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Topics - ptidwell

#1
Catalina 34, Hull 929, Production Year 1989

I noticed a crack in the forestay stem fitting similar to the one described by this post: https://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=6250.0 and asked a rigger to have a look at it as part of a general safety inspection.  She noted it should be repaired and referred me to a local weld shop in Ballard (Monkey Fist Marine).  They had a look and told me not to sail the boat until it is repaired.  At $125 per hour, they estimated it will cost from $2500 to $3000.  (or just 3 boat bucks).

After inspecting the stem fitting and chainplate today, it appeared to me that it may have been defective. It appears the metal chainplate strap is about 3 to 6mm too long leaving the stem fitting lifted off the deck.  See image. 
(https://photos.app.goo.gl/g1q3hVd1a2jsN7ug6)

In the image I drew red lines showing the current angle of the fitting, and green to show the angle that look more correct and would direct the force in a way that would not apply stress to the stem fitting.

Has anyone seen this before?  Does the price and urgency seem right?  Does my observation about the chainplate being a bit too long seem valid?

Cheers!
Paul

#2
I just completed the project described here on my 1989 Catalina 34.

https://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Catalina_34_Electrical_System_Upgrade

However, I did not upgrade my alternator.  I decided to save that for a future project.

The goal of the upgrade was to extend the utility of my house bank since I no longer need to conserve a whole bank for starting the engine.  It also addresses an intermittent starting issue I was having that seemed related to an electrical problem I just could not track down. 

As I drifted off to sleep last night, thinking about the new ease of boat operation I can now enjoy, I realized the electric fuel pump is still connected to the starting battery.  This is not addressed in the project write up or indicated in the diagram.

Diagram of Soliton's new electrical system
https://imgur.com/a/kDt0YzX

The pump only draws 1.6 Amps on average, while the echo charger will potentially deliver 15 Amps to the starting battery. So perhaps there is no problem here, but it is not true as the diagram indicates "Starting battery isolated and used only for starting." 

Should I move the fuel pump to the house battery, or will I be fine with it on the starting battery?

PS, as a bonus, I recreated and attached the "Revised" diagram from the original article.  The version on the article is impossibly small and difficult to read.