Do I paint or Replace the old Dorade Box Cowl
Ventilators?
Original Message:
Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
While on the boat today I notice how bad looking my cowlings
are. I went To West Marine and several other chandleries in our area
(Alameda, CA) and was not able to find a replacement. They are made
by Vetus and the entire assembly is available in the West Marine
catalog but all I need is the vent cowl.
Anyone know a source for replacements?
Larry Calfee, C-34, LWCalfee@aol.com
Re: Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
Larry-- I replaced mine last July by mail order through Vetus,
which you can find online at www.vetus.com or : VETUS DEN OUDEN, Inc
P.O Box 8712 Baltimore, Maryland 21240-0712 Phone: US (410) 712-0740
Fax: (800) 398-3887 or (410) 712-0985. They were fast, polite and
relatively cheap.
The total bill with shipping to Hawaii was $83.25 for two. I have
been disappointed in the new ones in that in less than a year both
cowlings have UV damage with brown spots on the top of each cowling,
they did not last nearly as long as the old ones. The alternative I
understand is to paint the cowlings. I assume you would have cheaper
shipping and not have as bad as much UV as Waikiki. I think the
model type was WKT but there are several similar looking ones of
differing sizes so be sure to confirm you are getting the right
model for a C34 rather than guessing which it might be or relying on
this email.
Mark Hazlett, Dot.Calm C34 #763, hazletts@gte.net
Re: Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
Replacements for the cowl vent only portion is available from
Vetus and carried in their catalog. Any chandlery selling Vetus
products should be able to get them for you. The cowl vent (top
vinyl part only) is Vetus part no. VE-18. Dealer cost is $32.00
each. I just ordered a pair. Cowl vent diameter is near 4", but
dorade vent diameter into the boat is 3". This is for a 1989,
but I believe Catalina used the same vent for quite a few years.
Jim Moe, Windseeker #976, jmoe@worldnet.att.net
Re: Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
Larry:
We painted our cowl vents with the white paint made by Nicro
(purchased at West Marine). After 2 years, there are no chips or
discoloration.
Gary Wilson, Childsong #138, gwilson@cco.net
Re: Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
Did you spray or use a brush?
Gerry, Aquarius #1277, SF Bay, cat34@earthlink.net
Re: Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
I painted mine. They looked great for a couple of years. I think
I am going to replace them with solar vents. Has anyone done that?
Comments most welcome...
David, C34, #247, DAucella@aol.com
Re: Dorade Box Cowl Ventilators
David: I replaced my cowl vents several years ago with the
day/night solar ventilators. I have been very pleased with the
change. They seem to keep the air moving through the cabin much
better with one set up as an exhaust and the other an intake. The
only downside I have found is that they do not keep water from
getting into the cabin the way a dorade box does. If I am expecting
severe weather I pull the vents out and put the caps that come with
the ventilators in the hole to seal out any water that might splash
on deck.
The advantage of not having to worry about tripping over the dorade
vents and trying to unscrew the thread-frozen seal on the confounded
thing, sure outweigh the drawbacks. By the way, the size of the
opening for the dorade vent and the solar ventilator were the same
so I didn't have to cut a bigger hole. Hope this helps.
Mitch Brown, Sea Vu Play #282, Long Bch Ca, MITCHBRO@aol.com
Important: The opinions expressed here are
those of the individual contributors to this page, and not those of
the Catalina 34 National Association or Catalina Yachts, Inc.
Additionally, this material has not been reviewed by Catalina
Yachts, Inc. for technical accuracy. This page's maintainer cannot
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suggested modifications or upgrades. Please obtain assistance from a
competent marine mechanic or boatyard prior to making any
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