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Guys and Susan... (had to do it...)

I'm not ready to pull the stick anytime soon so the one piece molded boot from Catalina Direct appears out of the question...anybody have a good, warm, fuzzy experience / recommended product for a replacement mast boot? Of course I'd love to hear the "what not to buy" stories too...

Regards!

Greetings All...the annual Officer's Meeting was held in mid February and as you can see there are some new names on the Masthead. One of the more interesting topics of discussion was Catalina's new C355. At first glance, she looks an awful light like a C34.

Take a look at the specifications:
      C34      C355
LOA      35'8"      35'5"
Hull length   34'6"      34'6"
LWL      29'10"      30'2"
Beam      11'9"      12'0"
Displacement   12,550      14,800

Every C34 owner who has paid attention during a haul knows she is closer to 15-17k than 12.5. We are told the sailing qualities / sea kindliness are appreciable and due to the circumstances, we're ok with that as it is tough to find a C355 for a sea trial on the Chesapeake in February! Needless to say, the similarities are notable.  If you get down to electrical and mechanical...sure, the systems are comprised of different components, but the systems overall are fundamentally the same.
 
Eventually, the conversation evolved into the possibility of receiving new C355 owners into the C34IA fold. These folks would probably appreciate a place to find tech/maintenance support and generally chat up all there is to owning, enjoying  and maintaining their new C355. The C36IA has embarked on a similar path with the C375 and I understand it has been quite a success. To all of you C355 owners, on behalf of the C34IA, please consider this a formal invitation to join us. Association Officers' contact info is listed above...pick one and drop us a line...just don't ask us which end is the front of your Yanmar...

When you create your profile for the forum, please identify yourself as a C355 owner and include your hull number. Again, welcome aboard...we look forward to hearing from you!

   

Greetings all,

We're in the process of applying for 2011 PHRF rating as, at this point, it appears as though we are entering the 62nd Annual Down the Bay Race. The race is from Annapolis to Hampton...roughly 120 miles. PHRF of the Chesapeake has a "fixed prop rating credit form" and I'm all for credits. The race is in May...form submission is required 4 weeks ahead of any event. As the clock ticks and we're still in the water, would anybody by chance have easy access to the "XX" dimensions in the attached pdf document? Thanks in advance!

So, for the past several years I've pondered what would I do if the "BIG ONE" came up the maw of Chesapeake. Cat 4 Hurricane Earl is knocking...and with any degree of luck, will turn to stbd soon. As I type, I'm waiting for the 2300 update from NOAA...

Storm surge is always the variable to contend with. Stingray Point is so close to sea level it is ridiculous. Most docks are not floating. I can envision me finding the boat with doubled dock lines firmly attached to each cleat...and four dock pilings dangling from a clove hitch on the other end of each line in the hardware store parking lot a mile west in town. The overblown trees (lots of 'em every storm) will knock over those who decided to be hauled to the hard like dominoes... 

The Bay is littered with what I would consider suitable "hurricane holes". Two big hooks and 20/1 scope...lots of room to swing...a safe dink escape route pre-storm...is this crazy?? I think she may be better off fending for herself...

After a year's worth of "noodeling" it through, parting it out, fabrication, assembly, disassembly, reassembly, disassembly, etc., the final install came to fruition two weeks ago. It all started with the necessity of a ground tackle upgrade and it kinda snowballed. This is an install of a new bow roller to accommodate a 35# Manson and a Lewmar V1 windlass. Here's a couple of pics...I'll get the whole thing in the Wiki, just as soon as I can recall my username and password to add content...

Footnote credits to Ron Hill for being the Godfather of MK1 anchor locker installs...

A knowledgable fellow toting a torque wrench, an extra deep socket and a handfull of various extensions stopped by the boat yard this weekend...come to find out, the majority of my keel bolts weren't even close to 107 ft. lbs. of torque... 

Just a friendly reminder to check 'em... 

I've got some weeping and would like to replace the impeller. It appears as though I have a peculiar water pump....does anybody recognize this pump? Perhaps a source for a rebuild kit or at least the impeller and gaskets? Thanks in advance...

Our AC is installed under the V berth. It is the Admiral's favorite. The PO installed it there with no way to drain the condensation, so twice a day I go up there with a manual pump, bucket and a sponge to sop up the water before it pours out of the louvered vent and saturates my nice genuine imitation teak and holly plywood sole. There is no path to the bilge. I could drill holes but don't really want to...I prefer the bilge dry. I could install a pump but i'm too cheap. Speaking of too cheap, anybody have any experience with one of these? http://www.mmair.com/marine_division/accessories/mermaid_condensator Looks like a brass tee with some barbed fittings, a check valve and some tubing for 200 bucks...YIKES!

What do you guys do?

To all those working behind the scenes...Kudos! The wiki site is looking very nice...thanks for the hard work!!

Light hearted topic...can someone enlighten me as to why bananas on boats are taboo? Is this just a racing thing or will Poseidon frown on the cruisers too??

best regards,

Good Day everyone!

I've got a real crisis on my hands...we're unable to bake blueberry muffins on the hook!

Would anyone happen to know the model # of the seaward oven used in the 1987 MKI's? I failed to make note of it on Saturday, now I'm 2.5 hours away from the boat . I need to replace the temp sensor/line over the pilot light in the oven...developed a break in the line and is losing mercury...toxic muffins just won't do. Additionally, any insight to this repair would be great!!

Best regards!

Good Day everyone!

My wife Alison and I are I believe the newest kids on the C34 block...excited about the boat...just wanted to say "HEY!". Many thanks Stu for your pre-forum information. We relocated the boat from Tilghman Island to Stingray Point over the holiday weekend. Unknown to us, we've been in the same marina as Ken Juul for the past 5 years...now we're dock mates. Ken, we're two slips down...be forewarned...we're gonna milk you for all the information you've got!!!