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Rather than enlarging the holes have you considered opening up the scuppers, it's fairly common on other makes of boats. Cutting 45 degree angles into the scupper railing to the bottom of the hole would do it. That eliminates clogs and drains the deck much more quickly. You'd have to finish the cut ends of course but you'll have to do that to the enlarged holes as well.

Eric,

It was actually two projects, the rail mod which makes pass through easier (especially for dogs) and the boarding/swim platform w/modified swim ladder. I also added a shower back there. When I built the platform I had two goals; make it as big as possible, and get it as low as possible. Of course there were trade offs, the lower it was mounted the smaller it had to be and the more difficult it was to securely install. I think I hit the sweet spot with a platform that's the same height off the water and roughly three times the area as the walk though step.

Guys,

Sorry it took this long but I've been dodging rain storms and I needed an assist from my IT guy (daughter). A couple of swim platform pics and the swim ladder which is the modified original ladder plus the rail modifications.

Jon,

I built a swim platform low on the back of the transom at about the same time I did the railing mods which made the original configuration of the swim ladder unworkable. So I took the ladder to the rail guys who cut off the ladder top then added two looped hooks to attach to the platform with the loops acting as hand holds. Another advantage of this setup is the ladder sits about a foot and a half deeper in the water which makes egress from water to boat easier especially for women. Maybe I should post some pics of that too.

Eric,

I'll see if I can't beat the rain down to the boat and get some pics. Mounting location should be as far into the corner as you can get which is about equal distance from the existing two legs that makes for a solid tripod base. I think I clamped a piece of wood in place to show the rail guys where I wanted it welded in place.

Chris,

I cut mine out years ago and yes it's much more convenient. But to replace that structural support I took it (or them now) to a local stainless steel rail maker and had them add an additional leg to each side creating a tripod support for each side which is as solid as the original configuration. I'd also recommend an additional bar between top and bottom rail for additional support and while it's there have them weld caps over the cuts. If you do the R&R yourself it's not that expensive.

Aaron,

You'll probably be OK but that doesn't sound like a great idea, it'll a race against time to see if you can do the job before the temp gauge spikes. Why not rig up your own water supply, two hoses and three five gallon buckets. Lead the hoses from the intake/exhaust outlets to two buckets with the intake bucket full. As the motor runs it draws water from the intake bucket and fills the exhaust. When the exhaust is full slip the third bucket under the the exhaust and swap the intake bucket with the full bucket, repeat as necessary. Obviously you'll need someone to manage this setup while you work on the motor. A fourth full bucket might be a good idea to replace any losses during the process.

Wow, I've got the early fiberglass hatch cover(which BTW has never leaked)and I was always envious of the newer boats with the plexiglass hatch cover, not so much now!

Paulus,

I assume you're talking the one under the sink in the head and the part you want to replace is the clear plastic. I've recently replaced mine and I found the seal has been redesigned. The seal on the old bowl was cut at about 45 degrees making a leak proof seal difficult, if it wasn't tightened enough it leaked, if it was too tight the rubber O-ring slipped out and it leaked.

On the new strainer both sealing surfaces are flat so you can just screw it right down on the O-ring and get a good seal every time. I haven't seen a bowl only and I'm not sure a new bowl would fit your old unit. A complete new unit isn't that expensive or difficult to replace and is much more convenient than the old one.

David,

As Alex mentioned this thread has popped up before. It happened to me a couple years ago, same thing no exhaust water. On examination the bond between the rubber and brass had failed so the brass was spinning inside the rubber. My impeller had only a few hours on it. First time it's ever happened since I've owned my boat ('88). The thinking was possibly a different supplier. In any case it's always a good idea to have a spare and the ability and tools to change it on the water.

Tom,

Something not right here, you shouldn't need a Bimini to correct the problem. In fact if your boat is still in original configuration you shouldn't have a problem in the first place. I've got a dodger and 1500+ hours motoring and I've never gotten a wiff. Has the exhaust out on your boat been relocated? Are you getting a good exhaust water flow? Is it warm but not hot to the touch?

Andy,

The tank developed a vertical fracture top to bottom on the end facing the head. I don't know the cause and of course it was the smell that gave it away. It was dribbling into the compartment and working it's way into the bilge. The swap was not as difficult as you might think the biggest thing was breaking out the plywood support and glassing in a new one. While not a particularly difficult project it's one I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Andy,

The N95 is a particulate mask and won't do much to block the smell. You can find a good inexpensive respirator for around $35 at Home Depot or most building supply stores. While you're there it's a good idea to pick up an extra pack of filters.

Regarding Top Gun's holding tank, no it's not the original. Several years ago it developed a big crack in the side you can imagine how that went or maybe you won't want to. Catalina supplied me with a new exact replacement from Ronco. For that project the respirator was worth it's weight in gold.

FYI, I'm on my 2nd or 3rd head pump (that doesn't count rebuilds) and 3rd or 4th macerator pump as well as various hose replacements so my respirator has come in handy.

Andy,

Whenever I do work on the sanitation system (toilet, holding tank, hoses) I always wear a respirator. Working in such close quarters the fumes can be quite overpowering to the point where I've actually gotten a headache, to say nothing of working with the horrible smell. Using a respirator you don't smell a thing.

Justin,

Good advice from Jim, start a priority list and it will grow fast. Unless there's an actual problem I doubt the motor mounts will be very high on the list. I think it's more of a "well it's about time" kind of thing. I've got an '87 also that was recently out of the water for new bottom paint a prop shaft and some other things. Since my motor mounts are also originals I got the well it's about times so I asked the yard guys (that I trust) about their replacement. After they pull the boat they do a complete inspection and make recommendations. The head guy said they would replace them if that's what I wanted but didn't consider it necessary. He said the rubber was not crushed down or turned to jelly and was still soft and subtle with no cracking, in other words he said "they're still doing their job". As long as your M/Ms are like mine with the season approaching I'd sail the season and do an accessment at the end of the season.

BTW,a nice upgrade would be moving up from a C25 to a C30 moving up to a C34 is like moving up from a destroyer to an aircraft carrier! Enjoy.