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Messages - Patches

#1
Main Message Board / Re: Sail "Patches"
February 25, 2024, 10:33:56 AM
100% untrue. I order my new offshore mainsail from Durtek (Sri Lanka, huge loft making sails for bigger brands) through my local sailmaker.  Way cheaper than CD, and with my local sailmaker to inspect, design and QC the sail. Working with him I customized the reefpoints (very deep second reef), and extra leather hand work on the corners.

Came complete with Catalina 34 logo. Also came with Rutgerson hardware and I ordered it to be compatible with a new Strongtrack luff slide.

After two years of using it as a charter boat 3X/day, 6 days/week, during the season it has held up beautifully.

So, no, any sail loft should be able to ge the C34 logo on the sail.

Patches
#2
Main Message Board / Re: Mast alignment, stay length
September 15, 2023, 07:07:58 AM
Ron's right.  What matters is that your rig is tuned and not what it looks like in the partners.  After tuning by a professional rigger, my mast sits very close to the starboard side of the partners and (comparatively) very far from the port side of the mast partners/deck opening.

Was one of the reasons I eventually went with Spartite to space (and seal) the mast within the partners:  wedges were shifting and falling out, and would have needed to be quite different in width to actually keep it from shifting while under sail.

This is also fairly common.  Spartite says as much in its instructions.  Most keel stepped masts are not "centered" in the partners when tuned.

Or, you can always get a c34 Mark II and problem solved.

P
#3
Hi Paul:

I was faced with similar choices a few years ago.  My boat had the original Harken Mark 1 furler.  I first tried correcting it with a halyard restrainer, and it didn't really solve the problem.  After considerable research, I replaced it with a new Harken Mark 4 after asking my rigger about what he would put on his own boat.  The price was pretty good from Fisheries Supply, who had it drop shipped directly to me from Harken. 

I also went with the "long leg" extensions to get the genoa off the deck and for better visibility.  It has performed beautifully.  As a sailboat charter, I go out 12-18 times a week and it has never let me down in all kinds of conditions.

Patches
#4
I just applied the Spartite solution to my mast partners.  As mentioned above, the tuned mast is not centered (side to side) in the deck collar.  It is about 3X wider on the port side than on starboard.  Spacing is fairly even fore and aft.

The "small" size Spartite kit has more than enough material to complete the "plug" on our Mark 1s.  It comes with everything you need, and the directions are very good.  I did have to use some 2" Blue painter's tape for a dam above the lip of the collar.  Spartite recommends that you pour 1/4" above the height of the collar, and the tape allows you to do that.  Otherwise, everything you need is in the kit.

As with every project, the lengthiest part was the prep. I removed the old boot which was the flexible, sticky type and the tape which finished it off.  It took a fair amount of time to remove this material from the mast with a plastic blade scraper and adhesive residue remover.  This was followed by building the "floor" for the pour with the supplied modeling clay.  This took several hours because of the narrow space on the starboard side of the partners, and a desire to make the floor as smooth and even as possible.

Then vaseline is applied to the inside of the collar and the clay floor to act as a release agent when/if the mast is pulled.

The mixing of the 2 part material is pretty straightforward and, as Alex says above, goes quickly.  If I have any advice, it is (1) to avoid pouring during any wind and (2) have a plastic measuring cup to pour the material into the narrower side of the partners.  Although Spartite claims that the material is self leveling, it is also the consistency of molasses.  So when I started pouring, it started to pile/pool on the wider port side of the mast because it's thickness took awhile to get around to the thinner starboard side.  Having a 2 cup measuring cup with a spout allowed me to pour into the thinner starboard side which facilitated the "self leveling."

As I was pouring some wind came up and blew a little bit of the material on to the deck.  I had placed an old towel around the area to pick up any drips and this turned out to be a good idea.  However, the wind got ahold of some of the material and it ended up on the deck.  This is cleaned up with alcohol or acetone--not paint thinner.

The finished product inspires confidence that the mast will neither move in the partners nor leak. It needs 48 hours to fully cure.  I'm finishing off the project with a new boot.  Spartite says you should protect the exposed material with some form of cover, and that you can simply paint it if you'd like.

So far, so good.

Patches

#5
Rees:

I share your frustration.  Since purchasing my boat 5 years ago I have tried different solutions for this.  When I added a new forestay for the new Harken fuller a couple of years ago, the rigger tuned the rig to where it is supposed to be.  That left the mast  not centered in the partners with bigger gaps on some sides than on the other.  I trust this rigger, and my only conclusion is that the hole in the deck in the deck mold on my boat wasn't well matched with the step in the hull mold.  That, coupled with the sound of wood wedges creaking in the partners while sailing, made me try rubber door wedges instead.  The result is disappointing, as they tend to work upward through the flexible boot.

So I'm going with Spartite.  I've purchased the kit (smaller size) but I'm waiting for the right 2 day window to install it.  You might consider the same.  I believe Alex (Waughoo) used Spartite on his rig and has been happy with the results. I'm sure he'll chime in as he is a frequent contributor and dedicated problem solver.

Patches
#6
I ended up rebuilding part of the exhaust system to accommodate the new Beta 25 exhaust requirements.  I had to remove the the sink bowl in the head  to complete all of the work below.

1. I replaced the 5/8" anti-siphon loop under the head sink with the 1" loop supplied by Beta.  A tighter fit, but it fits.

2. The stainless steel exhaust riser I previously purchased from Catalina Direct was modified by a welder to accommodate a 1" injection nipple from the anti-siphon loop and a 2" (ID) exhaust outlet per Beta specs.

3.  I removed the old (original) aqualift muffler and replaced it with a new Vetus NLP waterlock muffler.  I can't recommend these mufflers enough because the inlet and outlet can be adjusted to accommodate just about any angle of entry from the riser and exit to the exhaust hose.  And they are relatively cheap ($225 at Fisheries Supply)  Two of the best upgrades I have made are to go with the Vetus raw water strainer and NLP muffler.

Removing the original Aqualift muffler is a bit of a pain, but doable.  In their infinite wisdom, Catalina decided to mount the muffler mostly under the aft cabin bed.  It is held down by 4 screws to a wood platform that is level and glassed to the hull.  Once removed, the new Vetus muffler would not fit completely on the old platform--due to constraints built into the exhaust riser location, beginning of the 17' exhaust hose run, and height and method of securing the new Vetus muffler. So I cut a second platform from 3/4" plywood and mounted it to the old platform such that it protrudes forward a little more forward into the head compartment.

From there it was a matter of getting all the angles right for the input from the exhaust riser.  I purchased two 4" hump hoses on Amazon and connected them with a 3" length of fiberglass exhaust tubing.  I think the cost was $20-25 versus the $$$ for the hump hose that CD sells.  The 8" length was perfect for the distance from the exhaust riser outlet to the new Vetus muffler.  Because of the way you can adjust the inlet and outlets on the Vetus muffler, everything lined up perfectly.  With the old CD hump hose and original muffler, things worked because of the flexibility of the hump hose, but they were always a little askew, or misaligned. 

4.  I kept the existing 1 5/8" exhaust hose because I had replaced it about a year ago.  So I purchased a Vetus progressive reducer to make the reduction from the 2" outlet on the new muffler to the existing 1 5/8" exhaust hose.

5.  I used a short length of 1" heater hose from Napa to go from the anti-siphon loop to the injection nipple. The Trident "Flex" was not flexible enough.

Overall, the system is much improved. 

Photos when I get a break from chartering--which is very busy right now.

Patches
#7
Wish I could tell you I am finally finished with my Beta 25 install, but can't--just yet.

The Beta 25 has a manual fuel pump on the engine which--in theory-- is very simple to operate in order to deliver fuel from the tank to the engine, and then to bleed the system. Both my mechanic and dealer said you can take out the old electric fuel pump as it wasn't needed.  So I did to create a little more room under the head sink for a new Racor 500fg separator, and moved the new strainer to the back side of the head bulkhead under the shower sump switch.  I then cut in a 6" X 6" access door (just below the switch and above the shower seat) that allows me to check the strainer and clean it very easily.

After sorting out the external regulation, electrical and cooling connections, I set about trying to bleed the engine with the "manual" pump on the engine.  Wasn't pulling fuel up through the bleed screw on top of the primary fuel filter on the engine.  Checked for air entry everywhere.  At one point, I thought I had it isolated to between the new Racor and the tank.  I pulled the pick-up tube from the tank-- both tube and shut off valve were clear.  Pulled the vent tube and vent, both clear.

I then did what I  should have done initially.  I took a short length of clear hose from the inlet side of the manual fuel pump to a Jerry can with diesel.  Operating the "thumb" lever on the fuel pump, I confirmed nothing was getting pulled from the Jerry can:  Bad manual fuel pump.

So I'm re-fitting the old electric fuel pump to the system and have a warranty claim on the OEM manual fuel pump.  Not what you want with a brand new engine.  Hopefully will get it started up today.

I have to say, Joe Demers at Sound Marine Diesel has been terrific to work with.  He picks up the phone, and cheerfully answers my many questions about the engine and installation.  Another person from Beta carefully walked me through the external regulation set-up on the Iskra 120 Amp alternator.

Again, I'm hoping to do a more comprehensive write-up once I'm done with Sea Trials.

Patches
#8
My new Beta 25 is in the boat, bolted down, and engine aligned.  Hooking up the plumbing now and there are some clear differences from the old plumbing for the M25-XP that it replaced.  In searching prior threads, nobody seems to cover these.  Among them:

1.  M25-XP utilized 5/8" raw water supply; Beta 25 utilizes 3/4".  This was solved for the time being by purchasing a new Vetus knock-off strainer with "progressive" barbs (1/2", 5/8", and 3/4").  I was able to keep the 5/8" intake from the thru-hull under the head sink but cut the "outflow" on the strainer to the 3/4" barb and ran new 3/4" hose to the raw water pump.

2.  On the back end, the M25-XP had a 5/8" hose going to the anti-siphon loop, and then 5/8" to the injection nipple in the 1 5/8" exhaust riser.  The Beta 25 has a 1" barb off the heat exchanger.  To accommodate the existing Catalina 34 wet exhaust infrastructure, this needs to be reduced down to 5/8" before the anti-siphon loop.  Again, nobody seems to have mentioned this.

3.  The exhaust flange on the M25-XP is 1 5/8" (OD), and on the Beta 25 is 2".  This required a reducer, and then a welder to cut and reduce the length of the 1 5/8" pipe coming off of the Engine exhaust flange (to accommodate the length of the reducer).

So there are some clear plumbing differences which need to be sorted.  The one I dislike the most is the reduction of the water supply from the the heat exchanger to the injection nipple on the exhaust riser (1"> 5/8").  Although I haven't actually fired everything up yet (I was sent the wrong alternator--I am set up for external regulation to my Firefly battery bank and was sent a 120 amp alternator with internal regulator) I'm thinking a wet exhaust overhaul might be in the future.

Hoping to post later with photos and modifications needed.

Patches
#9
Main Message Board / Re: Epic sailing photos!!
May 12, 2023, 06:33:15 PM
Alex, you're killing me!  Still waiting for my Beta 25 to arrive next week, so I'm envious of your sail and the conditions.  Not going to post a photo of my empty engine bay, it will just depress me.  Going on 4 months now waiting for the Beta.

They're saying 90 on Monday here in Puget Sound, so another good day to be on the water where it is typically 10-15 degrees cooler.  Thanks for posting.

Patches
#10
I replaced my main last year and used Eric Taylor (Taylor Sails) in Port Angeles.  Most new sails are built offshore:  Precision (China), Rolly Tasker (Thailand), and Quantum (Sri Lanka).  Labor is just cheaper offshore.  You can build any quality of sail you want, using the same sailcloth and hardware as more expensive lofts.  I used him the year before when I bought a new Tri-radial furling genoa too.

I used Taylor Sails to measure the sails, consult on the features (# of reef points, where they should be, luff hardware, foot attachment, etc), and develop a CAD drawing of the sail for my specific boat. He then placed the order through Durtek/Quantum in Sri Lanka.  When it arrived, he added some hand work on the tack and clew and generally QC'd the sail.  Then he came down to my boat and helped bend it on.  I saved a lot, and got a great sail that he will stand behind even though it was produced offshore.  Others in the Northwest do the same, and I found it to be the right price/quality balance for my purposes (busy daysail charter boat).

If well designed and constructed, new sails are a game changer in terms sailing.  Beware of cheap sails that you just order online without seeing a 3D version of what the sail looks, and shapes, like on your rig.  I have a friend that ordered a new main that way from a loft in Asia and it was a terrible sail.

Hope this helps,

Patches
#11
Breakin':  I don't remember why I didn't get a 1 5/8" but likely because it was hard to find in that size.

Patches 
#12
Well...change of plans.

The decision to go with a new transmission was based on the assumption that the motor was good to go for another few seasons (at least).  I take extremely good care of my motor, and have added much new while its been on my watch.  It ran super reliably, didn't smoke, and--until recently--didn't leak any oil.  It has approximately 2500 hours since new in 1990.  Even so, the new leaking was toward the back of the engine, relatively minor, and the oil level never got to the level where I was adding new oil between changes (roughly every 65-75 hours).

So, I'd purchased a bunch of things in preparation for the tranny swap:  new motor mounts, hanger bolts and nuts to secure them, and damper plate.  I also fabricated a new mount for the heat exchanger out of 1/4" aluminum angle stock to hang from the underside of the rear berth, and purchased the new hoses to make the extra run from the engine.

We pulled the engine on Wednesday to replace the transmission and placed it on the galley floor.  We'd prepared the area with some plywood and drop cloths.  After removing the bell housing, we saw some oil on the inside suggesting the need for a new rear seal. No biggie.  But my mechanic, a very experienced guy, showed me how there was "end play" in the main shaft which would require a much more significant rebuild to remedy.  In his view, putting in a new seal would be--at best-- temporary and the leaking would be back within a matter of time.

So, time to choose.  I could do "half a re-power (transmission only and assorted shorter term fixes like the rear real)", get through the upcoming charter season, and decide to re-power a year from now.  Or, I could do a "full re-power" and pull the engine only once, start the charter season a little later, and be done with it.

Like many others facing this choice, I thought about rebuilding to get several more years out of the (otherwise) super reliable motor.  I LOVE that motor for its ease of maintenance and reliability.  But, it is 32 years young now and I'll be keeping the boat for a while as part of the business.  I'd already decided that in the event of a re-power it would be a new Beta 25, to the exclusion of the M25 XPB or a 3 cylinder Yanmar.

So, I ordered a new Beta 25 which I'm told will be shipped in "March."  I hope so.  In the meantime I'll be able to make many of the preparations in the engine bay pending its arrival. 

I'll also be selling a couple of the items I recently purchased for the original M25xp, like the Compass Marine 105 amp small frame alternator which I added as part of my electrical upgrade 2 years ago, as well as some spares.  So, check the "parts and pieces" classified if you need something for your M25xp.  I don't think I'm going to part it out, preferring to sell it as a complete motor with the original alternator.

Patches
#13
Main Message Board / Re: Tides Mainsail system
January 17, 2023, 06:15:13 AM
Cliff:

I put on a Tides Marine Strong Track a year ago as part of replacing my main sail.  I also had one on a prior boat, and think they are great.  Before installing on my C34 I had a harder time dropping the main all the way.  The main raised pretty well.

I installed it myself.  The hardest part is feeding the long track up the slot on the mast.  As I remember, I had to remove the goose neck and boom to do this, and used an impact driver to remove the bolts holding on the gooseneck fitting.  If it hasn't been off since 1990--and I don't think mine had--the impact driver and correct bit really helps.

The other issue is that the track requires the "gate" opening  (where you feed the slugs on your luff, and where the Strong Track slides in) to be a certain minimum length.  I discovered that the gate on my 1990 standard rig was not long enough.  So, using a Dremel and cutting disc, I carefully cut/removed 1.5-2 inches of the slot above the top part of the gate to increase its length.  The track then fed smoothly up the mast.

Strong Track has detailed measuring instructions and a work booklet to help make sure you measure carefully, and several times.  If you don't have one, buy a 100 ft measuring tape and reel at Home Boys and put a small shackle on the end.  I have used that for all kinds of measurements when replacing sails.

I really like the system.  Because I replaced my main sail at the same time, I was able to put the new Rutgerson slugs and cars on the new main when it was built.

Patches
#14
Or, replace it with a Twin Disc TMC-40 as I am and it is only 4mm (>3/16") longer and 1/4 of the price of a ZF10 ($1259 vs. $5000 on CD).  I'm mid project right now, having removed the exhaust riser and heat exchanger, drained coolant form the motor, and removed the alternator and wiring from the motor.

I'll report back when I've successfully swapped the gearbox and relocated the heat exchanger.

Patches
#15
Main Message Board / Re: Raymarine EV100 install input
December 23, 2022, 10:05:30 AM
Mark_53:

Do you mean you installed both behind the removable panel separating the the aft cabin from the aft water tank/rudder post area?  That would be a piece of cake since I have removed my aft water tank (maybe permanently) and the panel is removed for my transmission replacement.

Patches