Topics

Regarding the current Mainsheet Cover:
It seems as if there is a line hanging from the port bow.Its tough to win the race with the anchor deployed.
Any thoughts? My guess is that it may be an illusion and it's in fact a marker. It does seem to be disturbing the water, however.
Ken

I replaced my forestay and decided to change furlers to a Profurl.
I have all of the components of the Hood system. There are a few damaged extrusion sections but that aside, it has performed well over the years.  I have never had any trouble with the drum or the swivel and they have functioned problem free.
If you think that you might be interested in these components, please email me at kenheyman@msn.com.

I recently purchased a Profurl C320 furler.
The forestay diameter specified in the Profurl manual is 9/32.  The Catalina specification for a tall rig forestay a is 5/16(10/32).  I called Catalina to discuss this and while the rep and I believe that the small differential isn't likely to prove unsafe, based on the conditions I sail in while exercising a conservative sailing philosophy----there are no guaranteees. I also called Profurl and they confirmed that 9/32 is the max diameter. Im planning on researching the breaking strength differential.
I'm curious if anyone with a Profurl  has encountered the same issue ?
Thanks much,
Ken

We were away for a good chunk of the Chicago winter. Upon our return, I stopped by our storage yard to do a quick walk around the boat.. All looked well but just as I was leaving I noticed some reflection and a stain originating at the thru hull depth transducer.
Evidently during a freeze some residual water in the Racor fuel filter bowl froze and expanded thereby  bulging the gasket. Then aprox.half a tank of diesel, gravity "downloaded",into the bilge. once the  tank was half empty(or full) the siphoning stopped.
Lessons learned:
Drain residual water out of the bottom of the Racor in the fall. I do this periodically through the season and there has never been much water to drain. Alternatively change the fuel filter in the fall as opposed to the spring.
Turn off the fuel at the tank. This would have greatly limited the spill to the fuel in the filter and lines.
Perhaps buy a "freeze damage" supplemental insurance  cover.  In my case it didn't matter but if an engine block or hear exchanger were cracked by a freeze, it obviously would have mattered as this is direct and not reimbursable consequential damage.
Fortunately insurance covered all "consequential" damage from the fuel spill(cleanup, installation of a new transducer and deodorizing)It did not cover the cost of a replacement gasket or plastic Racor bowl should I need it.
We launch on April 7th and assuming that the transducer thru hull doesn't leak or some other surprise, we should be good to go.
Fair Winds,
Ken

Earlier this year I returned  my "upper vang tube" to Garhauer for a repair as the block stainless cheeks were bent due to rotational forces on the boom(corrected by Catalina in later boats). Initially they were going to simply "straighten them out". I had discussed this with Marc Garhauer at the Chicago boat show. As it turned out they sent me a completely new tube  at the same  cost.
These guys(I usually talk to Marc) have always been remarkably customer oriented and responsive over the years . It's a family owned business that  seems always go the extra distance. When questions  arise there seems to be no limit to the time they will spend  "educating" me over the phone.
The pricing is always reasonable and in fact considering the great service I think I'd be willing to pay a little more- all else equal. In an environment, of all too often, faceless Internet transactions, they are a reminder of quality personalized service.
Ken

I just replaced the cylinder along with all the "inners"  on my original Groco  HF series head.  Most difficult part of the job was to unseize the three attachment screws at the base. With PB blaster applied in the fall, one screw came out ,with the remaining two this spring. I mailed the whole assembly to Patrick at Groco who was unbelievably helpful( and has been over the years with other head repairs). He assembled the components and UPSed it back'with a total turnaround time of less than a week. Total cost was 78.00 plus aprox. 10.00 shipping.
All I had to do was reinstall the joker valve, align the gasket at the base and attach the 3 base screws and two hoses. I did struggle a bit due to the cramped working conditions and in retrospect, it may have been easier had I removed the bowl (per Stu's  suggestion).
At any rate, with the new components, hopefully  I'm good for another 25 years.
Ken

I noticed that there is a full page ad for "Gemini Catamarans"in the current issue of Mainsheet.
-----seems a bit odd. I don't recall this sort of advertisement in previous issues, or am I having a senior moment.
Ken

The Chicago harbors have engaged in a "weed kill" causing massive amounts of vegetation to float on the water surface and cause much mischief. The stuff is so thick that it took 15 minutes to navigate thru 20 feet of the stuff in our dinghy. The mess is supposed to be skimmed and cleared away but-------Chicago.
So against my better judgment, I picked up a guest that required me to power through the mess.I returned to our mooring and immediately noticed that I was not pumping water(also an age related problem).
I unscrewed the bowl at the seacock and it was completely fouled with crud. Only a slight trickle of water was coming up thru the thru hull fitting .After finally getting a bend in a hanger that I could insert down through the open sea cock I managed to clear The blockage and we were on our way. I have a robust impeller and there was no damage to it.
I wonder that if one can't avoid debris on the water, if it's okay to simply shut the seacock for a few minutes until you're clear of the nuissance and then reopen it. Suction will be stopped and nothing should be sucked into the cooling system. For just a few minutes , the engine temperature shouldn't get dangerously high and my impeller is "guaranteed" to run dry for 10 minutes.
-----curious as to some opinion on this.
Thanks,
Ken

Getting ready to replace my four -six volt Trojan 105s that I bought about eight years ago. They  have served me well but now are not holding a charge above a 12.1 -12.2 resting state voltage meter measured level. I suspect they suffer from sulfhanation and when charged are only getting a superficial charge due to crud on the plates. I know there's a technique to desulphanate and equalize but I am not inclined to attempt that. I will test each cell with a hydrometer.
I did however stumble upon this on the Internet and found it enticing but most likely nonsense.
Any thoughts ?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OGG0OS/ref=dra_a_cs_mr_hn_it_P3062_100?tag=dradisplay-20&ascsubtag=4a251a2ef9bbf4ccc35f97aba2c9cbda

Ken

The seacock that allows the head bowl to fill with sea water, is always kept shut. Of late when I pump the head with the lever on "pump dry" a bit if water enters the bowl as if the seacock  were in fact open. It is a small amount of discolored water but continues to come as long as I am flushing the head.Possibly a bad seacock ?
Thanks,
Ken

I thought it might be interesting to post some observations regarding this movie.
If you haven't seen it-read no further so as not to spoil the story line for a future viewing.

For starters, one would think that if their vessel collided with an errant cargo container, that the collision would wake the skipper, as opposed to the water splashing around the cabin.

Also the method of freeing the boat from the container with a deployed drogue seems questionable.

What say you ?

Ken

During a Labor Day Sail today in near perfect conditions, albeit a lumpy Lake Michigan with Northeast winds, my wife and I were startled by a metallic "bang'. It turned out that the gooseneck had failed allowing the boom to crash to the deck and become quite "untamed" . I secured it to the lifelines and then lowered the main and continued sailing with the genoa. When we arrived at our mooring and I inspected the rig, I saw that the pin that normally resides inside the boom and allows the boom to rotate had exited the boom and  was now on display and securely attached to its fitting on the mast. I took the cap off the front of the boom and inspected the inners. As suspected, the cotter pin that is inserted into the end of the pin had completely disintegrated. In the 10 years that I've owned the boat, I only had the front boom cap off once before when I repaired the outhaul. Needless to say this is worth inspecting. While the boat was never in jeopardy, certainly crew could be injured if they happened to be under the boom when it let go. I was curious if this had happened to others and sure enough------


http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,209.0.html

Ken

Yesterday, a few hours, after using the stove burners, I opened the proane box to turn the gas valve off. I was alarmed, that when I touched inadvertently the green electrical connector, that  it was very hot. I had not turned the solenoid off at the cabin panel. Is it normal for the box connector to heat up when the the solenoid circuit is closed (solenoid on)? I still need to test if it heats up with the battery on and solenoid off. I doubt that it will.
Thanks in advance,

Ken

This is a test message as I didn't see any activity on our board for three days which is unusual. ----Probably the holidays but outside chance of a tech snafu ?

Ken

I ran across this today. I hope our c34 rigging doesn't have too much in common with the failed rigging on this 1991 Morgan 51. Lots of criticism of the "screwed together" configuration.----- Also a negative reference to "Taiwanese" rigging.


That toggle end is definitely 'screwed' and a those 'thread roots' are a REAL good source for the propagation of crevice corrosion. This type of T bolt is common on Taiwanese boats/rigging from the 80s and is VASTY inferior - and the typical failure as shown in the pic. T-bolts should be solid, forged ... not a screwed together configuration. This one probably has the T-cross section also screwed into the toggle shaft --- very typical of 1980s Taiwanese rigging 'stuff' (Grand Deer was most infamous for the manufacture of such 'crap').
This sort of failure, crevice corrosion, is common with 300 series stainless and should entice one to completely disassemble and visually inspect rigging screws and 'turnbuckles' on a regular basis.


http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=135973&styleid=1



Ken

[full]

So I need to pump the remaining fuel out of my tank this fall while on the hard. (I need to retrieve a fuel sender that fell in but thats a different story.) That part is easy as I have done it before using a siphon technique albeit this time I will do it from the cabin using the electric fuel pump and a disconnected pump "out" line and a new line fed into Jerry cans. That is not my question

My question is this: Should I put my 'polished" fuel back in and then refill the tank to "full" to minimize condensation. Yes I will use fuel treatment biocide etc. although the pumped out batch has already been treated. In the alternative I could leave the tank empty and refill in the fall (probably with fresh fuel). In the past I have had no problem with the previous seasons fuel and my tank has full or almost full.

So full or empty. Please cast your votes and comments.

thanks,

Ken

[Nada]

Great difficulty this year winterizing the water systems. After draining both tanks, I added antifreeze to each tank (my preferred method), and then  one tank at a time attempted to run the antifreeze thru the system---Nada -would not pressurize and pump AF through  plumbing. After a ridiculous amount of time troubleshooting, I decided to bypass the bowl -strainer since I was unable to unscrew the plastic bowl to clean the mesh.  To make sure my pump was operational I took the hose fitting off of the "in" fitting on the pump and inserted the hose  into a bottle of antifreeze. Voila-the pump is ok and I was able to winterize all lines and plumbing downstream of my pump. I now need to find a way to unscrew the plastic bulb and clean the filter which I am reasonable certain is responsible for the blockage. It hasn't been cleaned since I've owned the boat and it is a sure bet that the PO didn't either. Once I do that Stu had some great suggestions on how to improve the system while providing easier access in the future

Ken

Last week (after the boat was on the hard)I was going about the winterizing chores including getting all of the water out of the bilge and then dumping a bit of antifreeze into it. I moved (jarred) my bilge pump and switch to get better access with a sponge. As I hadn't looked at the bilge in a while, and I knew I had disturbed the wiring while messing around , I manually activated the pump by raising the float switch. Much to my chagrin the wires connecting the switch to the pump started to smoke. Once the switch was disengaged (lowered) the burning stopped. I disconnected the float switch from the bilge pump and brought the switch home for autopsy. The bilge pump still worked fine without incident when activated by the switch on the electrical panel in the cabin. The problem is obviously somewhere in the circuit between the switch and the pump.---a bit of a scary reminder of the whimsical nature of electrical circuits.

Ken

[The captain then reported that he did not have his cell phone on the boat !]

so--my wife and I took a leisurly sail last week in rather benign conditions on Lake Michigan. We had Otto the autopilot engaged and were multi tasking by reading, listening to music and monitoring channel 16. Amidst the sensory clutter, we heard a "mayday" call on the VHF. While we have occasionally heard mayday distress calls before, it is somewhat rare particularly in near perfect conditions and no Chicago lakefront events in process (like the air show or July 4th activities). Moreover usually the calls are pranks or not real emergencies such as "my battery is dead or I am  out of gas" .
The captain  of the distressesd vessel hailed the coast guard. They responded immediately and asked about the nature of their distress. The captain said that "they were sinking and their cockpit was full of water' This got my attention so I immediately tacked and headed for their reported position, which was only about 1/2 mile off the beach. It would taken us aprox. 1/2 hour to get to the location. The craft was a 16 foot sailboat with flotation and the captain didn't know the source of the leak although he thought a drainage plug could have been "open" but didn't know where it was located. The captain also indicated that he could sail and remain upright-- but very slowly. After the coast guard completed the usual drill i.e. lifejackets, number and condition of crew etc they asked the captain for a cell phone number. The captain gave the number---the coast guard asked him to repeat-he did--the coast guard asked a third time to be sure of accuracy and then said that they would call him  on the cell.  The captain then reported that he did not have his cell phone on the boat ! !

----Darwin is going to catch up with this fellow

Ken

[didn't]

After replacing a blown raw water impeller (Sherwood pump), I unscrewed the palstic bowl that housed the strainer (at the thru-hull) and cleaned the mesh strainer. As a curiosity I then reopened the seacock and of course got a healthy return of sea water. I then screwed the element back in  - reopened the seacock- yet the bowl didn't fill. I repeated the test a couple of times with the same result. Once I started the engine all was normal and the raw water element(bowl) filled.

The question is why doesn't the bowl doesn't fill without the engine running--suction break ? back pressure ?---just curious.  Ken

Here is a new one. While trying to troubleshoot some static emanating from a cockpit Sony stereo speaker I noticed that the back of the speaker was quite hot to the touch. I immediately turned the stereo off. I'm not much of an audiophile but it seems to me the only way this could happen would be if the radio wires running to the speaker somehow got shorted in my wiring harness with the power lead. Is there anything else which could explain a speaker becoming hot? The current running thru the speaker wires should be pretty minimal.

I'm going to check the wiring harness but I am puzzled.

Ken

After returning to the boat for the first time in 1 1/2 months, I found the toilet bowl full of clear water and additional water on the floor of the head. During the season we can get back flow into the bowl in a bit of a chop or when heeling excessively but in that case the water is not clear. (I do need to replace the joker valve?) At any rate, I concluded there was quite a bit of water in the holding tank but was unsure how it got there. Either we had inadvertently not fully pumped out the final fresh water tank flush of the season or new water had intruded over the winter. The latter was evidently the case. I inspected the pump out access on the port side and found that the deck cap was badly cracked.  (I was going to replace it but forgot) and rain water and melting snow had been intruding all winter. The pump out access is not covered by our tarps.
Lesson: Never underestimate the amount of water that can be absorbed through a broken deck plate or cap.

Ken

I found this (the screw-not the hand) at the bottom forward edge of the engine compartment. It does have some factory paint on it.Anybody have a clue before I hunt for my exploded engine diagram? The only recent maintenance was the wiring harness upgrade and a alternator belt replacement. I hate having extra unused parts.

Thanks in advance,

Ken[attach=#]

While we prefer the privacy and serenity of bobbing around our mooring ball, it is nice to occasionally tie up at a slip to recharge batteries, have access to electrical and not have to haul our dink off the rack and oar to the mother ship. Our harbor master accommodated us and assigned us a slip for a few days so I could attend to some of these matters. All was well until yesterday, when my wife and I planned to head out for a early fall sail. I got to the boat a few minutes before her and noticed a pile of poop in the cockpit. As I had heard some discussions, a few days previous, regarding raccoons getting into boats I was very concerned. My worst fears were realized upon removing the companionway boards. ---complete disarray and scat everywhere. Food containers broken into-cushions upended-food and packaging debris all over the place. Fortunately (or not)- no sign of the critter)s). So after a few hours of cleaning, it appeared that there had been no major damage. I initially was concerned that they would have ripped up the upholstery. The animals evidently got in through the screened port on the starboard side accessing the aft cabin. I had stupidly forgotten to lock it, as this is our habit when  on the mooring can. It provides good ventilation and rain water seldom gets in.
We went to dinner after the cleanup and I decided to go back to the boat. It was now dark and raccoons are nocturnal, so I was curious. Incredibly as I was stepping onto the boat I was greeted by a large raccoon (I would guess -a 30 pounder). He or she showed no fear. I did quickly leave, as I have had encounters with these guys before and they can be nasty. I boarded the boat adjacent and made some noise and finally the critter ambled off down the dock. There was no evidence that he had gotten into the cabin. The harbor master had suggested moth balls as a deterrent so I sprinkled some on the dock, At home we have used ammonia soaked rags which they seem not to like.

Lessons learned:

• lock everything before deboating
  
  
  
  
  make sure all food is really sealed tight as the smells may have attracted them  they had a particular affinity for a plastic tub of pretzels which based on the evidence must have adversely affected their digestion
  
  
  get back to the mooring, as there, we only have to worry about starlings nesting in the ventilation ducts connected to the aft clam shell air scoops(different story for a different day)
  
  As an aside the marina folks have been setting traps as raccoon infestation has been a particular problem this year. I'm told about 30 raccoons have been caught and hauled away but estimates are that at least that many remain.
  
  
  

I hadn't turned on the hot water faucet in either the head or galley for a few weeks. Recently when I did, there was a pronounced rotten egg or maybe  hydrogen peroxide (?) odor. I ran all of the hot water out of the system and did this a second time yesterday after an engine run. It does appears to be abating. What chemical process could cause this kind  of odor in our hot water tank or elsewhere in the system? It doesn't smell anyting like the usual standing water odor.

---just curious,

Ken

[either]

I have a two bank system consisting of 4 T105s . Each bank is 2 T105s connected in series and then paralleled at the switch for engine/ alternator charging. I generally use either bank 1 or bank 2 for normal electrical loads (lights, refrigeration, navigation lights etc) Accordingly after a  cruise there could be a difference in the measured voltage of bank 1 vs bank 2(assuming I didn't switch periodically to the other bank).

when batteries are paralleled, the weaker battery brings down the stronger battery (I'm told).-- so hypothetically, if I have one unloaded bank measuring 12.6v and the other 12.2V and I now combine these banks at the 1-2 switch (the All position), how long will it take before the stronger bank ebbs to the level of the weaker battery.

thanks,

Ken

I changed my Racor yesterday and it being a beautiful day in Northern Illinois ( near 80), I decided to test my patience. I wanted to see how efficiently opening and closing the knob on the injector pump would bleed a large volume of air form the system. In the past, I have minimized air intrusion by clamping the fuel line  at the filter and also adding fuel to the Racor bowl before reinstalling. This time I simply turned off the fuel at the tank and removed and reinstalled the filters. I primed the system by turning the ignition on in the cockpit (with the battery switch off) and then activating the electric fuel pump with the battery switch down below. I opened and closed and basically played with the knob (on the injector pump). There was quite a bit of pump rattle for a longer period than when I add fuel to the bowl and limit air intrusion but still the whole interval to pressurize and get that rhythmic ticking was only about 4 minutes. --no mess--no fuss with the bleed valve by the secondary filter on the engine. BTW, the Racor bowl filled in about 30 sec. I recommend that those that don't have a self bleeding system try this and ignore the more involved instructions in the engine manual.---just be patient.

Ken

and I thought bleeding the fuel system was exciting-----:

http://sailblogs.com/member/blackdragon/

Attached are some pics of my recharging process for the Adler Barbour cold machine. Bob Kuba and I struggled through some sketchy directions from a gauge supplier and proceeded. As both the C34IA treasurer and commodore risked incapacitation, decapitation or worse we took the safety risks seriously and wore appropriate protective gear (principally swim masks). I had previously been certified by the ESCO Institute as a  technician allowing the purchase of R12 refrigerant form a car dealer. I bought some gauges and a can tap on-line from a polarexpress.com. We:


pierced the refrigerant can
attached the yellow hose from the gauge set to the can fitting
attached the blue hose to a schrader valve on the unit (low side attachment point is critical otherwise you pump pressure back into the can thus creating lots of shrapnel) I previously had accessible schrader valve attached to the unit by a "real" technician.
bled the air from each hose
began adding refrigerant
turned on system
monitored the pressure(weakest link as we did not know what the pressure should be--the tag on the unit was illegible and I couldn't find it on line. Waeco has been purchased and I couldn't find anyone via phone that knew much.

the good news is that unit is once again working (it has a very slow leak). It probably isn't working as efficiently as it might (not frosting over but getting quite cold). I'm going to vacuum the fan to increase efficiency. I have a fear that I may have overcharged the system but so far it doesn't seem that I blew any seals. ----thanks to Bob for the assist

I wonder what caused this---. Looks like no one was on board at the time.

Ken



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVj59dS834

We are on a can approx. 5 months every season. When not on the can (day sailing or cruising) the lines are partially in the water. I have two lines running, from a shackle attached to the can, through the anchor rollers (on either side of the forestay) and then being affixed to a single cleat on deck via good professionally spliced loops  . The lines are "thimbled' and attached to the mooring can via a shackle. Accordingly there is little chafing and no metal to rope contact other than the thimbles. This is the seventh season for these particular lines. Since we bet "all the marbles" on the lines doing their job I wonder if they should be routinely replaced. The lines are 1/2 inch(or maybe 3/4) three strand. The loads are normally relatively modest as our harbor is well protected from surge although we do get an occasional micro-burst that can produce brief heavy winds (two years ago measured at 80 mph!)I haven't done much to maintain them although they look good upon inspection. I was considering cleaning them but felt my wife might object to the shackles totally destroying our washer and dryer. I wonder if there could be insidious non apparent damage. Any thoughts?

Ken

---a typical day sail ----

http://www.sail-world.com/CruisingAus/index.cfm?SEID=0&Nid=57162&SRCID=0&ntid=10&tickeruid=0&tickerCID=0

We are planning a trip to the Annapolis boat arriving Friday night or Saturday morning. Another member (Bob Kuba is also planning a trip). I just started surfing for B&B's and/or hotel - motels. I know it difficult at this late date finding accommodations economical or otherwise. Bob is staying in Eaton ---maybe 45 minutes away------any suggestions on where to start?

thanks,

Ken

After an idyllic sail, on Saturday,  we started the engine in preparation for returning to the harbor. After a couple of minutes of run time I noticed that "something" sounded amiss at the exhaust discharge. I peeked over the transom and discovered that no water was being discharged. I shut down the engine and sailed to our mooring. Wind direction and velocity were cooperative.

Upon inspection,water was coming into the fresh water filter from the sea and the strainer was not clogged. Upon removing the face place of the water pump, bits of pulverized impeller fell out. The outlet of the pump bound for the heat exchanger was 100% obstructed and the impeller 100% destroyed---nothing left but the hub. Also the pump housing was very hot so it must have been running "dry".I picked as much debris form the pump as I could get at with some "dental" type tools which worked very well. I did not mess with the heat exchanger or the hose from the pump to the HX. I installed a new impeller and voila -all seemed find. Healthy discharge and no overheating. I assume this is the acid test and there is no need to do anything further. I haven't run the engine under load yet but unless some debris breaks loose and fouls the system I assume that I am good to go.

I believe what must have happened (in that this impeller was relatively new and has been periodically inspected) was that I must have sucked up a plastic bag or something similar. It successfully blocked the raw water inlet until the pressure was released (once the impeller was destroyed and their was no suction). Then it simply floated away.

Lesson--keep a spare impeller on board and listen to the music of exhaust water being discharged.

I was lubing the steering cables recently and following Edson's advice by putting some 30 weight oil on a few pieces of Kleenex. I did detect one tiny burr on the cable which snagged the Kleenex. I'm inclined to replace my cables but would like to wait until haul out. I'll probably by the kit from Edson. --two questions: while it would be best to replace immediately, how much risk of continuing the season with a "small" imperfection? (I can recheck regularly) and does this cable replacement fall into the "do it yourself "category for someone with average skills or best be left to the yard? I know there's some info on our c34 knowedge base & I may also give Edson a call.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

I recently purchased a Sunsei 1500(miliamps) solar panel. When I tested the open circuit voltage at "high noon" in Chicago it was 20 volts. Sunsei advertises that the panel can be used to power  electrical devices directly. In that 20 volts could ruin ceretain 12 volt electronics I asked the question to their tech guy. He indicated that the company was "investigating" their advertisement" and agreed that nothing other than batteries should be connected directly to the panels. I went to Nigel Calders bible and it confirms that the open circuit voltage of these panels is often 18 - 19 volts . The panels seem to work quite well for maintaing my Trojan 400 amp hour battery system. If I leave the boat for extended periods, I will use a controller to prevent overcharging. BTW the panel si rated at 22.5 watts which pegs the voltage at 15 volts.
anyway so much for advertised claims.

Ken

There is much on the forum regarding value but out of curiosity I used the Boat US Web site to provide an estimated value for my 1988 c34. I then compared this to the Nada valuation. The difference is astonishing. Nada reflects 43 - 45K while Boat US shows values in the 32-37 arena. My bias was the Nada numbers but now I'm wondering. Both sites consider location, age and extras. Does anyone have any "first hand" info or are prices all over the place?

BTW, It doesn't really matter 'cause we love the boat. Nevertheless, it is always reassuring to feel the boat holds its value. At 45K yes ---at 35K it hasn't.
Ken

Some of you may have heard  about this sailing tragedy of last week. As the article may point out---they were experienced crew sailing downwind in a J35 for winter lay-up. Sometimes things just don't go as planned but by analyzing the components of this one, perhaps a lesson emerges for all of us.
Ken
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/621845,CST-NWS-boat25.article

Does anyone know how to tighten up the two circular halves of the drive unit  that mate with each other. I believe one half attaches to the wheel and obviously moves with it and the other attaches to the pedestal via the drive motor and is fixed.The 2 halves are further apart than they should be and the bearings make an unusual noise as the wheel is turned. If I squeeze the halves together the noise disappears. I went to the manual  and the answer isn't apparent. The noise is unrelated to whether the auto pilot is engaged or not. It may be easiest to call Raymarine but I thought someone may have experienced this. I also did a search but didn't find the problem addressed but may have missed it.

Thanks for the help.

Ken

I had noticed that the stern light was not functioning while the bow unit was ok. I opened the panel in the cabin and checked the connections and all seemed ok. There was an in-line fuse on a very thin white wire that I can't identify or easily trace. I checked the fuse and it was blown. Upon replacement the rear running light worked. The fuse was tiny, short, and about the size of the fuse in a voltmeter. (I used my voltmeter fuse as a temporary replacement but could not read the amps (bad eyes)). This seemed to be an unusual way to wire the running light and did not seem to jibe with the schematic in the manual. I would appreciate someone shedding some 'light' on the issue. Thanks in advance,

Ken

B4 launch this season a fellow at the boat yard noticed about a dozen small holes in the hull just above the waterline stripe in the very aft stretch of the hull. Actually it was just left of dead center and again just above the boot stripe. I think this guy knew what he was talking about because he was wearing overalls, a respirator and was covered with bottom paint dust----a sure sign of boat acumen. At any rate he asked me if the boat had ever been hit by lightning which to the best of my knowledge it has not. All electrical systems work fine and there are no physical signs of a strike. I tried to insert a wire thru these pin holes and either they run a circuitous path or more likely they don't go all the way through the hull. (there is no sign of a leak).

I can't imagine what caused this symmetrical pitting of the gel coat. I have pretty much ruled out an electrical strike and good old fashioned blistering but I guess the latter is a possibility. Also our dink occasionally slides under the stern and makes contact with this area of the hull but again the gel coat exhibits a fairly round intrusion almost as if caused by a pellet strike. I will seal them up with Marine Tex or something similar.

Any ideas as to the cause?---

Thanks in advance

Ken

I was again heartened yesterday that after a fuel filter change, all that was necessary to bleed the system was a few opening and closings of the knurled knob on the injector pump.

Bleeding is one of the most discussed topics on our form and I think the most recent consensus is to have some clean fuel in the filter bowl and then turn the fuel pump on and try to bleed without cracking the filter on the engine. I think Ron and Stu have pointed out that if the system has too much air,  bleeding at the engine mounted filter may be necessary. I always had done this routinely but not any longer----

It's great not having to deal with a bubbling diesel fuel under pressure at the engine filter. Patience is important as it probably took a couple of minutes for the bowl to completely fill and the system to become pressurized (evidenced by tick-tick as opposed to the  rattle.

In short - try messing with the knurled knob first----much neater and quicker!

Ken

Does anyone know if the screens for the ports and hatches are the same size regardless of boat year. Specifically I am trying to determine if the screens from a Cat34 Mk II (2001) will fit my 1988 c34. I have not been able to reach Catalina.

Thanks in advance,

Ken Heyman

[I own a 22-year-old, 38-foot sloop. I would like to see a report on fuel tank cleaning and maintenance, including an analysis of additives. In my case, the tank can't be removed and has no inspection port, so I am looking for systems that will do the job with the tank in place.Jim and Loy Norris Pearson 386, Lakota Centerport, N.Y. Let's begin by dispelling any myths concerning "touchless" tank cleaning. A seriously, or even mildly, contaminated fuel tank can be properly and completely cleaned only by gaining access to its inside. Additives may help prevent some contaminant build-up, however, no additive will remove years of accumulated organic- or mineral-based sediment or water. Organic contaminants include biological lifeforms—both living and dead (when they die during cold weather or when you treat the tank with a biocide, their carcasses sink to the tank bottom, where they remain until they're pumped into your fuel filters or are removed). Mineral-based debris includes asphaltine, which is essentially a tar-like, mineral-based substance that passes through the refining process or is accumulated in transport and storage facilities before it ever reaches your boat's fuel tank. Contrary to the claims of many additive makers, it is nearly impossible to remove large amounts of any of these contaminants with a few caps of a silver-bullet additive. However, it is possible to limit contamination with the use of additives. A biocide such as BioBor can help to control or limit biological growth. But every time you shock or treat the tank, the bodies of what you kill will accumulate in the nether regions of the tank. No additive will dissolve their skeletons, which are abrasive and harmful to your engine's fuel system. Contrary to popular belief, the biological life that often thrives with a diesel fuel tank is bacterial; it's NOT algae. Algae require light to carry out photosynthesis, and there's not much of it in your fuel tank. Too much of a good thing can be harmful: Biocides, if overused, can be corrosive and damage your metallic tank or other fuel system components. The best way to stem biological growth is to keep water out of the tank by using a stripper tube (this will be discussed in our upcom-ing report on replacing fuel tanks). Without water, the bio-life forms have nowhere to live.As the fuel remains in your tank for long periods, the lighter, aromatic components will evaporate, albeit slowly. As this occurs, the heavier components, or "ends," remain. These heavier molecules will begin to attach themselves to each other, collect, and then sink to the bottom, where they will accumulate and become part of the asphaltine base. Additives such as PriD are available to replace these lost aromatics, but knowing how much to add is tricky. If you want to be certain that your tank is clean, the best and only sure way to do it is to get inside the tank. It's not as difficult as it sounds: Access plate kits are available. One, manufactured by Sea Built Inc., www.seabuilt.com, comes in several sizes; these can be installed on the tank top or side by a skilled do-it-yourselfer or your favorite boatyard. Once the inside is accessible, cleanup can vary from light duty swabbing with a lint-free rag (never use "shedding" paper-based products), to the heavy-duty, requiring mechanical abrasion with paint scrapers, gasket removers, brushes, and solvent. How often you'll have to do this chore depends on the quality of fuel you take aboard. Poor-quality fuel will increase the frequency of this event, while careful fuel dock discretion or funnel filtering may mean you'll only be seeing the inside of your tank with each presidential election, and what better time to be cleaning up dirt, debris, and detritus?]

Below is an informative article from the current Practical Sailor which has some old and some new info (to me) that I found interesting. Yes, I cut and pasted the article and perhaps I'm not supposed to do that-----copyright laws, Patriot Act etc. but I proceeded at my own peril.

I own a 22-year-old, 38-foot sloop. I would like to see a report on fuel tank cleaning and maintenance, including an analysis of additives. In my case, the tank can't be removed and has no inspection port, so I am looking for systems that will do the job with the tank in place.

Jim and Loy Norris
Pearson 386, Lakota
Centerport, N.Y.

Let's begin by dispelling any myths concerning "touchless" tank cleaning. A seriously, or even mildly, contaminated fuel tank can be properly and completely cleaned only by gaining access to its inside. Additives may help prevent some contaminant build-up, however, no additive will remove years of accumulated organic- or mineral-based sediment or water. Organic contaminants include biological lifeforms—both living and dead (when they die during cold weather or when you treat the tank with a biocide, their carcasses sink to the tank bottom, where they remain until they're pumped into your fuel filters or are removed). Mineral-based debris includes asphaltine, which is essentially a tar-like, mineral-based substance that passes through the refining process or is accumulated in transport and storage facilities before it ever reaches your boat's fuel tank. Contrary to the claims of many additive makers, it is nearly impossible to remove large amounts of any of these contaminants with a few caps of a silver-bullet additive.

However, it is possible to limit contamination with the use of additives. A biocide such as BioBor can help to control or limit biological growth. But every time you shock or treat the tank, the bodies of what you kill will accumulate in the nether regions of the tank. No additive will dissolve their skeletons, which are abrasive and harmful to your engine's fuel system. Contrary to popular belief, the biological life that often thrives with a diesel fuel tank is bacterial; it's NOT algae. Algae require light to carry out photosynthesis, and there's not much of it in your fuel tank.

Too much of a good thing can be harmful: Biocides, if overused, can be corrosive and damage your metallic tank or other fuel system components. The best way to stem biological growth is to keep water out of the tank by using a stripper tube (this will be discussed in our upcom-ing report on replacing fuel tanks). Without water, the bio-life forms have nowhere to live.

As the fuel remains in your tank for long periods, the lighter, aromatic components will evaporate, albeit slowly. As this occurs, the heavier components, or "ends," remain. These heavier molecules will begin to attach themselves to each other, collect, and then sink to the bottom, where they will accumulate and become part of the asphaltine base. Additives such as PriD are available to replace these lost aromatics, but knowing how much to add is tricky.

If you want to be certain that your tank is clean, the best and only sure way to do it is to get inside the tank. It's not as difficult as it sounds: Access plate kits are available. One, manufactured by Sea Built Inc., www.seabuilt.com, comes in several sizes; these can be installed on the tank top or side by a skilled do-it-yourselfer or your favorite boatyard. Once the inside is accessible, cleanup can vary from light duty swabbing with a lint-free rag (never use "shedding" paper-based products), to the heavy-duty, requiring mechanical abrasion with paint scrapers, gasket removers, brushes, and solvent.

How often you'll have to do this chore depends on the quality of fuel you take aboard. Poor-quality fuel will increase the frequency of this event, while careful fuel dock discretion or funnel filtering may mean you'll only be seeing the inside of your tank with each presidential election, and what better time to be cleaning up dirt, debris, and detritus?

While attempting to top off my fuel tank for a midwestern winter, colder temperatures along with my own carelessness managed to crack the palstic fuel cap and render the female socket not useable. I ultimately was able to get the broken cap out but not without a few small pieces of plastic falling into the fuel tank. Not that I can do much about it, but I am curious if the plastic is likely to dissolve(hopefully) or perhaps in the alternative clog the fuel pick-up line or a filter. All has been well with my fuel the last couple of seasons since I removed the screen and cleaned my tank.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

Out boat was hauled today. I was told that based on the crane's scale the boat weighed over 16,000 pounds! They subtracted the weight of the crane's bar and straps to get to that number(aprox. 700 #s) The water tanks were nearly full as well as the fuel tank. Other weight would include the usual anchors, sails, cushions & assorted seasonal paraphernalia. The Catalina manual indicates that "displacement" is just under 12,000#s with a standard keel.
I had the same "overages" with my c27.
Are the yards readings possible? I can't get anywhere near that weight starting at 12,000#s & adding back the extras. If I have that much water absorbed into my fiberglass (i.e blisters & delamination) I assume I'd be sitting a bit low in the water. The boat sails and performs just fine.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

This week-end we sailed in some pretty stiff winds (20 knot+)  (not rare for you guys in the Bay area) and just to see how the boat behaved I practiced heaving to. I was sailing with a reefed main and my jib furled to aprox. 100%. Prior to the maneuver I was sailing close hauled @ aprox 6 knots on a starboard tack. I tacked, kept the jib cleated, and locked the helm to starboard. After an initial "S" the boat settled down to aprox. 2 knots with a nice gentle motion in the four foot waves with the bow maybe 50 -60 degrees to the wind and waves. I suspect my eliptical rudder improved things.
I'm wondering how she would have performed in 40 knots of wind. Anybody tried this in "dire" circumstances?

Ken

As my wife I were readying our boat for a summer cruise on Lake Michigan, I inspected our Life Sling and was surprised to find a block and tackle at the bottom of the case (to gain leverage when hauling a weakened victim out of the water). Partly motivated by the SF bay story of a few weeks ago (the fellow that was plucked out by a c34 sailor) and partially a safety exercise, my wife agreed to let me haul her into the boat with the sling. I tried a number of different methods i.e. tackle block attached to end of boom - block attached to stern pulpit- block attached to back stay turn buckle. - etc. I didn't try swinging the boom out at right angles to the boat which might have provided a better angle. I used a snatch block in determining the best route to run the retrieval line to a winch.

Actually what worked best was forgetting the block and tackle and simply attaching the the main halyard shackle to the sling, although there is a tendency for the victim to swing. I controlled this by "poling out" my wife with a boat hook.

Has anyone experimented with the sling and perhaps could suggest the most efficient method of bringing someone back on board?

Ken

Just curious what the "lubes" of choice might be for the steering cables, chain linkages running through the inside of the pedestal, quadrant turning or bearing surfaces and anything else in the system requiring lubrication. I've seen differing opinions on this matter so I thought I would start fresh.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

Does anyone know how to get an economical coolant charge in the Chicago area. A few years ago I was referred to a company by a local yard (Larsens Marine). The company would only bill through the yard, hence it was fairly expensive (200.00 plus as I recall). There may be a leak in the system that will have to be dealt with as well. I would love to tackle this myself but I'm told the EPA laws won't permit it.

Ken