Topics

My fuel guage needs to be replaced.  Where do I get a replacement for a standard Catalina guage that would have been used in 2004?

I replaced my Sherwood impeller this afternoon;  after I had buttoned everything up and started the engine I realized that I had not put in the "O" ring.  There is no leak anywhere around the pump.  Can I leave the water pump in without the "O" ring or am I looking for trouble by not putting in the ring?

Used boat this weekend for first time this season and aside from problem with faulty engine temp sensor or gauge (described separately) I found the refrigerator does not get cold.  The compressor seems to be running constantly but does not have any effect on temp regardless of the setting of thermostat.  I'm inclined to think that I have a leak with the coolant (freon?).  Thoughts???

I used the boat for the first time this season and noticed that the needle was pinned at 240 degrees after running for under 10 minutes.  I tested the thermostat on stove and it opens so no problem there.  Left the boat overnight and when I checked the temp in the am before starting the engine the gauge was at 150.  Within 2 minutes of starting the engine the needle is once again pegged at 240.  Clearly I don't have a problem with the engine but with either the gauge or sending unit.  From what I have described above any ideas which one is the culprit?

Two questions: the first is easy; how many gallons of fuel does the tank in an MKII hold?  More importantly is my fuel guage recently stopped working and just shows empty.  For someone not the least bit handy with electronics any suggestions on how to track down where the problem lies?

There was a recent thread about care for exterior wood and the most popular concensus seemed to be Cetol of which I too am a big fan.  That said, I have found the finish on the interior walls of the companionway to be developing a mottled look.  The factory finish is still in tact but the appearance has degraded and just does not look like new as the rest of the interior wood does.  The boat is only 4 years old and it is only the wood by the companionway so it is probably due to sun or occasional moisture (from a wind driven rain that might make it's way under the dodger/bimini when we are aboard and the companionway is open).  Has anyone else found this and what did you do about it.  I would be tempted to give the walls a light sanding and apply Cetol but not sure that would be wise without completely removing the factory finish; a job I am not the least bit anxious to tackle.  Any thoughts???

I am getting a pink liquid coming in my bilge; it has to be deisel fuel but I can't figure where it is coming from.  It is not leaking from any fittings in and around the engine or filters so I can only imagine that it's leaking from the tank. Is there an easy way to access the tank to inspect and tighten the fittings?

This weekend I was going to make up the bed in the aft cabin only to find the mattress saoking wet and mildew growing on it.  I can't find anywhere that water (fresh or salt) is coming in so I'm mystified.  There is moisture on the lower portion of the wood panel at the very stern of the berth but I'm not sure that is the cause or if the moisture is a result of the wet mattress.  Taking the panel off both for inspection and to lube the steering system is next weekends project so the jury is still out in finding the problem but I thought I would post this in case anyone else has had a similar situation.

Unfortunately due to the state of the economy I may need to look into the sale of my boat rather than sails for my boat.  I'm looking for advise on where best to list my C34 (2005 model year).  I hate to give away a chunk by listing it with a dealer but if I can sell the boat for for more through a dealership that might be my best bet.  The boat is located in Southeastern Mass if location is a determining factor. 

The admiral keeps asking me to put a hinge or other contraption on the refrig cover to ease opening it while supporting the cover when it is off.  I seem to recall projects addressing this subject but have been unable to locate anything.  Anyone with ideas or know where to access old threads as searches turned up nothing.

Thanks...

My boat was hit by lightning in a severe squall yesterday.  Fortunately it was sitting on it's mooring in the middle of the harbor with no one aboard.  The effects are strange to say the least.  All navigation except the depth sounder are inoperable (depth sounder is fine).  The engine starts and seems to run fine but the buzz when the key is turned to heat the glow plug is gone.  TV and stereo are history as is the battery level indicator but the batteries seem to be fine.  Interior lights also work as do the domestic water pump and bilge pump.  What's really strange is the VHF radio turns on and a radio check revealed it has a range of a few hundred yards but no further.  I raised someone about 4 or 5 miles away on my handheld but they could not pick up my transmission from the built in VHF. 

I was advised by members of my yacht club to have the boat hauled and inspected inside and out paying particular attention to thru hulls, the rigging, etc.  Any other advise for someone that has never had any experience with lightning beyond enjoying the light show in the middle of the night from the comfort of my home?

I have a Magma Barbecue grill mounted on the stern railing.  The grill runs on disposable propane gas bottles.  I would like to plumb the grill into the boat's propane tank by way of a quick connect fitting just after the regulator in the tank locker so that the grill will be connected to the gas ONLY when in use.  Has anyone done a similar installation?  Can this be done safely or should I stick with the inconvenience and uneven temps that come with the disposable gas bottles?

I am in the process of getting the boat ready for launch and today I cleaned the prop and shaft but noticed a little bit of play or side to side movement within the strut.  The movement if measured would probably amount to a hundreth of an inch which I figure is normal but wanted to check with the experts.  I would think that if there was no play at all the shaft would not be able to turn; am a I correct?

I applied a good coat of Pettit Ultima SR ablative bottom paint last year before launch (two coats in high friction areas such as bow) .  The bottom is in very good shape this year with only a couple of spots showing any need for touch up.  For the most part it looks as if I just applied a fresh coat even though the boat has been through a season on a mooring a 5 months on the hard.  Any reason to paint the whole bottom again or should I simply buy a quart, touch up the few spots that need some attention and call it a day and splash?  Also, the one thing that definately needs attention is my prop; it is covered with barnicles.  What kind of preparation can i do with the prop to minimize the barnicle growth?

My C34 is on the hard in Southern Massachusetts where mid winter temps tend to fluctuate from near zero (rare by the water) to the 40's.  I do not cover the boat but put a tarp over the companionway.  I put clear gallon size food storage bags over the jib winches (the others are under the tarp) which keeps water from accumulating in the handle fitting at the top.  Condensation has formed under the plastic as I have a bungee cord around the base keeping the bag in place.  Should I be concerned about the condensation or is this a non issue?

My boat was pulled out of the water before I was able to remove the sails.  Each time I have been to the boat since haul-out the wind has been blowing so I have been unable to remove either the jib or in mast furled main.  Any harm in leaving the sails on for the winter or should I make it a point to get to the boat on a calm day?

I have been considering purchasing a generator and had pretty much decided to just use the engine for heating hot H2O and charging the battery.  Going through old threads however, I came upon Rons suggestion that running the engine with no load just to charge battery or hot water can be damaging and the price of a portbale generator is a small price to pay.  That said it looks like the generator is a good idea after all, but which one?  The posts suggest that the 1000 will do everything but heat hot water (I don't have A/C), lighter to carry, stores easily in lazarette, quieter and burns less fuel than the 2000.  BUT... The 2000 will heat the hot water.  Has anyone had success heating hot water with the 1000 watt or should I go for the 2000?

Shame on me!  Went out sailing this weekend and had battery switch on Both not realizing that neither of the house batteries were fully charged to start with.  You guessed it... with all the electronics on plus the fridge we were out of juice within 1/2 hour and could not start the engine to get back.  Fortunately with the wind, current and a great crew we manuvered through a mooring field and docked the boat under sail where we plugged in for a few hours. 

Short of installing a dedicated starting battery I was thinking of picking up one of these devices that hold enough juice to jump start a car.  Has anyone used one of these on the boat for a situation such as I was in this weekend?

I'm mystified....  I painted the bottom of my C34 today with Pettit Ultima and expected to use at least one and a half gallons of paint.  I applied what I thought to be one heavy coat and but used just slightly more than 1/2 gallon.  I plan on putting on a 2nd coat but I'm surprised I used so little for the first coat???

I will be painting my boat this spring for the first time since it was newly launched in 2005.  The dealer applied an ablative paint which is showing a few signs of wear after 2 seasons and one winter in the water.  The bottom was power washed after hauling last fall and is quite clean at this point.  What prep steps should I take before applying a couple more coats of ablative paint which hopefully will last me 2 more years before another haulout?

In the process of winterizing I ran both water tanks dry before adding anti-freeze.  Now the pump seems to have lost it's prime and I can't get it to pull anti-freeze from either fore or aft tanks.  Any good ideas out there as to what action I can take to restore the prime in the pump?

My boat was recently hauled but the zinc (supposedly replaced in the spring by a diver having wintered in the water last year) was gone.  Assuming that the diver did in fact install a zinc is it possible that corrosion could have eaten away at the metal completely?  If not should I assume that perhaps the zinc was not tightened up properly and worked it's way loose?  No visible damage to shaft or prop although the outer edges of the prop could be a bit thinner than might be expected on a boat only 2 seasons old.

I have an in mast furling main and my 34 was hauled before I had a chance to take the sail off for the winter.  Will I do any damage to the sail or mast by leaving the sail in place for the winter or would I be better off to find a dead calm day and take the sail down on the stands?

I have some moisture inside the glass (plastic?) lens covers of the engine guages.  Is this an indication of a serious moisture problem that could cause problems with the guages in the future or is it no big deal?

I last filled up my fuel tank in the late fall (about 1/8 shy of topping off to allow for expantion and limit condensation) for winter storage.   Now that the fuel is mixed with a small percentage of ethanol can I fill the tank when it is down to about 1/2 or am I better of running the tank almost dry before I refill?

I am planning on installing a stereo on my boat.  Is it necessary to invest in a "marine" stereo radio / CD player or would a regular car stereo system fit the bill.  Seems to me a regular automotive system will stand up just fine since the system will be mounted inside the boat in a cabinet and will not be exposed to the elements.  Thoughts?

Does anyone have any experience with mounting an inflatable dinghy vertically on the transom?  I posted an earlier thread about a Weaver pivot system but got no replies so I am beginning to doubt that I can do anything other than tow the inflatable, hoist it horizontally off the stearn or pull it up and strapy it on the cabin top (which I am not willing to do)???  Any thoughts?

I have found numerous threads about Weaver snap davits being successfully used on rigid dinghys but has anyone successfully used this system (or other pivot systems) successfully?  My inflatable is 8 feet and I suspect that it will work within the transom of a MkII (2005) but would like to be sure before purchasing.

Thanks for any feedback and thanks even more for pics!

I hate the odor of the salt water in the head after the boat has been sitting idle in the hot sun for a week so this weekend I plumbed a cold water line (with an in line back flow preventer) directly into the head.  It seems that the pressure is too much for the pump system and water excess water flows both into the bowl and some escapes the pump in a slow trickle to the floor.  If anyone has some ideas on eliminating the excess flow I would appreciate it or else I will just use the fresh to flush the system when leaving the boat idle during the work week and will go back to the regular pump action (salt water) during weekend use.

Another question from a newbee regarding covering the boat for the winter.  I am leaving the boat in the water (Rhode Island) for the winter.  It is in an extremely well protected marina with bubblers all around to keep water moving so I am not concerned about ice build up around the boat.  I am considering a canvas cover from The Canvas Store but would rather not incur the expense if covering the boat is not necessary.  Considering the boat is new (2005 model) I would appreciate feed back on covering???

I am new to winter lay-up maintenance.  I have done just about everything but the fuel filters and for those I haven't a clue where to start.  I guess there are 2 filters???  A Raycor which I think is a fuel / water separator??? and an in line filter??  Do I have that right or am I already off base?  Any and all suggestions would be most appreciated!  The boat is a 2005 but I imagine the fuel system has not really changed much over the years.

I took my sails off yesterday for the first time and found that with the roller furling main removed the core rod that the sail wraps around bangs like crazy inside the mast when the boat rocks (boat is spending the winter in the water).  Do I put the main back in for the winter or is there some way to keep the core from banging.  Aside from bothering anyone on the docks that has got to be bad for the mast.

I have a brand new 2005 C-34 with only about 25 hours on the engine.  I check the oil level religiously before each time I use the boat and it is always full.  I recently sailed to Martha's Vineyard from Rhode Island and due to no wind needed to use the motor for most of the 9 hour trip.  The engine ran fine with all indicators in normal range and never exceeding 2500 rpm's.  When we arrived at our destination I happened to check the bilge only to find a fair amount of oil in the bilge water.  When I checked the dipstick oil level it was still full but I noticed what I consider a fair amount of drip oil under the engine.  Not one place but all over the fiberglass under the engine which I assume dripped into the bilge and mixed with the normal drip water coming from the stuffing box.  Is this drip of oil normal or might this be an indication of problems to come?

I am thinking about hooking my boat directly to city water; no doubt others have done the same.  The only place I could find to locate the hook up/pressure regulator is on the starboard/stern side of the walk through transom just above the seat.  Anyone have another suggestion?

There has been much mentioned on this forum regarding sludge /bacteria problems with older fuel tanks and the subsequent removal and cleaning of the tanks.  Any advise from the seasoned veterans to an owner of a new boat?  While the problems mentioned (sludge, screens in the pick up tubes, etc.) are probably unavoidable in the long run what would early and ongoing procedures would you recommend implementing from the get go to delay or minimize future problems.  If location is a factor as I suspect it is, I live/sail in Southern New England waters.

David, Prints of Tides; #1707

I have a 2005 model and I would like to get a teak table for the cockpit.  I had one on a C-30 that was on a hinge so that it could be stored in place vertically against the pedestal.  When set up for use it was about 12 inches in width but it had leaves allowing it to open to 24 inches wide.  Anyone have an idea where I can get a versatile teak cockpit table like the one I had on my C-30?

David
Prints of Tides

I just took delivery of a brand new C34 that I will be sailing in the Rhode Island area.  In outfitting the boat I opted to purchase dock lines, fenders, anchor, chain and rode, etc. on my own rather than have the dealer provide.  What size of each would those of  you with experience recommend?  What type of anchor for all around use and how much chain?  I feel you can't have too much chain but at some point there must be diminishing returns (weight vs. holding power).  

Any other suggestions for a newbee would be most appreciated.

David Arnold
Easton, MA