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THANK YOU!

I am 3 hours away from my boat and need to make a plywood cover for the mast hole in the deck...the marina "temporary" cover always comes off before I get my tarp on.  I have the material cut (a rectangle cover and a strip of wood for inside the cabin.  I have an automotive gasket material to seal the plywood and will bolt thru the plywood to the strip of wood and "clamp" the cover in place) but misplaced my dimensions of the hole...max length and width.  Does anyone have them?  I couldn't locate in my partial manual and can't seem to get connected to the data base here....thanks

Chris
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1989 Hull 945

I have also been very pleased with my top shop cover (4 years and no problems).....not sure if this a trend but several yards in CT where I keep my boat for the winter are now requiring custom fitted tarps with frames....no more blue tarps etc.  Not sure how far they are carrying the custom... FYI

Chris

A little off the subject but I change out my "standard" battery switch and got rid of the isolators the PO put into the system and installed the new Blue Sea battery switch with combiner. when I replaced by House bank..the switch has only 2 "on" postions....on and combined (starting and house)   It isolates the starting battery from the house bank and and charges one bank first and the the second - without changing the switch ever - just leave it in the on position.  This eliminates the alternating banks and switching off when you turn off the engine which was a real hassle. 

Blue Sea has great support...my separate starting battery was placed by the PO who must have had stock in copper..under the bow seat of the settee....far away from the engine.....long story short....I had to wire it to charge my house bank first then staring battery.  Apparently this is recommended by an authority but I can't remember which one...us sailors don't really drain the starting battery like power boats and I've never had a problem in 3 years...i have tested it and it goes from one bank to the other.

I can dig out  my paperwork on the switch if there is interest but while changing out your batteries...I highly recommend this upgrade.

Chris

Mike and others:

How are you handling the insuracne for your boat?  Are you insuring it for cash value and if so - the purchase $ or upgraded $?  or replacement cost?  Any figures on comparison?

Chris

I have a toggle switch after the breaker in the locker aft of the nav station for turning the hot water heater on and off.....this leaves the push button breaker to be a breaker in lieu of switch which it really isn't intended to be.  I also have the same arrangement for the battery charger...a switch after the breaker.  Much better and it is always clear if it is on or off.

Doug P -I think we have the same tank arrangement....how did you get the sender out and back in?  I don't have much room between the tank and the bottom of the lazarette. 

Regarding checking the wiring....how can you tell if it is the gauge or sender....I've had to replace gauges so I'm not so sure it automatically is the sender but the bouncing theory seems to make sense.

Chris

Just a heads up to a potentially disastrous problem I discovered.  When I took the air filter cartridge off - the silver ring - I found that the "brillo" like material was deteriorating and the screen between it and the engine intake was about to go.  Had these metal "filings" found their way into the engine it would have been an expensive repair.  I discovered that there is only supposed to be a circular piece of foam over the intake and early on there were several variations - apparently not good ones for this filter.

Don't know if all agree but I would suggest removing the "Brillo" insides and just using the foam piece...don't know if this is common on other models......my 2cents.

Thank you - and yes both were right - contrary to what the PO sales literarture stated - it was Garhauer and they are assisting me....BTW - they are very helpful.

Thanks again.

I believe the PO upgraded the traveler on my boat to a Harken system....this wasn't original from what I read on my search....traveler works well even under a lot or pressure for what it is worth.  However....I didn't bring my camera with me this weekend and don't know how to attach pictures.....the lines on both sides go thru an aluminum block literally with 3 holes for the lines to go thru that line up with the rope clutches and jam cleats....the aluminum corroded and the holes the lines go thru have bumps and are not workable.  I was able to remove the "block" by drill partly on the bolt - the drill went off into the softer aluminum - after the screw broke off.  I can't seem to find the part or anything similar on Harken's web site and will call them Monday and see it they can help.  Does the popular Garhauer system have the same arrangement or is there a separate set of guides (not sure of the correct term - circles that the line goes thru and screws down to the deck) that mounts on the cabin top (after the deck organizer by the mast but before the line goes to the clutches?  This appears to be a serious option since I messed up the beam when trying to drill out the screws holding this "block"  Any thoughts or expiring would be appreciated.....thanks

Just got in the water this week.  I turned on my Ray Marine C70 and after about 45 seconds the screen "shook" and distorted and is now a wide gray bar with a few narrower black bands.  I am afraid the screen went out - only my 4th season with this!  I guess I'll need to pull the unit and send to Ray Marine...any experience or suggestions?

Are you sure the play is in the prop or in the cutlass bearing....the bearing is "cylinder at the bottom of the metal strut the shaft goes thru. 

I am having extreme difficulty with getting part numbers let alone order same with Catalina....is there any advice on this?  I also don't understand the relationship between Catalina Direct and the factory...is there one?  I need a new holding tank and 2 shives for my outhaul in my boom....I have had problems in the past getting a drain piece for my head sink - took 4 deliveries over 2 months before I actually received the correct parts.   Is there a better way or procedure for this?  Thanks

Chris

I am fairly certain that hasn't happened to anyone else  - I am hoping for an easy answer but don't think there is one.  Apparently the foil piece that seals bottles - the piece you are supposed to peel off and throw away -in this case a biocide ended up going down the fill pipe to my fuel tank.  I just found out about this - the tank is full for winter storage.  Short of pumping the tan empty and taking the tank out and cleaning it - sounds like a difficult job - any way to fix this? I assume I need to be concerned about this clogging up the intake hose while I am going under the bridge against current or some other difficult place.  After what I thought was all the bad luck with fuel filling - I guess I will now get the west marine funnel filter that was reccommented in practical sailor if I can find the model

Any suggestions will be appreciated....thanks

SUGGESTION

I have an '89 and had to use the emergency tiller (what the previous owner provided - but it appeared to fit) when my cable broke.  Not an easy thing to use....it was too short, in a difficutl postion to use - overall it didn't work well.  It was only a short piece of pipe.  I had to use it in Long Island Sound on a windy day - tried to use it sailing but the pressure was too great (I'm not good enough to steer by sail only) - could only use it motoring.  Since then I have taken  a 3 1/2" by 1 1/4" length of hard wood, routed and sanded the edges and drilled a hole on one end to go over the pipe.  This allows more leverage and you don't have to bend over the pipe and use your hand and legs to steer by.  It tested out well.  I store it in the gap between the cushions and stern bulkhead in the aft cabin - not really in the way...for what it is worth.

Chris Martinson
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Hull No 945