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[High Current]

For my P.O. apparently the answer was "no."  I can hardly blame her - it took me a while to build up the courage to contort my body in there - but I recommend taking a look if you haven't in a while.  When I surveyed my boat I noted rust and evidence of water leakage around both the exhaust hose and the bilge pump hose.  I just finished replacing them today.  The exhaust hose came apart in my hand when I tried to remove it from the fitting!     (also:  Catalina used a threaded fitting for the thru-hull!?)  Pretty much every wire fell out of the refrigeration unit when I checked it.

I also noticed a number of machine screws without nuts, including several for the aft rail and all four bolts for the swim ladder!  Is this some fiberglass technique I've never heard of, or did someone fall asleep on the job!?  Somehow it's held up for 33 years, but I'm not going to try my luck on the 34th.

[waughoo]

I too found my bilge discharge hose to beso brittle it split like yours shown in the picture.  I replaced it with smooth wall bait well hose.  As suggested, I greatly recommend checking it.

The exhaust hose is on the list but I haven't changed it yet. 

As for the ladder bracket screws, I am curious to know if the factory used a metal plate in there as they do in the rope clutch spot. 

[Noah]

Good question on metal plate! Could be those bolts are threaded into an aluminum plate. If so, removing them now would be really tough. If no plate, and factory just “forgot” nuts or nuts fell-off) then they should come out easy.

[Ron Hill]

Hi : What I'd do with those bolts is to add a SS fender washer and a SS self locking nut to each!!

A Thought

[Ron Hill]

Guys : The last time I had crawled into the portside locker and was lying on my back - My first Mate told me that a Bee had just flown into the locker with me!!
My response was simply " I really didn't need to know that!!

A thought

[High Current]

Good question on metal plate! Could be those bolts are threaded into an aluminum plate. If so, removing them now would be really tough. If no plate, and factory just “forgot” nuts or nuts fell-off) then they should come out easy.

Hmm that would make a lot of sense.  I have a cheap moisture meter that should go nuts if it hits metal so I'll experiment next time I'm down there.  I was already planning to do as Ron suggested and probably still will, just to be safe, but it's at least a little bit comforting to know this is a thing Catalina did in other spots.

Guys : The last time I had crawled into the portside locker and was lying on my back - My first Mate told me that a Bee had just flown into the locker with me!!
My response was simply " I really didn't need to know that!!

A thought

Hahaha.  The only thing worse than crawling in is climbing out.  Or realizing you didn't bring the right tool.

[Noah]

Always bring your phone too!

[pbyrne]

Always bring your phone too!

Now that is probably the best advise yet!

[derekb]

Great photos and observations High Current! I've spent a lot of time in my aft lazarette recently, replacing both bilge hoses (for the automatic pump and the manual pump) and adding a second pair of winches. My boat (a Mk1) also has a second pair of house batteries back there (where the water tank lives on the Mk1.5) which I recently replaced.

Glad I didn't come across some of the things you found!

[WTunnessen]

If your boat is more than 10 years old, then you better be crawling around to see what’s going on!!!