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The c42 is certainly an option.  The Admiral isn't a huge fan of the linear galley, but as with everything; it's a tradeoff.

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to this wonderful community!  The tech notes and forum have been an invaluable resource over the last eight years.  This was our first experience with a cruising boat and we've had an amazing time sailing our C34 all around the Chesapeake, and learned so much from this group about maintaining and upgrading our floating vacation home.

As our sailing family grows we're looking to move into a three cabin boat.  If a c425 was in our budget it would certainly be high on our list, but alas, that's a big leap.  We have a lead on a Hunter 460 and the 34 is now listed for sale.

Thank you, safe travels & fair winds

After eight excellent years Firefly, a 1988 Catalina 34, is for sale. Extensive maintenance and upgrades over the last eight years we've owned her; shows like a much younger boat. Firefly is fitted with a 125% genny, full batten main, and 4' shoal draft wing keel; she is a great boat for the Chesapeake. Universal M25-XP just getting broken in with ~1800 hours and runs great. Oversized ground tackle and electric windlass, Balmar externally regulated high output alternator & large house bank, 13k btu AC/heat plumbed through the boat, modern electronics & autopilot, newer 12v refrigeration, electric flush head, new canvas, the list goes on.

Only selling because we are looking to move up to a three cabin boat.

https://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/100704    or DM me for a PDF with photos and a full list of upgrade/refit items.

Keep in mind that wind power is a cubic function (KE=mv^2).  The 400 Watt rating is probably calculated at around 30 knots of wind.  When sailing at 15 knots apparent you won't get 200 watts... you'll probably get 40-50 watts.  The reputable manufacturers should provide a test curve that takes into account the efficiencies of the blades, magnetics, etc.  I would think that if you want 50 watts in average sailing conditions a 400 watt turbine is about right.

I live outside Philly (Phoenixville).  I raced J27s with Liberty Sailing Club on the Delaware for several years before buying my 34.  Its a fine river for getting comfortable with the boat, but I think you'll get bored very quickly... you can go north, your can go south, you can go north, you can go south....  Not many places to go and strong currents that need to be figured into any trip. 

I have the boat on the Chesapeake (Maryland Marina, Middle River) now and am very happy with it.  Right now there are 3 C34's at the marina, and a couple others nearby.  Rock Hall, Baltimore, and Annapolis are all easy weekend trips, and Middle River's south of the sometimes restricted waters around Aberdeen, and the shallows of Havere de Grace.  Up to a 6' draft is very doable for the upper Chesapeake.  Frankly I think you'd have more trouble on the Delaware - all the marinas silt in from the river and have to be dredged every couple years... a big expense they all seem to avoid paying until boats start leaving. 

I don't think traffic is too bad driving to Middle River, but I would go Eastern shore before I considered moving to the south side of Baltimore.  Rock Hall is a great town, and I love visiting, but I like the slip fees where I am.

  Alex

Paul,

I did this job last year and found it to be very straightforward.  I did it without any 'special' tools like a flare nut wrench or crows foot.  The injectors I installed with a torque wrench and torqued to spec... the compression nuts on top were done by feel... you'll loosen them again to bleed anyway.  I figure as long as they're not leaking they're fine.  Note that a crow's foot does not work on a torque wrench; in that the torque setting will not be accurate because the center of effort is offset.

I also ordered new injectors online from a Kubota dealer... about $10-$15 more a piece that having them rebuilt but turned the whole thing into a one evening 3 beer job.

Jon,

Thanks for the excellent write up in the Wiki!  And an extra thank you for providing part numbers/suppliers!  This job is now on the list for this winter :)

Then 3 boats will certainly make a fleet!

I'm at Maryland Marina on Middle River

I thought a tablet / iPad as a repeater was a great idea, until I tried it.  They do not have sunlight readable screens.  Absolutely useless even on a mostly cloudy day.  Also, something about the coating on my iPad screen I have a lot more trouble with the viewing angle when wearing my polarized glasses.

That said, I do sometimes appreciate using my iPad as a repeater at the nav station.

I'm not familiar with Don's guide, but from years of racing I will say that loosening the outhaul is not a good way to depower the main.  Slacking the outhaul increases the draft of the sail, which increases lift and drag.  Increased drag means the boat will go slower, but increased lift means it will heel just as much.

The draft should be shallow in very light air, deepen as the wind picks up, then be pulled shallow again as the boat picks up speed in heavier air and starts to heel past 12-15 degrees.  The reason the draft needs to be shallower in very light air is to maintain laminar flow (air sticks to the front and back of the sail, and stays at the same speed).  There was a good thread somewhere about how a bigger jib isn't better in very light air – same principle with mainsail draft.

Unfortunately the outhaul is only effective at controlling the draft on the bottom third of the sail.  Sail draft farther up the main is best controlled by bowing the mast forward (increasing backstay tension).  Our masts don't bow, so this control is not available to us.

Dumping the traveler has the same effect on the main as heading up a few degrees, and letting out the mainsheet will open the sail and spill air... both effective in the short term, but I agree the correct answer is to reef.  If there's more than 90% out front I would change headsails (reef... yayyy roller furling) before thinking about shrinking the main.

Noah,

The prop shaft shows a lot of wear around the cutlass bearing - so bad that you can see it with a little push you can see it around the cutlass bearing before pulling the shaft.  This is my first inboard engine boat so it's all new to me, but I can see how this would result from bad alignment.  As far as the engine mounts... I guess the easy answer is because the surveyor said so.  They appear to be original and as long as I'm changing out the shaft and doing the alignment, I figure I might as well do it on new mounts.

Thanks everyone,

In my pre-purchase inspections I was happy to see that this boat had the wiring harness and alternator bracket upgrade completed.  Checking the sheave pins and the fuel pick up tube is on my list.  Also on my immediate to do list is replacing the prop shaft, cutlass bearing, engine mounts and all the rubber hoses around the engine.  Then it will be on to re-bedding chain plates and stanchions, and scraping some of the worst bottom paint buildup I have ever seen.

The boat is an '88 model year.  Right now the boat is on the hard off the Delaware River, just north of Philadelphia.  Next spring I plan to move it to Middle River, north of Baltimore.

Hello All,

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself.  I've been lurking around the forum for a couple months as I researched my purchase, but as I am now the owner of #713, I thought I should introduce myself.

I have joined the association and am working my way through all of the past tech notes.  I enjoyed finding a couple of notes from the original owners... They made a couple of improvements I didn't realize were not stock features 

The boat is a bit of a project (and was priced accordingly), but I expect to have her ready to splash in the spring. 

Thanks to everyone on this forum that has created such a wealth of information here!