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I did the same thing last year. I got the same varnish from Catalina Direct.  They can match the varnish to the year of your boat. Used the same on the companionway doors to great effect, after a good sanding.

Hi Peter

Hope you got your instruments working, but a couple of thoughts:

The paddlewheel for the boat speed can easily get fouled. This will cause it to stop turning at low speeds as you describe. When you do not have that instrument, the Raymarine system will not show true windspeed or direction, but should show apparent.  If you are not getting any reading, check to see if the anemometer is turning. The spiders at our club love to build webs up there.  A good windspeed is needed to fix that problem.

Glad to have a chat next time we meet at the club...I have a couple of other ideas.
Tony

Hi Peter

I think that this manual will help:
https://shakespeare-ce.com/marine/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/04/WebWhip2-Manuals.pdf

Tony

Found same thing a few years ago on mine. All the lights on the mast stopped working at the same time. I had to unstep the mast to uncover the cause.  I discovered that the factory had spliced the ground wires for all mast lights (anchor, deck light, steaming) into one long braid, soldered the braid and wrapped it in electrical tape. This rather stiff and brittle wire braid (might have been about 6 inches long?) had broken while inside the mast.

I decided to rewire, giving the anchor light fresh dedicated marine wiring. Also ran new separate wiring from the panel to new connectors.  I replaced the single trailer-hitch style connector with two mil-spec connectors that are waterproof, and have caps to reduce corrosion when they are disconnected over winter. Problem fixed.  I use the same type of connector for the masthead instruments.

Not necessarily your problem, but worth checking if nothing else seems to be wrong.

If you follow the instructions for using the furling main, you are unlikely to experience a problem. Like Jim (knock on wood) we have had no problems in 10 seasons of sailing, and really enjoy the convenience. We have the original sail with no battens. It is important to have the luff tape inspected and if necessary repaired annually.

That being said, if you cannot furl it in for any reason and the sail is all the way out, you can just let go the main halyard while head to wind and haul the sail down. Gravity will do most of the job if you keep the sail and slot well maintained. The key to success is doing all hoisting, lowering, furling and unfurling while head to wind. Also, avoid over-tensioning the vang when furling or unfurling.

Tony

Roc clearly had it right! A design change on later model Mk IIs. I have had that panel out numerous times, when replacing/adding wiring, adding a tank monitor, etc. I would recommend the mod he made. The access makes everything much easier.

Tony

In your photo, you have a piece of teak trim on the right side of the white panel. I can see a screw at the base of this trim. Have you tried removing the trim left and right to see if the panel just slides out?  (pull it toward you using the front of the VHF/stereo). This is what the wood panel does on the 2003 model.  If this was not removable as built by the factory in 2001, maybe the installer made it so? Usually VHF units are fastened from the rear of the cutout.

One more thought: Just remember to turn the furler so that the slots face down. This avoids ice splitting the furler track. Saw a real mess on someone's furler one spring. Amazing the damage a little ice can do.

Tony

Coolant may have been left in invisible parts of the bilge following the coolant change (it is hard on the M35 to do a coolant change without spilling a little into the bilge). Moving the boat 75 miles may have dislodged the coolant from its hiding places. Thinking this might just possibly be the source if, as you say, the coolant level in the reservoir did not change.

Tony

If you have air conditioning, you will need to suck antifreeze through the pump and lines as well.

Once out of the water, open every thru hull briefly to drain any water caught inside the ball valve, then close it again.

I avoid any antifreeze in the hot water heater by draining it, then blowing air through it using the dinghy pump, until no more water bubbles out. One year I used antifreeze in it. As Fred says, it then needs lots of flushing in the spring if you do this.  Over several weeks in my case! Never again.

The PO of my boat sourced small vinyl straps that attached to the lifelines. The power cord was suspended from those to keep it off the deck for the reason you mention. These would be an option for you if you decide to follow Mainesail's suggestion.

BTW are you sure you need 30 amps? We don't have a 30 amp supply at our club, so have never tried to use it. Being careful what I switch on simultaneously means I have never needed more than 15 amps. But then I don't use the boat at the dock for sleeping etc, so don't need to turn on the HWT heater, microwave etc. all at the same time. Using a long 15 amp cord, plus an adapter, is so much cheaper and lighter.

Tony

Jon

If this information is critical eg for lifting by crane or for transport, be very cautious re the published displacement numbers. We have  7 Catalina 34' s MKII's in our club. None come close to the published 12,900. All weigh on average 3000  lbs more (range of 2000-4000 lbs more)when lifted for launch and for haulout. This is for boats with empty water tanks, without masts, sailed in freshwater and out of the water for six months every year. Search the forum for more info and others' experience with this.

For sceptics: we use hired commercial construction cranes each season, which are required to be calibrated so that they can safely determine maximum reach for lifting. Every boat is weighed and logged every time it is lifted. For the record, mine weighs 16,300, with wing keel, and without the mast and rigging.

Tony

Actually the Raymarine ST60 requires speed through water (your disconnected paddlewheel) to compute true wind. Direct from their sales page for the ST60  http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=595 . Reconnect your paddlewheel and presto you should have what you need.

Tony

The pads are best at the bulkheads. d You might want to get it modified if it was built incorrectly. There is a diagram in the owners manual of how Catalina suggests it be built.

Tony

Hi Jim

In the end I just removed the bus bar. Without doing that the breaker was held captive by it, despite removing the front screws. Remove 12 screws in order to get to one....that's boat maintenance!

Tony