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Topics - dselec

#1
Picked up at Annapolis Sailboat show a couple of years ago and never used.

$50 plus actual ship cost or pick up in St. Clair Shores, MI.
#2
Sail is very clean and still crisp. It was included with my 1999 mkII (HN 1450) in 2013 and I used it for part of one season. Other than that, I believe it to be hardly used. Includes sail bag of course. Asking $400.

Measurements are as follows:
Leech – 44' 4"
Luff – 42' 10"
Foot – 18'
I am in Saint Clair Shores, near Detroit. Willing to meet someone halfway within a reasonable distance.
#3
Main Message Board / Loose Companionway Stairs
September 22, 2021, 11:27:40 AM
I'm evaluating repair options and would appreciate input from the group. I did a search here and did not see this issue addressed

The companionway upper stairs are wobbly in my MkII hull 1450 because the 2 screws holding the right-side bracket no longer fully tighten into the fiberglass companionway back wall, i.e. stripped.

I'm considering using spring loaded anchors with machine screws (see image) but I am hesitant to drill the required half-inch diameter holes which leave little material between the two bracket screws. Also, I have no information on the load rating of the anchors or screws.

Other options would be masonry anchors such as Tapcons, but don't know if these would hold in fiberglass.

Would filling in the holes with some kind of epoxy (5200, JB Weld etc.) and drilling new holes be a better way to go?

Thanks,
Dave
#4
Main Message Board / Electronic Module Question
September 28, 2020, 06:20:35 PM
Can anyone identify this electronic assembly.
#5
Main Message Board / Chance Meetup of C34 IA Members
August 16, 2018, 07:36:02 PM
We just completed a one-week cruise to Put-in-Bay, OH and Middle Bass Island as part of a 3 boat flotilla (C34mkII, Oday 32 and Oday 34) from our home port of St Clair Shores, MI.
Standing at the Put-in-Bay fuel dock with Harmony safely moored, I noticed a gorgeous C34mkii approaching the dock. It was "Shamrock" captained by Jim Hardesty, returning home from a cruise. We chatted for a few minutes before I left to rejoin our flotilla group. Meeting a fellow C34 Association member, especially a genuinely nice guy like Jim was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It is a small world.

Dave  - "Harmony" 1999 MKII #1450.  St Clair Shores, MI

#6
Main Message Board / Leaking MkII Cabin Top Hand-Rail
September 20, 2017, 06:54:25 AM
I need to rebed the starboard grab-rail which is dripping inside the cabin under 2 attachment points after a heavy rain. Do the stainless rails come off easily after removing the large screws on the inside? I would appreciate any tips from folks who have done this repair. I plan to use butyl tape for rebedding. Thanks in advance.

Dave
St Clair Shores, MI
1999 Catalina 34 Mk II #1450
#7
Main Message Board / Battery Voltage Monitor Panel
August 28, 2017, 12:30:45 PM
I built and installed a dual-bank battery voltage monitor on my C34 this spring and am very pleased with the results. It is a vast improvement over the low-res analog voltmeter on the Catalina electrical panel. Also, since it monitors both battery banks simultaneously, it can be useful for troubleshooting the system.

Dimensionally, the panel is a drop-in replacement for the old Heart Interface remote panel. To save power, there is an on/off switch for the displays. The voltage inputs are wired to the BATT TEST switch on the electrical panel. Total project cost is about $60.

I can provide Digi-Key part numbers and the panel design file if anyone has an interest in building one.
#8
The fresh water strainer in our 1999 mkii, #1450, repeatedly clogs with black gunk. My dock neighbor has a 1988 Catalina 34 and he periodically cleans debris from his starboard tank with a shop-Vac thru an access port in the tank.

Does the aft water tank in a mkii have an access port? I'm guessing access to the tank is through the aft cabin.

If there is no access port, I'd be interested in alternate methods to get rid of debris in the water system.

Thanks,
Dave



#9
My '99 mkII, hull #1450, is equipped with an older model (black cabinet and instruction manual dated 2/98) Freedom 10 Inverter/Charger with remote control panel.

It appears that the inverter is always on, even when the power switches on both the inverter and remote panel are both switched off.
With shore power disconnected, the 1-2-ALL-OFF switch in the OFF position and both the inverter and remote switches off, the microwave clock is running and there is an 800mA load on the batteries. When I pop out the "BATTERY CHARGER" breaker on the Catalina electrical panel, the microwave clock turns off and battery load current drops to zero.

To be safe, I disconnected the positive battery cables when leaving the boat yesterday hoping to get some opinions/comments from this group.
#10
My 34mkII has 4 Trojan Mileage Master 105 6V batteries, age unknown. They are connected into two banks, each with a pair of batteries in series.  We bought the boat late in the 2013 season and I neglected to do any battery checking or maintenance, other than an occasional push-button check of bank voltages displayed on the analog meter of the electrical panel. Since we only used battery power for day sails and usually switched off the reefer when leaving the dock, I don't have any idea of the battery condition last season. All battery cables were disconnected in the fall.

This spring, the batteries measured 2.3V, 4.6V, 4.8V, and 4.9V on a DVM. The 2.3V battery had a split case and only one cell was functioning, so it is obviously toast. The 3 remaining batteries required over a gallon of distilled water to top them off.

I then connected each battery individually to the SOLAR PL2320 Pro-Logix 20 charger, 2 batteries quickly (15 min) charged to 95% and then stalled there. The cells checked very weak on the hydrometer.
The charger flagged a problem with the 3rd battery and was attempting to repair when I stopped charging at that point.

So, at least 3 of the 4 batteries are probably shot. Since I don't know for sure what killed them (age, lack of maintenance, malfunctioning on-board charger), I don't want to risk buying and potentially frying a new set of Trojan batteries at this time.

I would appreciate advice and/or opinion on the idea replacing the 4 Trojans with a pair of cheap 12V, deep-cycle batteries. I realize the amp-hour capacity will halve, but this should be adequate for day sailing and an occasional overnight.