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I replaced my 130 with a 145 a couple of years ago and have been pleased with the results. I also had the sail made for reefing which helps when the wind kicks up over 17 knots / gust to 20.  I sail in the Chesapeake from March to December and the bigger sail is nice to have in the summer when the winds tend to be lighter or when running downwind.

16K BTU works very well here in the Chesapeake Bay in the summer. But I have wondered if it's oversized. If you are planning on running your AC while on anchor with a portable generator, you might consider using a 14K unit. If you plan to use it mostly at slip on shore power and like to sleep in refrigerator, 16k will deliver.

On my Mark I, I installed the Dometic Turbo 16,000 BTU in the locker forward of main salon table, ran one large duct thru the v-berth hang locker and hole in the top/shelf of locker where installed a nice wooden box with vents to direct air to main salon and v-berth.

The unit cools down the entire boat, including the aft cabin, since salon vent points toward the aft cabin door.

This unit has a sound cover over the compressor and a relatively small foot print. Sound / noise control was an important consideration since my wife would not have tolerated a loud compressor, I was willing to pay more for this unit.

The boat is located in Maryland where its quite hot and humid in the summer and it works so well that we sometimes get condensation on the outside of the boat like a beer bottle. I've wondered if I could have gone with a 14,000 BTU unit instead.  Heat side also works well too but I really need to install a vent a floor level. Also installed a soft start to use with a portable Honda generator.

Justin

Last fall I had to replace both my autopilot and chart plotter and since I already had the wireless Raymarine wind and depth instruments, I've had to address some of the integration questions you are asking about.

1. EV - 100 and wind gauge:  While the EV 100 can be networked with a wind instrument, its not required.  The trade off will be that the autopilot is limited to steering to just a compass bearing.

2. Wireless Instruments & Networking:  To network my existing wind/depth instruments to the new autopilot & new chart plotter, I had to install a Micro-Talk router that links the wireless devices to the SeaTalk wire network.  https://www.raymarine.com/en-us/our-products/marine-instruments/wireless-and-racing-instrument-accessories/micro-talk-performance-sailing-gateway

So if you go wireless and want to network the instruments, you might need to factor the Micro-Talk router into your cost equation.  It also must be mounted outside and within a specific range of the wireless instrument.

And just to clarify, the wireless instruments are specialized and are not MFD, so they can not be used to run the EV-100.

3. RE: Wireless or wired wind instruments:  I have mixed feelings about wireless wind because I find that its frequently about 5 to 10 degrees off.  2 years ago I had to send it back to Raymarine to get the calibration repaired after about 8 years of service.  But recently I've noticed that is sometimes off.    Perhaps that true with all wind gauges?

-Walt

Mine has been sitting in the top shelf (former sliding door cabinet) by nav station since early spring has work fine/no issue. AIS unit is there as well. Originally I thought I'd mount outside somewhere but now I'm just going to leave it indoors so I don't have to drill any new holes.

On my 1988, light sanding with 180 and 220 grit was sufficient. Since I had some left over polyurethane from touching up hardwood floors in my house, I used that as the finish. Still looks good after 14 years of regular use. Consider putting a coat of finish on the underside to protect from moisture.

Used a random orbital sander to get 80% of the slats sanded on both sides.  Then hand sanded the areas where the sander did not reach. Seemed to work well and did not take too long.

If your boat is more than 10 years old, then you better be crawling around to see what's going on!!!

Also - was the boat ever located in a place where the water in the muffler could have frozen and expanded if it wasn't winterized?

If you have removed the muffler from the boat, one way to pressurize the muffler is to:

1. cut a bicycle inner tube in half. MTB innertube will work better than a road bike tube.

2. Attach to ends of the bicycle innertube to the exhaust flanges. Clamp the innertube down.

3. Using a bicycle pump,  inflate the inner tube and pressurize the muffler tank.

If the innertube stays inflated, that's a good sign. You could also submerge the whole thing and look for bubbles. (just like looking for a flat on a bicycle tire).

But if it does not hold pressure, or bubbles from the cracks, then it might depend on how bad the leaks are. The drain valve area could probably be repaired but I'm not sure how well an external repair over the cracks would hold up.

I have used Minwax polycrylic over teak oil without any problems. In fact, if you read the label it and says you can apply over oil based coatings.

So why did I use it? I wanted a glossy finish and also one that didn't get dull, dark, and grow mildew/mold. Also, wanted a coating that was easier to clean sunscreen smudges off.

I lightly sanded all the teak and then rubbed in some teak oil in order to get a richer color and hue from the wood.  Then about 24 hours later, I put on 4 coats of polycrylic. The main reason I used the polyacrylic was because it's a water-based coating with almost no fumes. It also dries super fast which is both good and bad. The good part is that I could get a whole bunch of coats done in a day, basically allowing me to refinish the entire main salon in 2 days. 1 day sanding  and teak oil. Day 2 finishing with polycrylic.  Note doors/ drawers where brought home to work on. The downside of polycrylic driving fast is that it's not very forgiving. You have to work fast and requires multiple thin coats. So far it's worked and held up well.  Oil based polyurethane is probably a bit better but I find it's more of hassle to clean brushes, takes longer to cure, and the fumes can be overwhelming when the hatches are closed to prevent dust. Since I want to be sailing not varnishing and have limited project time, it's been a good solution for me. I've posted some pictures in some other posts of my results. See
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,9863.msg75270.html#msg75270

Bill - I sent you a follow up email to your personal email.  Please reply back to that regarding the panel.

Giving away the original electric panel that came with my 1988 MK 1 C34,  This is the one with black graph paper design and push button circuit breakers. 

Currently located in the Washington DC area.  If you pay for shipping, I will send it to you.

Its also pretty easy to replace if its corroded and/or broken. Catalina Direct should have the replace part.

Aqualift mufflers can be repaired and rebuilt if needed.  I rebuilt mine fairly recently and it was not too difficult. There is info on the Forum on how to do this.

When they fail, its usually at the in and out take tubes/flanges where the hoses connect.

Usually the in-take tube goes first, especially if there is not a silicon hump hose between the metal exhaust riser pipe and the Aqualift. Leaks, cracks, or damaged looking in/out take tubes would be signs of a failing Aqualift.  Remove the hoses and inspect the tubes would be a good first start.  But if its not leaking, then its probably fine.

The drain tap also can rust out. Catalina Direct sells replacements.