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Main Message Board / Re: Rub rail insert
« on: January 17, 2021, 04:00:21 PM »
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2
Main Message Board / Re: Standing rigging
« on: August 30, 2020, 03:47:52 AM »
I did mine last year. Materials, excluding forestay, were $1,500. I brought my old to Rigging Only in Fairhaven, MA and they made a new set from the originals. They will ship as well. Mine was an '88 std rig so yours would be minimally more, perhaps 10%.
Cost me $600 in labor and crane time to pull and then reinstall the rig. I redid the wiring, lighting, and masthead sheaves when the rig was down. I then paid the marina riggers roughly $500 to position and block the mast, tune the rig, and pin the turnbuckles. I tried but was not confident enough to do myself and could not center the mast.
I know this might not be the exact answer you were looking for but perhaps another option.
Cost me $600 in labor and crane time to pull and then reinstall the rig. I redid the wiring, lighting, and masthead sheaves when the rig was down. I then paid the marina riggers roughly $500 to position and block the mast, tune the rig, and pin the turnbuckles. I tried but was not confident enough to do myself and could not center the mast.
I know this might not be the exact answer you were looking for but perhaps another option.
3
Main Message Board / Re: Doyle Stack Pack v. Cradle Cover v. other
« on: May 26, 2020, 07:10:37 AM »
Two years ago I installed the Mack Pack from Mack Sails as well. I am happy with the price, quality, and function. It probably took 3-4 hrs to install after sending them some measurements. The next one would go much quicker 
BTW, I call it "the marriage saver". Having no lazy jacks previously was a bit of a nightmare - i.e. trying to furl the main with the boom swinging and admiral at the helm.
If you google Mack Sails you can see a measurement and install video on Youtube. They were great to work with.
BTW, I call it "the marriage saver". Having no lazy jacks previously was a bit of a nightmare - i.e. trying to furl the main with the boom swinging and admiral at the helm.
If you google Mack Sails you can see a measurement and install video on Youtube. They were great to work with.
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Main Message Board / Re: National Sail Supply
« on: March 10, 2020, 01:09:29 PM »
I have been very impressed by my new sails and probably saved 1500+ over the local lofts. I didn't need to send a measurement. Easy peasy. I'm not a racer or bluewater sailor so no need for perfection. But they seem perfect to me.
I run a 3 blade prop but couldn't tell you anything about size or pitch. It's what she came with. At 2200 rpm I can do about 5.5 knts and burn .5 gph.
I run a 3 blade prop but couldn't tell you anything about size or pitch. It's what she came with. At 2200 rpm I can do about 5.5 knts and burn .5 gph.
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Main Message Board / Re: National Sail Supply
« on: March 10, 2020, 12:21:16 PM »
Search for National on this site and you will find a number of posts and discussions.
I purchased a main and genoa from them last winter and was more than satisfied with fit, quality, and price.
They delivered 1.5 months past the projected date but it was off season so no biggie. I did check the lead time prior to ordering and he claimed to be on schedule. So be careful if you are in a rush but I would not hesitate to use them again.
I purchased a main and genoa from them last winter and was more than satisfied with fit, quality, and price.
They delivered 1.5 months past the projected date but it was off season so no biggie. I did check the lead time prior to ordering and he claimed to be on schedule. So be careful if you are in a rush but I would not hesitate to use them again.
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Main Message Board / Re: stupid stanchion question
« on: October 24, 2019, 07:10:16 AM »
Same for mine..
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Main Message Board / Re: 3D printed Catalina 34 logos
« on: June 13, 2019, 01:36:50 PM »
Loos great. PM'd you my info.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Main Message Board / Re: Prospective Owner Questions
« on: June 09, 2019, 04:03:26 AM »
Congrats and enjoy!
9
Main Message Board / Re: Mast wedges and tuning
« on: May 31, 2019, 06:36:56 AM »
@Patches - Sounds like a good idea. Going away this weekend so I will shoot for next weekend and let everyone know how it goes..
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Main Message Board / Re: Mast wedges and tuning
« on: May 30, 2019, 08:21:41 AM »
Lot's of good info. Thanks.
@Patches - I will try and move the eye upward, so I can slide up the boot to wedge. The PO slathered with silicone\sealant of some sort but I will check to see if I can possibly undo it. The top of the boot is already covering the bottom of the eye (see pic) so I'm not sure I can get to it without slightly cutting the boot. I sure wish I knew about the close fit before it was installed so I could have cleaned up the old silicone and moved the eye then. oh well... Hopefully this will be the first and last time doing this.
BTW, mine previously had 3, very old wedges - at least that's what was left on the salon table after the yard unstepped. It never made any noise in the almost 3 years I have owned her. With my luck it will when I'm through with the project..
Bryan
@Patches - I will try and move the eye upward, so I can slide up the boot to wedge. The PO slathered with silicone\sealant of some sort but I will check to see if I can possibly undo it. The top of the boot is already covering the bottom of the eye (see pic) so I'm not sure I can get to it without slightly cutting the boot. I sure wish I knew about the close fit before it was installed so I could have cleaned up the old silicone and moved the eye then. oh well... Hopefully this will be the first and last time doing this.
BTW, mine previously had 3, very old wedges - at least that's what was left on the salon table after the yard unstepped. It never made any noise in the almost 3 years I have owned her. With my luck it will when I'm through with the project..
Bryan
11
Main Message Board / Mast wedges and tuning
« on: May 29, 2019, 01:31:21 PM »
So some background and a few questions.
Background - mast was stepped\re-stepped by yard and I replaced the standing rigging. New mast boot was put on (that I purchased from Catalina Direct) before the mast was stepped . This is NOT the split boot version but the exact fit version, maybe too exact.. The process was owner assist so tuning is left up to me. I'm a bit confused on the tune\wedge process.
Questions -
1. Mast boot does not fit (see pic) exactly as mast is a bit off center toward aft. I am assuming that rig should be tuned prior to wedging, and the wedges help to support and hold that position. Correct? Or are the wedges part of the tuning process?
2. Will tuning possibly move the mast's position within the mast collar? I would imagine that a 1/4" port forward at the collar would move like 5x that at the masthead so I'm not sure that will be possible.
3. Also, due to the vang attachment hardware (see pic) I will be unable to slide the boot upward to wedge, unless I cut it, but CD says if I do there is no room for overlap. So, assuming mast can move forward, and boot fits, then my only option is to wedge from below or buy the boot to be installed with mast in. Does that sound about right? Do wedges really hold from below or will I forever be fighting gravity? Seems to me that wedging from above would be ideal because you are wedging the mast against the metal mast collar. Seems like wedging from below you are wedging the mast against the cabin top which doesn't seem right to me. Then again Spartite does this so maybe not a big deal.
Honestly, there is very little play in this boot. The plastic is very rigid and it would only seem to be able to fit if the mast was exactly centered in the collar opening. I imagine a heat gun might help stretch the boot too. A rubber mallet helped slightly.
Thanks,
Bryan
Background - mast was stepped\re-stepped by yard and I replaced the standing rigging. New mast boot was put on (that I purchased from Catalina Direct) before the mast was stepped . This is NOT the split boot version but the exact fit version, maybe too exact.. The process was owner assist so tuning is left up to me. I'm a bit confused on the tune\wedge process.
Questions -
1. Mast boot does not fit (see pic) exactly as mast is a bit off center toward aft. I am assuming that rig should be tuned prior to wedging, and the wedges help to support and hold that position. Correct? Or are the wedges part of the tuning process?
2. Will tuning possibly move the mast's position within the mast collar? I would imagine that a 1/4" port forward at the collar would move like 5x that at the masthead so I'm not sure that will be possible.
3. Also, due to the vang attachment hardware (see pic) I will be unable to slide the boot upward to wedge, unless I cut it, but CD says if I do there is no room for overlap. So, assuming mast can move forward, and boot fits, then my only option is to wedge from below or buy the boot to be installed with mast in. Does that sound about right? Do wedges really hold from below or will I forever be fighting gravity? Seems to me that wedging from above would be ideal because you are wedging the mast against the metal mast collar. Seems like wedging from below you are wedging the mast against the cabin top which doesn't seem right to me. Then again Spartite does this so maybe not a big deal.
Honestly, there is very little play in this boot. The plastic is very rigid and it would only seem to be able to fit if the mast was exactly centered in the collar opening. I imagine a heat gun might help stretch the boot too. A rubber mallet helped slightly.
Thanks,
Bryan
12
Main Message Board / Spacer corroded to chainplate rod
« on: May 27, 2019, 04:21:46 PM »
Hey guys. Rebedding chainplates and find what seems to be an aluminium spacer corroded to the bar. It made it quite difficult to unscrew the rod. The other side was easy and the spacer freely moved up and down the bar. Has anyone encountered this? Is it a reaction of dissimilar metals - steel and aluminum?
Thanks,
Bryan
Thanks,
Bryan
13
Main Message Board / Re: Prospective Owner Questions
« on: May 10, 2019, 08:47:44 AM »
George,
Happy to help. There are many gurus on this board that have helped me immensely. Having the support of an active owner's group was a key factor in why I purchased an older Catalina.
One thing that my surveyor missed was something prone to our boats. Your water storage tanks (starboard side) and black water tank (port side) have a small vent tube that runs up the side of the hull, behind some wood trim and then up into the stanchion on deck. Part way up the stanchion is a vent hole. Over time, from flexing the stanchion and from age, the sealant fails and water can collect there on deck and then seep downward. You'd be surprised how much water can get in from a little crack. On my boat it ruined the back corner of the counter, near the icebox lid. Visually, the formica countertop looks fine, but if you press on it in the corner it flexes badly so the underlayment is toast. It will definitely need replacing. I suggest you check this area during the survey and at least look for water staining on the wood. There are little sliding cabinets about 5 feet up, on both sides of the hull, where you can open and actually see a piece of the vent hose coming up to the stanchion. If you see the vent hose then you know you are at the right place. On the starboard side it's above the icebox. Look for stains and press on the counter.
Fixing the leak itself is fairly easy and requires rebedding the stanchion with butyl tape or an appropriate sealant. Hopefully your owner wasn't as negligent as mine.
Regarding the refrigerator. Mine doesn't have one. I have the barebones icebox (i.e. cooler) version. We don't do any long term cruising so block ice woks great and easily lasts a weekend. However I have looked into adding refrigeration. I think it costs too much. My plan would be not to go with a proprietary marine refrigerator unit. I would wire up a 12v socket and buy a 12V refrigerator\freezer from Amazon. It would be half the cost. It's portable. You wouldn't need a specialist to service it. If it breaks then get a new one shipped to you in 2 days. I would put it under the chart table or under the dining table. Just a thought. I would still negotiate the cost of a new refrigeration unit into my offer though ;)
Bryan
Happy to help. There are many gurus on this board that have helped me immensely. Having the support of an active owner's group was a key factor in why I purchased an older Catalina.
One thing that my surveyor missed was something prone to our boats. Your water storage tanks (starboard side) and black water tank (port side) have a small vent tube that runs up the side of the hull, behind some wood trim and then up into the stanchion on deck. Part way up the stanchion is a vent hole. Over time, from flexing the stanchion and from age, the sealant fails and water can collect there on deck and then seep downward. You'd be surprised how much water can get in from a little crack. On my boat it ruined the back corner of the counter, near the icebox lid. Visually, the formica countertop looks fine, but if you press on it in the corner it flexes badly so the underlayment is toast. It will definitely need replacing. I suggest you check this area during the survey and at least look for water staining on the wood. There are little sliding cabinets about 5 feet up, on both sides of the hull, where you can open and actually see a piece of the vent hose coming up to the stanchion. If you see the vent hose then you know you are at the right place. On the starboard side it's above the icebox. Look for stains and press on the counter.
Fixing the leak itself is fairly easy and requires rebedding the stanchion with butyl tape or an appropriate sealant. Hopefully your owner wasn't as negligent as mine.
Regarding the refrigerator. Mine doesn't have one. I have the barebones icebox (i.e. cooler) version. We don't do any long term cruising so block ice woks great and easily lasts a weekend. However I have looked into adding refrigeration. I think it costs too much. My plan would be not to go with a proprietary marine refrigerator unit. I would wire up a 12v socket and buy a 12V refrigerator\freezer from Amazon. It would be half the cost. It's portable. You wouldn't need a specialist to service it. If it breaks then get a new one shipped to you in 2 days. I would put it under the chart table or under the dining table. Just a thought. I would still negotiate the cost of a new refrigeration unit into my offer though ;)
Bryan
14
Main Message Board / Re: Prospective Owner Questions
« on: May 10, 2019, 05:53:48 AM »
In the Northeast I have seen some 34's of the same age, and in the low 30's, sit around for a bit, unsold. It's very subjective though, depending upon condition, maintenance, local market, seasonality, and how badly you want it. Sounds like you may have already fallen in love. Be careful.
You mention that the refrigeration needs attention and the sails and standing rigging are original. I would wager that maybe the mast has never been down either so all wiring\lighting are original. My '88 boat also came with original sails and rigging. I just bought a new main and genoa (National Sails), unstepped the mast, and replaced all of my standing rigging. At the same time I rewired the mast and replaced the light fixtures (steaming\deck, anchor w LED). All in I'm about $6K and that's buying online and doing the work myself. If it were me I would use that expected expenditure for negotiating leverage, putting you in mid\upper 20's for an offer, subjective to a satisfactory survey. That's what I did. The PO knew that the sails and rigging were done, so accepted without a counter. Timing might have been right for me though because it was end of season. Cardinal rule #1 - it never hurts to ask. Cardinal rule #2 - if you don't ask you don't get.
btw - mine came with a useless dingy and a 4hp outboard. I bought a used hypalon dinghy from a guy at my marina for $100. I used it for 2 seasons so far..
Bryan
You mention that the refrigeration needs attention and the sails and standing rigging are original. I would wager that maybe the mast has never been down either so all wiring\lighting are original. My '88 boat also came with original sails and rigging. I just bought a new main and genoa (National Sails), unstepped the mast, and replaced all of my standing rigging. At the same time I rewired the mast and replaced the light fixtures (steaming\deck, anchor w LED). All in I'm about $6K and that's buying online and doing the work myself. If it were me I would use that expected expenditure for negotiating leverage, putting you in mid\upper 20's for an offer, subjective to a satisfactory survey. That's what I did. The PO knew that the sails and rigging were done, so accepted without a counter. Timing might have been right for me though because it was end of season. Cardinal rule #1 - it never hurts to ask. Cardinal rule #2 - if you don't ask you don't get.
btw - mine came with a useless dingy and a 4hp outboard. I bought a used hypalon dinghy from a guy at my marina for $100. I used it for 2 seasons so far..
Bryan
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Main Message Board / Re: Prospective Owner Questions
« on: May 08, 2019, 05:46:41 AM »
Hi George,
Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place for answers. The members here are amazing and a wealth of knowledge.
I bought my 34 2 years ago with very little experience, just a few ASA classes and sailing on a friends boat. I find it to be very sturdy and forgiving and easy to sail. I am typically in 20+ knots and she is very comfortable. I am on the east coast and would have no issues sailing her to the Bahamas. I know that people have sailed farther as long as you pick your weather windows. I too love the layout and the front v berth is very large.
My boat came very sparse - no GPS\radar, no refrigeration, etc. With the support of this site and members I have been able to make upgrades as necessity, time, and budget permits. I know that it's all relative but I find that if has a good survey, and you do most of the work yourself, it's not too expensive to maintain. There are people in my marina with bluewater boats that spend 10x what I do on a yearly basis. I do my navigation with a $200 tablet and Navionics app. I think the map is like $50 per year. Navionics is awesome.
I have no regrets purchasing the 34. In fact this year I am renaming her to "No Regrets"..
BTW there is a guy who posted a video recently from the Sea of Cortez. I think he has been up and down the west coast on his 34 with little sailing experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPOafx4GcY8
Bryan
Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place for answers. The members here are amazing and a wealth of knowledge.
I bought my 34 2 years ago with very little experience, just a few ASA classes and sailing on a friends boat. I find it to be very sturdy and forgiving and easy to sail. I am typically in 20+ knots and she is very comfortable. I am on the east coast and would have no issues sailing her to the Bahamas. I know that people have sailed farther as long as you pick your weather windows. I too love the layout and the front v berth is very large.
My boat came very sparse - no GPS\radar, no refrigeration, etc. With the support of this site and members I have been able to make upgrades as necessity, time, and budget permits. I know that it's all relative but I find that if has a good survey, and you do most of the work yourself, it's not too expensive to maintain. There are people in my marina with bluewater boats that spend 10x what I do on a yearly basis. I do my navigation with a $200 tablet and Navionics app. I think the map is like $50 per year. Navionics is awesome.
I have no regrets purchasing the 34. In fact this year I am renaming her to "No Regrets"..
BTW there is a guy who posted a video recently from the Sea of Cortez. I think he has been up and down the west coast on his 34 with little sailing experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPOafx4GcY8
Bryan