the standard fiddle block arrangement led to the starboard side cabin top winch..  When I'm single handing I'm rarely behind the wheel, working in the cockpit with the autopilot, so access to both the mainsheet and traveler is never an issue.  If, for whatever reason, I happen to be behind the wheel going upwind and feel that the boat is overpowered (which would require dumping the main either by the sheet or the traveler), I just head up a bit, luff the main, and get to making adjustments in trim when I can.  I don't see it as a design flaw, it's really a trade off, because the only other option would be a mainsheet at the boom end -- it's a traditional trade off for a boat, and many, many C27 owners have had that conversation, since the C25 has end boom sheeting and the C27 is on the cabin top.

I do, however, steer from behind the wheel going downwind -- and love it when it's really windy  --  great ride!!!  My approach is to set the main, and keep it to one side with the traveler, and then steer so that the jib may luff but never have to worry about the main coming over.  I'd much rather have the jib flop a bit than have the main go.  This works on the open San Francisco Bay, but may not apply when going through narrower channels and between islands up where John lives.

It is possible to gybe the main when single handing if you get out from behind the wheel.  I find that with a small amount of wheel brake friction with the autopilot disengaged, I can control the wheel from in front of the binnacle and tend the mainsheet.  Rather than starting this maneuver from either dead downwind or sailing by the lee, I deliberately head up a bit first and then slowly adjust the wheel to have the boat turn into the gybe. 

Barry

It's pretty much a local issue, because if it isn't available near you it becomes difficult to justify unless you're either driving by the distributor or sailing to where it is available.

For instance, here in the Bay Area, it used to be available at a fuel dock in Richmond, which is somewhere I rarely travel by boat.  I believe that has been discontinued.  The only other source I know of is in Berkeley, requiring a car trip and fueling from jugs, with all that entails.

I only wish it WAS more readily available.

You can spend $$ on a gage.  But no matter what, inevitably, you will have to go sailing and check the leeward shrouds, and then tighten each side of them to balance the rig.  The forestay and backstay get started to keep the mast straight.  The forestay gets checked against the curve of the luff of the jib and the backstay and forestay adjusted accordingly.  So I'm unclear on concept of the gages, and have never seen the need to use one.  This is a cruiser speaking.   

Hatches in lieu of solar vents:  The newer boats (1987 +) have small hatches, at least on the head side, don't know if they're over the aft cabin, too.  Anyway, I did note that if you have a dodger, unless the wind is coming from behind you (rare at anchor) the hatches may not provide as much ventilation as anticipated due to the dodger.  They sure would provide more light!

A search on "tuning" finds this:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=412.0

I measured the holes this afternoon. 

They are each 4 1/2 inches in diameter on our boat.

Rick

I don't recall this topic coming up, either.

Seem to be two trains of thought here:  one if you're onboard, the  other if you leave your boat for extended periods of time, like most of us do.

Onboard:  We already have two bilge pumps, the manual and the electric (if it was installed).  I considered your concern when we first got our boat, but finally realized that the ONLY good a second pump would do was if it was of a HUGE volume pump.

Leaving the boat unattended:  Sure, the existing pump could die and leave you "defenseless."  The conclusion of most then would most likely be -- "Why is there any water in your bilge at all?"  With dripless stuffing available, what's water doing in your bilge?  If you have a little water in your bilge, and you've spend the night onboard and haven't heard the bilge pump cycle, not much to sweat.  If there's a major catastrophe and you're not there, no second bilge pump of any kind will save the day.

If you install a second pump you could use the same outlet line, but would have to install check valves at both pump outlets.

If you install a second pump with a separate line, put the pump in the aft bilge section and avoid a stringer hole.  You'll need a new through hull at the transom.

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PS  How do I know all this?  Because I went through the same thought process 8 years ago, still have the extra hose and through hull sitting on the boat, unused.   

Our 1986 has the two solar vents as OEM equipment: one in the head, one over the aft cabin entry.  They were there before Catalina switched to hatches.