Messages

Mike, I'm also watching with interest. I have drips coming from the vent above my galley, so I may be in for the same fix.

Regards,
Derek

Thanks Ken, yes I've already downloaded that one. 

Articles like that give us all the confidence that we can make such repairs! 

Well, the time has come to repair my WaterLift muffler!

It's been leaking ever since I purchased the boat over a year ago, and tightening the hoses was not doing anything to help (just crushing the tubes a little more each time!).

All the discussions on here on the Message Board and articles in the Tech Wiki are most useful, so I've started the process of repairing the cracked/crushed inlet pipe and the cracked outlet pipe.

As advised by "those who know", I removed the muffler through the cabinet door under the head sink. I needed to remove the raw water strainer to make room. Removal was made a little more difficult by the wooden supports coming along with the muffler. Twisted it sideways and out it came:


IMG_0728 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

With the muffler back at home, the delightful repair attempt made by the previous owner became apparent. That's about an inch thick of silicone sealant! And still leaking!


IMG_0734 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

The build-up of silicone sealant was removed using a wood chisel (it all came away from the gel-coat surface of the muffler very cleanly) and with some gentle squeezing and twisting the inlet pipe was freed. Not much of the bonding surface was actually bonded (maybe 20% remaining!). Here is the inlet pipe sitting on top:


IMG_0743 by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

More to come...

Noah, after purchasing my boat my first sail was from Williamstown to Geelong (about 6 hours) in a following sea. After about 3 hours sailing, I noticed the bilge had filled up to just below the floor-boards due to waves slapping against the transom and back-flowing down the bilge-pump hose. The transom was not submerged, it was just the wave action. Changing direction slightly stopped the waves splashing on the transom, and a faulty bilge pump led to some bucket bailing! Then I blocked the bilge-pump outlet with a stubby-holder and sailed the rest of the way without incident.

I have a Mk 1 boat without the sugar-scoop, but the bilge pump outlet is in the same place as shown in your photo. I've replaced the bilge pump, and I'm about to replace the bilge-pump hose. The hose runs in a straight line from the pump to the outlet - so any water flowing into the outlet flows directly down into the bilge. I plan to incorporate a small anti-siphon hump to prevent splashes on the transom flowing down into the bilge.

Regards,
Derek

I have hull #29, and it has a bow tank under the V-berth. Also collects water on the starboard cockpit seat...

Regards,
Derek

Hi,

I'm still new to my boat, but it also had brown water in the bilge. After lots of checking around I found that the exhaust outlet from the muffler was loose (two rusted hose clamps were not doing their job) so brown water was dripping from the muffler (as well as fumes) when the engine was running.

One possible source?

Regards,
Derek

Well I have to say I've been very excited to receive my first hard copy of "Mainsheet", and was I thrilled to see a C34 MkI on the cover, seeing that I own one now!

I've confirmed that Esprit is indeed hull #29, and we had an eventful sail from Williamstown to Geelong just after Christmas (no riser loop in the bilge pump line, and a non-functional bilge pump, so we took on some water in a following sea). The photo below shows her in her new home at Royal Geelong Yacht Club just after we arrived, back on January 27th.



Since the photo was taken, I've checked off all the items on the "critical upgrades" list (luckily the previous owner had already completed most of these), replaced all the lifelines, removed some non-functional equipment (like a rusty home DVD system, etc), replaced the raw-water pump impeller and started cleaning and maintenance on 100 things that were neglected while she wasn't sailed for about 5 years (according to the broker).

I've also started staying aboard for several nights a week (to eliminate 2-3 hours of commuting between Melbourne and Geelong each day), so that's been very enjoyable. Esprit is the only C34 in Geelong, but there are several other Catalina's in our marina.

All in all a very enjoyable summer.

Regards,
Derek

Derek : Congratulations, but What's on the transom?

Hi Ron, yes, she has a propane tank on the pushpit rail (we call it LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas - here Down Under) and a fold-down swim platform attached to the transom. Not sure when this was added, but it sure is handy.

It's supported by two wire ropes, one each side. I'll be adding some form of step or ladder to get down onto it, as its a big step down from the transom to the swim platform. I'll send more photos shortly, as I'm doing some cleaning, and the platform is coming off for painting.

Regards,
Derek

OK, mystery solved, by further investigation and figuring...

The loose line through one of the blocks is indeed the spinnaker pole down-haul. It is cleated at the mast on one end and has a snap shackle at the other end.

The taught line through the other block turns out to be the spinnaker pole topping lift, but I have no idea why it leads through a block on the fore-deck. The block will shortly be removed and the topping lift routed in a more logical fashion!

MarcZ, I agree, the boat didn't look properly supported on that cradle. But that's how the yard manager did it, and all the boats in the yard were sitting in the same precarious fashion. It's back in the water now, was only out for 2 days for cleaning and anti-foul.

The mast is indeed deck-stepped.

Regards,
Derek

And here's my first question...

Can anyone tell me what these lines on the foredeck are for? At first I thought a spinnaker pole down-haul, but now I'm not so sure...


IMG_5989_resize by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

Regards,
Derek

Hi All,

I'm in the process of buying a very old C34, could be hull number 29, and she's in need of much TLC.

Currently located at Williamstown, Victoria, Australia, and after Christmas I'll be sailing her over to Geelong, where I'm a member at Royal Geelong.

Here she is after having anti-foul refreshed:


IMG_6123_resize by Derek Buckmaster, on Flickr

I've already trawled through many of the posts on the message board and in the tech Notes, what an amazing resource.

I'm looking forward to my first "Catalina summer", starting next week!

Regards,
Derek