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1

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.

2

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?

3

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?

4

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?

5

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?

6

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

7

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. 

 

8

Main Message Board / Ignition breaker location

« on: July 29, 2017, 01:19:25 PM »

I just spent the last hour searching for the ignition push to reset breaker on this m35A with no luck.
This afternoon started with a goal of checking my engine gauges and alarms. When I shorted the oil sensor to the block and turned the key I heard a breaker pop and the panel went completely dead.  I traced the wires and cannot find the mysterious breaker. Where did Catalina hide this item?

9

Catalina 34s Parts & Pieces For Sale or Wanted / FS: a decent main

« on: July 07, 2017, 10:48:57 AM »

We replaced our sails this year and have a main left over.   I bought this main from another member here a couple years ago and it served us well but the new quantum main is a bit better.  The sail was made for a standard rig Catalina 34, has the regular 2 reef points and logo.   The only issues are a bit of staining above the foot around a few small wear spots that are purely cosmetic.  I had a sailmaker check this out and he found it to be sound.   The sail can be shipped in a box and the battens shipped separately in a PVC tube. I paid $800 for the sail which was a bit high and I would be thrilled to get $500 from a needy sailor.

Any takers?
   

10

Catalina 34s Parts & Pieces For Sale or Wanted / WTB: Bimini Frame

« on: February 23, 2017, 01:30:40 PM »

This is a stab in the dark hoping to find an extra Bimini frame made for a C34 Mark 2.   I know I am unlikely to find one here but you never know.

11

Main Message Board / A few requests for recommendations

« on: February 20, 2017, 12:35:41 PM »

We are prepping the boat for this year and want to make a few changes.  I am hoping to get some recommendations for these items.

V berth sheets and a 2" memory foam pad with cover.  We had one on our last boat and it was incredibly comfortable but that company's name is long gone from my memory.

Remote oil filter.   Has anyone found a good and less than $300 option for an M35? 

Oil change pump.   Our M35 has the hose coming out of the sump bottom and it is clamped to a bulkhead on the starboard side of the engine compartment.  A logical solution, to me anyway, is to permanently mount and plumb a lever or plunger actuated pump to this bulkhead and eliminate some of the hassle of oil changes.   We are expecting to head south again with the expected 8-10 oil changes required over a 4500-5500 mile distance.   The last time I used one of the Jabsco brass piston pumps and it worked fine but was occasionally messy.   



thanks

12

Catalina 34s Parts & Pieces For Sale or Wanted / WTB: Icom M72charging cradle

« on: August 29, 2016, 06:28:04 PM »

The charging cradle for my handy Icom M72 has died but the radio is still going strong.   Has anyone had the reverse happen and still have a good cradle they would like to sell?   One part number is BC-166.

thanks

13

Catalina 34s Parts & Pieces For Sale or Wanted / Maxwell 500 Windlass for sale

« on: November 14, 2015, 01:35:06 PM »

Well, I removed the old windlass and am in the middle of installing a Maxwell VW10 and do need to move the old one off my bench.   When we bought the boat last year the windlass was wired backwards and not really usable so I doubt it ever saw much use in it's 18 years of life.  The gypsy has all of it's chrome and looks great.   Included is the foot switch but without the chrome ring.    I may remove one of the mounting studs to reuse on the new so that would have to be sourced.  A meter of metric threaded rod will cost 12.85 at Fastenal and you get enough to do the whole windlass with fresh threads.

How about $400 plus shipping from 49686?    Estimate about  26 pounds packaged.


thanks, Dietrich

14

Main Message Board / Wing keel dimensions

« on: October 04, 2015, 10:15:40 AM »

Does anyone have the fore and aft dimension of the wing keel?

15

Main Message Board / Source for Cabinet Latches

« on: August 17, 2015, 08:30:41 AM »

After searching this site, the web and calling Catalina Direct I need help.   Two of our galley cabinet doors are held closed with brass bullet catches that are fine until we execute an unplanned 50 degree roll on a rogue and embarrassingly unnoticed  wave and crockery launches itself into the air.    The existing catches around the boat are mostly black plastic push buttons next to a simple U shaped handle.   The galley door design is ½" with a ¼ round teak strip along two edges.   

The nearest I can find to this latch is a Seadog brand, http://www.go2marine.com/product/387315F/sea-dog-cabinet-latch-push-button-push-button-cabinet-latch.html, from Go2marine but I hope to find a latch that is more similar to the originals.   

thanks