Messages

John, hope your fridge is still workin' and you beer is still cold.

I just don't understand how the addition of a Racor Fuel/Water separator in a fuel vent line helps to stop over filling, and leaks.  Could you explain the concept?

Ron's idea is simple, and is just what we do.  I didn't get the idea from him, we started doing it that way because it's just so logical.

Why complicate the situation?

Vic

Start from the other end of the wires and trace them back.

I just helped a friend install a Simrad WP32 (I think that was the model #) on his C34.  One of the tricks is to find the "right" place to mount the terminal box.  He chose to put in underneath the helmseat, a bit starboard of the middle.  He ended up with the wiring exposed in cockpit, but he has grates in his cockpit and ran the wire underneath the grate.

Looks like a nice unit without the operation hassles we've heard about the ST4000.

Don't know your hull # or what engine you have.

Your symptoms sound suspiciously like you need a wiring harness upgrade.

From: John Fogelgren
To: Stu Jackson
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:25 pm
Subject: rear exhaust hose  
Stu,
We live in virginia and the shipping from Catalina direct was not very expensive ( about $25) for the hose.

John

Paul

The referenced Jim Moe article in my earlier post IS the one you referenced and is NOW thanks to Mark Elkin on our Project page at

http://www.c34ia.org/projects/projects-electrical-system-upgrade-2.html

Thanks for getting Jim to continue to pursue the article and I had fun working with him to edit and complete it.    We're still trying to get Mainsheet magazine to publish it, but YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST!!!

Please also see John Gardner's very helpful electrical article also on Projects.

LOOK AT THE MAIN WEBSITE, TOO, LOTS OF GOOD INFO THERE.

Thanks guys!

vf

You may have seen this:  http://www.c34ia.org/faq-pages/faq.html

Why we bought and What to look for in a C34.

Sorry, headroom just wasn't one of them.

Some older boats have handrails in the overhead just port of the galley.  Ours does, and when another, taller owner came on board, he banged his head on that.  (He also had his OWN C34 with no hand (grab) rail.  Same environment, different details.)

After 11 or 12 years of the C25 "stoop" I'm still working on standing upright on Aquavite, and it's been 7 years already!  I'm 5-10 and rapidly shrinking.

Any way you can get aboard a C34?  That will surely answer your question.  Even if you have to duck a little, you do have the choice of removing the grab-rail and installing a vertical stainless steel post at the port forward corner of the galley.

Now - there's another new Project!

Hope it works for you, keep us posted, we're here to help.

Dave, before you get a new alternator, get a solar panel.  Think about it.  Unless you're completely charged from the alternator (which won't happen if you're actually sailing!) then the batteries will self discharge (unless you bought gels or AGMs).  So you come back to a boat with a ?ble battery charge and can't start your engine!  An 11 watt solar panel will keep your batteries up.  Any solar panel larger than 11 watts will require a regulator.  Start by connecting them to your house bank directly and use the house bank to start, the alternator will charge your start (backup) bank while motoring.  It's one of many ways to do it, but we never leave our boat plugged in even though we have shorepower.  You'll read about this as you get into the board.

Given my post about the steadily diminishing law of return (which you just proved!), and the self discharge of wet cells, consider simply tying up to a dock with power for an hour or two if you have a good shorepower charger.  Do a search on "solar" and "chargers", too.

You do have choices.  I'd also recommend tracing the wiring in your boat to understand how it works before you do anything.

[for those with OEM stock alternators and no external regulation]

Dave, Welcome

In addition to Steve's points, I recommend that you do an energy budget.  Even with no fridge, with your low draw, you'll be able to figure out how long you can stay out without recharging, and how much your alternator puts back in (it's not much).  

Also read Jim Moe's electrical design on the Projects page of the main website.  He explains the C34 electrical systems very well.  Unless you're an experienced boater who understands boat electrical systems, I wouldn't rush into anything yet, just learn how you intend to use the boat, and learn more about electrical systems so you can make an informed decision.  

As Steve notes, there's lots on this message board.  If you do searches on "batteries," "electrical systems," "alternators,", etc. you'll find a lot.  Also check the Tech Notes index to see what's been published.  

When you join the Association you also gt a FREE CD-ROM with the Tech Notes, Projects and FAQs up to 2001!  Suggest you do the solenoid installation (in either Projects or FAQs on the main website) when you do your wiring harness.  Also check the fuse between the start switch and the starter.  

Find Steve's First Year Weblog here, it's great reading. Do a search on "weblog."

Please note that the FAQs on the main website are actually about C34 boating issues, not about how to use the website, like many FAQs usually appear to be.

When we bought our boat in 1998, all I remember is doing a LOT of reading, in addition to sailing, of course.  It sure helped, and since then there's tons more information available here.

From a bit I wrote about our 2004 cruise (10 days): [applies more to those with higher electrical loads]

Helpful Hints:  Electrical Systems:  For extended cruises for those with OEM stock alternators and no external regulation, there is inherently a steadily diminishing law of return in battery charging even if you motor a lot everyday.  If you do an energy budget, even if you motor for eight hours a day, you will be drawing down your batteries, regardless of how much you've increased your house bank.  You WILL need to stop and plug in every week or so.  Do the math.  If you really want to stay out "forever," add solar and a new high(er) output alternator and smart regulator.  We minimized use of electric lights with our lamp oil trawler cabin light and lamp oil anchor light hooked onto our Garhauer dinghy davit, but most of the energy use is from the fridge.  With our large 315 amp hour house battery bank and a separate start battery, we were very comfortable being out in two different situations.  The first was for a few days without motoring or plugging in.  We turned off the fridge at night, so we only used 30 to 40 amp hours a day and could go three or four days without running the engine.  The second was knowing we'd be motoring for at least five hours or plugging in at a marina (even for a few hours with a good charger, or overnight).  So, before you go, make sure your electrical system is up to snuff, and that YOU understand it, so you can really relax and enjoy the peace and quiet without having to worry about your boat systems.

Guido ro Bill at Garhauer will sell you a new sheave.

Just measure the sheave, call 'em and tell 'em what you need.  They'll mail it to you.

I need new ones, too.  Let me know what they cost!

Mark

It's a Catalina.

They're still in business.

Connect the dots.

Thats' what we did a few years ago.

New shiny stanchions are very nice.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

From the Projects I wrote in 1998: at http://www.c34ia.org/projects/projects-alt-bracket.html

"Lessons Learned:
1. If you haven't, replace the older style bracket TODAY. It'll give NO NOTICE of failure: it will just GO! I was fortunate that I had all the spare parts including the bracket kit, spare oil filter, bicycle tire for water hose patch, extra hose clamps and all the tools. Also was very helpful to have assistance."

Richard, it's your boat, but I just don't know how much more specific I could have been about this.  There is NO way to check it. It's a casting.

Do you at least have the bracket kit on board?

The best advice I can offer you is to take a day and replace it, or replace it and go a day later.  Other than that, unless you have ALL the parts (and I mean ALL, plus spares) you MAY need, including everything that I wrote up in that Projects, if it fails you're SOL.  You DON'T have to put a new alternator on as part of this.  Please, for your own safety, make the time.  It only takes a day.

Of course, you could ignore it and figure "Well, it lasted this long."  But that's not why I wrote the story.  Your boat, your vacation, your choice.

As far as question #2, start with the wiring.  Check the connections, including the ground at the engine.  ALL connections: battery switch, batteries, starter, alternator.  Don't forget the fuse between the switch and the starter solenoid.  Have you replaced that fuse & fuse holder yet?

Ken

Going into reverse while moving forward, even with the pause in the middle, is just like catching a line in your prop or on your shaft.  Most of us have already done that and know the engine stops.

Question is why you need to go into reverse when moving fast enough for that to happen.

In unusual circumstances, like an emergency, it's good to know that that procedure (chuncking into reverse) just doesn't work.

Doug

As you probably know the picture is of a Mark II, or darn close to it.  Yes, fiberglass work would definitely be required.  I believe there is a windlass installation in Projects.

The rest of it is not all that hard with proper planning.  Fiberglass, electrical, wiring, decision on batteries, you name it.

You ask how it can be done:  Hard work, planning and a lot of sweat  (& tears?).

You could also consider buying a Mark II boat.  

You could also consider a simpler Mark I installation.  Check Projects.

Your boat, your choice.

John

Thanks for your "reference" post on finding hose.

I recently ventured into my local Universal dealer, who also happens to sell hose.  He advised that the longest lengths they have of the 1 5/8" for the rear exhaust hose is 12 feet and that they'd either sell two pieces and "you buy a butt fitting" or would special order a reel (weren't too happy about that).

I don't want to put a splice in that line, and Catalina Direct is a few hours away from me in Sacramento, CA.

Anybody else have any other sources, local to SF or by mail, that would obtain a 17 or 18 foot length of exhaust hose?  I also suppose that any wire reinforced adequate automotive replacement would suffice as well.

Kyle

I share your experience.  Our main is OEM that had full battens and a Harken Batt Car system added by the PO.  It is NOT a Catalina sail, but a local loft here in SF called Leading Edge.  Good stuff.  I recently had the mainsail cleaned at Sail Care and they did a great job - the main looks like new, except...

Nothing can get the bag out of an old main, and nothing can affect your pointing more than a flat mainsail. It's that simple, based on my experience on other people's boats and watching the true racers here in SF walk right by me! We've had some good experiences, too, racing, but the other guys outpoint me by quite a bit.  Your tacking #s are what I experience.  I obtained that from our autopilot readout.

If your rig is tuned, there's not much else you can do, other than to bite the bullet on a new, flat main.  Of course, your sailing conditions and local loft experiences will tell you about how to build your new sail based on what and how you plan to sail your boat, like a foot shelf, foot reef points, cunningham, etc.

We have a PO'd 1988 110 jib.  It, too, is Leading Edge.  It's seen better days, but can trim pretty flat.  The bag in the mainsail always backwinds about halfway up.  It's much flatter when reefed, which we do here a lot, but not when racing (rarely).  The racers almost all sail with 130s, the largest allowed by the local fleet racing rules.  I don't experience the backwinding on the main when I use our 85% blade, but I haven't had that up for a few years since I've been racing during the summer.