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1

Main Message Board / Bolts under the rubrail

« on: October 04, 2021, 01:11:04 PM »

I am replacing the rubrail and found a number of 10-24x2 ˝ machine screws protruding above the surface.  Does anyone know their purpose? Are they part of the hull/deck joint? The new rubrail is unlike the original and wants to sit flat on the surface.  I can counter sink the backside of the new rail if necessary but these screws are a mystery. 

2

Main Message Board / What is an acceptable Racor vacuum gauge reading?

« on: July 17, 2021, 09:07:34 AM »

Having just installed a vacuum gauge on the downstream side of the Racor I now wonder what to expect.  I could change the filter to calibrate the system but would rather ask you all instead. Mainly this option might save me an expensive filter. 
The current reading is 8.5 in Hg at cruising rpm of 2500 on this M35.  My gut feeling from a little reading is this is already a bit high.  Has anyone some data to share?

Thanks.

3

Main Message Board / Balsa core in a Catalina?

« on: May 07, 2021, 05:03:58 PM »

Taking me by surprise, when I dropped the main cabin top hatch surround to paint it, I found an unmistakable layer of balsa core in the top deck.  And all along I have under the impression that Catalina never used balsa. I guess I need to check those cabin top bolt holes for good bedding compound.  I will have to read up on attaching photos straight my phone. 

4

Main Message Board / 1” diameter Velcro discs needed

« on: April 14, 2021, 01:50:06 PM »

I am not sure if this standard Catalina stuff, but our pleated shades fasten down on 1” diameter Velcro discs made of a stiff plastic with a single screw hole.  Sailrite has a 1 ⅛” version but I am hoping someone has sourced a smaller one. 

5

Main Message Board / Transom rubrail

« on: January 18, 2021, 02:23:12 PM »

After a thorough search I have found nothing on this topic so here goes.  Maybe I am the only boat driver among who has managed to ding up the hard edge of the transom, or not. Along with scraping a few lock walls last year on the way south is our aluminum dinghy with a towing eye at just the right height to slam into fiberglass. I have checked with the rubrail mfg Taco and they have nothing that would make the curve gracefully. Some European boats, maybe expected to be med moored, have a serious rubber edge back there and even multiple charter boaters cannot destroy the stern. 
Has anyone among us tackled this issue? Or am I truly the only one among us with a dinged transom?

6

Main Message Board / Anchoring in Georgia

« on: May 16, 2020, 07:17:10 PM »

So this is not strictly Cat 34 territory but I hope someone in this region has some input. We are on the ICW northbound in Georgia and aware of the new anchoring rules enacted in January.  The question is are the rules being enforced, by whom and is there any meaningful penalty?  The rules as written severely limit our options. We are currently no where near any structures that trigger the 1000’ zone but tomorrow is another day.

7

Main Message Board / Thanksgiving 2019 SE Fla

« on: November 18, 2019, 04:47:21 PM »

Hi all, I am hoping we have some SE Florida sailors with any info on cruiser potlucks for Thanksgiving this year.  We participated in St Marys GA some years ago and had a great time. This year we will be well south of Vero Beach where they do a good party and hope there might be some other cruiser friendly spot further south.

8

Main Message Board / Air draft?

« on: October 27, 2019, 11:01:20 AM »

Does anyone offhand know how high the tall rig projects off the water?

9

Main Message Board / Traveling the AICW during hurricane season

« on: July 07, 2019, 08:42:00 AM »

We are leaving Michigan this week for a trip south down the ICW to the Bahamas for the winter and will potentially be in the path of east coast tropical storms this fall.   Fortunately the forecast sounds better than last year.  I have a list of theoretically safe and better protected marinas for hiding out but do wonder if anyone here might have some favorites to put on our list.   We anchor out most of the time but with a named storm coming our way my preference is either a safe dock or hauling the boat and getting out of there.   My current list hopefully is attached.   Any input is appreciated.

10

Catalina 34s Parts & Pieces For Sale or Wanted / FS: Alternator pulley and misc parts

« on: June 15, 2019, 11:29:59 AM »

Last year I changed over from the v belt on our M35AC to the Balmar serpentine belt.   The left over parts from the change over are: v-belt in great condition Gates 7417),  Balmar machined v-groove pulley (61-0010), raw water pump pulley, left over Balmar spacer and assorted screws.   The v-groove pulley came off of a Balmar 120 amp 6 series alternator.   These are spare parts in a box in my garage that I do not want to toss knowing that someone among us can likely use at least part of this set of junk parts. 

Any takers? For the cost of shipping plus a six pack?

11

Main Message Board / Cracked rudder advice?

« on: April 26, 2019, 02:05:32 PM »

Leaning on the collective wisdom again.
I dropped the rudder to pull the shaft and found a crack on the forward side of the rudder, at the top and above the step. It looks like it’s been there a while and is well painted over. Due to it’s position the crack was not visible before.
I am thinking I need to grind the area back, V grind the crack, fill with epoxy and put on a few layers of cloth as strapping to hold it all together. 
Is this overkill? How much stress do we have up there?

12

Catalina 34s Parts & Pieces For Sale or Wanted / 15x9 3 blade prop for sale

« on: February 05, 2019, 01:34:55 PM »

I know this is a long shot but this pretty much perfect prop is either a lawn ornament or it will end up on someone else's boat.   It is the standard Catalina issue 15x9 Michigan prop, never in salt, never dinged, probably never even off the boat until last week.   Anybody need a spare or an uncorroded replacement?

13

Main Message Board / Cabinet top storage on a Mark Two

« on: December 20, 2018, 08:21:04 AM »

So I have searched for someone’s brilliant idea on this topic and found nothing. Hopefully one of us has an idea. Our salon cabinet tops are potentially useful for storage but without a fence of sorts or something we have had to use baskets or all that we put up there slides off with slightest heel. I have considered adding a low “fence” or making a removable tray with higher sides sized to fit the irregularly shaped quadrilaterals.Either way the sides could be 3-4” high and maybe work. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, has anyone found a solution?

On the cabinet storage thought, on the Mark 2 we also have this space between cabinets at the below rub rail ports with a fiddle that is too close to the hull to store a good set of books.  I can pull the fiddles, patch the oblong holes and fasten a new longer fiddle fixed to the front of both cabinets but am leery of it looking hokey. Maybe with the original fiddle removed a 4-5” high by the roughly 2’ long piece could be fastened to the back of the teak piece right above the seat backs between the upper and aft shroud rods. Just thinking. 

Meanwhile we also have a fixed port with a distinct crack in the forward pointed end measuring about 2” high inside.  I can feel the crack with a fingernail outside but not inside.  What is the collective wisdom?

14

Main Message Board / Solar panel connections

« on: September 03, 2018, 05:54:22 AM »

I have installed a pair of 100w flex panels in the bimini each wired to a separate Victron MPPT controller. These controllers are mounted high in the aft port locker with the outputs joined and running forward with 6 ga wire to the panel.  Since the panel is fed by, I believe, by 1 ga wire , I reasoned at the time that the controllers would sense battery voltage at that point just fine.   
So, should I redirect the outputs straight to the house bank or does it not matter?   The run from controller to panel is about 15’ while extending to the house bank would add another 8’ or so.  Maybe this is splitting hairs but if I can increase output by some percentage it would be worthwhile.  Thx

15

Main Message Board / New Mast Revisited

« on: March 27, 2018, 09:34:21 AM »

Hi all, This is a followup on the mast issue we had at haul out last year.  One owner asked about the why and what happened.  We usually haul with a group and a hired crane and have an excellent record, and still do.  With the crane operation that is.   My issue was in hauling the mast down the road to the storage lot.   We have been using a 2 wheel cart under the CG at the spreaders with a towing yoke strapped the mast butt which attached to a vehicle's hitch.  I hit a bump on a turn and the mast came off the hitch after which it was run over by a tire.   The result was a total loss of the mast which has now been replaced and is ready for launch.   Our insurance, Chubb, covered the cost with no issues.  We were fortunate that Catalina still had one extrusion on the rack which was a perfect match.   Lessons were learned and this new mast will never be hauled in that fashion again.