Catalina 350 International Association
Transcription
Catalina 350 International Association
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Available for all binnacle widths and rail sizes. 4400 Sunbelt Dr., Addison, TX 75001 www.zarcor.com 800-877-4797 972-380-8724 MAINSHEET Editorial: Managing Editor Frank Butler President Catalina Yachts Editor Jim Holder 830 Willow Lake Evans, GA 30809 Phone (706) 651-0587 Fax (706) 651-0533 [email protected] Associate Editor Carol VandenBerg 830 Willow Lake Evans, GA 30809 Phone (706) 651-0587 Fax (706) 651-0533 Spring 2013 • Vol. 31 • No. 1 Subscription Information: Technical Editor Gerry Douglas Designer & Engineer Catalina Yachts [email protected] Technical articles published herein are the advice and opinion of the individual author solely. Catalina Yachts, Catalina Mainsheet and/or the National Associations are not liable or responsible in any way for their contents or consequence. SUBSCRIPTION to Catalina Mainsheet is available through payment of your One-Design or All-Catalina Association Dues. Database Coordinator Lu Ann Smith Nanosec Services PO Box 9840 Fayetteville AR 72703 (479) 587-0688 [email protected] CATALINA MAINSHEET (ISSN 1527-9073) is published quarterly by Eagle LTD. 830 Willow Lake, Evans, GA 30809. Periodical postage paid at Evans, GA 30809, and additional offices. About our cover: Cover photo by Ray Irvine, owner of Catalina 34 Crew’s Nest, taken during Fleet 1 Weekend Cruise. Advertising Information: To reserve advertising space contact Jim Holder 830 Willow Lake Evans, GA 30809 Phone (706) 651-0587 Fax (706) 651-0533 [email protected] Production: 1911 Huguenot Road Suite 301 Richmond, VA 23235 (804) 897-0495 phone Published by Eagle Ltd. Advertisement of items in Catalina Mainsheet does not imply endorsement by National Associations. MOVING? POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catalina Mainsheet, 830 Willow Lake Evans, GA 30809 email: [email protected] website: www.landisproductions.com SUBSCRIBERS: Send address changes to your association. See page 48 for addresses. Printed in Canada on North Sails quality, durability & performance! It’s easy to measure your own boat and save on the world’s best cruising and racing sails. Log on to northsailsdirect.net or call 888-424-7328. SPRING 2013 Free tape measure with every order! 1 Strictly Sail Pacific April 11-14, 2013 Jack London Square • Oakland, CA THE WEST COAST'S LARGEST ALL-SAIL BOAT SHOW! • • • • Pick a Seminar Topic Attend a Party Meet the Experts Everything about Sailing in one Great Location Visit le n d a r M a r k Yo u r C a Fo r Th e Apr il Sh ow StrictlySailPacific.com PACIFIC for show details DOYLE Sailmakers Better Engineered Sails Doyle Sailmakers, The world leader in innovative products developed specifically for Cruisers, now supplies sails to Catalina Yachts RF Quicksilver Genoa Performance Cruising Headsail The Doyle UPS-Utility Power Sail More power for close reaching in light air. Easy to use as a roller furling Genoa. Smaller yet more versatile than an Asymmetrical Spinnaker Choice of Designs and colors RF increased Quicksilver performance Standards Bi-Radial design UV Sun Shield Sail Bag Telltales Optional Luff Flattener to insure smooth furling UV protection on both leech and foot Extra wide, high strength leech tabling for reinforcement when reefed Integral Aramid luff line acts as the sails own stay Bi-Radial Design maintains fiber orientation even when reefed Large radial patches distribute loading evenly Integral Furler for safe easy use Doyle “ZENITH” Vertical Batten Furling Main StackPack Mainsail System Mainsail handling made Easy! Integral Sail Cover with Custom Lazy Jacks. Catches Mainsail when dropped. Zip Up cover when done, sail is neatly stowed Also available as a retro-fit to existing Mainsails Doyle Sailmakers 2233 3rd. Ave S. St. Petersburg FL 33712 The Doyle APC Asymmetrical Power Cruiser Easy to use Asymmetrical Cruising Spinnaker More Power for offwind passages ATN Sleeve for easy Dousing Choice of designs and colors ATN Spinnaker Sleeve StackPack Cover [email protected] Local: SPRING 2013 727.471.2040 Toll Free: 800.717.1406 3 MAINSHEET VOLUME NUMBER SPRING 31 1 2013 from the Alameda and South Beach areas… [C34] FEATURES: Canada’s North Channel - Venturing Forth 6To We were so excited. We didn’t sleep well the night before on board our Catalina 445, Carpe Diem (“Seize the Day”)… [CM440] and 25,000 nmi - Major Milestones for Son Touched 875 My wife, Jan, and I purchased Son Touched (hull #72) new as our retirement boat after seeing a C 400 at the Newport Boat Show in 1995… [C400] It’s Time to Go Cruising! 10 That is what I said to my wife five years ago. We had taken numerous bareboat trips, owned a San Juan 21, raced a Ranger 29, cruised an Ericson 34-2 on the Gulf Coast and I had crewed on two Caribbean 1500s and an Atlantic Cup. It was time to take off for an extended time on a boat fitted out for cruising… [C380] COLUMNS: 12View from the Bridge By Tom Curran [C25/250] 14Fleet Development By Mike Bracket [C22] 17Close Encounters By Jack Hutteball [C34] 47Newsworthy - Sailing Industry Icons GatheR ASSOCIATIONS: 17 IACA 19 One-Design Associations 48 Join and Renew TECH NOTES: INSERT: A Catalina Mainsheet exclusive! Be sure to pull out the technical insert for future reference. All information is approved by Catalina Yachts for accuracy. Contributing Association Editors Please submit material for publication through your Association Editor. E-mail address and phone number in association section. INTERNATIONAL ALL CATALINA ALLIANCE Donna Ferron Honey Brook, PA CATALINA 470 Julie Olson CATALINA MORGAN 440 Lorell Alexander Livingston, TX CATALINA 42 Bill Wertz Friday Harbor, WA CATALINA 400 Martha & Dan Bliss Spring Grove, PA 4 CATALINA 38 Chuck Finn Saratoga Springs, NY CATALINA 310 Bob James Columbus, OH CATALINA 25/250 & CAPRI 25 Brian Gleissner CATALINA 380/387/390 Diane Revak Phoenix, MD IC30A/C309 Max Munger Lusby, MD CATALINA 22 Ted McGee Cumming, GA CATALINA 36/375 Lauren Nicholson Warwick, RI CATALINA 28 Dave Brower CATALINA CAPRI 22 Rick Beddoe Minneapolis, MN CATALINA 350 Neville Edenborough CATALINA 27/270 Peter Zahn Severna Park, MD CATALINA 34 Jack Hutteball Anacortes, WA CATALINA 26 Jeff Eaton Rhinelander, WI CATALINA 320 Rod Boer Hatboto, PA By Jim Holder [email protected] Changes COVER STORY: Cruise 5Petaluma Coming Home: The day started off with some foggy conditions for those of us traveling EDITOR’S BARQUE As we move forward in life, changes are inevitable. Some we can control and some we cannot. Making the best of things thrown your way is the golden key to continued success. As you can see, Mainsheet has made some pretty big changes with this issue. Many changes, if not all, are evolutionary, which certainly will be the case for Mainsheet. Your comments, pro and con, will help our efforts to make Mainsheet more viable, cost effective and current with technology. Our main goal is to maintain our present price structure, which has not changed in seven years, while keeping all association information pertinent and up to date. As for technology, we have had several requests for an online edition of Mainsheet from cruisers who are at sea for extended stays. This is available through your association secretary who has an online pdf copy which can be sent to the destination of your choice. Speaking of cruising, with the new year in full swing, many of you will be charting out some exciting trips to neat and unique destinations. Please remember to shoot plenty of colorful, interesting action-filled photos. Some we could use for the cover of Mainsheet. We prefer verticals but horizontals will work as well. It just has to be more than a picture of a single boat. Sunsets, wave action, close encounters with other boats, crew action setting a chute or at a mark rounding, all make for good covers. Give us plenty of text and shots of the crew to fill out the package. Also note our new columns for each issue: View from the Bridge, Fleet Development, Close Encounters, and Newsworthy. Oh yes, one more thing while you are out and about, if you have finished reading your Mainsheet, pass it on to another Catalina boat owner who might not be enjoying the benefits of association membership. The Catalina Family can always use new friends. CATALINA 18 Mark Wilson Oxnard, CA CORONADO 15 Kiersten Vance Folsomy, CA C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T Cover Story • C34 Fleet 1 Petaluma Cruise Coming home The day started off with some foggy conditions for those of us traveling from the Alameda and South Beach areas. But, we were happily greeted with warm sunny skies as we sailed up into the North Bay, crossing San Pablo Bay through the channel and entering the mouth of the Petaluma River. Aquavite (Stu & Cory Jackson) and Crew’s Nest (Ray and Patti Irvine) navigated the way as the rest of us followed. Music (Bob & Susan Englehart), Painkiller (Rick Allen & Family), Irish Whiskey (Duane and Debbie Quick) and SeaScript (Scott Lee & Christine Bennett) also attended the cruise. The trip up the river was very enjoyable with sunny skies, warm temperatures and favorable tides and current conditions working in our favor. We passed swans and other wildlife creatures and got a closeup view of several funky riverfront communities. Passing by the Petaluma Marina, we went under the Highway 101 Bridge and the D Street Draw Bridge (a classic drawbridge which Stu had previously contacted to have opened for us prior to our arrival) and immediately entered the Turning Basin. The Fleet had finally arrived! We side-tied uneventfully along the convenient guest docks adjacent to the Petaluma Yacht Club, and were within a half-block walking distance of historic downtown Petaluma. Everyone enjoyed a great day Saturday, exploring the many shops, museums, restaurants and pubs the beautiful downtown area has to offer. That evening we held a group dinner at a fabulous restaurant called Graffiti. Afterwards, many of us embarked on the Petaluma Yacht Club to socialize and enjoy a few spirits on our final night. We departed at approximately 0900 on Sunday with all having safe voyages back to our home marinas. It was a great weekend for members of Fleet 1, and a very enjoyable cruise. By Ray Irvine SPRING 2013 5 Feature • CM440 To Canada’s North Channel Venturing Forth W e were so excited. We didn’t sleep well the night before on board our Catalina 445, Carpe Diem (“Seize the Day”). The anticipation of the next morning’s planned departure was too much to bare. It was to be the start of a long talked about and planned journey to Canada’s North Channel. Both retired, we had rented our house for the summer to friends of friends who were building a house. It didn’t get any better. A little additional income for three months and someone to mow the lawn. But first, we had to cross Lake Michigan. Yeowwww!! After 5 years of sailing the safe waters of Green Bay and Door County, we were going to venture forth and actually be out of sight of land. And, we were going to do it solo. On the morning of June 22, 2012, at 6:03 AM, we left Centerpointe Marina in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Although chilly, the winds were extremely light amid an appearing blue sky. The sailing vessel, Carpe Diem, was going to morph into a trawler for a day or maybe more. This was intentional. The Admiral gets seasick pretty easily, and we didn’t want to be a long way from relief if the lake got rough. We planned our departure around a weather forecast of 0-2 knots of wind and waves less than 1 foot. At 2700 RPM or 8 knots per hour, we would arrive in Frankfurt, MI, our closest landfall (57 miles), at an estimated arrival time of approximately 3:00 PM (EST). As we passed the breakwater and exited the safety of the Sturgeon Bay Canal, we said a prayer, fixed a waypoint for the Frankfort breakwater on the chartplotter, kicked in the autopilot, and watched land slowly disappear off the stern of the boat. Lake Michigan was a sheet of glass, the dogs were sleeping like babies, and we were on our way. How did we get to this point? It started in the spring of 2005 with a bottle of wine and a beautiful afternoon in Peninsula State Park in Door County, WI. We were sitting on a rocky point overlooking Green Bay, picnicking with our dogs, Max and Neuman. We were enjoying the day and the conversation turned to what we were going to do in retirement. It was only a couple of years away. I’m an adventurer and risk taker. I pull the trigger pretty quick. I knew I didn’t want to sit around the house and play bridge with the neighbors. Mindy is a thinker. Prudent. She gives a lot of thought to things before taking action. Sometimes what I think are simple tasks become complicated. This had always proved to be a good combination in our 25 years of marriage. I was always looking for things to do or By Gary and Mindy Weichmann • Catalina 445 Hull #39 6 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T “How tough can it be? It only goes 5 mph. Let’s pull the trigger!” buy. She was the analyst, asking lots of questions. Details !!! As if on cue, this beautiful sailboat sails past. No loud engines, sails full of wind against the horizon, with a middleaged couple relaxed in the cockpit. It left an impression on both of us, but more so on me. Two weeks later, we chartered a 42 ft. sailboat named Friendly. The boat, a Chinese gaff rigged schooner, was owned and captained by Bruce Bishop. Bruce, a good looking, middle aged man with lots of hair, could have been a California surfer dude 20 years ago. We settled in for a 2 hour afternoon sail out of Fish Creek, WI in calm conditions. Light winds prevailed; there was a little chop and lots of sunshine. We had a great sail. Bruce taught us how to tie a bowline. I decide to take sailing lessons with my tennis doubles partner, Mike Nabbefeldt. It’s an 8 week class sponsored by the Neenah Nodaway Yacht Club on Lake Winnebago. We learned sailing basics in Flying Scots. The instruction was excellent. I also start asking questions of the instructors about cruising boats. The instructors had lots of suggestions, but if I was serious, I should take the safety training course offered by the Coast Guard Reserve. We signed up and both passed with perfect scores. Now, it was time to find a boat. I travel a lot in my profession, so I started looking for marinas to stop at and nose around. Let’s go kick some tires! I was like a kid looking for his first car. My first (and last) stop was Nestegg Marine in Marinette, WI. There were lots of boats and several for sale. One in particular caught my eye. It was a blue hulled Choi Lee. It was dry docked. At the time, I didn’t know a Choi Lee from a duck skiff, but she sure was pretty. She also needed a lot of work and was uninsurable until some repairs to the hull were done. That didn’t sound good!! I was then introduced to John Kukuk, whom with his wife, Sue, are the owners of Nestegg Marine. He asked me a lot of questions and suggested I look at a new Catalina 350. He sold me on the idea that if I was just beginning to sail, I wouldn’t want all the maintenance issues associated with a used boat. It was time to get the Admiral involved. We drove to Marinette to look at the boat. Mindy was impressed. It smelled like a new car and everything worked. It was a little floating apartment. On the way home, her analyt- ical side kicked in. “What are we thinking? You’ve never sailed a boat that big. Is it in our budget? What about all the hidden costs? Can we dock something that big?” Details ! I replied “How tough can it be? It only goes 5 mph. Let’s pull the trigger!” She reminded me of my father’s favorite expression, “A fool and his money are soon parted”! To make a long story short, we bought the Catalina 350 and named her SeaBiscuit. Eight months later, we traded it in for a Catalina 42 (Dolce Vita). Two years after that, we purchased a Catalina 445 (Carpe Diem). She’d be our cruising vessel for this upcoming journey. We arrive in Frankfurt right on schedule. We slide through the breakwater, past the Coast Guard station, and into Betsie Lake with big smiles on our faces. Mission accomplished. We have a reservation at the Frankfurt Municipal Marina.We call up the dockmaster on the VHF,and he assigns us our slip. We fender up and start our approach. We’re a little thrown off by the fixed docks. They look so high compared to the floating docks we’re accustomed to. The fendersare essentially useless because they are two feet below the dock level. We dock carefully in the shallow water and make some adjustments to protect our boat from the pilings. We get settled, and it’s time to walk the dogs. It’s been 8 hours, and they have to go. They have to jump up about 2 feet to a pretty narrow dock. Neuman, our big golden retriever, under shoots the jump, falls back, hits his head pretty hard on the boat, and falls into the water. He swims to shore and appears all right. Not the way to start our post landing in Frankfurt. Later that evening and over cocktails in the cockpit, we assess the day. It went better than we had hoped. It was a smooth, uneventful motor. We had planned to stay another day in Frankfort, but there wasn’t much to do. The weather window was favorable for sailing to our next destination, Leland, MI. We decide to leave early the next morning. As we’re starting to close things up for the night, we notice a beautiful Tartan 4000, Minnehaha, beginning to anchor in the lake. We will see this boat again in three weeks in the North Channel. TO BE CONTINUED… SPRING 2013 7 Feature • C400 75 and 25,000 nmi Major Milestones for Son Touched By Richard Beckerleg My wife, Jan, and I purchased Son Touched (hull #72) new as our retirement boat after seeing a C 400 at the Newport Boat Show in 1995. We took delivery in the spring of 1996. I was almost 60, recently retired and we wanted an offshore capable, safe, comfortable, livable cruising boat, rather that the racing boat we had had previously. This past summer we cruised from Boston’s North Shore to Belmar on the New Jersey coast where the Shark River offers a deep and safe entrance to the Barnegat Bay. We cruised the “inside” both ways enjoying Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bay, Buzzards Bay, Block Island, Long Island Sound, the East River, New York Harbor and a short run down the Jersey Coast to Belmar...and back again (not sure what Hurricane Sandy did to Shark River Inlet - check before you go!). On the cruise we celebrated two major milestones. The first was that I turned 75! I am still able to single hand Son Touched safely! The second, may be of more interest to you readers, was that we crossed the 25,000 nmi mark on the Son Touched’s log. 8 On our “Milestone” cruise our stops included Scituate and Mattapoisett, MA, Newport and Block Island, RI, Essex, CT on the Connecticut River, Port Jefferson and Oyster Bay on Long Island and, a favorite, City Island Yacht Club at the northeast end of the East River. It is a very friendly club with 24 hr launch service and great restaurants. Most of the stores and restaurants on the island are an easy dingy ride away. For this cruise we upgraded our VHF Radio to include DSC (Digital Selective Calling) and AIS (Automatic Identification System). DSC included assigning an MMSI# unique to our boat, as with an EPIRB, and a One-Button Emergency Transmit capability (transmits a digital MAYDAY including vessel identification, Latitude/Longitude and time as long as you have connected the radio to a GPS). The AIS receiver includes a display of targets (targets being most commercial vessels and many pleasure craft). I selected Standard Horizon’s on price, ease of use, and because I could operate everything and see the AIS display on the remote hand held mic at the helm. The ability to determine via the AIS display the bearing of, time to closest approach, and separation at closest approach of targets Dick and Jan Beckerleg is reassuring. I strongly recommend you consider this upgrade! The severe weather alert interruption feature on newer VHFs is a must. Twice this trip we detoured around major harbors on LI Sound when the radio interrupted with weather warnings of 50 and 60 kt gusts with hail and 1½ to 2 inches/hr. of rain. In our 25,000 nmi we have sailed as far north and east as Halifax, NS, and as far south as Granada (south on two occasions). The boat is still in great shape, has no structural faults, and it has retained its value way beyond expectations. Jan, my wife of 45 yrs, really likes to live aboard the boat, which makes it easier for me. The interior layout and features and the cockpit please her greatly. Jan has sailed over 20,000 nmi of the total, choosing not to sail to/from St. Martin via Bermuda. She has sailed with me through all the island chains. Both times south we spent 7 months in the Caribbean. This past winter, I removed all the drawers, cabinet doors, and the surrounding C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T C350 the very lightly sanded gel coat. I was pleased. There were only a few thin spots but there was good adherence over-all. BY ALEX PINGREE, CHANTICLEER, HULL #318 All the vendors used by Catalina for the 400 should Friday, August 12th, was an exciting day because, after months of boat shopping, also be praised. I replaced I had finally found the perfect boat. The the main and 135% genoa options had been added, the sea-trial in 2008 after 12 yrs. of complete, and now I was the proud owner heavy sailing (including of a Catalina 350. The following weekend I storm clearly was one moving west then timefarther to/from/in the traveled the six hours from home in north originally expected, some were going head Caribbean). The to original Alabama to Turner Marina on the Dog east in the Intercoastals. Having all of some two sails, while having River in Mobile, AL, to take her out for a weeks experience stretch, with this I wastears, not hadboat, no holes, sail with a friend. The following week on comfortable with or staying aboard, and with places where the threads Friday the 26th, I received a call from storm surge estimates growing, I felt that the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and the Battery had failed. After 12 yrs of Turner saying that the hurricane models boat would have a better chance of survival hard sailing, I would have were showing Katrina making land just east at anchor than at the dock. expected more deterioration. I now have wood trim, and brought them home for refinof Mobile. They were advising their clients Sunday morning we awoke to beautiful ishing, as at 25,000 had some wear Doyle sailsand and aI freshening hope they do as well. to consider moving nmi theirthey boats. blue skies breeze out of the The engine is a Westerbeke 42B, with and tear on the finishes. I also did all the fidI drove down with my son-in-law, southeast. We got underway and headed up hrs onwith it now. Only dinghy the O rings in We the dles, the cup holder trim, arriving and horizontal Jordan, Friday night, at thedecoboat 3200 Dog River a friend’s in tow. high pumps to rative strips, as wellthe as 27th. the chart early wood Saturday morning, We table spent wentpressure about 3injector miles up riverhave intoneeded an area be replaced. The hatches are Lewmar, with top. newthe again. dining had tablea the All day looks readying boat.The I already with good wind protection from the east. only onefour leaking at the beddinghad joint. It was needed no work. 35lb. Delta anchor on board, but we went to About other sailboats already easily removed and area, rebedded now leakThis spring bought I removed 16 yrs. built West Marine, onethe of the last of anchors anchored in the andand so iswe joined proof. bilge pump has been upinbottom paint down to the gel coat. I had the store, a fortress FX-16, and rode. We them. The We put both anchors out replaced. in a V to The the old was easily repaired for aofspare. always the ablative CSC plans, with talked used to several owners Micron about their eastone and ran about 120 feet chainI have and and there variety. making linerebuilt out. The depth of thepumps. water was also the two mascerator Biolux, but was it stilla built up.Some I tookwere off over 80 fastofinpaint. the marina, some were going head approximately so I felt had All parts of 10 the feet, 3 burner stovethat andI oven lbs. After hauling it this fall to I could uphow Mobile and staying aboard. As the enough scope. However, I didcompressor/ not allow work great, as well as the dual see the River new single coat had bonded to No Easy Task S P40R I N G 2 0 1 3 cold plate system for the separate refrigerator and freezer. We have upgraded to two, 200 amp-hrs AGM batteries from West Marine, a 120 amp Balmar alternator with a 3 stage regulator, and a starting battery. I always cruise with a spare alternator and regulator. The starting battery can be dedicated to the LED tri-color navigation light at the top of the mast, as is required for off shore racing, and it just makes good sense. When 2 of the #6 blocks, made by Garenough 15-foot surge topball of failure that hauer, infor theamainsheet systemonhad depth. alsoI sent did not properPandy chafe-in after 8 Iyrs. themhave to Warren guards. Youand know hindsight is 20/20. Largo, Fla, 2 new ones were sent toWe me buttoned the boat the dinghy, for free, under theup, 10 returned yr warranty. After 16 and forfailed—they home. yrs, headed 2 more were now 6 yrs. The following morning I was glued to over the warranty period. I took them back CNN and the computer, watching the wind to Garhauer at the Newport Boat Show. They speed and direction as Katrina roared sold me two high strength blocks with needle ashore to the west in Mississippi. Along bearing a safefor working load ofthe 6,000 lbs with my and concern those taking brunt to replace the original #6 block having only of the storm, I tried to imagine what ball bearings was and adoing 3500 lb SWL at ashe very reaChanticleer and how was sonable riding outprice. the storm. Bottom pleased withgot our Two daysline, afterI’m thevery storm, I finally C400! to my buddy’s cell phone in Mobile. through After hearing that he and his family had Email me atthe [email protected] you have weathered storm okay, I ifasked himany if he questions, or want discuss upgrades I would drive overto to Dogother River and look toward theover anchorage forcomfort Chanticleer. He have made the years for and safety did, and,asno boats. had all been “relooffshore well as forThey coastal cruising. cated”. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T9 Feature • C380 It’s Time to Go Cruising! By Bill Worsley • C380 That is what I said to my wife five years ago. We had taken numerous bareboat trips, owned a San Juan 21, raced a Ranger 29, cruised an Ericson 34-2 on the Gulf Coast and I had crewed on two Caribbean 1500s and an Atlantic Cup. It was time to take off for an extended time on a boat fitted out for cruising. In the spring of 2007, we bought a 2001 tall rig, wing keel, Catalina 380 in Florida. We sailed Southern Skies back to Lake Pontchartrain, LA where we did upgrades to the electrical systems, reefing, navigation, and cruising amenities. In the spring of 2008 we took a six week shakedown cruise from Lake Pontchartrain to Key West, the Dry Tortugas and back. All went well; however, we did learn that a smaller headsail would be much better suited for the boat and the two of us. So, we purchased a 110% headsail to replace the 150% that came with the boat. We also went from a 35 lb. Delta anchor to a 44 lb. Lewmar as our primary anchor. After our successful shakedown cruise, we began to think about our next cruising plans. Since my wife and I are both from the East Coast and we have a number of friends and family there, we decided on making a goal to sail to Maine and back over the next several years. We would sail in the spring, summer and fall then leave the boat on the hard over the winter and return in mid to late spring to begin our travels again. I ordered all the Dozier’s Waterway Guides and used https://activecaptain.com/ to research transient slip rates and winter storage rates. Even though we were not currently members of a yacht club, I called yacht clubs on the East Coast and found many that offered moorings to us at very good rates. My wife started looking at other boat insurance options. Because of the recent hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, our insurance rates had gone up to $3,700 a year…any coverage on the East Coast had to be less expensive. As the chart of our summary data shows, our insurance costs after leaving the Gulf Coast and keeping the boat on the hard for the winter dropped to about $900 a year. We also gave up our slip on Lake Pontchartrain which saved $3,000 a year. Obviously, these savings would help in our net costs for cruising. Before we began our cruise, one of our sons in laws suggested that we keep a blog of our travels. So you can find our blog, “Cruising on Southern Skies” at http://sskies.blogspot. com/. In the spring of 2009 we left Lake Pontchartrain and cruised around Florida and up to Virginia leaving the boat for the winter in Deltaville, VA. Many states on the East Coast 10 have a personal property tax you should be aware of. Here is a link to an article that tells you much about the state by state boat registration and tax implications - http://www. boattax.com/avoid-boat-taxes/ . For 2010 we sailed as far north as Newport, RI but left the boat for the winter of the big snow in Branford, CT. We came back in mid-May of 2011 to launch and then made our way to Maine such that we would be cruising from Portland to Bar Harbor and back in August and early September. For the summers of 2010 and 2011 we stayed on a mooring several times at East Greenwich Yacht Club, RI which was only ten minutes from the Providence, RI airport. This greatly facilitated trips home as well as friends and family coming to visit us for cruising the beautiful waters and well known destinations in the Northeast. Ultimately, we left the boat last winter in the Solomons, MD. Our plans this year were to spend about six weeks in Deltaville getting some canvas work done and then three months in NC at River Dunes Marina taking several trips to Ocracoke Island and Cape Lookout. After hurricane season, we sailed Southern Skies some 1600 nm in 25 days from NC back home to Lake Pontchartrain. Our travels and experiences greatly exceeded any expectations we had prior to committing to such an adventure. What really surprised us was how little this East Coast cruise cost us above what we were already paying for a yearly slip lease and insurance on the Gulf Coast. As the data shows, in 2010 and 2011 we were either anchored or on a mooring most of the time which saved significantly over slips in the northeast. We also did all of the winterizing and de-winterizing of Southern Skies at each of the marinas where we stowed the boat over the winter. Most of the costs for spring yard work were for bottom painting. Also included in the data summary are the travel costs for our Tahoe each year up and back to the boat and airline flights home for family visits and special occasions – like the birth of five grandchildren and one engagement. This article is primarily an overview of our travels with the emphasis on yearly costs and statistics. A future article will address much of the details such as planning, equipment and upgrades, tips and experiences. If you are interested in more details about any aspect of our cruise (navigation, route planning, marinas, communications, tides and currents, weather resources, equipment, provisions, maintenance, repairs, or just to chat about cruising), please e-mail us: Bill at [email protected] or Rene at worsleyr@ bellsouth.net. We would be happy to share our experiences from the Captain or Admiral’s viewpoint! Summary Data from Each Year of Cruising Nautical Miles Yanmar Hours Genset Hours Total Gallons Diesel Yanmar gal/hr Avg. Cruising RPM1 Total Days Cruising Nights Anchored Nights on Mooring Nights Sailing Nights in Marina Slip Tot. Slips & Moorings Boat Winter Storage Winter Storage Costs Spring Yard Work Boat Insurance Personal Property Tax2 Car & Flight Costs Annual Costs 1 2 2008 1,500 238 2 190 0.80 2800 39 13 0 7 19 $3,000 Mandeville NA None $3,700 - - $6,700 2009 2,110 311 53 264 0.81 2800 231 44 0 5 182 $3,900 Deltaville $1,232 $1,222 $701 $1,200 $1,500 $9,755 2010 1,636 292 110 224 0.69 2600 185 101 70 1 13 $1,765 Brandford $1,640 $1,183 $1063 - $1,000 $6,651 2011 2012 1,876 2,287 324 302 98 31 223 212 0.63 0.69 2400 2500 164 213 77 36 70 2 2 9 15 166 $2,200 $2,764 Solomons Madisonville $1,178 NA $2,406 None $809 $1,000 - $2,000 $2,000 $8,593 $5,746 17” Max Prop with pitch set at 20 degrees (2.64:1 reduction ratio) http://www.boattax.com/avoid-boat-taxes/ C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T COLUMN | VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE View from the Bridge The Bridge and The Boat, Always Nervous Bill: “Where are you?” By Tom Curran, C25/250 Me: “At the airport, why?” It started out as a weekend raft-up on Lake Shepard with a group of boats ranging from a 22 foot sailboat to a 45 foot power boat. Members of Patrick AFB Marina and Yacht club gathered on Saturday, Nov. 17 for some fun and fellowship on the water. I had gone solo on my wife’s 25-ft. Watkins, as she was in Chicago visiting our first grandchild. I lent my C25, Island Time, to friends Mark and Cheri, whose Irwin 30 would not fit under a causeway on the route to the raft-up site. Sunday morning, I rose before everyone else, pulled anchor and headed back to the marina so that I could get to Orlando Airport to pick up my wife by 11:00 a.m. While waiting for her just outside security, I got a call from my friend Bill, who was still on the water. Our conversation went something like this: Bill: “You’d better sit down.” Me: “Why?” Bill: “I’m looking at the bottom of your boat.” That can never be good…My first thought was that the boat had somehow capsized, and was upside down in the river. I was staring at a picture that Bill had sent to my phone, which when my wife came up to me and said “What are you looking at?” The picture showed my Catalina, hanging by the mast from the partially open bridge, 10 feet in the air! By the time I arrived on the scene, the boat was tied up on the south-side of the bridge. The mast was still being held up by the lower shrouds. The masthead fitting was lying on the deck along with the parted stays and halyards. The Florida Wildlife Commission officer arrived on site, took statements, and allowed us to go. With the help of Bill and Mark, we dropped the mast and brought Island Time back to the Marina. The bridge is owned and operated by a local Home Owner’s Association (HOA); the bridge tender and HOA president took full responsibility for the accident and assured me the issue would taken care of. As chronicled in my post on the C25/250 association forum, the damage exceeded the boat’s value; the HOA’s insurance company totaled the boat. The insurance company and I disagreed on the value of the boat (surprised?), but the HOA made good on their promise to take care of me and wrote a check for the difference. I haven’t decided what to do with Island Time, rebuild, sell “as-is”, or part out. She was (is) a great boat that me given me many fond memories, but none quite as memorable as the image of her hanging from the bridge. MARINE PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW Non Toxic Non Toxic BioGradable BioGradable MareLube Lubricants Tea Tree Power™ Prop Foul Release • Marine Valve Lube • EXTRA - General Purpose PTFE • TEF45 - Max Heavy-duty PTFE • Natural Mold and Odor Eliminator • Marine Strength Formula • Unbelievable Effective • Naturally Effective • Adheres To Wet Surfaces • Great for Props or Bottoms See US At tHe MIAMI SHow www.forespar.com or Call: 949.858.8820 Be Sure To Sign-up For Special Offers and Product News Online 12 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T COLUMN COLUMN| VIEW FROMTHE THEBRIDGE BRIDGE | VIEWFROM Hanging by a wire. A sad event, but it does say something about the integrity of the C25. THAT PERFORM NEW Nova Lift • Patented System Controls Swing • Internal Hoist Line • Optional Winch Available SPRING 2013 Nova Davit • 350 lbs Lifting Capacity • Stainless Construction • Swing or Remove for Storage Steering Control Arm • Pilot from the Stern Sheet • Allows Better Forward Visibility • Easy Push Button Release MARINE PRODUCTS THAT PERFORM 13 COLUMN | FLEET DEVELOPMENT Fleet Development C22 Fleet 130 hosts booth at the local Boat Show By Mike Bracket, C22 Fleet 130 manned a booth at the Lake St Clair Boat and Outdoor Festival on September 20-23. This is an annual event with both inwater and on-shore boat displays, a large tent with vendors and LOTS of booths with everything from marina/slip rentals to vacation properties and everything in between. Over the 4 days of the event, we had dozens of folks stop and ask about our boat and sailing in the local area. As you would expect most of the sailors commented that they owned a Catalina 22 or sailed on one in the past. This all started in 2011 when I contacted the organizing group, the Michigan Boating Industries Association, about the cost for a display booth. My initial concept was to place a boat on the trailer in a booth with a picnic table and a sign board or two. I explained who Fleet 130 is and that we belong to a Regional and National Sailing Association. The MSRP for a booth was way outside our budget but they agreed to give me a complimentary display in order to get more sailing interest in the show and to reach out to a larger audience. They asked me to ‘advertise’ the boat show to our members. As luck would have it, we simply couldn’t get enough participation from the fleet members on the weekend of the show so we did not participate in 2011 but the foundation was laid for 2012. This year, the arrangements were the same. I received a map of the area with the opportunity to select the display site I wanted. Dennis Vanderjagt offered up his recently restored 1986 model as the display boat and we signed the contract. This year, the Michigan Boating Industries Association asked their ‘complementary’ vendors to offer something in return. We offered to present a 30 minute seminar each day in our booth on cruising large on a small boat. We laid out 4 topics and drafted a simple outline to follow. I made some simple Fleet 130 Business Cards to hand out to interested parties with our web site and contact information. The show started at Noon on Thursday so we did our set up on Wednesday afternoon and evening. Dennis arrived toward sundown with his boat. The paint was still drying on his trailer but it looked like a brand new boat. We spotted the boat, set up the table and canopy, ran the electrical and introduced ourselves to the folks on either side of us. On Thursday morning Erv Zimmerman came with his computer and large display to provide the slide show of Fleet sailing activities. Our booth was simple and the only thing we really could do to improve it would have been to have a C22 Fleet 130 sign at the front of the display. The crowd was not too heavy on Thursday and Friday but quite heavy on Saturday and Sunday. The weather was sunny most of the time but windy and cool. Almost everyone who walked into our area wanted to know the selling price of the boat. At first Dennis was offended that someone would think his boat Catalina Owners – Take Advantage of Your Status. Congratulations to Doug and Kalin Dodge from Camarillo, CA for being our winners of a weekend trip to Annapolis to attend the 2010 Annapolis Boat Show & attend a dinner honoring Frank Butler. o agE t ovEr rs! 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C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T COLUMN was for sale but he soon came to appreciate the many compliments he received. We did make contact with a few folks who have a C22 but were not on my local contact list so we added them. At least 3 couples asked me about boats for sale in the area and lots of folks asked about the general cost of a C22 if they wanted to get into sailing. Several Fleet members volunteered to work the booth throughout the show so there was always a couple of guys around discussing C22 things and plenty of questions were asked and answered. Overall the experience was a good one. We will most likely do it again next year. We enjoyed the show, it wasn’t too much work once we were set up and hopefully our new contacts will join us over the winter for some fleet activities. I would recommend this activity to other fleets for advertising and fleet development. And if you have a boat to sell, you might even find a buyer! | FLEET DEVELOPMENT This is an annual event with both in-water and on-shore boat displays, a large tent with vendors and LOTS of booths with everything from marina/slip rentals to vacation properties and everything in between. DOYLE STACKPACK 2 + 3 + 4 blade folding propellers OPEN AND SHUT CASE FOR EFFORTLESS FURLING :: :: Lowest drag...faster sailing Maximum power & thrust when motoring Email or call for a quote :: Doyle StackPack is the ultimate mainsail furling system. While sailing, the integral cover lies flat against the foot of the sail. The StackPack’s integral cover and lazy jacks neatly flake and hold the sail as it is lowered or reefed. :: A StackPack can be added to your existing mainsail - your 747 Aquidneck Ave. Middletown, RI 02842 ph: 401-847-7960 [email protected] SPRING 2013 mainsail doesn’t have to be new, and it doesn’t have to be Doyle. Visit us at doylesails.com or call 800-94-DOYLE 15 COLUMN | CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Close Encounters A Loud Spash and a Hiss Island. Sailing conditions were perfect, with light steady winds and a two-foot chop, we were making 5.5 knots on a beam reach. Craig was relaxing in the cockpit while I was leaning lazily on the wheel as the boat headed west, practically on her own. Suddenly without warning, I was alarmed by a loud splash and hiss in the water right at the starboard quarter. Jerking my head to the right I saw a 30-foot Minke Whale surfacing three feet away from the boat, moving on a parallel course. As the whale surfaced, we made eye contact before it spouted and slid beneath the surface at the midship of the boat. The spray and steam from the exhaling whale engulfed me as I stood there in shock. And, whew, talk about bad fish breath! The whale checked us out as it rolled back beneath the surface. Curious by nature, Minke Whales are known to approach vessels, and usually surface three to five times before diving back for a long time period. Craig leapt from his seat on the port side of the cockpit and dove into the cabin to grab one of our cameras, both of which, of course, By Jack Hutteball, Associate Editor, C34 For those of us in the Pacific Northwest who sail the Salish Sea, it’s very common to see groups of Dahl Porpoises swimming near our boats. Sometimes even playing on the bow wave or following closely in the boat’s wake. On occasion, we are even blessed with a close approach of one of the pods of Orca Whales that frequent our waters. Nowadays, they are easier to spot as they are usually being followed by several hundred people in a dozen or more high speed whale watching boats. The whale watching boats take the thrill out of seeing these whales unexpectedly when no one else is around. On a recent daysail, Craig Illman and I were putting Mariah III through her paces in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, south of Lopez were still in the cabin. As Craig came back out on deck, the whale surfaced again just off the bow of the boat, then slipped under again, too late to get a picture. The whale surfaced once more about 20 yards ahead of the boat and then was gone. We both stood on the deck in awe, at the very close encounter with such a magnificent creature. . . an encounter we will not soon forget. It was one of these events that seldom happens, but as sailors we are generally in a better place in which to appreciate it. Jerking my head to the right I saw a 30foot Minke Whale surfacing three feet away from the boat. 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The latestthree sailmaking software insures his vision is translated into a insures his vision is translated into a A computer driven plotter/cutter beautiful three dimensional shape. beautiful three dimensional shape. insures our shape is accurately cut A computer driven plotter/cutter Afrom computer driven plotter/cutter carefully chosen cloth. insures our shape is accurately cut insures our shape is accurately cut Quality craftsmanship attention from carefully chosenwith cloth. from carefully chosen cloth. to detail creates a beautifully finished Quality craftsmanship craftsmanship with attention Quality sail you’ll be proud of. with attention to detail creates a to detail creates a beautifully beautifullyfinished finished Call our friendly staff for personal help sail you’ll be proud of. sail you’ll be proud of. with your next sail order or visit us Call our our friendly staff Call stafffor forpersonal personalhelp help online atfriendly www.catalinadirect.com. with your next sail order or visit visit us with your next sail order or us online at at www.catalinadirect.com. www.catalinadirect.com. online Catalina Direct Catalina Direct 8 0 0 - 9 5 9 - S A I L 8 0 0 - 9 5 9 - S A I L C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T IACA All Catalina Alliance INTERNATIONAL NEWS, STORIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR IACA MEMBERS International All Catalina Alliance SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your All Calatina Association Editor. • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your this address of any change in address: IACA Members, PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $15 (Catalina Owners without Organized Association Annual) • Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Michael Davis, 571-522-6481, [email protected] IACA Association Editor: Donna Ferron, 484-678-4592, [email protected] Treasurer: John Luther, 630-466-1766, [email protected] Secretary: Hazel Luther, 630-466-1766, [email protected] All Catalina Fleet 24: Roger Powell, [email protected] All Catalina Fleet 69 Austin, TX: Dave Zbasnik, [email protected] All Catalina Fleet 76 Oklahoma City, OK: Lee Bollinger, 405-751-1958, [email protected] Barnegat Bay All Catalina Association, NJ: Gene Regan, 609-417-3262, [email protected] Catalina Association of New England: Peter Sicurella Catalina Association of Puget Sound: Jack Henderson, [email protected] Catalina Association of Tacoma and South Sound: DeVere Lindh, http://CATSSps.org Catalina Cruising Fleet Redondo Beach, CA: Tom Polizzi, CCF Skipper Catalina Fleet 21 Chicago Region: Cheryl Kuba, [email protected] Catalinas of Santa Monica Bay: Ginny Lechler, [email protected] Chesapeake Catalina Yacht Club: Michael Davis, 571-522-6481, MEDavis@JeRoDiSys,com Clinton River Catalina Association, MI: Roy J. Schoenherr, (586) 713-9340, [email protected] Columbia River All Catalina Association: Jim Turner, [email protected] Detroit Catalina Yachting Association, MI: Alan Johnson, 248-231-4536, [email protected] Gulf Coast Catalina Cruisers: John Sheehan, [email protected] Hampton Roads Catalina Fleet 30 Association: Dawana Jennings Lake Erie Catalina Association: Alan Wolf, 440-350-0788, [email protected] Lake Michigan Catalina Association: Rick Van Sweden, [email protected] Lake Ontario Catalina Association (LOCA): Brett Colville, www.lakeontariocatalinaassociation.com Long Island Sound Catalina Association, CT: David Isaacs, [email protected] Ocean State Catalina Association: Jeff Chirnside, [email protected] San Diego Catalina Association, CA: Pat Yates, [email protected] South Bay All Catalina Association, CA: Lisa Falk, [email protected] South Bay Catalina Yacht Club, Long Island: Brad Baldwin, [email protected] Catalina Association of New England (CANE) www.allcatalinane.org/ December, 9th we held our annual holiday luncheon at the Inn at Bay Pointe (Quincy, MA) featuring the traditional and whimsical Yankee Swap. The holiday party started with a brief business meeting where we elected a new commodore and vice commodore while returning the membership chairman, co-treasurers and webmaster for the 2013 season. After the business meeting, the social hour began and continued through the luncheon. When lunch was mostly over the Yankee swap started with a variety of nice gifts and a few jokers intermixed. As always in this event, it’s comical to see what gets passed around and who ends up with the “joker”. CANG group gathers for holiday party SPRING 2013 CANE members listen intently during the planning meeting at Fishbone Larry Hoffman received the “We’re SKROOD” award Again the insidious SCHROOD Award was presented to the sailor who has turned an ordeal into an adventure, that is, they lived to tell the tale. The ordeal started when Larry and first mate Sharon, on board Great Escape returning from New Bedford, encountered a storm in Buzzard’s Bay with head winds of 25+ knots. With broaching seas of 3-4 feet Larry decided better to be safe and started the engine. Well that didn’t happen as the ignition switch came out in his hand. The only choice was to continue to sail back to Marion (Sippican Harbor). Once in the harbor he managed to get the engine started; Okay ordeal over, WRONG! While getting the engine started Great Escape became entangled in a mooring line. Okay, ordeal over. Now for the adventure… Larry called the harbormaster and was referred to a diver who untangled the mooring line and emptied Larry’s wallet. Now every time the story is told the seas are bigger, the wind greater and the cost more expensive; that’s what makes it an adventure and a lovely day on Buzzard’s Bay. We can’t wait for next year’s winner. In November, during the annual planning meeting at Fishbones in the charming Marina Bay (Quincy, MA), the club created a tentative agenda of Tech-Sessions and social gatherings as well as tentative dates for the summer 2013 cruise and rendezvous. • January Tech-Session: First Aid for Sailors at West Marine in Braintree, MA. • February 16 through the 24th: the New England Boat show (Boston, MA). CANE has booth space courtesy of Eastern Yachts Sales (Hingham, MA). • March Tech-Sessions: Sail Trim • April’s Tech-Session: Gelcoat restoration and fiberglass repair • Also there’s rumor of a small “early launch party” at Fiddlers Cove Marina on the 1st. 17 IACA UP TO $300 CASH BACK $ Simply purchase select Andersen Winches between April 1st 2013 & May 31st 2013 to qualify. For full details go to andersenwinches.com/rebate © 2008 Spirit Yachts All Rights Reserved • May: We’ll take a break from the TechSessions and get together for the annual Brunch on the Water at the Mill Warf (Situate, MA) as boating preparations get seriously underway. • June Sea Trials: Portuguese Festival , Provincetown rendezvous • July 27th – August 11: Summer Cruise, exploring the coast of Maine • September: North and South of the canal rendezvous • October: Roundtable discussion on the past year’s trials and tribulations At the meeting the membership voted to proclaim previous commodore and longtime members ScottMacKinlay and Mark Schmidt as Honorary members. For one of the best deals in sailing come join CANE; we’d love to have you onboard our next cruise or Tech-Session. Contact Larry Hoffman at [email protected] and visit us at http://www.allcatalinane.org/. Southeast All Catalina Rendezvous Inaugural Event! June 14-16, 2013 Fernandina Harbor Marina, Fernandina Beach, FL Register online at www.catalinayachts.com and click on events! In sailing you earn trust through experience and performance. For the past 45 years, Andersen has built a reputation of trust by creating reliable winches with the distinctive, highly polished stainless steel drums. Remarkably lightweight, Andersen’s unique Vertical Power Rib© drum provides superior grip while reducing vertical friction to minimize wear and overrides. If you want better sailing, choose the best winches. ANDERSEN Winches are now proudly distributed in the USA by Ronstan Weekend includes: • Friday night welcome reception • Saturday morning breakfast • Saturday morning seminars • Saturday afternoon – on your own - Catch the waves at the beach - Visit local stores and restaurants in adjacent downtown Fernandina - Tour participating boats and see various Catalina models and modifications • Saturday evening – dinner and door prizes Sign up today if you’re interested in a fun-filled weekend of food, spirits, games, seminars, boat tours, incredible prizes, relaxation, laughter, meeting friends old and new – 10% off slip fees at Fernandina Harbor Marina (visit http://fhmarina.com/ or call 904-491-2090) Hotel accommodations at Hampton Inn (across street from marina – http://www.hamptoninnameliaisland.com/ or call 904-491-4911) Organized by Catalina Yachts and the Catalina Owners Rendezvous Committee (from the Golden Isles Sailing Club, Amelia Island Yacht Club, and St. Augustine Yacht Club). For more information, contact Catalina Yachts at 818.884.7700 or email [email protected] W www.ronstan.us | E [email protected] T +1 (401)-293-0539 | 18 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 470 IACA IACA Association News N E W S , S T O R I E S A N D A N N O U N C E M E N T S S P E C I F I C T O Y O U R C ATA L I N A Catalina 470 National Association www.catalina470.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C470 Association Editor. • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address: Catalina 470 National Association c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, AZ 72703 • Annual Dues: $25.00 (US Funds) • Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Bill Martinelli, (650) 504-5304, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Bob Jones, (408) 421-5665 cell, robertmeadejones.com Association Editor: Julie Olson, (650) 504-5304, [email protected] Home Port Bill Martinelli, Commodore The last time you heard from us we were in the states, we are now back in La Paz. Once we got back down here we re-commissioned the boat. (We left Voyager in the water during our two months back in the U.S.; our other option was to put her “on the hard” at one of several local boatyards.) Re-commissioning consists of putting the dodger, bimini and genoa back on. Placing the life raft back in its cradle, getting all the things we stored below deck back on deck. Once this was done we could finally relax. A few days later we had to decide if we needed to store everything below and strip all the canvas once again. This was due to reports of Hurricane Norman rolling in from the south and taking a northeasterly direction heading towards the Sea of Cortez. I decided I really didn’t want to go through all that effort again so decided to wait and closely watch the weather reports out of the National Hurricane Center. The storm did go up the Sea toward Guaymas which is quite a bit north of us, but since we were in La Paz we were protected by the mountains to the east of us. All we had was two days of heavy rain and very little wind. Once the weather cleared we provisioned the boat, reserved our slip for our return in six weeks, collected our umbilical cords and left Marina Palmira. Destination – north into the Sea of Cortez, buddy boating with some friends. Knowledge here is king! Having spent the better part of two years in the Sea we have acquired a fair bit of it. Some of things you find important are where can you get rid of garbage. You can’t on any of the islands, or even in a number of villages on the Baja. There are a few national parks along Baja that have garbage cans; we now know where those are. Also we know which anchorages have Wi-Fi internet and/or cell phone coverage, which are few and far between. It’s important SPRING 2013 Treasurer: Mike Davis, [email protected] Technical Editor: Joe Rocchio, [email protected] to know which villages or anchorages have tiendas (small stores) where we can get provisions, hopefully fresh produce, and lastly fuel. North of La Paz there are only three fuel docks along the entire east coast of the Baja peninsula. The middle one is about 250 miles north of La Paz, then for the next 250 or so miles (until the northernmost fuel dock at San Felipe where they have up to 22.5 feet tidal changes) you have to have to dinghy ashore with your jerry jugs, perhaps walk a mile or hitchhike to the nearest Pemex station (such as in Bahia de Los Angeles village), then muscle your fuel back to the boat. (If you’re in the thought process of going cruising, we and moored or anchored out. A commercial shrimper we had bought shrimp from a few days before also came in and anchored with the rest of us. We spent two days with heavy rains; one of those days we had winds that topped out around 45 knots. Ducked another bullet! The rains washed out Mexico’s Highway 1 in numerous places. Highway 1 is the only road going for the nearly thousand miles down Baja from the California border all the way to Cabo San Lucas. But it was quickly repaired and only closed for a little over a day. I mentioned earlier that Escondido was one of our fuel stops. On our way north to North of La Paz there are only three fuel docks along the entire east coast of the Baja peninsula. are extremely happy we swapped out one of our water tanks for an extra fuel tank.) On this fall’s outing we decided to only go as far north Puerto Escondido/Loreto, about 125 miles north of La Paz. Escondido has a fuel dock, a small marina for about 16-20 boats (usually full with motor yachts), a restaurant and a very nice tienda. Pedro is the owner of the restaurant and tienda. He gets deliveries from both La Paz and Cabo San Lucas so he can stock items Gringo cruisers covet: English muffins, Italian sausage, sushimaking condiments, hard cheeses like sharp cheddar and parmesan. He also has installed booster antennas for internet and cell phone coverage. While Puerto Escondido has internet it does not have cell service, but Pedro does and provides within the restaurant somehow. Very progressive guy! While we were in Pto. Escondido, Hurricane Paul decided to come take a rare path and head north along the Pacific Baja coast and was predicted to cross into the Sea of Cortez just north of us. So, boats anywhere in the vicinity came into Escondido (it is considered a hurricane hole as it is almost totally enclosed by land) and took refuge. All the big sport fishing boats were taken off the docks there we heard on the morning radio net that the fuel dock was closed down for weeks for installation of new pumps. Bummer! Well, we got lucky and they reopened while we were there so we didn’t have to find a vehicle and make numerous trips with our two jerry jugs - to the Pemex station eight miles up the road. Gotta have that fuel! Congratulations to San Francisco sister ship, and fellow Baja Ha-ha 2010 Alumni Lori and Tom on C470 #145 Camelot, for reaching the Caribbean sea via the Panama Canal. C470 Trader’s Corner Do you have any C470 items you want to sell or buy? We are keeping a list on the C470 Web Site. Log on to www.Catalina470.org and click the for sale button. C470 Burgees Are Now Available Contact Mike Davis at [email protected]. The cost is $35.00 each which includes shipping and tax. 19 CATALINA MORGAN 440 Catalina Morgan 440 National Association SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your CM440 Association Editor. • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address. New memberships should be sent to: CM440 Association c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, AZ 72703 • Annual Dues: $35.00 (US Funds) • Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Hans Petermann, (858) 922-6311, [email protected] Catalina Mainsheet Association Editor: Lorell Alexander, (214) 280-4449, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Steve Cooper Technical Editor: Mike Simpson, [email protected] Camaraderie of the Sea Hans Petermann, Commodore It sure feels good to be out cruising again. The wind, waves, sun and sea life are a nice change from the trappings of living in the city. Vamonos just feels at home being out at sea, and on the move again. Not only am I renewed by Mother Nature, but also by the generosity of those who we meet along the way. The Camaraderie of the Sea seems to be a special bond where those you meet become instant friends who are willing to do just about anything to help if needed. Not just other sailors and cruisers, but also the locals at the anchorages. Here in Mexico, we are always welcomed with hands wide open with offers of help, and “what do you need”? Sometimes the offers are so strong that we have to accept, just to keep these kind souls from being offended if we do not. The Camaraderie of the Sea constantly renews my faith in human kindness and generosity; something that can sometimes be lacking when living the urban life. So take to the sea my friends, its generosity will warm your soul. Start Them Early Steve Cooper, Secretary/Treasurer Each year I read discouraging reports that sailing is starting to become a sport/leisure activity whose participating numbers are rapidly decreasing. Throughout our cruising travels in the Great Lakes, my wife, Margie and I have seen more and more cruisers starting their children and grandchildren in their early years to be part of their crew, and they I cannot think of a better way to encourage family participation, fun, and togetherness. 20 have encouraged them to share sailing/racing/ cruising experiences as soon as they can safely swim. Those early and fun experiences will eventually be a basis for a decision to continuing to sail in their adult years. I cannot think of a better way to encourage family participation, fun, and togetherness. We swim, dinghy, fish, exercise, and eat together as a family. Our 440s are perfect boats to have our families aboard. We as a group of cruisers can make a difference in the number of adults that will continue to sail and we can help reverse the decline in the number of future sailors by starting them early. Calling All Sunsets! Lorell Alexander, Catalina Mainsheet Association Editor First of all, I am happy to report that in welcoming our Catalina 445 brethren here on our forum, we are also benefited by being able to enjoy more sailing adventures, as demonstrated here by Gary Weichmann and his wife Mindy, aboard Carpe Diem, on their inaugural expedition, cruising the waters of Lake Michigan and the North Channel. Please join me in welcoming our newest members, and read along to enjoy their adventure! As for the title of this Message, I have recently had the pleasure of admiring the many wonderful photos that Jennifer Simpson (aboard Three Sheets, with her husband and our Technical Editor, Mike Simpson) has been posting on Facebook, and on their blog (ThreeSheetsSailing.com). I am honored to be posting one of Jennifers’ thrilling sunset photos, taken at anchor in Marathon, Florida. The thought now occurs to me, that while I may never have taken a photo with the depth of color and drama, I certainly have my own personal favorites over the years, aboard our own Bonnie Lass. I imagine you all have your personal favorites as well. Given that not all of our members will take to writing an article for us, I was hoping that everyone would certainly have a sunset photo to share, along with a few words about where it was taken. What do you think? If you would be interested in sharing your own sunset photos, I may be able to publish them here in a future issue Mainsheet. If we are overwhelmed with photos, (a great problem to have!), we can additionally publish them on our 440 Association Forum website. So, calling all sunsets, please! Attach your jpg or gif file to an email addressed to me at [email protected], with gratitude for sharing your many wonderful memories aboard. Feature Spotlight To Canada’s North Channel By Gary and Mindy Weichmann, Catalina 445 Hull #39 We were so excited. We didn’t sleep well the night before on board our Catalina 445, Carpe Diem (“Seize the Day”). The anticipation of the next morning’s planned departure was too much to bare. It was to be the start of a long talked about and planned journey to Canada’s North Channel. Both retired, we had rented our house for the summer to friends of friends who were building a house. It didn’t get any better. A little additional income for three months and someone to mow the lawn. But first, we had to cross Lake Michigan. Yeowwww!! After 5 years of sailing the safe waters of Green Bay and Door County, we were going to venture forth and actually be out of sight of land. And, we were going to do it solo... Read the whole story on page 6 of this issue! C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 42 Catalina 42 National Association | CATALINA 400 www.catalina42.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C42 Association Editor. • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address: Catalina 42 International Association C/O, PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, Ar. 72703, 479.587.0688 • Annual Dues: $25.00 (US Funds); 2 years $45.00; 3 years $65.00 • Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Costantino (Tino) Lanza, (805) 373-9842, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Larry Howard, [email protected] Past Commodore and Treasurer: Ken Fischer, [email protected] Mainsheet Association Editor: William (Bill) Wertz, (360) 298-0594, [email protected] Secretary: Bill Brayton, (805) 822-7544, [email protected] Technical Editor: Gene Fuller, [email protected] Webmaster: Norm Peron, (310) 372-8782, [email protected] Catalina 42 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1 Long Beach, CA: Elayne & Bob Curley, [email protected] Fleet 2 Long Island Sound: Ray Kish, (203) 775-2943, [email protected] Fleet 3 Santa Monica Bay: Looking to start a fleet Fleet 4 New England: Looking to start a fleet Fleet 5 Chesapeake Bay: Organizing a new fleet! Contact Jeff Banks, [email protected] Fleet 6 Newport Beach, CA: Wallace Cook, (714) 996-8236, [email protected] Fleet 7 Lake Erie, St. Clair, Huron: Looking to start a fleet Fleet 9 Golden Gate, CA: Norm Trondsen, 925-324-8129 (cell) Fleet 10 Biscayne Bay, FL: Peter Aydelotte, (305) 825-8550, [email protected] Fleet 12 Puget Sound, WA: North Co-Captain, Sonia Hurt, [email protected], South CoCaptain, Bill Jenks, [email protected] Fleet 13 Southwest Florida: Sue Fuller, (941) 505-0215, [email protected] Fleet 14 Lake Michigan: Looking to start a fleet. Fleet 15 Green Bay: Organizing a new fleet! Contact Gary Weichmann, [email protected] Catalina 400 National Association www.catalina400.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C400 Association Editors. Send your Technical Articles to Brian Mistrot AKA Cruisingdad, 239-849-0478; [email protected] • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? For any changes of address, questions concerning your Catalina Mainsheet subscription or membership in the National Association contact your association, c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $25.00 • Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Frank Falcone, 610-519-7920 (office), [email protected] Technical Editors: Brian Mistrot, AKA Cruisingdad, 888-347-6726, [email protected], Sailnet.com or Cruisersforum.com, Olav N. Pedersen, 713-907-3301 (cell), [email protected] Catalina Mainsheet Association Editors: Martha and Dan Bliss, 717-676-7635 (cell), [email protected] That Ever Growing BTDL (Boat to do List) Frank Falcone, Commodore I’m continually amazed at the incredible range of projects that our Catalina 400 owners are undertaking on their vessels. Just over the last few weeks, I’ve heard of new line handling systems for managing the traveler, new line handling systems for furling the genoa, new DIY hard dodgers, innovative winch handle extension systems, leak detection ideas, mildew control systems, head leak management systems, hatch replacement ideas, etc. We are a creative bunch always looking for ways to improve our already terrific boats! As I always tell my college students, “Continual improvement is the path to continual success”. We, as Catalina 400 owners, seem to be true examples of this timeless premise! My boat, Silver Eagle (247) is ‘on the hard’ now, asleep, taking a well-earned rest. But I find myself already missing her. She’s really not that far away; only about a 20 minute car ride. I visit her often to make sure that she’s ‘OK’ and also to charge my AGM batteries from time to time; about every 2 weeks. But, while at home, reading and thinking about sailing and about next year’s sailing plans, I find SPRING 2013 Secretary: Currently Vacant Treasurer: David Cherry, 609-822-0340, [email protected] Webmaster: Rich Miller, 610-742-8825 (cell), [email protected] myself wanting to ‘be aboard’ doing projects or planning for future projects. I must admit that reading about all that you’re all doing on your boats has extended my future project list to 2 long pages! That’s a great view forward, I think – thanks! One way for us keep our terrific vessels in our ‘close aboard’ view and to share our joy of sailing and boat ownership with others is, perhaps, by having models of our boats prominently displayed in our homes or at our place of business. During the 2011 Sailboat Show in Annapolis I had the pleasure of meeting with Denis Cartier and his wife. They have a model making business named “ABORDAGE” and they build beautiful models of many boats, one of which is the Catalina 400. I was really impressed with the quality of their workmanship and with their total dedication to quality and to that path to continued success – continual improvement! Recently (I was not able to meet with Denis and his wife during the 2012 Show), Denis told me, via email, about a desk model of our Catalina 400 that “ABORDAGE” is currently offering. This model arrives in an acrylic display case with your boat name painted on it. Take a look at the photographs that Denis sent to me. I’ve included them with this article. I would respectfully suggest that their work is outstanding. Feature Spotlight 75 and 25,000 nmi Major Milestones for Sun Touched By Richard Beckerleg Read the story on page 8 of this issue! 21 CATALINA 400 | CATALINA 380/385/387/390 Anyway, I’m thinking about ordering one of these models for display at home. This way, I can visualize, in 3 dimensions, the effects of future projects that, thanks to all of your ideas as well as my own, are now on my BTDL (boat to do list). Also, when others want to talk about sailing, I can discuss the subject with them with the model of our boat as a teaching aid! The price, as quoted from “ABORDAGE” for the desk model, as seen here, is $495.00. OK, so back to thinking about future projects – how about a reasonable and easy (key word here) way to replace the water pump impeller – any ideas? Catalina 400 Fleet Roster: ANYONE INTERESTED IN FILLING ONE OF THE VACANT POSITIONS PLEASE CONTACT OUR COMMODORE Fleet 1, Chesapeake Bay: Currently Vacant Fleet 2, Southern CA: Currently Vacant Fleet 3, Long Island Sound: Currently Vacant Fleet 4, Florida, Ted Seefeldt, 727-421-1201, [email protected] Catalina 380/385/387/390 International Association www.catalina380.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Please send articles of general interest to Diane Revak by mail or e-mail. Pictures are welcome, in JPEG or GIF format, please. • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? For any change of address, questions concerning your Mainsheet subscription or membership in the international association please contact the Secretary/Treasurer • Annual Dues: Dues in the US are $25/1 year, $48/2 years; Outside the US, dues are $35/1 year, $68/2years (US Funds). Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Joe Revak, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Kevin Murray, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Bob Bierly, [email protected] Technical Editor Emeritus: Warren Elliott, [email protected] Technical Editor C380, C390 Hulls: Tim Porter, [email protected] No Place Like Home Joe Revak, Commodore A lot has happened at the C380IA since our last publication. Let’s start with the official welcome of our new brothers and sisters, the owners 22 Technical Editor C387 Hulls: Tom Brantigan, [email protected] Technical Editor C385 Hulls: Chuck Couture, [email protected] Webmaster: Tom Brantigan, [email protected] Mainsheet Association Editor: Diane Revak, [email protected] The fleet captains are also officers of the association of the new C385s. They will be joining us in this section and the Technical section until they have sufficient numbers and want to start their own association. Let me say again, welcome. There is a short biography of Chuck Couture, Five C’s, C385 # 16 in the tech section. Chuck will be the Technical Editor for the C385 members. I hope to see many articles and pictures gracing our pages soon submitted by the 385 owners for this section and the technical pages. There is also an article from our Secretary Treasurer Bob Bierly, Cmon Wind, C380 # 255, concerning the state of our Association. Bob has the toughest of all jobs in the Association and I would like to thank him for all his and Jane’s time and efforts. If you are reading this thank Bob, because he keeps the membership rolls up to date and accurate! Another change you may have noticed is in the box with our names and addresses. You will notice only email addresses from now on. This is an effort to save space and based on the premise that everyone uses email. If you would prefer addresses and phone numbers call me and I will send you the information. My number is 410-733-2307. Now, we have all the bases covered. Thank you. If you are a member of the Yahoo group you may have seen the posting by our TechEditor Emeritus Warren Elliott that, My Bride II, C380 # 44, is on the market! We cannot thank Warren and Jeanne enough for all of his hard work over the years. He has assured us he will still be hanging around the list and website for us. In the past year or two we have heard from a few of our members who have found they just weren’t using their boats very much and had made the difficult decision to give them up. Mark Romanchock of Texas recently sold C387, # 121 Grand Cru. He told me he wasn’t sailing it much and it had become a “floating condo.”Steve Riddle told us his boat had become an expensive day sailor. Well, I must admit that Diane and I have been talking about these very same issues. For the last two years, we have not had many overnight trips. First, there is Ramses not being able to go down the cabin steps, then this year it was just too darn hot! So I went to the Annapolis Boat Show with these thoughts on my mind. I figured if I was just doing day sailing I would look for a day sailor that I could handle on my own. Some were very nice, some not so finished below deck. There was one that was gorgeous, however the price was out of sight and I could not even stand up straight down below. I left the boat show and instead of going home I went to the marina and boarded Delos. I went down below, walked around (upright!) and promptly fell back in love again! When I got home Diane and I talked about my experience and agreed to make a concerted effort to find more time for Ramses to be at camp and for us to be out on Delos more. Like the title says, there is no place like home! Read “It’s Time to Go Cruising” by C380 owner Bill Worsley on page 10 of this issue! Status of the Association 2012 Bob Bierly, Secretary/ Treasurer The state of the Association is very good considering the conditions under which we C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 380/385/387/390 operate. For most of 2012, the quarterly membership had slowly dropped from about 235 members in 2009 to about 218 in 2012. Those conditions under which we operate include: the sad uncertain current economy, the fact that Catalina Yachts has not sold nearly as many boats as in the pre-2008 years, and the reality that none of our component models prior to November (C380, C387, CM381, C390) was still in production. The GOOD news is that in November 2012, Catalina Yachts Inc (CYI) decided that our Association is the proper place to “assign” buyers of the new C385 model until such time as there are sufficient hulls fielded that owners want and support a separate C385 Association. We now have 9 C385 owners as members. With twenty some hulls shipped by CYI, there is growth expected here. Also, according to some reports, the boat buying outlook is improving both for new and used boats. Not withstanding the bleak national economic outlook and its impact on our Association membership, our potential for growth is significant Of a total of 383 C380 hulls, 144 (37%) are owned by members. Of a current existing total of 154 C387 hulls, only 61 (39%) are owned by members. Of 27 C390 hulls, we have but 3 (13%) members. We also have 4 CM381 owners as members, I have no idea how many CM381 hulls were built by Catalina Yachts but let’s guess70 (68 is the highest hull number of one of our members). With 212 members of about 634 non C385 hulls we have only about 30 % of the possible candidates. To maintain and grow an active association, our future involves reaching out to the 70% of new owners of our component models. I encourage each member to be a recruiter. Particularly in light of the Yahoo forum and the “members only” technical section of Catalina380.org, a new owner will thank you for encouraging him or her to join. You may even find a new long term friend and new sailing partner in the process. The treasury of the Association is in excellent shape with assets of just over $14,000. But, please do not be mislead by that number. A large portion of our treasury represents prepaid memberships including Mainsheet subscriptions. At this point, about a third of our members have paid for and are due portions of a two year renewal. In 2012 our income (primarily dues) was just over $5000 while expenses were $4200 for a net gain of about $800. Despite the United States Postal Service’s constantly rising rates, we can and intend to maintain our current fees. The great bulk of our expenditures are the purchase of and mailing of Mainsheet. If any member has a question about the treasury or membership, needs a application for a prospective member, wants a second copy of the Tech CD ($5 to cover cost of shipping and packaging), a national association burgee ($20) or any other service, please email me at [email protected]. Catalina 380/385/387/390 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1, San Francisco Bay: Kevin Murray, [email protected] Fleet 2, Long Island Sound: Jim Meador, [email protected] Fleet 3, Lake Lanier, Georgia: Currently inactive Fleet 4, Chesapeake Bay: Robin and Skip Wilkins, [email protected], [email protected] Fleet 5, Lake Erie: Looking for a new Fleet Captain volunteer, http://www.catalina380fleet5.org/ Fleet 6, SE Florida: Looking for a new Fleet Captain volunteer s c i t c a T Rules & SEMINAR Over 40 seminars and webinars on Rules & Tactics and Expedition Software will be offered throughout North America. Visit us online for a complete schedule. www.northu.com 1-800-347-2457 North U.TRIM The world’s most comprehensive resource on boatspeed and boat handling NEW! 29 video clips of key match racing tactics & techniques! The world’s most comprehensive resource on tactics and strategy North U. CRUISING SEMINARS By BILL GLadstone and john RousmanIeRe Match Racing b 3rd Edition 2013-16 Racing Rules & TacTics book seminar Work SPRING 2013 The North U. Rules & Tactics Workbook is included with the seminar! y John Cutler & Henry Menin Updated for 2009-2012 Racing Rules Produced by North U. www.NorthU.com © 2010 North Sails Group, LLC Based on instructional curriculum of the Annapolis Book of Seamanship Can’t attend a seminar? North U. materials can be purchased separately online at... www.northu.com. 23 CATALINA 38 Catalina 38 International Association www.catalina38.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C38 Commodore. DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? For any change of address, questions concerning your Mainsheet subscription or membership in the international association please contact the Secretary/Treasurer • Annual Dues: $25 • Join or Renew form on page 48. Mainsheet Association Edtitor: Chuck Finn, (518) 226-0584, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Max Soto, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Steve Orton, [email protected] An Old Dog Can Learn Chuck Finn, Commodore It just seems to take a lot to make him do so! I love to single hand sail my Catalina 38. There is just something special about being alone with the sails up when there is nothing on the horizon but water. Or, when you are doing 8 plus knots surfing waves with a well tuned spinnaker and main. In both instances, you get the feeling on “oneness” with your environment that is there for that fleeting moment and remember as something special. While the majority of my time sailing these days is alone, it does not mean I am a hermit! I also treasure the moments of “togetherness” with my wife and friends on the boat as well as those times introducing the wonders of sailing to new sailors or when your crew all comes together during a race! In other words, I love to sail because it allows me to experience those special “being there” moments regardless of how that come. At the same time, I need to acknowledge that especially when I am single handing.... I Webmaster: Anders Finn Technical Editor: Steve Smolinske, [email protected] Past Commodore: Larry Malmberg have tended to treat risk as something I am willing to undertake. Running a spinnaker or being out beyond the sight of land are both times when if something happens and you are alone.... well let’s just say there won’t be anyone around to pick up the pieces if/when something goes wrong. My philosophy until lately has been fatalistic in that if I fall overboard running forward to tend to a twisting spinnaker.... so be it. I am a cancer survivor and have experienced the long contemplation of the end of life you can only appreciate when you have been on that “edge” for months, and have come to terms with it. After all, if you have ever tried to pull yourself on board a moving boat, you know the odds of actually pulling it off alone. But in the past year or so, I have experienced a trifecta of events; a “perfect storm” of happenings that have forced me to revise my fatalist approach. First was being at the finish of the 2011 Chicago-Mac Race as we learned in bit and pieces of the tragedy on Wingnuts. I have sailed the northern course where they capsized and experienced similar storms in that area that were downright scary. But, there is a stark difference in being a bit scared and being at a race finish where you are mourning rather Sailors Night Vision Cap 24 than celebrating. For me, it was not at all difficult to see that my risk philosophy could easily have put me in their shoes. Second was this summer as I was following the Farallones Race with special interest as my son, Anders was crewing one of the boats. What a relief it was as I was glued to the news coming off the internet regarding a boat on the rocks to get a call from my son saying he was ok! And that is my perfect storm that challenged my fatalist approach. Because it really is not about me. What I have learned is that I am never truly alone even out there on my boat. Yes, no one is in sight and no one is actually there... but they are connected to me. And, my personal decisions do affect their lives. What I have learned after too many years is if I am going to take risks (and I will), I have to do so responsibly. For me, responsibly means wearing a life jacket and using my tether and rigging those irritating jacklines. Making sure my strobe has good batteries and works. And, finally purchasing that personal EPIRB that I have always thought a waste. Strike three.... was personal. I got a call the afternoon of June 1, 2012 telling me my son Anders had been in a terrible motorcycle accident and I had better get there as soon as possible. Five long, hellish weeks in the ICU with years of surgery and healing in his future... We are so lucky that he lived, but he won’t be the same. We all have family and I am sure most can relate, but you cannot imagine how terrible it is to experience this. None of these decisions will interfere with my pursuit of those special moments! But they will communicate to those ones who love and care that I am doing my best while pursuing my dreams to look out for how my actions affect them. No matter what happens. So, this old dog actually was able to learn something! Maybe next time it won’t take so much to flip that switch! C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 36/375 Catalina 36/375 International Association www.c36ia.com SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C36/375 Association Editor. DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? For any change of address, questions concerning your Mainsheet subscription or membership in the international association please contact the Secretary/Treasurer • Annual Dues: $30.00 Regular Member, $20.00 Supporting Member (w/o Mainsheet);Three Year Membership (including free Tech Notes CD): $90.00 Regular Member, $60.00 Supporting Member (w/o Mainsheet) • Join or Renew form on page 48. Commodore: Duane Ising, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Sean McGuckin, [email protected] Treasurer: Bill Harvey, [email protected] Secretary/Mainsheet Association Editor: Lauren Nicholson, [email protected] Incoming Commodore / Membership: Laura Olsen, [email protected] Technical Editor C36 Pre Mk II hulls: Steve Frost, [email protected] Technical Editor C36 Mk II hulls: Bud Street, [email protected] A Change at the Helm Duane Ising, Commodore This will be my last article as Commodore of our great Association. I have been truly honored to serve in that role for the past two years, especially because of the absolutely wonderful cadre of officers that make up our Board. When immediate past Commodore, Chic Lasser, convinced me to try my hand, he said I would not regret it, and he was right. The time comes, however, when fresh ideas are needed to keep our Association strong and growing. As I write this, we have the formalities of an official vote by the membership to conclude, but by 1 January 2013, our new Commodore will be Laura Olsen. Laura had served as our Membership Officer for a number of years, performing her duties above all expectations, and she was an ideal candidate for the Commodore position. We all wish her well during her watch and have complete confidence in her ability to lead us over the next few years. Speaking of officers, we are always in need of members to step up and help support this great Association with action. Most of the positions do not require special talent; you just need to be willing to learn and perform your duties, all with the help and support of our entire group of officers. We have several officers who need a well-earned break. Please consider how you can help us. Simply email any of the officers listed here in our Catalina 36/375 section if you can assist. In my previous article, I wrote about the second half of our nearly seven-month cruise up the eastern seaboard to New England and back to Florida. We returned home in midOctober, and it is with sadness that I reflect on so many of the places that we got to see up close during our time along the New Jersey and New York coastlines. It is hard to believe that so much of what was there just a short time ago is now gone and will never be the same. More important, of course, are the many people who were negatively affected by SPRING 2013 Technical Editor C375 hulls: Francois Desrochers, [email protected] Fleet Relations and Ship’s Store: Ralph Johnson, [email protected] Webmaster: Alex Lynch, [email protected] Factory Liaison: Phil Rojas, [email protected] Past Commodore: Chic Lasser, [email protected] Member at Large: Tom Sokoloski, [email protected] Association Tool Box: John Van Vessem, c/o Geo. E. Honn Co., Inc., [email protected] super-storm Sandy. By now, most will have recovered to a great degree, but for some it will be many years, if at all. As I have done for most of my articles, I close by reminding you all that life is short. Make plans to turn your dreams into reality before time makes them moot. Wishing you all great health and a super sailing season ahead! Welcome New Board Members! C36/375IA is pleased to introduce two new Board Members. Our new MKII Tech Editor is Bud Street. Bud and his wife Suzanne keep their C36 MKII on Lake Ontario’s east end and spend the summer living aboard with their two cats. Retired from an IT career and having sailed for many years in dinghies, OPBs (Other Peoples Boats) and charters, the couple bought a Catalina 28 in 2006 and moved up to the 36 in 2009. Bud learned the C36’s systems and construction by doing a major refit of the boat with the guidance and support of the C36/C375IA and its members. Bud hopes to continue the excellent work done by his predecessor Larry Brandt in adding value to the C36/375 through the Association and its website. Sue Griesbach is the new Webmaster for C36IA.com. Sue lives in Southern California and she and her husband Bob have owned their C36 MKII for three years. Sue grew up sailing on C-scows in the midwest and dreamed of owning a boat for years. Somewhere in the last 10 years the realization hit Sue and Bob that they would never actually own oceanfront property in California, and the boat became a work-around for that problem. Sue worked for Gulf/Chevron for 20 years in technical software development, then for some Chevron spin-off companies in software and IT. She was briefly on the US Women’s National Cycling team “back in the day” and is an avid cyclist, runner, and hiker. Sue considers herself very fortunate to be semi-retired even though the Favorite Son is not through college yet. She now writes and maintains websites for friends, clubs, and small businesses (clearbirdtech.com). Her motto is “when you stop and look around, life is pretty amazing.” Sue replaces former Webmaster Alex Lynch, whose tireless efforts to keep C36IA.com running smoothly has contributed to making it one of the greatest benefits of the Association. Any member who would like to submit an article for consideration to the C36/375 section of the Mainsheet and C36IA.com can do so by emailing the appropriate contact: MKI Tech Editor: Steve Frost, sfrost@corpairtech. com. MKII Tech Editor: Bud Street, bstreet@ teksavvy.com. C375 Tech Editor: Francois Desrochers, [email protected]. C36/375 Association Editor (destination articles, short stories and Fleet News): Lauren Nicholson, [email protected]. Fleet News At our Fall Meeting on Kent Island, Fleet 3 - Chesapeake Bay planned many of the 2013 events and hope to add more when we meet again in April. It seems the years go by faster each year and as we barely get our boats launched it is time to winterize, and then launch again. These past few seasons, there are things that never make it to the boat, for one reason or another. Usually, forgetfulness is to blame. I now keep a list, on my cell phone, of course, to remind me what I need to bring the next time we come to the boat. I just have to remember to check the list before we leave for the boat. It works better that way. Fleet 3 will begin the 2013 sailing season with our annual Wine Tasting Raft up on May 25th to kick off Memorial Day weekend and this year we will do it as a joint event with CCYC. The past two falls, the two groups have celebrated Oktoberfest on the Rhode River and this year we will enjoy the spring together. This raft up is always well attended and lots of fun for all as we “sample” wines and appetizers. It’s a first cruise of the season for many and after long winter it’s a welcome 25 CATALINA 36/375 new beginning. The raft up will be in the West River, as always and there is ample room for the multiple rafts that we hope to have. The three day weekend allows for a second night somewhere that’s a nice sail and on the way home for at least some attendees. It’s a new beginning as we have a whole new season ahead of us. Hope you can join us! –Bill and Sally Jack If you combine a great destination with perfect weather, terrific food and drinks and wonderful sailing companions, what do you get? You get the Fleet 5 - Long Island Sound 2012 Summer Cruise to Edgartown. This year, the cruise committee put together a 14-day cruise to Martha’s Vineyard with many funfilled stops along the way. We began on July 8 in Stonington, CT. The nautical ambiance of the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club provided the perfect setting to catch up with old friends, recall past adventures and get everyone adjusted to “cruise mode.” After cocktails, we enjoyed a sumptuous buffet dinner followed by the cruise preparation session; tee shirts and door prizes were handed out, the float plan was reviewed and navigational issues were addressed. Of course, safety and emergency procedures were emphasized. Fleet 5’s Summer Cruise Fleet 5 in New Bedford, MA 26 Monday morning, it was “weigh anchor” and onto Block Island - a leisurely trip through Fisher Island Sound, out through the Watch Hill Passage and onto our first port of call, Block Island. There we enjoyed small, intimate pot luck suppers aboard several of the boats – it was the perfect way to start the cruise and for strangers or mere acquaintances to quickly become cruising companions. Some of the men arose early on Tuesday to go clamming and after several hours, they returned with buckets of the “success!” Other cruisers rented bikes, walked into town or just enjoyed a perfect day on the water. And most of the fleet took full advantage of a sunset horseback ride overlooking the beaches of Block Island. The perfect end to the day was a large group dinner at Dead Eye Dick’s. Everyone arose early on Wednesday for the 37nm trip to Cuttyhunk. We arrived at our destination by early afternoon and took our dinghies ashore, walked to the top of Tower Hill, with a quick stop at the gift shop and a trip to the dock for ice. It never gets old – the rustic beauty of the island, the friendly nature of the inhabitants and the view from the top of that hill! The evening’s festivities started with a cocktail party aboard the Blue Heron fol- lowed by an impromptu dinner celebration of the clam bonanza from Block Island. Hosts Bob and Marilynn Aymar (The Usual Suspects) served raw clams, steamed clams and concluded with Bob’s linguini and clam sauce – what a feast! The party lasted long into the night as the crew debated the best passage to Martha’s Vineyard over many rounds of Jägermeister. Thursday arrived bright and clear. The currents dictated a late-morning departure and most of the fleet entered Vineyard Sound through Quick’s Hole and onward to Edgartown. The planned cocktail party aboard Spirit turned into another full dinner affair when hosts Marie Genteale and Chris Nitzsche surprised with a splendid banquet. Their efforts were much appreciated by one and all. The fleet spent Friday morning relaxing aboard or taking in the ambience of quaint Edgartown. In the afternoon, port host Kathy Brown arranged for a natural history tour of Chappaquiddick Island with its wildlife and fauna. That evening, we all met at the Wharf Tavern for a group dinner. When we adjourned, many of the fleet found their way to a nearby church for a free a cappella concert. A perfect end to a perfect day! On Sunday it was time to start home and the fleet departed for South Dartmouth via the Wood’s Hole passage. The day was mixed sun and clouds but the strong wind from the southwest meant that we could actually sail most of this leg – after all, we are sailboats! Most of the fleet furled sails and motored through the passage but Marie Genteale and Chris Nitzsche aboard Spirit actually took the passage under sail – and that’s how the real sailors do it! When we arrived at the New Bedford Yacht Club (aka: Padanaram), our port hosts, Len and Charlotte Berman, were waiting for us with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres dockside – what a great surprise! The Bermans also arranged for a wonderful dinner at the club that evening. Those who haven’t had the chance to experience the gracious nautical setting of the Padanaram Yacht Club should make a point to get there soon. Monday was a day to take in the local sights around New Bedford and on Tuesday, we continued our homeward course to Newport. Newport is the polar opposite of quiet places like Cuttyhunk - a great stop because you simply cannot run out of things to do. There were more cocktail parties, sights to see, shops to visit and some of the crew rented those electric cars to tour the town. We all ended up at the Mooring Seafood Kitchen for a group dinner. After Newport, we all had to face the fact that the cruise of 2012 was coming to an end. After a one-night stop at Watch Hill, it was on to our final destination. Mystic is a great place to conclude a summer cruise and no place C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 36/375 better place to stay than the Seaport Museum Village. Port hosts, John and MaryBeth Amante (Benedica), made sure we were all together in a quiet section of their marina and they coordinated the social activities. Cruisers took the opportunity to visit the downtown or walk the grounds of the Museum Village – and on Saturday morning, we got to witness a formal ceremony from the Coast Guard Academy on the Seaport grounds. How did John arrange that? Saturday night we sat down to a farewell dinner at the Latitude 41 restaurant (on the Museum grounds) – an evening of good drinks, good food and good friends. When it was over, there were hugs and handshakes and we wished each other a safe voyage. Then it was back to homeports and begin preparations for next year. –Ed Brown Fleet 9 - San Francisco Bay is getting ready for spring, warm weather, and getting out on the water with friends. We do enjoy winter sailing in San Francisco Bay, but it’s so much nicer when the days are warmer and there are more daylight hours. S/V Pleiades of Fleet 9 with no wind in San Pablo Bay Last November we held our Annual Dinner Meeting at Oakland Yacht Club. With 18 members attending, representing 10 boats, this was one of our best gatherings for the year. After dinner we had some good discussions about activities and improvements to the Fleet’s operation for 2013. Last 2012 cruise to Vallejo YC, 2 Catalinas make it an official cruise In December we met to plan the 2013 cruising schedule and have it posted on the fleet’s website. The usual popular destinations are San Francisco, Angel Island, Sausalito, Petaluma, Benicia and the delta. There is some interest in heading to the South Bay this year which will be a new destination for many. We are trying to split the cruises between the most popular that always draw a crowd and some new destinations that members have expressed interest in going to. By now we will have made our annual January cruise to Angel Island. This is consistently one of the best attended cruises. With few visitors making day trips to the island, it seems like we have the island to ourselves. It’s not unusual to have 7 or 8 C36s as the only boats in the moorings on Saturday night. We expect to make a return cruise to Sausalito to the cooking school/dinner. This has been a popular outing and will be our 4th year doing this. We get to drink, socialize and get a cooking lesson in all aspects of the evening’s dinner preparation from the chefs at the school. There is also a pretty good meal that goes with this event. We have planned a trip out the Gate and turn right to head up to Drakes Bay, or turn left to go to Half Moon Bay. Either destination is an all day trip where we try to plan for spring or fall when we have a better chance of limited fog. Depending on the conditions we may add the Farallon Islands as a waypoint. With good conditions we can expect to see whales, dolphins and maybe some of the great whites the Islands are famous for. There are some who will go to the delta for a week or more in the summer. There are also talks about heading south to Santa Cruz and Monterey for an extended cruise this summer. This would be a week long cruise in order to enjoy the different destinations on the way as well as to enjoy a couple of lay days in Monterey. Come out and spend a weekend with us. We have a great group of people in the fleet dedicated to safe and fun sailing. Going together as a group we can learn from others and help each other to be safer on the water. For the latest information on Fleet 9, check out our web site at www.catalina36fleet9.org. –Chuck Herman, 2013 Fleet 9 Captain Ships Store Specials! The Ships Store is offering a FREE 2007 Tech CD with the purchase of a C36 embroidered hat or a C36 burgee while supplies last. Individual hats are $14.50 each (including shipping). Purchase 4 hats or more on one order and receive a discounted price of $12.00 per hat (including shipping). C36 burgees are $29.00 each. Tech CD’s are usually given with a 3-year membership/renewal. Starting in the first quarter of 2011 we will be shipping the brand new Tech CDs to those with a 3-year membership/ renewal. To order visit C36IA.com and click on Store or contact Ralph Johnson at [email protected] Catalina 36/375 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1, Santa Monica Bay, CA: Ginny Lechler, (626)355-2578, [email protected] Fleet 2, Long Beach: Mark Bierei, (310) 200-1510, [email protected] Fleet 3, Chesapeake Bay: Bill and Sally Jack, (412) 719-9430, [email protected] Fleet 4, Puget Sound: INACTIVE - Contact Ralph Johnson, [email protected] Fleet 5, Long Island Sound: Tom Lanzili, (203) 451-4348, [email protected] Fleet 6, San Diego: Pat Yates, [email protected] Fleet 7, Lake Ontario: Brett Colville, (416) 792-4352, [email protected] Fleet 8, New Jersey Coast: Bill Reseter, [email protected] Fleet 9, San Francisco Bay: Chuck Herman, (408) 776-9673, [email protected] Fleet 10, Gold Coast (Ventura & Channel Islands): Jay Shapiro, (818) 317-3658, [email protected] SPRING 2013 Fleet 12, Punta Gorda, Florida: INACTIVE - Contact Ralph Johnson,[email protected] Fleet 14, Low Country (S. Carolina): Hal Smith, (864) 855-4928, [email protected] Fleet 15, Lake Texoma: INACTIVE – Contact Ralph Johnson, [email protected] Fleet 16, Texas Coast: INACTIVE – Contact Ralph Johnson, [email protected] Fleet 17, The Netherlands: Ernest Scheffelaar, [email protected], +31 (0)6 53492130 (mobile) Fleet – Lake Huron / Cheboygan, MI area: NEW ** ORGANIZING NOW ** Contact Jenny Weber-Fuller, (989) 858-0600, [email protected], or husband: Tim Fuller (989) 6146000 27 CATALINA 350 C400 our boats and will spend an mount of money on them. But www.catalina350.net e go back and join the parade of Fleetan1,article Chesapeake Bay SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C350 Association Editor. DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st s up and down the docks and Al Gleske December 1st. • MOVING? For any changes to address or any concerns regarding your Catalina Mainsheet subscription or membership contact the C350 Association, c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville e’s always a and heightened level of 3425 Hidden River View Dr AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $25 • Join or Renew form on page 48. Annapolis, MD 21403-5025 at shows as we dream about (410) [email protected] 267-6979 Commodore: Ryan,as (609) 744-7449, Factory Liaison: Bill Cullen, (813) 988-1130, [email protected] o near and dear to us.TimAnd [email protected] Vice Commodore: Dave “Maggie” Brown, (703) 201-9449 Web Master: Connie Conway, (205) 541-6846, [email protected] the myriad of items of sale we Armin Wachsmuth, Past Commodore: Jeff Blank Fleet 2,[email protected] Southern CA e feeling thatSecretary/Treasurer: if we just buy this Mainsheet Association Editor: Neville Edenborough, [email protected] Past Commodore: Andy Sumberg - 2008, (617) 969-6665, [email protected] Morris Urish m that it willTechnical complete ourBill boat Editor: Templeton, [email protected] Past Commodore: Greg Klocek - 2007, (908) 580-7070, [email protected] 3112 Mesa Verde Drive t perfect. Of course we buy it Burbank, CA 91504-1635 ear the process starts all over (818) 846-8588 [email protected] that’s how so many people gain ods from the boating industry. launch or will experience significant delays Fleet 3, Long Island Sound New Jersey coastline. Imagine a Nor’easter t got back from the Miami Dave Zonderman with a Hurricane embedded inside it. That’s as the Jersey shore rebuilds and boats are 15 Horizon Drive al Boat Show in February. It repaired or replaced. what the meteorologists wound up calling Succasunna, NJ 07876-1402 wonderful experience, heightTim Ryan, Commodore it. They referred to it as the Frankenstorm, I have not gotten a grip on the extent of (973) 584-3981 more so by theHaul perfectly balmy [email protected] the damage to boats. We knew this was a out was an emergency event this because it hit on Halloween. Afterwards, at usually accompanies year for me, andthat I am sure for many boat when the true impact and devastation became serious storm when the fishing boats from Barhad several days of perfect apparent, they removed the jovial Halloween negat Light came up the forked River looking owners here on the East Coast. nd temperatures in the mid to It seems that a named storm was heading monster references and simply referred to this for the proverbial hurricane hole. While the nties. What a perfect way to storm surge caused significant damage, those our way. Her name was Sandy. As, if having thing as Superstorm Sandy. It was a thousand ple of vacation days! of us who were sheltered from barrier islands a hurricane bearing year storm. not be in the market to buy a and the pounding surf, seemed to fair better down on you, was not So as I write a message that will be pubst yet, but we are always ready than those who were more exposed to the full bad enough, this situalished in the spring issue, my thoughts are how. And we always come away inextricably meshed with the unknown plight force of the storm. tion was exacerbated by hing new and big smiles on our of thousands of boat owners who may have So, I am looking forward to next seasons the fact that a Nor’easter have become real boat show was forming and that suffered catastrophic losses at the close of the launch because I am one of the lucky ones. But my thoughts will be with those who suflast sailing season. My heart goes out to them. the forces of both would combine their energy, and Launching for many this spring, will not fered damage or loss of boat and how their spring launch, will not be the same. be business as usual. In fact, many will not make a direct hit on the Fleet Roster Catalina 350 International Association Getting Ready To Launch? The Natty Dodger First in Quality, Design and Value Cruising Design is now offering affordable mainsail reefing systems and patented spinnaker furling systems. Innovative canopy design for over 40 years Visit GencoMarine.com or call 1-800-361-2890 for a quote. 28 27 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 350 Catalina 350 as a Committee Boat Neville Edenborough, Association Editor The Catalina 350 is a wonderful boat, capable of doing many things. One of the things that the Irish Lady, our Catalina 350 (2006, Sail #413), is asked to do is serve as the committee boat for some of the regattas at Bluewater Bay Sailing Club. The Bluewater Bay Sailing Club is on the lovely waters of Choctawhatchee Bay in the Florida Panhandle in the aptly named city of Niceville, FL. This small club attempts to conduct at least one PHRF sailing regatta every month of the season (February thru October). Since I am the Fleet Captain this year the Irish Lady has been volunteered several times as the committee boat. This involves directing a chase boat to set the various marks and then anchoring on the start/finish line to conduct the races. The Catalina 350, while a great boat, is really not the best choice for a committee boat. The race committee controls the races using horns and flags, which must be readily visible to the competitors. The obvious location to display the flags is the bow, as pictured. The picture was taken on a day in which the wind was 10 to 15 kts. and it wasn’t too bad on the bow. However, if the wind is high, holding a flag up in wind while the boat is pitching is not the easiest job. In fact, in the recent Sailfest Regatta the committee members refused to go to the bow in the 25 kt. to 30 kt. winds and accompanying waves. We all cowered on the stern, holding the flags above the bimini, hoping that the competitors could see. In that same race, setting the marks became a significant issue. We had an inflatable dinghy with a 5 hp motor to try to do the job, which was sadly underpowered. Bill Gorenc was able to accomplish the mission with considerable difficulty. He had to do it Race Committee members Julie Barnhart and Joan McCarthy with starting flags on the Irish Lady’s bow. alone, since we were short-handed. The most difficult task was dragging the large inflated tetrahedrons and anchors to the proper position, releasing them, single handed, while driving and trying to stay in the dinghy. Another of the chase boats duties is to verify that the mark anchors are holding. This has been a problem in the past. On one race, again where the wind was over 20 kts., the windward mark started moving. Some of the boats reported that the mark was moving faster than they were, meaning that the further they went, the farther behind they were. Not a good thing! But, the great thing about being on the committee boat is the excitement of being at the start, and the beautiful views of sailboats (and other pleasures) as they jockey for starting position. On some occasions this jockeying has gotten very close to the Irish Lady making us all fear for the boat and our lives. There are two Catalina 350s active in the Bluewater Bay Sailing Club. Both of us have participated in the races, not finishing in the money, but at least competitive. The other Catalina is Dave “Maggie” Brown’s #246, Bat 06. I continue to envy his spinnaker and hope someday to get one for the Lady. Dave “Maggie” Brown in his Catalina 350 #246, Bat 06. Bill Gorenc coming back to the Irish Lady after setting marks. Note the chop. It actually looks smoother in the picture than it looked in real life. One of the benefits of being on the starting line is seeing the sailboats crossing the line, trying for the best position. This photo was taken at one of the starts for the Challenge Cup Regatta between the Fort Walton Yacht Club and Bluewater Bay Sailing Club. The beat us, again. Catalina 350 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1, San Francisco, CA: Mark Koehler, [email protected] Fleet 2, Southwest Florida: Inactive Fleet 3, Chesapeake Bay: Inactive SPRING 2013 Fleet 4, South Atlantic: Carl B. Beckmann, Jr. (843) 588-9230, [email protected] Fleet 5, NY/NJ: Stanley Reed, 732-671-9149, [email protected] 29 CATALINA 34/355 Catalina 34/355 International Association www.c34.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Send your articles and news to Jack Hutteball. Send technical questions and input to John Nixon. Members may also submit material to the C34 Website, www.c34.org, for posting on the Message Board. See categories and information on the Website. • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send address changes to Mainsheet. Please notify your Catalina 34 National Association Secretary • Annual Dues: One year $25, two years $45. Join or renew by Pay-Pal on the website or form on page 48. Commodore: Michael Shaner, 540 569-0424, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Lance Jones, 770 330-4010 (cell), [email protected] Secretary: Stu Jackson, 510-698-4250, [email protected] Treasurer: Ken Heyman, 847 422-3371, [email protected] Past Commodore: Bob Kuba, 773 327-9331, [email protected] Vice Commodore Report Lance Jones, Vice Commodore The C355 is one of the newer additions to the Catalina Fleet. At present, C355 Owners are working with the C34 association until they build up their own association. One of the ways that we stay connected, learn and benefit from each other is to submit Tech, Fleet and General articles about our boats. We are really excited to be working with another group of likeminded Catalina owners. As I stated earlier, the best way to take advantage of our collective knowledge is to submit articles. I welcome and encourage the C355 owners to do so. We can all benefit from the knowledge you’ve 30 Chief Measurer: Ray Irvine, 408 741-1043, [email protected] Webmaster: David Sanner, 775 588-6699, [email protected] Mainsheet Association Editor: Jack Hutteball, 360 588-4242, [email protected] Technical Editor: John M Nixon, 817 341-1219, [email protected] gained in the few short years your boats have been around. You may have found ways to improve your wonderful vessel that would be good to share with others. Sending an article with photos to the C34 Tech editor is the way to accomplish that. Let us know if you have formed any fleets yet, and if so, send a fleet article or report to the C34 Associate Editor, who will see that it is published along with the C34 Fleet Articles. An article highlighting a great trip or destination in your C355 would also make a great feature article for the Mainsheet. There is also the opportunity to have a great cover photo of your C355 in action. These are all great ways of helping out and enjoying each other. The C34 IA has a great fleet base, and it is very productive in fostering fun, adventure and help. In short, we welcome the C355 Owners to the Catalina fold and look forward to hearing some great things from y’all! Secretary’s Report Stu Jackson, Secretary C34IA Membership rose 23 to 635, up from the 600 in November 2011. This 635 includes 46 C355s, up from 20 in May 2012, so the C34 membership has actually risen in the past quarter. C355 membership has grown from the original 20, although renewals still have not been as forthcoming as the new boat memberships. I attribute that to the fact that the C355 group has not yet published any material in Mainsheet, so the skippers may not see any value in renewing their memberships. The C355 Google group remains active, and they have been working directly with Gerry Douglas to resolve a fridge condensation issue on their boats. Tech Notes Online Update – The TNOs currently end at May 2010. Many thanks are due to both Roger Blake, Last Call #1414, and Frederick Koehlmann, Delphina #1602, for their volunteering to update the TNOs. With the help of our Technical Editor John Nixon, they have prepared new files of the original material with full color photos that we expect to be uploaded soon onto the website, bringing us up-to-date for this premium material for C34IA Members. My son, Morgan, and I still have not been successful in our goal to reach the Farallon Islands, 25 miles out. After our June attempt, we tried again in the middle of October, only to be faced with “down on the deck” fog, which precluded departure from our anchorage until well into the early afternoon. We did have a good ocean sail in early November and got out six miles from the Golden Gate Bridge to the eastern end of the shipping channel just for another taste of good ocean sailing. We’ll keep trying to round the Farallons. We also participated in the yearly San Francisco Cup races, which were rescheduled from late September to early November (due to the conflict with the America’s Cup, held here in San Francisco). I also had an opportunity to be on Greg Sherwood’s C34 Imi Loa #582, as a stake boat for the Tuesday America’s Cup practice races. Hope you all have great plans for the next season. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 34/355 Fleet News Fleet 1 Inter Club Series: After a competitive season that saw three boats take one or more first places and a number of very close finishes, the final standings were Mottley (8), Queimada (12), and Crew’s Nest (16). Complete details can be found at: www. jibeset.net/IC000.php?RG=T005138620 San Francisco Cup: After being bumped from Golden Gate Yacht Club by Oracle Racing so they could play with their AC 45, the 2012 San Francisco Cup was rescheduled to the weekend on November 10 in the South Bay – with the help of South Beach Yacht Club. Chris Owen and the Crew of Mottley, San Fancisco Cup - Racing Division Winner Scott Lee and the Crew of Seascript, San Francisco Cup - Cruising division winner The regatta was limited to one day – the race division (8 boats) managed 2 races, and the Cruising Division (4 boats) managed just one race – all had a good amount of fun! Throughout the day the wind was very unstable, especially on the East (Alameda) side of the bay, and those who were lucky (or skilled enough) to find the patches of wind did well – especially Amandla in the second race, moving from last to first on the final two legs. Final overall results, racing division: Mottley, Amandla, Queimada, first through third. Cruising division: Seascript, Aquavite, Painkiller, first through third. Complete details can be found at: www. jibeset.net/C34000.php?RG=T008731032 –Ray Irvine, Crews Nest #1383 WELLS ARCH DAVITS SoutheastAll Catalina Rendezvous Inaugural Event! June 14-16, 2013 Fernandina Harbor Marina, Fernandina Beach, FL Register online at www.catalinayachts.com and click on events! Weekend includes: • Friday night welcome reception • Saturday morning breakfast • Saturday morning seminars • Saturday afternoon – on your own - Catch the waves at the beach - Visit local stores and restaurants in adjacent downtown Fernandina - Tour participating boats and see various Catalina models and modifications • Saturday evening – dinner and door prizes Sign up today if you’re interested in a fun-filled weekend of food, spirits, games, seminars, boat tours, incredible prizes, relaxation, laughter, meeting friends old and new! 10% off slip fees at Fernandina Harbor Marina (visit http://fhmarina.com/ or call 904-491-2090) Hotel accommodations at Hampton Inn (across street from marina – A Place To Mount Your • dinghy • outboard motor • wind generator(s) • solar panels Specializing in custom stainless steel stern arch davits for cruising sailboats since 1986 • antennas • stern anchor • lights • anything else • radar dome you can think of! http://www.hamptoninnameliaisland.com/ or call 904-491-4911) INCREDIBLY STRONG • VERY LIGHTWEIGHT EASY ORDERING • SIMPLE INSTALLATION Organized by Catalina Yachts and the Catalina Owners Rendezvous Committee (from the Golden Isles Sailing Club, Amelia Island Yacht Club, and St. Augustine Yacht Club). For more information, contact Catalina Yachts at 818.884.7700 or email [email protected] Wells Marine STAINLESS STEEL FABRICATION, INC. Pompano Beach, FL • Shipping worldwide 954-975-8288 | [email protected] | www.wellsmarine.com SPRING 2013 31 CATALINA 34/355 C310 Wiser and Wiser St. Petersburg, FL Tom Wise, C 310 # 220, Wiser N EW ! Dear Bob: Since we purchased Wiser hull 220 in January 2004, we have made several changes that I would like to share with our Catalina Mainsheet readers. Some of the changes I have copied from other boats and some are my originals. In the cockpit I installed (1 ¾ x 7/16) unfinished teak slats on the wing seats, the storage lockers and the base of the swim platform. The teak on the seats and the lockers was screwed from the bottom and the teak on the swim platform was screwed from the top and plugged. All teak was then coated with Cetol. Because I often sail short handed and felt that I would never get back on the boat if I ever fell overboard, I removed the standard ladder and installed a four-step telescoping drop ladder. I also matched the existing lifeline white coated wire for the stern gate with pelican hooks to match the existing hooks. In the cabin the standard table was much larger than what we needed and I found it cumbersome to store, so we cut seven inches off each end and installed edge moldings with holly plugs. I installed holly plugs and more Fleet 12 Raft-up teak in the galley molding to match the table. August, a raft-up, and fall meeting in Sep______________ tember. We ended the season with a gathDESTINATIONS SPOTLIGHT ering after the Annapolis Sailboat Show and were joined by three “out of town” Catalina couples! The Pier hosts a Great At our Fall Meeting, Dave & Janet Ewing, New Year’s Eve along with Warren & Susan Cook, volunteered to host the Spring Meeting in April By Maryellen & Manuel Farinas, where we will plan the details for the 2013 IEMAYA, C 310 #215 season. –Ron Hill, Apache #788 I would be happy to provide more details on any of these projects. Contact me at [email protected]. Fleet 12 enjoys a crab fest Fleet 12 Chesapeake Bay: We started out the 2012 season with a spring meeting in March. The season evolved with a few raftups in spring and early summer. The summer, however, was a disaster for gatherings because of the 100+ degree heat. After the weather cooled down, our activities resumed with a Crab Feast in Florida waterfront on New Year’s Eve At we thisstarted time to of plan the the year, reflection is 2010, next New always order. I personally never had Year’s in celebration at the endhave of 2011. so much boat-related fun as Ianchored had in 2012! We watched all the sailboats Fleet has,cove whatand I believe be,Pier a rather in the13 small aroundtoThe and promised fol- who unique group ofourselves membersthat and the friends lowing be there too. DurALL stepyear up towe’d plan and implement events we ing enjoy. 2011 we rounded up of a couple will A fine example this is aofrecent friends who “Survivor: were as excited as we We event titled, Lake Lanier”. were the about this adventure. WeSeptember despent beautiful weekend of cided enjoying to stay atour thelake, Vinoy Renaissance 28-30 our boats, and each Resort which turned out to other on Marina, our 6th flotilla. be The a very good idea since the city time required to plan this had weekend closed down the anchorage to deploy was extraordinary, but the dreaming up of the moorings and these would not be details was fueled by cocktails, so it also was ready until after the first of the year... a fun time for the authors: Bruce and Kathy Whyte andstory Sam on andpage Barbara Mitchell. They Read the 8 of this issue! a unique challenge for us, and we all created had a ball! I confess - my boat was the last to get in, so it was obviously a great learning experience for me! WELLS ARCH DAVITS Restore Your Investment Canvas Remake Program The Canvas Store offers a new program to beautify your boat. Send us your tired, worn-out canvas and we will remake it to restore your boat to its original glory. 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Wells Marine 11 Mill Dam Rd. • Huntington, NY 11743 Phone: 631-549-0970 Fax: 631-549-0977 CanvasStore-2-101100.indd 1 • dinghy • outboard motor • wind generator(s) • solar panels INCREDIBLY STRONG • VERY LIGHTWEIGHT EASY ORDERING • SIMPLE INSTALLATION Specializing in Sailboat Dodgers, Biminis and Winter Covers www.TheCanvasStore.com A Place To Mount Your Specializing in custom stainless steel stern arch davits for cruising sailboats since 1986 STAINLESS STEEL FABRICATION, INC. Email: [email protected] 9/24/10 4:41:42 PM Pompano Beach, FL • Shipping worldwide 954-975-8288 | [email protected] | www.wellsmarine.com C A T A L I N A M A I N S H41 EET CATALINA 34/355 On November 10, we had our 6th annual Wine-tasting and Italian dinner at the marina clubhouse. Our fleet sommelier, Ken Krawford, once again introduced us to fantastic wines that complemented our fabulous meal of Lisa Penz’s salad, spaghetti and meatballs, and a HUGE timpano. Dessert was, of course, a fabulous tiramisu. Our Italian chefs were Bill and Mary Ellen Gray, Rory and Mary Robichaux, and Gail Krawford. Our clubhouse was transformed into an Italian restaurant with soft lighting and fall décor on the tables. Many of our conversations centered on sailing we had just done or that we looked forward to soon. For example, a couple of our members delivered boats to places like Norway and Tortola! Their tales always take center stage when we are gathered. Then on December 8 the Grays hosted our fleet and friends to a Christmas party at their festively decorated home. We all brought dishes to share and were able to sit outside on Read our new column “Close Encounters” in this issue on page 16 featuring a story by Jack Hutteball, C34/355 Association Editor A Loud Splash and a Hiss For those of us in the Pacific Northwest who sail the Salish Sea, it’s very common to see groups of Dahl Porpoises swimming near our boats. Sometimes even playing on the bow wave or following closely in the boat’s wake. On occasion, we are even blessed with a close approach of one of the pods of Orca Whales that frequent our waters. Nowadays, they are easier to spot as they are usually being followed by several hundred people in a dozen or more high speed whale watching boats. The whale watching boats take the thrill out of seeing these whales unexpectedly when no one else is around... their lovely patio enjoying the fire pit, as we ate wonderful foods and sipped the Christmas punch the Grays provided. We all feel incredibly fortunate to have our boats and to enjoy this time of life with each other. We are holding our breath that our lake can recover from the impending drought! The Corps has released four feet of water in the last four weeks. We are not yet down 20 feet, as we were during the 2009 drought, but we seem to be headed there. We will just have to let our memories of these delightful events buoy our spirits as we pray for a rainy winter. –Dorothy Toney, Scarlets Way #1614 Catalina 34/355 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1, San Francisco, CA: Ray Irvine, [email protected] Fleet 4, Stockton Lake Missouri: Open - Any Volunteers? Fleet 5, Greater Puget Sound: Tom Clay, 360-273-7303, [email protected] Fleet 8, Emerald Coast Florida: Mike & Jan Smith, 850 932-7346, [email protected] Fleet 12, Chesapeake Bay: Ron Hill, 540 891 5297, [email protected] Fleet 13, Lake Lanier Georgia: Dorothy Toney, 770 393-9289, [email protected] SPRING 2013 Anyone interested in joining a C34IA Fleet, contact your nearest Fleet Captain. Anyone not near an existing Fleet, interested in forming a new C34 or C355 Fleet or reviving a dormant Fleet, contact Vice Commodore Lance Jones, PO Box 1296, Flowery Branch, GA 30542, 770 330-4010 (cell), [email protected] 33 CATALINA 320 Catalina 320 International Association www.catalina320.com SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C320 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Please send your address changes to our Association. Do not notify The Mainsheet. Catalina 320 International Association c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $24 • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Sean Kaldor, 408 202-7265, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Position Open Secretary/Treasurer: Allan Field, 410-746-6532, [email protected] Chief Measurer: Len Krane, (310) 476-4452, [email protected] Webmaster: Jeff Hare, (603) 894-6263, [email protected] Commodore Report Sean Kaldor, Commodore As we all patiently look forward toward another spring to re-open sailing season, your Board met on November 15th to carry forward the business of your Association. I am pleased to report that we have 371 members, up about 5% from 354 nine months ago. Our ranks have been in the 350-360 range during these tough economic times, so it is heartening to see increased interest in the Association. The Association offers many benefits, and we are happy to see both the toolbox loaner program and the online discussion list getting frequent use. Webmaster: Marshall Lucas, 410-310-2871, [email protected] Mainsheet Association Editor: Rod Boer, 215-675-8286, [email protected] Technical Editor: Chris Burti, (252) 753-4214, [email protected] Association Toolbox: Allan Field, 410-746-6532, [email protected] Your Treasurer Allan Field reports that our cash balance is essentially unchanged, at $19,460 with a net income of $887 yearto-date. Our goal is to cover the cost of providing a range of services to all Association members, so that small surplus is in line with that goal. Throughout the year, we tend to be up a little or down a little based upon when the bills hit the books. Last February, we discussed a possible need to change annual dues based upon operating cost increases. After a thorough assessment, we have decided not to make any changes to our dues structure at this time. It is something we will need to re-evaluate in the future, but for now, various cost controls and membership growth have helped us keep our organization within budget. On the editorial side, our Mainsheet Editor, Rod Boer, reports that he has received Catalina 320 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1, San Francisco Bay: Any interest? Fleet 2, Wisconsin: Any interest? Fleet 3, Northern Chesapeake: Any interest? Fleet 4, Long Island Sound: Reforming: Contact Rick Evans, (516) 767-3922, [email protected] Fleet 5, Seattle: Any interest? Fleet 6, Northern Gulf of Mexico: Any interest? Fleet 7, Austin, TX: Any interest? Fleet 8, Coastal NC: Jim Floyd, (919) 676-5408, [email protected] Fleet 9, Southern Lake Michigan: New Fleet is Forming: Contact Bob Sloat, (847) 767-4507, [email protected] nt code: $5 discou SH MAIN Proud reseller of Screens and Shades all the appropriate articles on time throughout the year. Our Technical Editor, Chris Burti, also reports that he has received a steady flow of good technical article content. We are always looking for more – either regular contributions or ad hoc articles that may be useful to the membership at large. If you have something you’d like to offer, please contact Rod or Chris. Finally, I’m very pleased with the constant level of work and commitment to the Association demonstrated by your volunteer Board. As I write this, Allan will begin the election process for Board positions – we look forward to assistance from those of you interested in filling vacant positions (Vice Commodore, Co-Webmaster) or even taking over the helm as Commodore. The election process follows our By Laws, which were updated last February and are posted on the web site. Fly the Burgee Association burgees are available for $22 (includes U.S. postage) or $24 if using PayPal. Ordering details (including International rates and volume discounts) are on the website (www.catalina320.com) or enclose an extra $22 when you renew and we will make assure we get one out to you. 888-464-5581 Order Online! Simple installation Practical, low maintenance durable fabric 100% blackout blind and flyscreen Total privacy aboard, day and night Fits in boats with no headlining & thin decks Wide range of standard sizes www.ahoycaptain.com 34 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 310 Catalina 310 International Association www.catalina310.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C310 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Catalina 310 International Association, c/o Mark Zabawa, Phone: 636.410.0641, [email protected] • Annual Dues: $24, All Others $28 (U. S. Funds) • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Kevin Quade, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer/Web-Master: Mark Zabawa, 636.410.0641, [email protected] It’s Still Lonely In The Winter Bob James, Association Editor It’s December and it is 40 degrees but at least it is sunny. My Catalina 310 Winter Dream’n is on the hard on Catawba Island, OH, the Catalina 22 Winter Dream is on the trailer on Washington Island, WI, the old convertible is under its winter tarp, the golf clubs are in the basement and the cottage on Washington Island is moth-balled for the winter. The boat payment is due next week and I just received the bill for the renewal of the insurance on the boat. I’m lonely and I miss my toys! This is a depressing time of the year for northern sailors. The boats on the hard and most of us have limited or no accesses to them for maintenance or upgrades or for just a visit to maybe sit in the cabin with a beer and remember the past or plan the future. We are cut-off from our passion except for the automatic withdrawal from our bank account for the monthly boat payment. I sense that I am not the only one feeling lonely. I have received almost no messages or stories on last year’s sailing adventures, pictures, or boat improvement articles from our members. We had a good year for our section of Mainsheet in 2012 with three feature articles and some good technical tips and a wonderful article on “what it’s all about to be I sense that I am not the only one feeling lonely. I have received almost no messages or stories on last year’s sailing adventures, pictures, or boat improvement articles from our members. SPRING 2013 Mainsheet Association Editor: Bob James, 614.481.6744, [email protected] Technical Editor: Bill Lewis, 714.960.5367, [email protected] a 310 sailor. Speaking of members, I recently received notes from two other 310 owners that they were moving lock, stock and boat to Lake Erie before the 2013 sailing season. Sounds to me like a summer flotilla or raft-up in the Lake Erie Islands. I was also interested to see in our member list a hull number 405. I thought we were still in the 350 range but maybe 310s are still being produced. Note to all Captains and Admirals, we would like to have more articles from 310 owners but that is really up to you. The more good articles we have in our association section as well as in Bill Lewis’s technical section the more interest we create in our 310s as one of the best Catalina models. This ultimately leads higher demand on the used boat market and from a purely selfish standpoint higher value should you decide to sell or trade-in in the future. And, most importantly ideas and hints on how to enjoy our Catalina 310s even more. Have a good winter of day dreams and plans for the upcoming spring and summer. Got Stories? We would love to hear from you. Some ideas include: Destinations and Eye Candy: a great chance to tell us all about that great (or from hell) destination you visited in past sailing seasons – story and pictures KISS (or, how to keep the Admiral happy without a lot of work or expense): how did you improve your on-board quality of life in a novel, simple, and inexpensive way to the rave reviews of the Admiral Burgees in Paradise: get a picture of your s/v flying the 310 Association burgee (sometimes hard to photograph but we’ll believe you) in some exotic (or not so) port, dockage or anchorage – send me a digital picture (as large a format as possible) along with name, boat name and a description of the location. Note if you don’t have a burgee you can order one from the association website at www.catalina310.org It’s a What? And a what? We’ve all figured out how to get multi uses from space, gadgets or things on our boats. What have you done to maximize the utility of boat stuff and space? Send me your great ideas. Thoughts and Musings: Your thoughts about your boat and your sailing or on life in general. After all, for sailors “life is good”. BACK SIDERS BACK SIDERS LIFELINE CUSHIONS LIfELInE CuShIonS $70 per pair — and up plus UPS chg. Order: (800) 622-1877 or [email protected] Made with inner PVC tubing to keep lifeline wire from cutting thru closed cell foam pad. A pair will last many years. Custom built in any length you choose — in any Sunbrella® color. And still proudly handmade in the U.S.A. by the company that invented them — STANDOUT YACHT FITTINGS 6826 Cliff Ave. Longbranch, WA 98351 www.StandoutYachtFittings.com 35 CATALINA 30/309 Catalina 30/309 International Association www.catalina30.com SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C30 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • Chat list: http://members.sailnet.com/email_lists/ • BOAT U.S. Cooperating Group: #GA83956B • MOVING? For any change of address, questions concerning your Mainsheet subscription or membership in the international association please contact the Secretary • Annual Dues: One Year 50 U.S. states $25, elsewhere $30; Two Year 50 U.S. states $45, elsewhere $55; One Year Membership NO Mainsheet Anywhere $15 • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Rick Caselli, [email protected], 949.458.6554 Vice Commodore: Jack Gray, [email protected], 248.656.0947 Secretary: Richard Gunnell, [email protected], 863.688.0796 Treasurer: Max Munger, [email protected], 410.326.9024 Sailing Stories and Navigational Adventures By Matt Bombery, Class Measurer One thing that happens if you sail a lot is that you accumulate stories. It’s pretty hard not too. And the best stories tend to fall into a category of near misses, barely avoiding an accident. In my 30+ years of sailing, mostly on Lake Michigan, I have accumulated a few good ones, many having to do with navigational close calls. Usually they happened when I was trying to get across Lake Michigan, a 68nm trip where I sail. Here are a few of those stories, hopefully someone out there can benefit. Way back, before electronics worked very well or they were cheap enough for me to consider, I used dead reckoning and radio Chief Measurer: Matt Bombery, [email protected], 734-929-0629 Association Editor / Tech Editor / Webmaster: Max Munger Membership Services: [email protected], IC30/309A, PO Box 9840, Fayetteville AR 72703, 479-587-0688 direction finders (RDF). One Lake crossing, trying to get from Muskegon, Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin didn’t work well. Having an engineering background I thought I was pretty good with numbers and could pull it off. Not so on that day. Part of our crossing occurred at night and the nice thing is you can see the soft glow of city lights on the horizon fairly clearly. On that trip it was pretty apparent my faulty dead reckoning was taking me to Racine, the small glow on the horizon to the left of the large Milwaukee glow I was hoping to get to. It was an easy decision to toss out my dead reckoning plots and swallow my engineering pride. Years later on a return trip, in a race from Wisconsin to Grand Haven Michigan, double thick fog showed up and lo and behold the race committee had trouble putting the finish line where they said they would. I wouldn’t have known though, still no electronics for me at that point, I only heard about it from other boats later. The only thing I could do at the time was sail to the lighthouse fog horn then reverse my direction to follow the trail of boats that had already finished the race to finally find the finish line. That move added an extra mile or two to our race. We didn’t finish very well as you probably guessed. Lesson #2: get some good electronics. Lesson #1: pay attention to all the clues. Racine, by the way will be the site for the 2013 C30 nationals. I know how to get there by boat, all I need to do is try to get to Milwaukee using dead reckoning. I pulled out my RDF for the trip back to my home port that same race, had to get 10 miles north. Still foggy but I was glad to locate the Morse code signal from a nearby radio beacon and plot a course to it. I forgot 2013 Regatta Notice The Racine Wisconsin Yacht Club has stepped forward to host the 2013 IC30/309 National Championship Regatta. It will be held August 9-10-11 along the western shore of Lake Michigan. This is a new venue. Make plans to get your boat ready and come join us! Check the website for more info in the spring. 36 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 30/309 radio stations are built on shore. I blame the lack of sleep we got during that overnight race for that oversight. Half way home, I woke up really fast as I grabbed a glimpse of a huge sand dune coming out of the fog that we were about to run into. One crash tack kept us out of trouble that day. Lesson #3: think carefully about what you select for your navigational waypoint. Later I ended up crewing in a race on a large boat that actually had a Loran. The crew was pretty green on that race and being the engineer I got nominated as navigator. I dutifully plotted a waypoint using the Port Washington Wisconsin lighthouse and coordinates right out of the light list book, so I couldn’t get it wrong. We got hit with a horrendous storm in the middle of the Lake. It shredded the mainsail. Luckily the boat was big enough to have a second mainsail, not many do. After the storm cleared it was double thick fog again. The finish line was between the harbor pier heads in Wisconsin. I ended up yelling the distance to go to a crew member on the front end. He couldn’t see anything and I am pretty sure the skipper thought I was incompetent. No fog horn that day, the storm knocked out power on shore. I still remember starring at the Loran and yelling the distance to go to the man on the bow, “¼ mile, 1/8 mile, 1/16 mile, 1 boat Newport to Ensenada – Bon Vivan brings home the hardware. length, ½ boat length….”, then I heard a loud “TURN LEFT” from the bow. We just missed hitting the north lighthouse, which, by the way was the waypoint I entered. Boy those electronics were good. Lesson #4: go back and revisit lesson #3. In retrospect a way better waypoint would have been the middle of the channel, not the lighthouse itself. Worse thing about that trip was that I could have used a beer when we finally finished, but all the bars were closed due to the power outage on shore the storm had caused. Some said they saw tornados on land that day. When I finally got a GPS for my boat I ended up doing the Lake Michigan crossing in cruising mode. I left the Muskegon harbor C30 RUDDER CERTIFIED david santangelo AVEL TR WILL • TECHNICIAN MARINE SERVICES • CATALINAOUTFITTERS.COM 424-235-SAIL (TEXT & VOICE) C 30 ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL CATALINA 30 • OEM QUALITY • LIGHTER HELM • BACK W/ EASE GUARDIAN PANEL R NDO ED VE CATALINA 30 LIST WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/CATALINAOUTFITTERS SPRING 2013 * • NEEDLES UP DURING OPERATION • TURN ON LIGHTS FROM HELM • ALARMS: BILGE, OIL, TEMP • IPOD INLET & DC OUTLET * Not associated or endorsed by catalina Yachts 37 CATALINA 30/309 and put in a waypoint for the MIDDLE of the Milwaukee channel entrance. Another hazy, foggy day, but not much going on in the middle of the lake during the day in the middle of the week, a motor boat ride with auto helm engaged. In the middle, I heard the fog horn of a freighter who probably saw me on his radar. I had my reflector up. Then I saw another sailboat coming out of the haze heading straight at me, smack dab in the middle of the Lake. I saw him first and turned off the auto helm to divert and we passed within a few boat lengths of each other. I later heard him call the freighter on the radio and ask what the freighter’s radar was showing. The answer was “it’s just you and me and another little boat out here”. And the two of us little boats almost collided. In retrospect, electronics are too good. I leave Muskegon with a Milwaukee waypoint and an auto helm on in calm conditions. The other boat leaves Milwaukee with a Muskegon waypoint. If we both follow the plotted course too well we hit each other head on. Lesson #5; plot an offset course to your destination. Look at the charts… freighters have lanes that are offset, follow that pattern. My last story involves our C30 class commodore, Rick Caselli. Being the class measurer, I have come to know Rick well and accepted an invitation to join him in a race from Newport Beach Calif to Ensenada, Mexico (N2E). I have done it twice now. Pretty hard for a Midwestern sailor to turn down a sailing trip on the Pacific Ocean. We and Bon Vivant did win that race this year. The interesting part has to do with the delivery back to the US from Mexico. Rick has done the race like 29 times now, it’s his home turf. He had this little hand held GPS no one else really knew how to use so we trusted him. Turns out he transposed some numbers when he plugged in the waypoint to San Diego, a mandatory US customs stop. I was driving in the middle of the night while the rest of the crew was asleep and as the shore lights got fainter and fainter I made a comment to myself that it’s starting to get hazy/ foggy again. I was following a course to his GPS waypoint religiously but by the time we figured out it was not where we wanted to go. We were 15 miles closer to Hawaii than we wanted to be. We were out of cell phone range so he couldn’t check in with his wife, she was worried. Luckily we still had enough fuel to make it to San Diego. Lesson #6: always double check the input numbers your navigator entered into the electronics, no matter who they are. There is one pretty funky thing that happened on that trip. We are 15 miles out to sea and this little bird circles the boat, lands on it and is totally out of breath. We feed him seeds off our sesame seed buns and other stuff and 38 Hitching a 14-3/4 mile ride he doesn’t leave the boat until we are 1/4 mile out of San Diego. I have had birds land on my boat before but that bird was extremely tame for all the time we had him on board. Check out the photo of the bird literally standing on top of Rick’s head at one point! I don’t believe Rick caught any crap for that maneuver, not from the bird anyway. He did get some ribbing from his crew. If you don’t have a GPS by now, get one that shows your position graphically with a sailing chart showing water depth as a background, I cannot tell you how valuable that has been for me over the years. You can see your position in relation to everything around, freighter lanes, navigational aids, etc and you also know exactly how deep the water is nearby. Shallow water is of special interest. Information you get from a good GPS these days is way better than that dead reckoning stuff. And the nice thing about those graphical display models is that the whole crew can see what is going on as well. I hope you saw the humor in some of these adventures. They are funny because the outcomes were not all that bad. Every once in a while though, the outcome is horrible and a fatality happens. Thankfully it’s a rarity in our sport. It’s not funny when someone you know personally goes out to sea and doesn’t come back. I personally know two sailors who didn’t come back. Let’s all be careful out there. You’ll know that’s a line out of the old Hill Street Blues TV show if you are as old as I am. For you younger sailors, pay attention to all the navigational issues and double check everything. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 30/309 Bent Rudder By Dave Barker (Pleidas), Witchita, Kansas I am the proud owner of Pleidas, a Catalina 30 MKI which I sail on Eldorado Lake… about 50 miles east of Cheney. Recently my boat hit a log while sailing which bent my original rudder and caused the rod that connects my rudder to the boat’s “Don Allen” steering system to bend and then break. The rudder then went hard over to port and the broken steering rod jammed into the bulkhead which separates the quarterberth from the port lazarette. This caused the boat to be unsteerable with the emergency tiller head until I went below and quickly dismantled the remaining parts from the rudder post. Thank God I had three experienced sailors on board to help avoid further disaster. After the damage was reviewed, a replacement arm was fabricated locally out of 304 stainless steel but the rudder was bent beyond repair so I started my quest for a replacement. The Catalina factory still make rudders and the boat’s first one did last a long time. In buying from them I’d be sure of fit and quality but seeing all the new boats with their modern rudders had me wondering what else is out there for my classic plastic beauty. After nosing around online, I found a company in Idaho that makes an updated rudder out of high density plastic. Ruddercraft’s product has a lifetime warranty which is nice but it also has the highest price tag on the market. It also seemed to me that if the blade is bullet proof, then the shaft could bend again if I were to hit another log or rock. So it was around this time, that my local Catalina dealer (Ed Webb of Action Marine) mentioned the rudder David Santangelo Marine Services was making out in Marina Del Rey, California. Ed has been long time dealer for Catalina in Kansas and ironically, I had already heard of Dave since seemingly every technical question posted on the Catalina 30 Facebook page was quickly and accurately answered by him. The “new” rudder apparently debuted at the C30 Nationals in San Diego in 2009 and contains elements of various “elliptical” shapes. I’m told that construction is consistent to the original factory design: a stainless shaft and a foam / fiberglass blade but the new has the more modern shape I was looking for and since I won’t be racing, being the same as everybody else doesn’t matter to me. Removing the old rudder proved to be fairly straight-forward albeit an initially challenging one. I used a spray called Kroil to penetrate the threads and surfaces where parts meet fiberglass. Once Kroil had penetrated for about half an hour, things came apart fairly easily. I did have to use a chisel, a hammer, and wedges to get parts to budge from the fiberglass but, once I developed a gap I was home free. Getting the steering back together is just a reversal of the process however, however if you run the chain the wrong way around the sprocket, the steering will work but will be backwards! With everything separated, the rudder was lowered using a sling and the help of a friend standing below. It probably weighs only about 80lbs. Catalina 30/309 Fleet Roster: Fleet #1 San Francisco Bay CA: www.southbeachyachtclub.org, Jim Sobolewski, 916.442.2518 (H) [email protected] Fleet #2 Marina Del Ray, CA: Richard Creviston 800.501.1378 Fleet #3 Long Island, NY (recently reformed) http://www.l-y-n-c-h.com/IC30F3 Thomas J. Lynch [email protected] (631) 384-5791 Fleet #4 Lake Erie, OH Jim Painter [email protected], ACA LECOA Alan Wolf 440.350.0788 [email protected] Fleet #6 Seattle, WA Tacoma & South Sound, WA http://home.earthlink.net/~catss, ACA CATSS Lowell Anderson 253.922.7588 [email protected] Fleet #7 Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL (Reforming) ACA ACOATB Antony Dalton, AV8RSailor@ verizon.net W:813-891-1448 C: 813-245-1330 H: 813-854-1957 Fleet #8 Long Beach, CA http://www.cat30fleet8.com, Danny E. Coon, (562) 434-2750 [email protected] Fleet #10 Galveston Bay (www.fleet10c30.com) S. Dennis Fegan, (713)861-4196 sdennisF@ aol.com Fleet #11 Chesapeake Bay, MD www.sailccyc.org, ACA CCYC Mike Davis 571.522.6481 [email protected] Fleet #12 North Atlantic (MA) www.allcatalinane.org, ACA CANE Jay Swartz 781.545.1647 [email protected] Fleet #13 San Diego, CA www.sdcatalinaassoc.com, ACA SDCatA Ken Hubbard - [email protected] or [email protected] Fleet #18 Long Island Sound (CT) www.saillisca.com/, ACA LISCA Paul Drimmer, 203-8811948, [email protected] Fleet #19 King Harbor, CA, ACA SBACA Chuck Zamites 310.372.3060 [email protected] Fleet #21 Chicago, Il www.catfleet21.org/, ACA FLEET#21 Pat Shereyk 708.645.1957 [email protected] SPRING 2013 Fleet #22 Puget Sound, WA http://www.capsfleet1.com, ACA CAPS Dick Eagle 425.885.2823 [email protected] Fleet #24 San Pedro, CA, ACA Fleet#24 Bill Miller [email protected] Fleet #26 Lake Texoma, TX/OK, ACA Fleet #26 Austin, TX Steve Shepardson, 512.835.8680 Fleet #27 Barnegat Bay, NJ, ACA BBACA Fleet #28 Lake Ontario, NY http://www.loca.ac/, ACA LOCA Arlie Anderson 905.477.3279 [email protected] Fleet #29 Chelsea on the Hudson, NY, Sal Cerniglia 845.462.0003 salcerniglia@optonline. net Fleet #30 Hampton Roads, VA http://fleet30.org/index.htm, ACA HRC30 Renee May [email protected] Fleet #31 Clinton River, MI 2012 NCR Host, ACA CRCA Doug Post, 586-907-6157, [email protected] Fleet #32 Lake Lanier, GA, reforming, info c/o Robert Rose, [email protected] Fleet #35 Southwest Florida, ACA ACOATB (see Fleet #7) Fleet #36 Lake Perry, KS, Chery Dusatko 913.677.3143 Fleet #37 Vancouver Island, BC, Mike Bonnor, 250-385-4165 [email protected] Fleet #38 West Michigan, MI http://www.lmca.com/, ACA LMCA Rod Schmidt 616.846.1361 [email protected] Fleet #40 Lake Pleasant, AZ, Ken Milward 602.867.0650 Fleet #42 Cheney Reservoir, KS, Gregg Greenwood, 316.722.605 Fleet #44 Santa Cruz, CA (SCYC C30 Calendar), Greg Haws 831.425.0690 clubmanager@ scyc.org Fleet #45 Columbia, SC Newly chartered fleet! Steve Szymanski #5505 [email protected], South Shore Yacht Club, Milwaukee, WI, Kevin Wilcox http://2011ic30anationalregatta.com/ 39 Page 17CATALINA theatre thouse acoma many made theatre marina thouse aurant, acoma many pment made ng the marina condoaurant, hnny’s of the pment develng the condoating in hnny’s red by of the adevelboat an the a new ating in s been red by mbers. a boat arkway an the erfront a new ub with s been ymbers. good coma’s arkway nerfront cooral.with ub ybusily good ecoma’s 2006 ncruise coorformaal. e busily noted e 2006 in the cruise to join formaesecond noted cations be the on in to join I look second e quescations ctbeme, on wellanI look e quesgion ct me, wellan- s along at they gion rn was hy and sjoined along shortly at they sionwas of rn atalina hy and Kathy joined began shortly gs. We sion of kefront atalina imbing Kathy tion or began rgs.clues We knew it kefront tearing imbing efront! tion or rorganclues knew it tearing efront! organ- 28 | CATALINA 27/270 IACA Booth to answer questions about both the IACA National and the All Catalina Associations. Catalina 28 International Association Membership in those organizations will be www.catalina28.net SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C28 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st increasing because of their efforts. and December 1st. • MOVING? Contact Catalina 28 International Association c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville, AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $20, Canada & Mexico $24 (US Funds), All Others $27 (US Both Yachts and Fleetboth 21 the coBooth to Catalina answer questions about Funds) • Membership Renewal on page 48. hosted Saturday PizzaAssociations. Party at the National and theevening’s All Catalina Commodore/Association Editor: Dave Brower, 949-278-0926(H), [email protected] Technical Editor: Garry Hebert, [email protected], (204) 774-8209 Hampton Innin following the show. Frank Membership those organizations will be Vice Commodore: Position Open Past Commodore: Marshall Lucas, [email protected] Butler and Sharon Day were present to increasing because of their efforts. Secretary: Charles “Chip” G. Riddle III, 909-957-6081, [email protected] Past Commodore and Historian C 28 A: Ted Wyzewski share in the fun. They also Both Catalina Yachts andpresented Fleet 21 two coTreasurer/ Web Page Manager: Charles Valade, [email protected], 443-362-2292 Walt and Kathy Ahern having fun lucky weeklong in hostedwinners Saturdaywith evening’s Pizzavacations Party at the No submissions this issue. Please contact your Hampton Association Editor to submit article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Fleet Madalyn Inn following thean21’s show. Frank ized, she went to several libraries and Duerr herDay usualwere magic in securButler performed and Sharon present to borrowed Polaroid cameras. Each boat was ing discounted organizing share in the fun.hotel Theyrates alsoand presented two givenand a camera and having some clues. both Saturday evening’s Pizza Party and Walt Kathy Ahern fun Once you luckythe winners with weeklong vacations in figured out your destination, you had to SundayVallarta, morning’s breakfast andMadalyn we all Puerto Mexico. Fleet 21’s take of certain thingslibraries to prove and that thank ized,pictures she went to several Duerr her! performed her usual magic in securwww.catalina27.org you were there! Kathy was also of was the generatinghotel excitement is a measure of borrowed Polaroid cameras. Eachone boat ing If discounted rates and organizing SUBMISSIONS:of Would you25th like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? your C27/270 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September organizers Pig success a boat show, Contact then Strictly Sail given a cameraour and someAnniversary clues. Once you both thefor Saturday evening’s Pizza Party and 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Refer all change-of-address and subscription queries to: IC27/270A, PO Box 9840, Fayetteville AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $25, Canada/Mexico $30 (US funds), All Roast atout Hammond Harbor inyou 1998. She 2006 would have to be called a success. figured your destination, had to Sunday morning’s breakfast and we all others $30 (US funds) • Membership Renewal on page 48. also put together our things 30th to Anniversary Mid-west take pictures of certain prove that thank her!sailors left the windy city excited C270: Phil Agur, 530-677-6229, [email protected] Commodore: Peter Zahn, 410-431-5045, [email protected] Cruise on there! Chicago’s very own Tall Ship the about the prospectexcitement of an Technical approaching sailing you were Kathy was also one of the If generating is aEditor measure of Webmaster: Phil Agur, 530-677-6229, [email protected] season. Some were excited Membership: Visit & click the “Join Us” link Windy in 2003. about thewww.catalina27.org new organizers of our 25th Anniversary Pig success for a boat show, then Strictly Sail Mainsheet Association Editor: Peter Zahn, 410-431-5045, [email protected] Mail completed form to: IC27/270A, PO Bos 9840, Fayetteville AR, 72703 TheatAhern’s raised six children who equipment they would becalled adding to their Roast Hammond Harbor in 1998. She 2006 would have to be a success. Technical Editor C27: Judy Blumhorst, [email protected], 925.997.0786 have presented them with eighteen grandvessels. were about the also put together our 30th Anniversary Mid-westOthers sailors left theexcited windy city excited children! was very a very valued member prospect hitting of theanwater in their sailing newly Cruise onKathy Chicago’s own Tall Ship the about theof prospect approaching of Fleetin21. Unfortunately, we all lost her to ordered boats. were Indeed an exciting Windy 2003. season. Some excited aboutweekend! the new cancer December 28, 2005 and we who miss (Thanks tothey LMCA’s Rod TheonAhern’s raised six children equipment wouldCommodore, be adding to their her! Schmidt assistance this section-ED.) have presented them with eighteen grandvessels. for Others werewith excited about the Fleet Kathy 21’s 2006 cruises and Visit of our website for details our children! was aoutings, very valued member prospect hitting the water in theirofnewly program schedule is still a work progress outings and activities. membership Peter Zahn, Commodore of Fleet 21. Unfortunately, we allin lost her to ordered boats. Indeed an For exciting weekend! but willon beDecember available on website shortly. information, please contact Pat Shereyk at cancer 28,our 2005 and we miss (Thanks to LMCA’s Commodore, Rod had Snagglepuss forannual over ten years, To date we have enjoyed the Potluck [email protected]. her!We’ve Schmidt for assistance with this section-ED.) and the owner us for over 25.Club Maybe Supper held at before the Corinthian Yacht in Fleet 21’s 2006 outings, cruises and Visit our website for details of our we just get a bit jaded, or see the shiny new Chesapeake CatalinaFor Yacht Club January, and Chicago’s 11th Annual Strictly program schedule is still a work in progress outings and activities. membership daysailer / racer crossover atwebsite the boat show (CCYC) Sail will Show in early February when sailors but be available on our shortly. information, please contact Pat Shereyk at www.SailCCYC.org from around mid-west converged on and sayall“what if”.the Then we seeannual someone who To date we have enjoyed the Potluck [email protected]. CCYC plans to have another active and Chicago’s Pier onlike, the why shores Lake reminds us Navy what it Corinthian was weof picked Supper held at the Yacht Club in fun sailing season in 2006.Yacht Trying Club to match Michigan. in past years, many of This our the C27 and forAsourselves or family. Chesapeake Catalina January, Chicago’s 11thour Annual Strictly the wide-ranging locations of our members Lakewe Michigan Catalina issue have submission fromAssociation Tom sailors Cobin, (CCYC) Sail Show inaearly February when across the Chesapeake Bay area and the (LMCA) friendssailor drove from Michigan www.SailCCYC.org from all around the mid-west converged on an experienced in over Annapolis who just largeCCYC number of scenic within to join up us and seePier the show. plans to haveanchorages another active anda Chicago’s on the shores of aLake picked aNavy C27 and decided to have go. weekend radius requires well Catalina and area Catalina fun sailingraft-up seasonsailing in 2006. Trying to match Michigan. As Yachts in past years, many ofofour We can see through his eyes what many us, thought-out preparation. dealers had an impressive display of the wide-ranging locations of our members Lake Michigan Catalina Association myself included, may take for granted: a true But before could Catalina ranging from theMichigan to across the Chesapeake Bay areawe and the (LMCA) models friends drove over multi-purpose family boat. A from racer, aC280 cruiser, get back on thewithin water,a thejoin impressive C420, including the brand large number of scenic anchorages to us and see the show. and a day sailer. Still one of the most popular we spent therequires winter with newCatalina C309. Exploring boats was just the weekend raft-up sailing radius well Yachts–the and area Catalina keelboats ever created and for good reason. many on-land member tonic thathad we an needed to carry display us through thought-out preparation. dealers impressive of I got an email recently from a former events. In January, winter spring launch time. those But before we could Catalinauntil models ranging from theFor C280 to member who wondered whether we knew members Al and Vicky Lohman looking for ancillary to add to get back on the(C-350 water, the impressive C420, equipment including the brand where his boat had gotten to – and we did. meeting a few weeks ago, the question was The membership in the 27/270 AssociaRhiannon) hostedwe a Potluck and their boats,Exploring the numerous vendors spent theSupper winter with new C309. the boats was justgave the He was grateful, he just wanted to know, but asked – “What are we going to do about a tion has steadily drifted down to about 200. Board Game Nightmany at their home.member Several them that manywe opportunities to “burn some on-land tonic needed to carry us through he sentdollars.” along a picture of a 1976 raft-up on cruise thistried year?” – mind you these are games serious In today’s realm of on-line search and chat, members their skills at various boat Both LMCA and Fleet 21 events. In January, winter until spring launch time. For those the Chesapeake – on of 16 C27s! Fleetto8 racers! there may be little we can offer, but I believe such as Pictionary Nautical Trivia. members hand at At thethe members Al and and Vicky Lohman (C-350 looking forwere ancillary equipment toOwners add that the camaraderie and common interest Rhiannon) hosted a Potluck Supper and their boats, the numerous vendors gave that comes from owning this great boat is Board Game Night at their home. Several them many opportunities to “burn some more than an adequate excuse to continue to members tried their skills at various games boat dollars.” Both LMCA and Fleet 21 foster the cause of membership. Check with such as Pictionary and Nautical Trivia. members were on hand at the Owners your friends in the marina or at the club. Ask them to join and contribute. Coming this year: the Bayview One – Design Regatta and CBYRA High Point; cruises on the Northern Chesapeake and the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Let us know your plans and we’ll spread the word in print and on-line. Also coming this year: a toolkit for keel bolt rehab Fax 813-200-1385 available for loan to members. Maybe in the Summer issue we’ll tell you where and when to meet for that Fleet 8 cruise! Stay Warm – Spring is coming! Catalina 27/270 International Association Everything Old is New Again 40 17 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 27/270 A Season Of “Firsts” By Tom Cobin, Thalassa At this time a year ago, I could not have imagined that my first year owning a new (to me) 1981 Catalina 27 would have been filled with such thrills! During 2011-2012 Frostbite racing in the J/80 fleet, friends who knew I had recently become boatless told me that a Catalina 27 on which they’d raced was for sale. It was in my price range; had a solid sail inventory; was equipped with racing electronics; had a lightly-used four-stroke outboard; and was generally in great shape. After brief discussions with the owner and a survey / sea-trial, she was mine! Not long after I took ownership, the characteristically warm and welcoming Catalina 27 Community in Annapolis reached out and asked if I’d be racing. Happy merely to have a boat with standing headroom on which to cruise, I explained that I didn’t think I could work out availability and crew for long-distance, overnight, or even single-day weekend racing. “What about Wednesday Nights?” came the next question. “Unfortunately,” I replied, “I’m not a member of AYC and don’t know a member who would commit to being regular crew.” That’s when I got the awesome news: AYC was going to waive the member-crew requirement for the Catalina 27 One-Design Class! Just to be sure I had heard correctly, I checked with Race Committee Chair Bobby Frey the following day during the break between Frostbite Races. “Yes, that’s right,” confirmed Bobby. “I haven’t put out the word officially yet, but we’ve decided to relax the rules to help preserve the historic Catalina 27 fleet and encourage recruitment at the Club.” This would be the dream of a lifetime: to skipper my own racing sailboat in the legendary Wednesday Night Races at Annapolis Yacht Club! I renamed the boat Thalassa for the primordial Greek marine goddess – a name which, literally translated, means “the sea.” By April, I had a decent group of potential crew members. We scheduled several weekend practices, but weather rarely cooperated with conditions conducive to getting out of the Skipper Tom Cobin of Thalassa, pointing out the next mark, or the boat to beat! slip, let alone flying the spinnaker. So when Wednesday Night Races began at the end of the month, we weren’t exactly “tuned-up” with the boat nor with each other. But, hey, I was racing my own yacht – in Annapolis! The summer was filled with fun, on and off the race course. There were day-long cruises around Annapolis Harbor and into Whitehall Bay; raft-ups in Lake Ogleton and the creeks off the Severn River (where Thalassa has her home port); sunset “booze cruises” with neighbors and friends; on-board barbecue dinners; and overnight excursions. Regular crew members Ralph Gleason, Stacie Miller, Corinne Smith and I delighted in every small achievement. First, just to get around the entire course on Wednesday Nights; then, to actually do so before TLE. To raise, lower, and jibe the spinnaker without damaging it or the rest of the boat, or injuring anyone. We kept working to improve our crew communication and coordination; make faster tacks; program waypoints into the GPS; plot strategy and tactics around the course. Consistently last across the line on Wednesday Nights, we were much more competitive sailing PHRF non-spinnaker in Eastport Yacht Club’s Beer Can Races on Friday nights: for a while, we were defending Second Place – until engine trouble sidelined Thalassa for two weeks and crew availability became spotty. Finally, on the last Wednesday Night Race of the season, with new crewmate Mike Hass and myself joined by J/80 skipper Ramzi Bannura and local sailmaker Dave Gross (who handled both spin trim and guy) – we accomplished my primary objective for the year: to “beat another boat”! At long last, Thalassa would not appear as DFL on the scoring sheet! Frostbite racing with regular crew Kristin Parsons, Seth Sill, and Mike Hass, brought a consistent cascade of improvement. Trim getting better. Cockpit choreography getting smoother. Starts and course management getting smarter. Then, on the last Frostbite race of the First Series, another major milestone: beating perennial top-performer Slam Duck! The first year with Thalassa has been the thrill of a lifetime. I consider myself charmed to be part of such a great group of sailors and new friends in Catalina 27 Fleet 8 in Annapolis! Catalina 27/270 Fleet Roster: Fleet 1 San Francisco, CA: INACTIVE Fleet 3 Lake Lanier GA: INACTIVE Fleet 4 Golden Isles, GA: Richard H. Johnston, (912) 638-6224 Fleet 8 Annapolis, MD: Curtis Sarratt, 410-279-3546, [email protected], www.catalina27fleet8.com Fleet 12 Southern California: Robert Horvath, (714) 446-2320, [email protected] Fleet 13 Tulsa, OK: Norman Hyne, (918) 299-9776, [email protected] Fleet 14 Seattle, WA: Rod Sparks, (206) 290-6679, [email protected] Fleet 19 N. Chesapeake: Dave Tierney, (410) 925-1082, [email protected] www.catalina27fleet19.com SPRING 2013 Fleet 21 Detroit: Howard Mankoff, (248) 851-3851 Fleet 51 Upper New York State: (now re-forming!), Bob Bennett, [email protected] Fleet 52 Clinton River: Christopher Cook, (248) 786 0974, [email protected] FLEET 54 Cape Cod: INACTIVE All Catalina Fleet 76 Oklahoma City, OK: Carl Borgfeld, [email protected] Fleet Tahoe: Jim Hildinger, (530) 545 1090, [email protected] 41 CATALINA 26 Catalina 26 National Association www.members.tripod.com/capri26 SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C26 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address. Mark Shockey, 410 Brookside Drive, Springboro, OH 45066 • Annual Dues: $20.00 • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Richard Lamb, [email protected] Vice Commodore: Art and Donna Pekarek, (636)464-4040, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Mark Shockey, (937) 885-3848, [email protected] Making Your Boat Your Own By Mary Kinnunen, skipper, C26 #66, Revision Some of our fleet have completed splendid projects that made their boat more userfriendly, such as the person on the C26 Yahoo! discussion board who converted the icebox lid to a wooden cutting board. While some of Revision’s upgrades have not been so technical or ambitious, they have made the boat ours, and as we secured the tarp for winter it was fun to take stock of personal touches. The “Ultra Hot” decal in the companionway was given to me by sailing buddy Connie after our experience transporting a Tripp 33 racer, Flash Gordon, from the top of Lake Michigan to the bottom. With the other half of the crew sacked out below, Connie and I sailed, then motored, through lightening so intense the horizontal bolts dripped like wax through the night sky. After that we dubbed ourselves “The Hotness” and it’s stuck. So when she saw the decal in a Texas surf shop, she just had to buy it. The other decal below decks was presented to Jeff and me during a Lake Michigan crossing aboard the S.S. Badger ferry. Some guys were celebrating the life of their deceased buddy JB a.k.a. Fat Bastard via a tour on their motorcycles. They were so bittersweet and sincere we couldn’t part with the “Fat Bastard Mainsheet Association Editor: Jeff Eaton, (715) 369-7328, [email protected] Technical Editor: Art Harden, 937.477.5544 (m), [email protected] World Tour” sticker, which is now adhered to the head door. It’s good FB juju, right? Spray painted graffiti has met its match from the knitters and crocheters in the form of “yarn bombing.” My sister-in-law, Sharon, is of that ilk and after we had fun looking at a book of mostly urban Canadian yarn bombs, she created a nice pink one for the lifeline. People walking by sometimes stop and ask a) what is it? followed by b) what does it mean? as apparently it has the air of nautical significance. The sagging Michigan Maize and Blue boat curtains are held up by lengths of line hanging from stick-on hooks that sometimes lose their adhesion in a) really hot weather b) really cold weather. The fabric was a deepdiscount bargain found in a Wisconsin crafts shop. When she was an art student, my sister Sandra painted the original of the photocopied rainbow trout that graces the bulkhead above the diesel, along with an 8” x10” photograph of our perennial garden at home that reminds us of how splendid it is when someone stays home in the summer to tend to it, rather than go sailing. We’ve found that when youngsters are aboard for a visit, it’s good to have art to entertain them, such as “Can anyone find the garden on this boat?” etc. We were so proud of ourselves after successfully applying our boat name to the hull on our own, after much measuring, sighting, remeasuring, alignment, remeasuring, realign- As she prepares her boat for its long winter nap, skipper Mary Kinnunen tends to the nicely sunbleached pink “yarn bomb” her sister-in-law Sharon crocheted for the lifeline of C26 #66 Revision. 42 The salon of a C26 gets to looking more like a storage unit during winter, but the spirit of the Wolverines bravely -- and tentatively -- clings beneath the forward hatch in the form of home-made Michigan curtains. ment, and careful burnishing. A couple summers ago, it got smeared a bit on the port side after a slight docking misjudgment of the wind, river current, and planetary alignment. Upon wondering aloud if the damaged graphic should be replaced, sailing buddy Toast advised, “Don’t. It makes it look like the boat’s going fast.” So it has stayed. One of the most important decorative touches you can make to your C26 -- or any other boat -- is a decal for the outside: the Coast Guard’s safety inspection decal, which looks quite fine on your mast. Free and voluntary, our safety inspection was conducted dockside by an auxiliary Coastie who sat in the cockpit with clipboard in hand. With his red Mount Gay Rum hat on, he checked off items from PFDs to the stove to fire extinguishers and the boat passed with flying colors. Flying colors always make a boat look good. As for that tarp mentioned at the start, as the autumn skies turn from blue to gray, many of the boats on the hard here in the Upper Great Lakes sport custom canvas covers. A good investment, no doubt as they can be used year after year. For our girl, we buy a heavy-duty hardware store tarp and rope for less than $50, stretch it over the boom to keep the snow from loading up the cockpit, and it works just fine for a couple winters before being replaced. Ah, Revision, we’ll see you when you get splashed in May. Here’s wishing everyone happy sailing in 2013! C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 25/250 & CAPRI 25 C25/250 & Capri 25 International Association www.catalina-capri-25s.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C25/250 & Capri 25 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify Catalina 25/250 and Capri 25 c/o PO Box 9840, Fayetteville AR 72703 • Annual Dues: $22, All Others: $28 (US Funds) • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Russ Johnson, [email protected] Vice Commodore: John Gisondi, [email protected] Secretary: Open Treasurer: Steve Auerbach, [email protected] Chief Measurer: Open Capri 25 Measurer: Open Commodore’s Message Russ Johnson, Commodore I am pleased to announce we have three new Mainsheet editors. Please welcome, Brian Gleissner, David Gonsalves, and John Schramm to the team. Brian Gleissner is our new Mainsheet Association Editor. He lives in Woodbury, CT and sails a 1984 Catalina-25 (Swing Keel, Std Rig). David Gonsalves is our new Catalina-250 Techincal Editor. He lives in Duvall, WA and sails a 1997 Catalina-250 (Winged Keel, Tall Rig). John Schramm is our new Capri-25 Technical Editor. He lives in Bear Creek Township, PA and sails a 1982 Capri-25. Brian, David, and John will be joining Paul Zell, our current Catalina-25 Technical Editor. Paul lives in Half Moon Bay, CA and sails a 1979 Catalina-25 (Fin Keel). On the behalf of the association, I would also like to thank Dave Bennett. Dave has been our Mainsheet Association Editor for many years and he will help Brian Gleissner during the transition. This will be the last Mainsheet issue for Dave. I know each of our Mainsheet editors are eager to hear from you and they are always looking for new articles. Here is the contact information for each of our editors: Mainsheet Association Editor Brian Gleissner, [email protected] Tech Editors Paul Zell, [email protected] David Gonsalves, [email protected] John Schramm, [email protected] SPRING 2013 Web Master: Paul Alcock, [email protected] Mainsheet Association Editor: Brian Gleissner, [email protected] C25 Technical Editor: Paul Zell, [email protected] C250 Technical Editor: David Gonsalves, [email protected] Capri 25 Technical Editor: John Schramm, [email protected] Telltale Editor: John Gisondi, [email protected] Association Editor’s Message C25 Out Going Editor Message It has been a pleasure to serve as Mainsheet Editor for our organization, but it is time for new blood. I certainly want to thank all of you who have taken the time to contribute and share your adventures. Committing to paper and publication can be daunting the first time, but all of us are glad that you did. Personally, I have enjoyed working with all of you. Numerous photos of places that I may never see and that didn’t make it to publication did, at least, come to life on my computer and gave me a glimpse of your lives. Brian Gleissner, your new editor, will need your continuing support to keep us prominent in the Magazine. Welcome him and keep him flush with articles. Keep your cameras handy and write a log, they will serve both as an outline for writing and a jog to refresh old memories. –David Bennett Thank you, Dave! We have enjoyed working with you. – Mainsheet editorial staff, Jim and Carol Read our new column “View from the Bridge” in this issue on page 11 which features C25 owner Tom Curran’s story! Brian Gleissner, Association Editor I am very excited to be stepping in as the C25/250 & Capri 25 Editor replacing Dave Bennett. My thanks go out to Dave and Russ Johnson for the opportunity to contribute to the Mainsheet publication. Dave, we wish you the best and happy sailing. I hail from Woodbury, CT where I live with my wife JoAnne, and our two Keeshonds Cisco & Charlie. I grew up on Candlewood Lake about 20 miles from here where I learned to sail Sunfish & Hobies. We have a dock on Candlewood where our ‘84 C25-SK, Knot So Fast, is moored from May to November. We purchased her in June of 2012 and after a few months of maintenance, minor repairs, and mooring negotiations we launched her in late August. She is our first “Big” sailboat so every sail has been a new experience. We got out eight times last season. The lake has its challenges with five narrow fingers, only two larger bay areas, a few islands, and high surrounding hills. When we are not sailing we enjoy, cycling, camping, traveling, walks with the dogs, and snow skiing. I am looking forward to working with the C25/250 & Capri 25 Team and the Catalina Owners Association Members to share our experiences with the readers. YOU CAN GET A FREE YEAR OF ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP! Just give us a lead that turns into a paid ad in Mainsheet of any size and we will pay your Association dues for one year! Contact Jim Holder for more information at [email protected] or (706) 951-4282 43 CATALINA 22 Catalina 22 National Association www.catalina22.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C22 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address. • Annual Dues: Associate Member (no Mainsheet) $27.50, Add $14 for 4 issues of Mainsheet. Contact C22 Association for other options, or visit www.catalina22.org • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Ted McGee, 404.915.1173, [email protected] Rear Commodore: Kevin Williams, 817-233-6688, [email protected] Chief Measurer: Dennis Slaton, 770.534.2657, [email protected] National Cruising Captain: Pat Noonn, 215.377.5125, [email protected] Commodore’s Message Ted McGee, Commodore As we go into 2013, we’re looking for a MainBrace Editor to step up and fill Gene’s shoes. Gene has done an awesome job over the years and it will be sad to see him go. That said, the MainBrace Editor is one of the most important positions in the Association and we need someone who is committed to ensuring we continue to receive a quality publication. I reported in the last issue of MainBrace that we had appointed a special committee to review how our National Regatta is handled. I have seen their preliminary work and it is clear they have taken this job seriously. Their work includes venue expectations as well as how a race committee should manage races. Final drafts should be available in the next couple of weeks and will be made available to our membership. In addition, our Measurer, Dennis Slaton, has actively worked on updating the class rules to include many rulings that somehow did not make it into the published one design rules. The other day I was on the phone with a friend and he said something about the size of the print on the web. Most of us that have found our way into our 60s and beyond seem to suffer the same problem with vision. Large print is our friend. Did you know Gene and I incorporated a little trick on the web just for people like us? On the top of the web page you will find a row of little icons. The boxed “T” on the left will increase the size of the font each time you click on it. The boxed “square” next to it will return the font to normal size. The smaller boxed “T” on the right decreases the font size. There is also a row of boxes with various colors. These change the color of certain attributes on the web which may make some elements easier to see. The left most blue box returns the web to its default color palette. Dora and I had the privilege of going to the National Regatta in California. We did not get to compete but we did get to spend time with many old friends and had the opportunity to make new friends. Dora and I are both 44 Vice Commodore: Beattie Purcell, 850-243-2290, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Dora McGee, 770.887.9728 phone/fax, [email protected] MainBrace Editor: VACANT Technical Editor - Cruising: Louis Plaisance, 225.673.1790, [email protected] from California and it was a treat to visit some of our old stomping grounds. The regatta was held at Scotts Flat Lake, Nevada City. We are very familiar with that area. My uncle had property in the Grass Valley/Nevada City area and my brother and I spent a lot of time swimming and rafting on the South Yuba River. It also gave us a chance to see David Torrisi. As Bring Me All Your Flowers Now I would rather have a single rose from the garden of a friend, then have the choicest flowers when my stay on Earth must end. I would rather have the kindest words which may now be said to me, than flattered when my heart is still, and this life has ceased to be. I would rather have a loving smile from the friends I know are true, than tears shed around my casket, when this world I’ve bade adieu! Bring me all your flowers, most of us know, David passed away on September 18, 2012 after a 2 ½ year battle with a brain tumor. He served as Vice Commodore to the association, Region 10 Commodore and was the fleet captain of two fleets. David competed in the 2012 National Regatta, still showing the enthusiasm he has always had for the sport of sailing. I cannot express any more eloquently than Rich Fox did on the website what David meant to the association and the many friends he sailed with. I cannot express any more deeply the heartbreak his crew and fellow sailors have expressed. I came across an old poem that was one of my Grandmother’s favorites. She kept it on a folded and torn piece of paper for years. It reminds me that our friends and loved ones may not always be around. whether pink, or white, or red. I’d rather have one blossom now then a truckload when I’m dead. - R.D. Richards C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 22 2013 Great Lakes Cruise July 21-27 on Lake Erie By Mike Brackett 1. Sail the Ohio coast line from Port Clinton to Sandusky and the South Passage including South Bass Island, Middle Bass Island, Kelly Island. 2. Sail the same waters as Commodore Oliver H. Perry and the US Brig Niagara when they crushed the British Fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie, Sept. 1813. 3. Cruise includes a stop at the Cedar Point Amusement Park for die-hard Roller Coaster fans. 4. Watch www.Fleet130.org for more details or contact Mike Bracket at [email protected] 2012 Gone with the Wind Regatta By Reid Collins This year’s Gone with the Wind Regatta was held the weekend of September 15-16 on Lake Lanier, GA. Once again, it was a wellattended event with boats from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, and Texas. We were very excited to have Ben Miller and Lynn Van Hooser join us from Texas this year. Our Texan friends are a great addition to the list of regular participants for this regatta. The regatta started out Friday evening with a cookout and the Lake Lanier Sailing Club campground and beach area. If I had to guess I’d say there were easily probably 20 or so in attendance that evening cooking out and having cocktails. It will definitely be something we do again at future regattas as I think everyone had a great time. The forecast for racing was not exactly stellar and, unfortunately, it pretty much proved to be an accurate forecast for the entire weekend. Even with the forecast, I think we all still had a really good time overall. In any case, racing started on Saturday and 3 races were run in pretty light conditions. Dennis Slaton (GA) seemed to have the formula for the conditions and concluded the day with a 4 point lead over Justin Chambers (GA) in the gold fleet. The silver fleet was amazingly tight with Don Berridge (TN) holding a slim 3 point lead over Mark Cline (AL). After racing Saturday, everyone thoroughly enjoyed BBQ prepared by Dennis Slaton and Greg Cash. I think almost everyone won something in the raffle with prizes from our great sponsors including Waters Sails, Gus Sails, Blue Star Sails, West Marine, Teasley Rigging, and Slaton Boatworks. SPRING 2013 Sunday, the fleets awakened to very similar light conditions. A single race was run before the wind completely shut off for the duration. Justin Chambers performed his magic in the light while Dennis struggled for this one giving Justin the win for the Gold fleet. Ginger Noble (AL) from Lake Weiss, AL ended up winning the last race of the silver fleet while the leader from Saturday, Don Berridge, had a tough go on Sunday with a 7th place. Mark Cline, who was in 2nd place after Saturday racing, ended up a 4th in the Sunday race. Mark and Don ended up tied overall for the Silver fleet, but Don won on the tiebreak due to his excellent racing on Saturday. In addition to our great sponsors, I’d like to thank all of our volunteers, including David Reddaway who has been a great PRO for the last couple of years. Last but not least, I have to thank our terrific fleet members. Our fleet is a very tight bunch who are also tremendous fun to sail against and with. On a side note, I am sitting here watching the Country Music Awards being held in Nashville thinking about how much fun I recently had attending the C22 regatta up there a short few weeks ago. I am looking forward to the season kicking back up in full force in January with the Fun-N-Sun regatta held in the warm Florida keys in early January. Hope to see everyone soon! Read our new column “Fleet Development” in this issue on page 14 featuring C22 owner Mike Bracket. C22 Fleet 130 hosts booth at the local Boat Show YOU CAN GET A FREE YEAR OF ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP! Just give us a lead that turns into a paid ad in Mainsheet of any size and we will pay your Association dues for one year! Contact Jim Holder for more information at [email protected] or (706) 951-4282 45 US SAILING. We were there from the start... Junior Sailor Sailing Instructor PRO Club Racer One Design Competitor WWW.USSAILING.ORG LEADERSHIP, INTEGRITY AND ADVANCEMENT FOR THE SPORT OF SAILING and we are with you along the way. Join Today. This is not your ordinary piece of plastic. With it you are provided resources and benefits for every aspect of the sport. From the opti sailor to the offshore racer, your US SAILING membership elevates your experiences. membership.ussailing.org or call 800.877.2451 46 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T COLUMN | NEWSWORTHY Newsworthy Sailing Industry Icons Gather By Dave Ellis, President of Affinity Marketing & Communications On the first day of the 2012 St. Petersburg, Fla Power and Sailboat Show, an incredible gathering of early sailing industry icons came together at the Renaissance Vinoy for a Golden Keels & Rudders luncheon to celebrate the achievements that they contributed to the sailing industry. “There was so much history and talent at this gathering,” reported Island Packet Yachts President Bob Johnson. “The warm feeling between everyone was indicative of the mutual respect and admiration shared by all.” The group included industry pioneers who began their own companies decades ago, resulting in hiring thousands of employees—some who generated spin-off companies and realized their own individual successes. Included in the group were: (standing, from left) Pat Reischmann, Manta Catamarans; Ted Irwin, founder of Irwin Yachts; Bob Johnson, founder and president of Island Packet Yachts; Brad Lazzara, president of Lazzara Yachts; Jopie Helsen, president of Sailors Wharf; Gerry Hutchins, Com-Pac Yachts; Frank Butler, founder and president of Catalina Yachts; Larry French, French Enterprises/JSI; Charley Morgan, retired founder of Morgan and Heritage Yachts; Gerry Douglas, VP and chief design engineer, Catalina Yachts; Vince Caulfield, senior sales Manager of General Ecology; Sharon Day, VP and national sales director, Catalina Yachts; Dick Lazzara, VP Lazzara Yachts; Rich Hutchins, Com-Pac Yachts; Bob Vincent, president of Endeavour Yachts; and Max Hazelwood of Welmax Marine; (front row, left to right) Bill Bolin, VP of sales and marketing, Island Packet Yachts; George Day, publisher/owner, Blue Water Sailing Magazine; Rich Mastry, president of Mastry Marine; Tom Casey, regional ad director, Blue Water Sailing Magazine; and Ron Frisosky, sales rep for Catalina Yachts. Reprinted from All at Sea Southeast with permission. Catalina 18 International Association SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C18 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address. • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: Position Open Vice Commodore: Position Open Secretary/ Treasurer: Eric Van Renselaar, [email protected] Association Editor: Mark Wilson, 805-469-2460, [email protected] Tech Editor: Position Open No submissions this issue. Please contact your Association Editor to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet. Coronado 15 National Association www.coronado15.org SUBMISSIONS: Would you like to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet? Contact your C15 Association Editor • DEADLINE DATES: March 1st, June 1st, September 1st and December 1st. • MOVING? Do not send your address changes to the Mainsheet. Please notify your Association of any change in address. Coronado 15 National Association, Sue Fishman, 547 Garden Street, Sacramento, CA 95815 • Annual Dues: $44 • Membership Renewal on page 48. Commodore: John Richardson, 323-422-5921, [email protected] Vice Commodore: John Richardson, (323) 640-4202, [email protected] Rear Commodore: Charles Quest, (650) 823-4572, [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer: Steve Fishman, (916) 832-8015, [email protected] Technical Editor: Paul Vance, (916) 990-1745, [email protected] Association Editor: Kiersten Vance, (916) 990-1748, [email protected] No submissions this issue. Please contact your Association Editor to submit an article for publication in this section of Catalina Mainsheet. SPRING 2013 47 MAINSHEET ADVERTISING INDEX A.B. Marine............................................15 Ahoy Captain........................................34 The Canvas Store..................................32 CatalinaOutfitters.com........................37 Catalina Yachts.....................................11 Cruising Design, Inc..............................28 Doyle.................................................. 3, 15 Edson.....................................................C4 FX Sails..................................................33 Forespar............................................12-13 Garhauer Marine..................................C3 Genco Marine........................................28 Harken...................................................T2 Kato Marine............................................9 Mariners General Insurance................14 MarsKeel................................................36 National Sail Supply.............................40 North Sails Direct...................................1 North U..................................................23 Ocean Equipment.................................38 Prism Polish...........................................32 Ronstan..................................................18 Sail America............................................2 SailNightVisionCap.com.......................24 Sail Warehouse.....................................22 Signet Marine.......................................30 Standout Yacht Fittings.......................35 JOIN OR RENEW YOUR ASSOCIATION • ADDRESS CHANGE Your subscription to Catalina Mainsheet is paid by your Association from your annual dues excpt where noted. New boat owners receive a one year subscription compliments of their dealer. Join or renew your Association membership and enjoy the many benefits, including Catalina Mainsheet. Change of address needs to be sent to your Association below: Catalina 470 Catalina 470 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $25 (US Funds) Catalina Morgan 440 CM440 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $35 (US Funds) Catalina 42 Catalina 42 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $25 (US Funds) Two years: $45 US Three years: $65 US Catalina 400 Catalina 400 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $25 Catalina 38 Steve Orton Mailing Address January-April: 29651 Wilhite Ln. Valley Center, CA. 92082 Mailing Address May-December: 10611 SE Cisco Rd. Port Orchard, WA. 98367 Annual Dues: Mail- $25.00; Credit Card- $26.00 Catalina 380/385/387/390 Bob Bierly 80 Thompson Court Reedville, VA 22539 Annual Dues: $25 Two years: $48 Outside US: $35 (US funds) Outside US two years: $68 (US funds) Ullman Sails...........................................16 Wells Marine.........................................31 Zarcor.....................................................C2 Catalina 36/375 Laura Olsen 9033 Montainberry Circle Frederick, MD 21702 Annual Dues: $30 Supporting Member (no Mainsheet): $20 Three Years (includes CD): $90 Catalina 350 Catalina 350 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $25 Catalina 34/355 Stu Jackson 557 Crestmont Dr. Oakland, CA 94619-2319 Annual Dues: $25 Two years $45 Catalina 320 Catalina 320 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues $24 Catalina 310 Mark Zabawa 506 Winding Brook Court Lake St. Lewis, MO 63367 Annual Dues $24 All Others $28 (U.S. Funds) IC30A/309 IC30A c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues $25 US / $30 Other Two Years $45 US / $55 other Associate Member/No Mainsheet $15 US Catalina 28 Catalina 28 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $20 Canada/Mexico $24 (US Funds) All others $27 (US Funds) Catalina 27/270 International 27/270 Association c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 [email protected] Annual Dues: $25 Canada/Mexico $30 (US funds) All others $30 (US funds) Catalina 26 Mark Shockey 410 Brookside Drive Springboro, OH 45066 Annual Dues: $20 All others $26 (US funds) Catalina 25/250 & Capri 25 c/o PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $22 All others: $28 (US funds) Catalina 22 Dora McGee 3790 Post Gate Drive Cumming, GA 30040 Associate Member/No Mainsheet Annual Dues: $27.50 $14.00 for 4 issues of Mainsheet Catalina 18 Erik Van Renselaar 2 Brengle Court Petaluma, CA 94954 Coronado 15 Sue Fishman 547 Garden Street Sacramento, CA 95815 Annual Dues: $44 Catalina Owners without Organized Association IACA Members PO Box 9840 Fayetteville, AR 72703 Annual Dues: $15 Make checks payable to your association. Mail completed form with dues to address above. Mail address change to address above, not Mainsheet. 2/13 NEW RENEWAL ADDRESS CHANGE Did you purchase your boat new?_______ Month/Year__________________________________________________________________________ If No, name and address of former owner______________________________________________________________________________________ Your Name_________________________________________________ Spouse_________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City________________________________________________________ State____________________________ Zip___________________________ Phone (______)___________________ E-mail:_______________________________________ Bus: (______)__________________________________ Former Address (if changed)__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Boat Name_____________________________ Boat Length______________________________________ Hull No. __________Sail No.__________ Keel: SW________ FX_______ W__________ Mast: tall________ STD________ Berth Location/Marina_______________________________________ City____________________________________________________________ State_______________________________________________________ Zip____________________________________________________________ 48 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T Technical Pull-Out Q&A FOR YOUR CATALINA THAT’S BEEN FACTORY APPROVED FOR ACCURACY Catalina 470 National Association C470 Association Technical Editor Joe Rocchio [email protected] Voltage surges or drops come from similar sources: the starter, bow thruster, windlass, electric winches, etc. can all draw a lot of current on start up and thus cause the voltage to drop for devices that are connected to the same source (battery bank). High frequency noise transients can come from the shore power grid, nearby lightning strikes, power controllers in LED lights and computer power supplies, etc. And don’t forget onboard radios both VHF and SSB. So it’s a noisy electric power world out there on your boat! What to do. The ostrich approach doesn’t work beyond a few devices and it still ends up costing you $$ in the end. This I have proved! There’s really nothing to do but to install a dedicated power conditioner that feeds clean, stable 12V DC to the Each year, the array of electronic devices that are available for use on a modern sailboat expands greatly. Functionality increases while size, power consumption, and cost decrease. The result is that owners are continuously expanding the number of devices (toys?) aboard and in doing so; they greatly increase the ease, safety, and downright fun of sailing. But beware! Hazards lie there in the deep complexities of these electronics. The problem stems from the fact that the microprocessors and other microcircuits imbedded in all that new electronic gear do not behave well if their power source is noisy or unstable – and boats are very noisy environments. While their internal power supplies can deal with some of the noise, it would be cost and size prohibitive to do it well enough in each device to cover the more severe cases. So tradeoffs are made – and they can bite the boater later. What are the sources of this “noise” on our boats? There are several types: spikes/transients; voltage surges or drops; and high frequency RF signals. Spikes or transients can occur when a power source is connected or disconnected. There are many things on a boat that produce this such as activation (turning on and or off) a battery switch, a battery combiner solenoid, an inverter or charger, a bow thruster or windlass, an engine starter, etc. MAINSHEET Catalina Mainsheet is published quarterly by Eagle Ltd., Jim Holder, 830 Willow Lake, Evans, GA 30809 Phone (706) 651-0587 & Fax (706) 651-0533 • [email protected]. For advertising information, contact Jim Holder, Eagle Ltd. For subscription information see page 48. Technical articles are the opinion of the authors and not necessarily the advice of Catalina Yachts, Catalina Mainsheet or the National Associations. Managing the Noisy World in a Modern Electronic Sailboat MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT Spring 2013 • Vol. 31 • No. 1 Publisher/Editor Jim Holder Associate Editor Carol VandenBerg 830 Willow Lake Evans, GA Phone (706) 651-0587 Fax (706) 651-0533 [email protected] Technical Editor Gerry Douglas Designer & Engineer Catalina Yachts (818) 884-7700 [email protected] SPRING 2013 Direct questions and comments to your class technical editor. Catalina 470 Joe Racchio [email protected] Catalina Morgan 440 Mike Simpson [email protected] Catalina 42 Gene Fuller [email protected] Catalina 400 Brian Mistrot [email protected] Olav Pederson [email protected] Catalina 380/387/390 380/390 Tim Porter [email protected] 387 Tom Brantigan [email protected] 385 Chuck Couture [email protected] Catalina 38 Steve Smolinske ssmolinske@ rainierrubber.com Catalina 36/375 Pre MK II Hulls Steve Frost sfrost@ corpairtech.com MK II Hulls Bud Street [email protected] C375 Francois Desrochers Ontario, Canada [email protected] Catalina 310 Bill Lewis [email protected] Catalina 30/309 Max Munger catalina30@ verizon.net Catalina 28 Dick Barnes dickbarnes@ earthlink.net Catalina 350 Bill Templeton [email protected] Catalina 27/270 C27 Judy Blumhorst [email protected] C270 Phil Agur [email protected] Catalina 34 John M. Nixon [email protected] Catalina 26 Art Harden [email protected] Catalina 320 Chris Burti [email protected] Catalina 25/250/Capri 25 C25 Paul Zell catalina25tech@ catalina-capri-25s.org C250 David Gonsalves catalina250tech@ catalina-capri-25s.org Capri 25 John Schramm capri25tech@ catalina-capri-25s.org Catalina 22 Technical Editor-Cruising Louis Plaisance LouisPlaisance@ hotmail.com Catalina 18 Erik Van Renselaar [email protected] Coronado 15 Paul Vance drpaulvance@ comcast.net T1 CATALINA 470 Performance Specifications for NP-12 Power Stabilizer Model: NP-12 Output: 20 amps Max. @ 12 Volt Back-Up Power: 7 Amps for fifteen (15) minutes 10 Amps for eight (8) minutes 15 Amps for two (2) minutes 20 Amps for one (1) minute Battery: Sealed Rechargeable 5.0 Amp-Hour, 5-7 years typical life, can be replaced. Low-voltage disconnect circuit protects battery from total discharge. Certified by DOT and IATA for shipment by air. Replacement battery P/N: 591-0412-0 zoo of electronic devices aboard. The good news is that all those electronics do not use very much current so a moderate size and cost power conditioner will do the job. After tolerating intermittent power stability problems aboard Onward for years, I finally decided to fix the problem when the network communication module of the autopilot died (in rough seas, of course) forcing me to buy a new course computer. While I didn’t have hard evidence that the failure was due to power problems, there was a large body of circumstantial evidence that I had built up over the years that made me loath to expose an expensive new course computer and the rest of Onward’s electronics to the same power environment. A bit of research led me to purchase and install a power conditioner and backup system. There are several on the market. I chose ESP Jib REEfing & fuRling You’ll wonder how you ever sailed without it The Harken ESP Furler was designed for cruisers, packing safety and simplicity into an efficient, hassle-free package. Harken Quality and Performance for tHe cruising sailor www.harken.com T2 Noise Filtering: Audio through 200 MHZ Voltage Spike Protection: Transient energy capability; 100 Joules, 4,000 amps Max (8 x 20 micro seconds) a unit based on performance specs and reasonable cost. The NavPac Navigation Power Conditioner Model NP-12 by Newmar has filters that protect against voltage spikes, transients and noise that combines this with an integral 12V battery to provide continuous stable 12V power during short term power drops or outages. It has a current capacity of 20 amps. Basic installation of the power conditioner is fairly straightforward: connect a source of 12V power (+, Ground) to the unit as input then connect the power lines to the systems that you want to protect to the output side. Noisy unstable unreliable power goes in, clean stable power comes out. Neat. Now implementing this took a tad of doing. One of the things I love about the C470 is the beautiful job Catalina and Seaward did in designing and building the DC power distribution panel. I think it is functionally elegant, logically laid out and well executed. However, the circuits whose power I wanted to stabilize on Onward were all in the Nav/Comm section: VHF Radio, Nav Instruments, Autopilot, Radar, Signal Amp (used for 12 V receptacles to power portable electronic items on Onward), Aux 10 (my Sirius Weather module), Aux 11 (my AIS) are located in three different vertical columns of circuit breakers that are powered from three different interconnected bus bars. I chose to cut the three bus bars and install appropriate jumper cables so that the circuits whose power I wanted to stabilize could all be fed by the NP-12 while the remaining circuits would continue to be fed as in the original design. Labeling the circuit breaker columns A to D (left to right) and the circuit breakers 1 to 10 (top to bottom in each column), I chose to stabilize circuits A6, A7, A8, B6, C6, C7, C8. With a bit of care and patience this was readily done. I attached the NP-12 to the headliner at the top rear center of the upper AC distribution panel compartment where there was sufficient space and easy cable runs to and from the unit and the DC distribution panel. I ran 12V DC (+, Ground) feeds from the same source that feeds the DC circuit breaker panel to the input terminals of the NP-12. Then I connected the NP-12 output terminals to the interconnected mini-bus bars that feed the instrumentation circuits. Voilà! Clean power. No more strange behavior of instruments when the engine is started or bow thruster used or when the windlass hits a bit of tough hauling. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA MORGAN 440 Catalina Morgan 440 National Association CM440 Association Editor Mike Simpson [email protected] Salon Table Cushion Storage Now that we’re cruising, space is at a premium and thankfully our 440 has plenty of it. However, we were always looking for a place to store the salon table cushion. It’s large, bulky, and seems to get in the way of everything no matter where we put it. The lazarette storage was quickly ruled out as it was constantly exposed to the elements and items were always being stored and removed on an almost daily basis. The “garage” was another option, but the dark recesses made it difficult to access it for movie night or extra guests. And we didn’t like the idea of placing it into a storage bag to later find it to be mildewed or worse. What we came up with was rather simple. Looking at the aft berth, there is a large amount of space on the ceiling towards the starboard side. Hanging it there appeared to be an excellent solution to have it out of the way, yet easily accessible. Using the screws from the bookshelf support bracket as my guide – the one you hang it from to access the garage – I carefully drilled similar holes in the ceiling. Of course, drilling up into your cockpit floor may give you the puckers, but rest assured it’s pretty thick. To make sure you do not drill too deep, I’ve found it easy to determine your drill depth by measuring your bit from the tip and then wrapping the extra lower half with electrical tape. Push slowly and carefully and when you reach the tape, you’re there. I then secured three lengths of 1" webbing with plastic quick release SPRING 2013 buckles to the ceiling with screws and large washers. The screws were bedded with sealant for good measure. The oversized washers help distribute the load and prevent tearing of the webbing. After that, you’re pretty much done. To store the cushion, lift it towards the ceiling and wrap it with one of the straps. Snap on the other two and the cushion is secure, out of the way, yet quickly ready for use. The feedback from our guests was that it did not interfere with sleeping and there was no closed in “cave” feeling. On a scale of 1 to 10 for complexity, I’d rank this as a 2 and it took me a little over an hour to complete. Wirie For cruising sailors, keeping in touch with news, email, blogs, etc., requires some form of data connection. Sure, we can have nice data plans added to our phones, tablets, and such, but they are pricey and telephone companies no longer have truly unlimited policies. SSB is an option, but the speed, complexity, and atmospheric deviations can make it rather unwieldy. Satellite systems, such as KVH models, give you the ability to roam the planet, but their expense will make you cry. We found a simple and cost effective solution, recommended to us by our friends at Mazocean. The WirieAP is an all in one omnidirectional booster/ receiver and wireless router that allows you to pick up wireless signals up to five miles away. It’s easy to install and configure and it immediately found signals our laptop, tablet, and phones could not. Note, the receiver picked up EVERY broadcasting router in the area, both secured and open. You, of course, can connect to the secured ones providing you have the code. The open/unsecured ones are free, but you may be at the mercy of multiple connections, decreased security, and reduced speed. However, being able to access the net from your boat, without having to lug your pc, adapters and such in your dinghy is a blessing. The threat of dropping it, getting it wet, or stolen ashore can be a major hassle. The install was straightforward and easy. Wirie recommends that you install it above your deck – about 5-8 feet. A mast install would be great, but it’s not necessary. We chose to add it to one of the supports of our wind generator. The kit comes with a mounting bracket that allowed the unit to be mounted 30 degrees off center, keeping it vertical on the pole. I drilled a hole in the stern railing right above where the existing one is for the stern rail light and fed the included 40' power cable through it and into the garage. From there it was led to the nav station for power. This was the hardest part of the entire install as you have to run the power cabling behind the aft head. Use a wire snake fed from the nav station side to run a messenger line from the aft berth. The wiring follows a path from behind the aft head, through the bulkhead, and then up and behind the shelf in the aft berth. It’s a bit tight, but is workable with patience… The instructions recommend adding a 2 amp inline fuse and an on/off switch. I added the switch below the nav table. Once you have everything all connected, the easy to follow instructions will have you online in no time. Even this ex-server administrator could figure it out… On a complexity level of 1-10, I’d rate this one a 3. Some drilling, wire runs, and electrical connection knowledge are necessary. Installation time took me about 4 hours – the wire run taking the longest. Check it out and enjoy free internet from your boat! T3 CATALINA 42 Catalina 42 National Association C42 Association Technical Editor Gene Fuller 941-505-0215 [email protected] Tachometer Maintenance A subject that comes up regularly on the C42 Association discussion board is the issue of erratic tachometer readings and incorrect calibrations. Since we have no upgrade or repair projects to report in this issue I thought I would take the opportunity to give a brief explanation of how tachometers work and how to keep them reading correctly. Really old tachometers were purely mechanical devices, and modern tachometers such as those in new autos may be purely digital devices. The tachometers on our boats are hybrids of sorts. They receive electrical pulses from the engine and then drive a mechanical pointer. The rate of the electrical pulses is directly related to the RPM of the engine. I believe most or all of the C42 tachometers were made by Teleflex or most recently by VeeThree, a company The pulses from any engine model are sent to the helm station through a dedicated wire that is bundled with the rest of the wires used for gauges, alarms, and starter controls. The tachometer receives the pulses, processes the incoming signal, and then converts the pulse signal to a pair of DC voltages used to drive the pointer to a specific dial location. The part we can maintain and adjust is the signal processing section that receives the electrical pulses and prepares them for the converter section. There are two adjustments possible. First is the range switch on the back of the tachometer case. These tachometers are designed to be universal, covering a large number of different engines and configurations. The pulse rate is directly related to the RPM, but that relationship varies depending on the engine model. For the earlier engine models with the flywheel pickup the pulse rate depends on the number of teeth on the flywheel. The 4JH3 flywheel has 127 The newer 4JH4 engines supply tachometer pulses from the alternator. The signal is derived from the alternator windings before the alternator output is converted to DC. Typically the signal pulses 12 times for each revolution of the alternator. that purchased the Teleflex marine instrument product line. The electrical pulses that come from the Yanmar engines are from two possible origins. The earlier engines, including the 4JH, 4JH2, and 4JH3, include a magnetic pickup device that counts teeth on the flywheel as they pass. (Incidentally, I have heard a number of people mistakenly call the large disk at the forward end of the engine the flywheel. That is a vibration damper. The flywheel is at the very back of the engine, inside a housing between the engine block and the transmission.) The later 4JH4 engines starting around hull 900 in 2005 get electrical pulses from the alternator rather than the flywheel. I will get back to these sources a bit later. T4 teeth, and the number is similar for the 4JH and 4JH2 models. At full throttle, about 3600 RPM or 60 revolutions per second, that creates a pulse rate of 7620 Hz. The newer 4JH4 engines supply tachometer pulses from the alternator. The signal is derived from the alternator windings before the alternator output is converted to DC. Typically the signal pulses 12 times for each revolution of the alternator. However, the alternator spins quite a bit faster than the engine because the crankshaft pulley and the alternator pulley are not the same size. At full engine RPM the alternator may spin as fast as 6000 RPM. This in turn gives a pulse rate of 1200 Hz. It is important that the alternator belt is kept properly tensioned in order to avoid slippage which would change the speed of the alternator and the calibration of the tachometer. The range switch on the tachometer will be marked with number of flywheel teeth or simply with letters A through E. If the range switch is in an incorrect position the tachometer reading will be very far from accurate. In general the range switch is “sealed” with a dab of red paint, but it is possible that someone has previously moved the switch to the wrong location. Any switch can undergo a bit of corrosion in the moist marine atmosphere, and this switch typically is never moved. The electrical connection can become intermittent. The maintenance procedure for this switch is to gently move it away from its standard position and then return it. Do this multiple times, but be careful not to force the switch beyond its end positions. The other adjustment is a fine tuning potentiometer. This is accessed through a small hole in the back of the tachometer case and is adjusted with a small screwdriver. Similar to the range switch, this potentiometer can build up a tiny bit of corrosion. The tachometer reading might become intermittent or permanently incorrect from the poor electrical path. The maintenance procedure is to gently turn the potentiometer back and forth, being careful not to go beyond its end points. If you are not doing a full tachometer calibration it is important to carefully note the position of the screwdriver slot before starting the maintenance procedure. Return the slot to exactly the same position or the calibration will change. If you plan to calibrate the tachometer by using an independent reference, such as an optical tachometer aimed at the damper, then returning the potentiometer to its original position is not as critical. I do not recommend the use of lubricating sprays or any other cleaning materials. Simple mechanical motion should be enough to clean the corrosion to provide steady and accurate tachometer indications. The basic mechanism in the tachometer is very widely used in all sorts of gauges and all sorts of applications. It is quite robust and quite reliable. The marine environment presents a challenge to any electrical or electronic equipment. If your tachometer is misbehaving a bit, these simple procedures may bring it back to “like-new” condition. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 400 Catalina 400 National Association C400 Association Technical Editor Brian Mistrot (888) 347-6726 [email protected] Sailnet.com or Cruisersforum.com C400 Association Technical Editor Olav N. Pedersen 713-907-3301 (cell) [email protected] Propane Locker Project When I purchased Juniper (2006 C400 #307) in 2009, she came with a single 10# rusty steel LPG tank in the propane locker. I knew this was not the way it came from the factory, and I knew it had to be changed. Doing some research, I found a relatively new type of propane tank available from a company called The Lite Cylinder Company. It is made of composite materials, nonrusting, translucent to check propane levels, more reasonably priced than aluminum tanks, and DOT approved: http://www.litecylinder.com/products. aspx The only problem was it wouldn’t fit. It was too tall for the propane locker. Tanks were also available in a horizontal configuration (similar to the OEM aluminum tank), but if I bought that type, there wouldn’t be room for a second tank, which was one of my desires. Time to make some modifications. After measuring not twice, but six times, out came the sabre saw. I couldn’t see any way to easily take the propane locker out of the boat, so all work was done in place. I removed the hanging storage bag from the lazarette, plus all the other “stuff” that had accumulated down there to give me room to work. I removed the piece of wood in the bottom of the locker (the old mounting board). I drew a line around the inside of the locker, parallel to both the top of the locker and the waterline, roughly 6-8" up from the bottom of the locker. I cut along the line, using a sabre saw on the flat surfaces, and a dremel tool on the corners. The bottom of the locker is sloped inboard, so that liquid or gas can drain overboard, through the drain hose at the inboard end, to the transom. Preserving that slope and drain is important for storing LPG in the locker. My measurements indicated that I needed to drop the bottom of the locker 3.5" to make room for the vertical composite tanks. I cut pieces of 1/8" lauan (very thin plywood) 3.5" wide, and as long as the flat portions of the locker, as a spacer. Duct tape (what else?!) was SPRING 2013 used inside the locker to temporarily hold everything in place (the upper part of the locker, lauan spacer, and the lower part of the locker). After roughing up the surfaces and cleaning with acetone, I put a layer of fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin around the outside of the locker, overlapping the joint a couple of inches top and bottom. Once that was dry, I took off the duct tape, and put a layer of glass around the inside of the locker, again overlapping the joint by a few inches top and bottom. I finished with a third layer of glass around the outside, slightly wider than the first layer. I didn’t bother painting or gelcoating the fiberglass, as it can’t be seen unless you really look for it in the lazarette. The locker still drains through the original fitting and hose to the transom. The width and length of the locker were not changed. The new depth of the locker is 17.5" outboard and 19" inboard. Two composite 10# vertical LPG tanks now fit inside the locker, with a little room to spare. I didn’t want anything to move, so I installed a webbing strap (similar to a battery tiedown strap) inside the locker to hold the tanks in place against each other. On the downstream side of the solenoid (outboard), I installed a Tee-fitting valve and pigtail for the BBQ grill, eliminating the need for those rusty one pound disposable propane cylinders that I hate. After two years of use, everything has worked perfectly. The tanks are secure, easy to check and change, and the coiled BBQ pigtail stores on top of them. The picture shows the two tanks and BBQ pigtail in the locker. –Tom Sokoloski, Juniper #307, Noank, CT Hot Water Heater Connections We recently noticed water in the bilge under the hot water heater. At first, we thought the hot water heater itself might have been leaking. But after further examination, we found the fittings had failed. The plastic fittings coming off the hot water heater have not held up well on our boat. We had already replaced one, and now were back to replacing another off the T. This time, we installed a brass nipple with corresponding T’s and hose barbs. Everything is brass, and the cost is not that much more than plastic. Not only are these much more sturdy, they will withstand the constant high temperatures that seem to corrode the plastics. The process is very simple and you can likely buy your parts from Home Depot or Lowes (one of the very few times you will ever hear me reccomending buying parts for your boat from them). Take out the plastic fitting and put a brass nipple extending out, followed by corresponding brass T and Hose Barb fittings. Some will use Teflon tape for their fittings. On brass, I prefer a product called Leak Lock (blue pipe dope). The finished product can be seen. If nothing else, please make sure to check your fittings on your hot water heater. Since every single one has failed on Sea Mist, I suspect my boat was not the only boat that has shown this issue. –Brian Mistrot, C400 Tech Editor, S/V Sea Mist IV, HN# 289 T5 CATALINA 38 Catalina 38 International Association C38 Association Technical Editor Steve Smolinske SSmolinske@ rainierrubber.com How To Replace That Dangerous Ampere Meter! Many years ago Tom Troncalli (C38 Technical Editor Emeritus) wrote the now famous article on replacing our original equipment series amp meters with a volt meter. His article has been plagiarized throughout the internet and is still in circulation today. Within the last few weeks there have been several requests on the C38 listserve, asking for information about this upgrade. I did this upgrade on Peregrine a few winters ago while installing a heavier duty alternator. Because this critical upgrade is something that should really be addressed in our boats and because I am not an electrical engineer, I submitted this article for review by Tom and also by Tim Dies of High Seas Electrical. Tim is my go-to-guy for all things electrical as I know just enough to get myself in trouble! Tom’s encyclopedic knowledge of our boats goes without saying. When our boats were manufactured the practice at the time was to install a series amp meter, which as the name implies shows amperage. The series amp meter installed originally in our boats engine control panel tells nothing of the state of charge of your battery! Rather, it only shows the amount of amperage coming out of the alternator. As the batteries charge the regulator kicks in and lowers the output from the alternator which reduces the amperage. The assumption is that as the amperage decreases the battery is nearing a full charge. On the other hand a volt meter installed at the engine control panel will initially show a higher voltage for the battery bank at the beginning of the charging cycle and as the battery reaches a full charge the volt meter will register somewhere around 12.6 to 12.8 volts. Batteries will bulk charge somewhere in the 14.1 to 14.5 volt range a battery showing 11.9 volts is considered drained. The important point to keep in mind are issues of safety regarding this configuration. I need to take a minute to differentiate between the series amp meter at the engine control panel with an ammeter that might be installed T6 elsewhere in the circuit as on Peregrine where I have one at the DC sub panel. The ammeter is wired to the battery and a DC shunt in order to display the amperage leaving or entering the battery this is very useful for battery maintenance but should not be confused with our topic of the series amp meter at the engine control panel. They are two separate animals. The problem with the way our boats were originally wired is that the entire charge coming from the alternator is going through the wire harness then through a 10 gauge wire some 10 feet to the series amp meter at the engine control panel then 15 feet back to the battery switch and then to the house bank. The smaller the wire, the more heat produced and conversely the larger the wire the less heat. The danger in the series amp meter configuration is that as current travels through the undersized wires that resistance causes heat, and the combination of aging wires, a cracked harness and connections that have become corroded with age can lead to a fire. The fix is not only a safety issue but will also result in a more efficient charging system. A 10 gauge wire simply is not sufficient. The proper sized wire for carrying the current from the alternator depending over the length of the run is in the neighborhood of 2 or 4 gauge with a breaker or fuse within 2 feet of the positive output. My project started off with an upgrade to a Balmar 110 amp alternator. I upgraded so that I had more current available to run the water maker and refrigerator while still having ample current to charge my battery banks. Along with the alternator I got a new Balmar ARS-5 smart regulator. As I took on replacing the alternator, I remembered a past discussion on the board about the series amp meter and got in contact with Tom. After talking with him I decided to let go of the reins and let the project go wherever it led. The first step was to pull all of the wiring off of the engine to the control panel and from my main battery switch as well. That process led me to the house bank and sketchy AC charger which was anything but a marine charger and was only 10 amps at that. The next step took several nights and emails to Tim that yielded a schematic for putting it all back together. I have included my drawings, but must warn anyone reading this article: DO NOT attempt this on your boat with my calculations! Your wire runs may be and most likely are different lengths and the wire sizing will be different. Blue Sea Systems has a wonderful online tool for sizing wire based on current and length of the run. They also have easy to follow formulas for figuring out FAMPS (feet X Amps) for your project. When calculating your wire sizes don’t forget to include the return to ground. FAMPS are calculated on both runs positive and negative. So with that said here is how the project progressed. After installation of the alternator and new regulator I started the individual wire runs from the engine to the C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 38 One change I did from Tom’s project was to run the positive cable directly from the alternator to the house bank. control panel, simple connections at the engine sensor and a straight run to the engine control panel. Take the time to route the wires neatly and professionally so that in the future you don’t need to decipher the mess. Also make sure to take copious notes for your diagram so that when you or someone else is tracing a problem you know what color goes where. There was some wiring of course with the new regulator but that was all covered in the manufacturer’s directions which were clear, concise and easy to follow. The few times I did need support they were very good about returning phone calls. Next I installed a new 30 amp AC charger, appropriately sized Automatic Charging Relay and the appropriate ANL fuses along with a DC shunt and positive battery post. Just a few words about each of these, the ANL fuses are SPRING 2013 required by ABYC standards between the alternator and the house batteries and within six inches of the positive battery post between the batteries and the DC sub panel. I installed the one just below the alternator and attached a spare to the fuse block and the second in the battery box under the port settee also with a spare fuse. The DC shunt allows you to connect a voltmeter/ ammeter at your DC panel and it will show you every amp being drawn from your batteries and every amp put into them while charging. Now with the switch on a toggle, I can see exactly what the state of charge is in each of my three banks (220 Amp House Bank, Start Battery and a 33 Amp Emergency bank). The automatic charging relay is a neat piece of equipment which monitors the voltage in your banks while charging and automatically switches from one bank to another based on its charge so as to prevent them from being overcharged. When connecting the batteries up to the DC panel and your charging system ABYC only allows up to three (3) wires connected to any post. That is why I installed the positive and negative battery posts; don’t forget to cover the positive posts with a rubber cap, another ABYC requirement. One change I did from Tom’s project was to run the positive cable directly from the alternator to the house bank rather than to the starter. Tom and I have had some discussion regarding the merits of each and concurred that either way is far superior to the original configuration and both are acceptable. Tom left his lead from the alternator to the starter only because he was not doing an entire rewiring project and felt the wire size he had was adequate. I chose to take the current directly to the house bank feeling that with a larger lead it might be more efficient. In the end both methods work, meet with conventional practices and are far safer than the original wiring. Tom also pointed out that instead of doing an entire rewiring at the harness he successfully cut out the harness and soldered the wires together. There is a question as to whether or not soldering meets ABYC requirements and that crimping the wires should be acceptable. Should you decide to crimp the wires don’t forget to use dielectric grease that is readily available at Lowes, Home Depot or your local chandlery to prevent corrosion in the crimps. A caveat on installing higher powered alternators is that some have had disappointing results because they put more mechanical load on the engine mount and adjusting bracket, sometimes causing mount failures. This upgrade will provide more charging with your original alternator and of course is much safer, which is the most important reason for this upgrade. T7 CATALINA 380/387/390 Catalina 380/387/390 International Association C380/390 Association Technical Editor Tim Porter Serendipity380@gmail. com C387 Association Technical Editor Tom Brantigan [email protected] C385 Association Technical Editor Chuck Couture [email protected] Introducing Chuck Couture our C385 Tech Editor I started sailing in the mid 70’s in upstate NY. It started with sailing a Sunfish. Then I had access to a 16' Mutineer. In the mid 80’s with a transplant to NJ, I found a very active Catalina 22 Fleet, and began racing, and learning the intricacies of sailboat handling. In the early 90’s we purchased a 5 year old Catalina 30, and moved our sailing from Lake Hopatcong, NJ, to the Raritan Bay, which was, in my opinion part of New York Harbor. I did a little informal racing there, but was learning all about cruising, although, I did take a second place in the Catalina 30 Nationals in 1995. 2001 saw us in a new Catalina 36 Mk11, and in ‘07 a move to Ct. We have spent our boat owning lives on the east coast, but I’ve had the occasion to sail a short cruise in England, some day sailing in Switzerland and also Thailand during my travels for work. 2012 brought us our 385, and we have enjoyed this yacht immensely. I have always done all of the work myself on my yachts, from spring commissioning, to reversing the process in the fall. I enjoy the work, and over the years have taken pride in ownership, and have made some improvements in all of them along the way. I have been a member of all of the associations along the way from the start of my Catalina ownership back in 1987, from our C22, to the C30, and C36, to our C385. Ahoy to all our new Catalina 385 owners, sailors and their families. T8 As tech editor of a new model Catalina, it’s a little difficult to decide on a starting point, but here goes. First of all, I’ve been a Catalina owner since the mid 1980’s and have done about 99% of all maintenance and modification on my four previous Catalina’s starting with our almost new 1986 ‘22 on to our ’30, ’36 and now our 385. I do not pretend to have all of the answers to tech questions, but will answer and research any questions that arise. Over the years, I have been impressed at the inventiveness and creativity of the body of owners who have made modifications to their yachts, and the knowledge base that’s out there in the sailing community. The foundation, and success of the entire Catalina line has been and will continue to be the participation of the Catalina owners themselves. So, let’s start with the assumption that there are only a few items that are new with the 385, but not the sailing community. For example, the Yanmar engine, the Selden Spars, the Raymarine electronics, just to name a few. I will be expecting input from all of the 385 owners to show the rest of us what you’ve done to your yacht to improve its comfort and convenience. Also, any problems you’ve had and how you’ve resolved them. Attached are a couple of pictures of some small things I’ve done on my 385, and maybe it will give you an idea or two that the rest of us should know about. First, the cam cleat arrangement for the genoa furling line. This has proven invaluable while reefing under sail in less than ideal conditions. Then the jib car adjusting line. This, along with the genoa furling cam cleat were added immediately upon taking delivery of Five C’s. Rather than have two separate power cords to plug in, I purchased a “one into two” pigtail for the shore power. This handles the entire 30amp load, even with the battery charger and air conditioning on at the same time. After a full season on the water, I saw some things that will get my attention over the winter. A “backstop” will be fashioned for the flatware drawer in the galley. I discovered, that when heeled to starboard in bouncing seas, the flatware has a tendency to slide out of the drawer into the area underneath the galley sink. Another area that I’ll be working on is the starboard cockpit storage compartment. It has a lot of potential, but needs to be organized with another shelf or two, along with hangers for dock lines, power cords, and hoses. There is a lot of cubic space that can be of great use. I will also be adding a “grab” to the underside of the sliding floor panel forward of the bilge hatch in the main salon. That sliding panel hides the bilge pump and water level sensor on my boat. So, let me hear from you so we can work together making our 385s another of Catalina’s very best yachts. – Chuck Couture, [email protected], Five C’s, C385 #16 C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 36/375 Catalina 36/375 International Association C36 Association Technical Editor Pre Mk II hulls Steve Frost [email protected] C36 Association Technical Editor Mk II hulls Bud Street [email protected] C375 Association Technical Editor C375 hulls Francois Desrochers Canada, L1P1X5 [email protected] Welcome New Tech Editor! C36/375IA is pleased to introduce our new Mk II Tech Editor, Bud Street. Bud and his wife Suzanne keep their Mk II 36 on Lake Ontario’s east end and spend the summer living aboard with their two cats. Retired from an IT career and having sailed for many years in dinghies, OPBs (Other Peoples Boats) and charters, the couple bought a Catalina 28 in 2006 and moved up to the 36 in 2009. Bud learned the C36’s systems and construction by doing a major refit of the boat with the guidance and support of the C36/C375IA and its members. Bud hopes to continue the excellent work done by his predecessor Larry Brandt in adding value to the C36/375 through the Association and its website. Any member who would like to submit an article for consideration to the C36/375 section of the Mainsheet can do so by emailing the appropriate contact: MKI Tech Editor: Steve Frost, sfrost@ corpairtech.com. MKII Tech Editor: Bud Street, [email protected]. C375 Tech Editor: Francois Desrochers, meteor64@ yahoo.ca. C36/375 Association Editor (destination articles, short stories and Fleet News): Lauren Nicholson, lauren@ nicholsonmarine.com. C36 Tech Notes MKI & MKII Once again I have burdened my fellow C36IA officers with a portion of my duties, excuses to follow: Over the time that I have owned my boat I took advantage of any opportunity to get on the water and sail. It would appear that SPRING 2013 in doing so my home was neglected. The areas of need built to the point that I was compelled to address items like painting, termite mitigation and repair, new trim new roof, gutters etc. etc. These projects along with a strong recovery in my business limited my boating adventures to one trip with our fleet in September and a couple clean up days. My water time was limited to one trip to the pump out station since September. My C36IA Tech editor time too has also been limited by my home and office duties. This month Lauren Nicholson saved me by stepping in and editing this month’s technical submission. Thank you Lauren for all of your efforts, you always come through and make us look good. As for this month’s submission, we once again, as with our last issue, have dueling briefs on the same subject. Last time we covered two versions of window replacement. This issue we were given separate renditions covering the chilling subject of refrigeration upgrades. Hal Smith detailed his installation and submitted it to Larry Brandt some time ago, more recently in a parallel universe Sam Murphy sent me his own version of Refer Madness. Due to space constraints in our publication Hal and Sam got together and merged their two articles into one. Both of these installations were performed on transition model boats being MK 1.5 boats. I guess Bud Street and I should have arm wrestled to see who got the submission. For the most part the refer box changes little between the MKI and MKII boats forward of the aft cabin bulkhead and the bulk of the information should be relevant to either model. Thank you Sam and Hal for your insights and submissions, I trust that if any of our members get a chance to come aboard Hallylu-ya or Wind Rose we will not be given a warm beer. With luck my triage should move from my house back to the boat before the year is up, it will be time for a haul out and with luck that project will not snowball like my house did. My theme song for the last six months has been Bob Dylan’s Everything is Broken, the mantra was depressing at first, but after a while I just accepted it. I am ready for a new leaf. I wish you all an early spring. I will await next month’s submissions, maybe we can have three versions of the same subject, or should I throw a topic out there and we can judge the best essay on it if everyone submits a rendition. I do prefer multiples to no submissions. –Steve Frost Refrigeration That Works As installed by the authors on their 1994 C36’s: Hal Smith’s Hally-lu-ya!, #1346 and Sam Murphy’s Wind Rose, #1327 Hal Smith and Sam Murphy both installed similar refrigeration systems on their C36’s in the Summer of 2012 and have collaborated on the following description of their projects. Hal pioneered the project, installing his unit a month before Sam. Hal located the ideal compartment for the unit and figured out the best pathway for gas lines and wiring. Sam followed Hal’s lead with some changes that became evident from Hal’s experience and some suggestions from Sea Frost. The following description shows how to do this project and includes alternatives from both owners. Why we did it Hal had a Sea Frost engine driven refrigeration system on Hally-lu-ya!, which didn’t fit his needs as it was better suited for the cruising life, spent mostly away from shore side power at the dock. Characteristics that did not suit him were: 1.) The engine must be run twice per day in a narrow rpm range; 2.) The ice box could not be kept cold during his absence; and 3.) It did not have freezer capacity. When Hal was out on the anchor, it was great. The second time it quit and required service (at 18 years old), he decided to replace it with a 12 volt system. Hal’s objective was to gain a small freezer section with a passive refrigeration section. Sam’s C36 had an 18 year old Adler Barbour 12 volt evaporator unit had that quit and he wanted replace it to increase his freezer space and reduce power consumption. Why Sea Frost’s System Was Selected Both Hal and Sam searching independently decided on an identical 12 volt evaporator system from Sea Frost. Both thought the Sea Frost system would provide improved freezer and refrigerator space and be reasonable on power consumption. Neither Sam nor Hal have any financial interest in Sea Frost or the sale of their products. Both of us believe the Sea Frost system is a significant improvement and probably worth the higher price. The owner of Sea Frost, T9 CATALINA 36/375 Cleave Horton offered the following details: “One reason for the added expense is the system uses a better plate construction of stainless steel and includes two cold plates. The full efficiency of the compressor is utilized by the cabinet design allowing full air flow through the large condenser. The system evaporator (the cold side) pressure is controlled with an expansion valve. The valve prevents the refrigerant from draining down between cycles. No time is wasted re-accumulating the refrigerant each time the compressor restarts. The valve maintains proper pressure within any ambient temperature and will operate with an over charge or under charge of up to 30%. Our goal is to produce the highest quality.” Both Hal and Sam, not knowing each other and working separately, approached Cleave Horton of Sea Frost for suggestions. We obtained detailed drawings with dimensions from Catalina and Cleave used these to propose a two-evaporator plate system made of rugged stainless steel and his 12v Danfoss air cooled compressor with the ETT digital thermostat control. The following outlines the details of that installation from Hal’s perspective with notes on changes made when Sam did his a month later. Step 1. Remove old system. Hal: First, the old engine-driven cold block had to be removed. The biggest difficulty was finding a place to disconnect the copper tubing from the back of the block which was impossible to reach from the inside of the ice box. The space between the fuel tank and the back of the ice box wall provided access to remove the tubing attached to the pressure monitor, permitting the block to be pulled straight out. These holes were later filled with Great Stuff expanding foam and trimmed flush with the inside of the box. Step 2. Gas Line Routing. The path for the new copper tubing had to be made. I decided to place the new compressor in the empty compartment adjacent to the centerline water tank, next to the hull on the port side aft of the galley and immediately under the aft end of the ice box. A 2" hole was drilled in the port side wall at the bottom aft end of the ice box upper cavity. Before fully drilling the 2" hole, the ¼" pilot/guide hole was drilled all the way through the inside wall of the aft cabin. This identified the location of the ice box corner. You’ll need a long bit for this hole as the insulation on a 1994 boat is at least 4" thick. T10 After completing the 2" hole inside the ice box, a 4-1/2" hole (to accept a West Marine 4" inspection port) was drilled through the aft cabin wall, toward the ice box, using the ¼" pilot hole as a reference. Rather than make the hole concentric, the tops of the two holes were matched by locating the center of 4-1/2" hole, 1-1/4" below the first hole. After digging out the foam insulation between the two holes and the couple of inches of insulation straight down to the lower compartment, a path was available to route the new copper tubing from the back of the ice box to the compartment to connect to the compressor to be installed later. Step 3. Compressor Box Mounting Platform. A platform had to be made for a foundation for the compressor. Marine plywood, ½" thick, was cut to 10" x 14." To fit the contour of the hull, a vertical support was cut on an angle 14" long from a point on one end to 2-1/2" high on the forward end. The inside support leg was cut to match the same angle but 1-3/4" higher than the outside leg. The three pieces were primed and then painted with bilge paint before assembly. The assembled platform was glued to the hull with 3M 5200. In Sam’s installation of the plywood platform, he decided to turn it on an angle with the fore and aft axis of the boat which made it easier to mate the outboard edge with the hull while keeping the platform level and allow the air duct hose to be run straighter from the grill in the galley. Different leg lengths will be needed for this method, and it’s recommended the plywood base be cut first then blocked up in the space in the preferred position and measurements taken for the supports (legs). Step 4. Wiring. 15' of 2-strand no. 8 marine wire was chased from the battery switch through the aft hanging locker, across the two aft water tanks and into the compartment for the compressor. The ETT thermostat control cable and the two temperature sensors to be installed inside the ice box pass through the same route as the power wiring on Hal’s installation. The ETT control panel was later installed above the boat’s electrical panel in the same space that had been used by the engine driven control. The ETT can be installed elsewhere to suit individual convenience. Sam chose to install his ETT just over the fridge box door with the guts of the unit protruding into the portside cockpit locker where the old Adler Barbour unit used to be. It was easy for him to run the wiring up through the old hole left by the AB installation. He built a simple plywood box to protect the ETT box from items stored in the locker and fixed it place using the same adhesive used on the mounting platform. The sensor wiring comes only 10' long and must be extended if the ETT panel is installed above the electrical panel. 10 feet is more than ample if the cockpit locker location is chosen. It should be noted that the ETT unit is much more expensive than the basic C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 36/375 thermostat. A couple of hundred bucks can be saved by going with the basic. Hal went with the more sophisticated unit and Sam followed his lead. Both are happy they did and like the control the unit provides for compressor speed and therefore power consumption. Step 5. Mounting the Evaporator Plates. A template was made for drilling the holes for the evaporator mounting screws. Hal used a 9" x 30" piece of plastic corrugated. With mounting flange, the evaporator plates are 9" x 21" plus room for the copper tubes exiting the aft ends. In order to allow room at the back of the ice box for the tubing, the plates were laid on the template 3" from the aft end and the hole locations marked (4) and drilled with a 3/16" bit. The template was taped in place about ½" above the lip molded into the ice box sides. The mounting holes were drilled with a 3/16" bit. Per Sea Frost instructions, these holes were enlarged to 3/8" for the Wellnuts provided. The plastic spacers were held SPRING 2013 in place on the back of the plates with double-stick tape to make installation possible. The cavity is extremely awkward in which to work, but I was able to keep the spacers in place by carefully holding a screw in the plate hole as I found the Wellnut alignment and secured the plates. It is good to be ambidextrous and a contortionist, or to have a very good small-bodied friend. in the galley teak wall close to the floor to verify that air duct path would be clear. Then a 4-1/2" hole was drilled for the plastic grill. About 30" of 4' flexible duct was needed to reach the compressor. The duct was installed on the plastic vent before it was inserted into the 4-1/2" hole, and the vent secured to the wall with two screws. This allows the compressor to be cooled with cabin Step 6. Connecting Tubing. After careful measurements, on Hal’s installation the evaporator plate end of the large copper tubing was bent (with a purpose specific tool available at Lowes and Home Depot) 180 degrees to loop back to the inside wall and nearly 90 degrees to exit the ice box and turn to go down between the ice box wall and the aft cabin wall. But this operation turns out to be not really necessary. This 90 degree turn can be eliminated by installing the primary evaporator plate on the outboard side of the box. Sam’s installation took advantage of Hal’s experience and he was able to avoid this operation. Anyone ordering this system from Sea Frost must be sure and explain to them on which side the primary plate (one with the larger gas line) is going. air that will be cooler than outside air during the warmer seasons. The vent duct, the copper tubing, and the wiring were all in the compartment ready for the compressor to be installed. Step 8. Secure the compressor and connect the lines. Hal: The compressor was secured to the platform with two s/s screws. With everything ready to be connected to the compressor, it was time to connect the quick disconnect fittings on the two evaporator plates inside the ice box. Following Sea Frost instructions, the fittings were connected inside the ice box first. This required me to lie on my back with my shoulders inside the main section of the ice box while using wrenches on the quick disconnect fittings working upside down. I had a two-step stool next to the ice box to aid getting in and out. It also helped to have a soft sided bag filling the deep part of the ice box on which I partly supported my back. Assistants are not permitted to laugh during this operation! Afterwards, the two quick disconnect fit- The purpose and location of the 4-1/2" hole inside the aft cabin becomes apparent when feeding the copper tubing from the ice box into the lower aft compartment. This allows the stiff tubing to be only slightly bent as it is threaded down into where the compressor will mount. The smaller diameter tubing is very easily threaded afterwards along the same path. Approximately 4' of tubing is needed for this route. Step 7. Air Duct Intake. To install the fresh air duct, a ¼" hole was drilled T11 CATALINA 36/375 tings at the compressor were attached to seal the refrigerant system. The 12 volt supply wires and the ETT data cable were attached on the electrical module per Sea Frost instructions plus the 3 amp fuse provided. After the 4" vent hose was attached, the entry opening puttied, and the cover installed, this part was complete. Step 9. Temperature Sensors. The temperature sensors were installed, one on the second plate (for compressor control) and one halfway forward on the upper outside edge of the box (for ambient box temperature monitoring). The other ends were connected to the ETT along with the data cable. The 12volt wires were connected; red directly under the battery leads on the master battery switch and the black to the ground block inside the electrical panel compartment. A 15 amp in-line Blue Seas fuse (#5064 for ATC/ATO fuses) was connected between the battery switch and the red wire. The hot wire was installed this way so that the refrigeration can be left on during our absence if we wish while still turning off all other 12v systems. Sam’s wiring followed Hal’s closely except he ran the 12v hot wire from the main battery “use” switch. And his sensor wires and data cable were run up into the port side cockpit locker to connect to the controller (ETT). He uses the on/off switch on the ETT to control the fridge but when the main battery switch is “OFF” so is the fridge. Step 10. Drop Down Door (option) Sam: Cleave Horton at Sea Frost suggested I install a drop down door in the box to isolate the freezer section. He even supplied a piece of white plastic “Starboard” from which to cut the door. I cut and shaped a template of the door from cardboard. I had to be careful to make the door the right shape to not interfere with the plates when it was open. When the initial template was cut to fit the opening, it interfered with the plates when it was swung open and had to be trimmed. I hinged the door at its bottom and drilled a 1" finger hole in it. I mounted an interference fit catch in the freezer box inside the door that holds the door in the closed position. When open, T12 the door lays flat. This addition of the door is a new idea apparently, and I’m still figuring out how to use it. With the door open (laid flat), the over-all fridge temp drops quicker. With it closed I can make ice and freeze food quicker. Right now I use a balance of the door only open at an angle. The door might need to be reduced in size for optimum functionality. This part is a work in progress. Operation and Results Hal: With the compressor speed set on high, it took about 3 hours to drop the ambient ice box temperature from 77 to 50. This was with the factory settings on a plate temperature cut off of 20 degrees. Experimentation proved that a 10 degree cut off is better for us. Without closing off the upper section, we kept ice cream firm, ice without melting and even began to freeze some blue ice over a 5-day period (different settings were tried). At one point, some blueberries in the main section froze, and a little ice formed in the milk. This was when the cut off setting was at 5 degrees proving the capacity to freeze even outside the small pocket between the two plates. The ambient temperature being displayed of the ETT dropped quickly after opening the ice box for food, but food organization seems to have a significant affect. At times, the temperature was very slow to change, but this changed when the ice box contents were rearranged. Sam: The performance of my unit is similar to Hal’s except I have the drop down door installed. The effect of the door is to allow quicker solid freezing of ice trays and food in the freezer area when the door is closed but quicker temperature drops of the main box with it open. I’m still experimenting with it. But I like having the door as an option. I haven’t had any food or drinks freeze solid outside the door. But anything inside it is rock hard. Ideal safe fridge temperatures should be between 32 and 38 degrees. My Sea Frost unit stays around 35-36 with the plate temp set on 18 degrees in this fall weather. I had to bump it down to about 14 in the middle of the summer. I’m most interested now in power consumption. When I’ve timed the on/ off cycles for the compressor, I’m finding that the compressor runs for about 8 minutes then stays shut off for 12 to 15 at my current settings of 18 degrees for the prime plate. That tells me that I can expect to consume about 3.0 amps (on low compressor setting) for 24 minutes each hour, or 40% of the time. That calculates to a mere 29 amp-hours a day (40% of 24 X 3.0 amp). That will be worse in the summer of course, but even if it doubles it is well within the amphours I can replace in a short engine run with my 80 amp alternator. C375 Tech Notes Sail repair The end of the sailing season always shows up too quickly each year; this year was no different. Good sailing all around despite a bit more rain than usual. This year, we got a surprise while folding our mainsail. The leach edge had quite a few rips right along the folded edge. Not expected considering the limited amount of sailing and only four seasons since new. The sail was taken to our local sail repair shop. They figured it was due to excessive flogging which was traced to a deficient sail cleat. The cleat alignment prevented the leach line from properly grabbing and keeping it tight thus leaving the trailing edge to flog. They proceeded to repair the sail and install a different cleat aligned with the leach axis. I would suggest owners of C375s take a look at their sail. In this case, a bit of prevention would have kept our sail in good shape. I might be optimistic, but we hope for another 20 years out of those sails! –Francois Desrochers C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 350 Catalina 350 International Association C350 Association Technical Editor Bill Templeton pbtemp6816@ verizon.net Here in the mid-Atlantic region, and especially coastal New Jersey, we are reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Living five blocks from the Toms River in Ocean Gate I lost both cars to flooding (in my garage where I had put them to protect them from falling trees), had to replace a few ancillary items and the insulation in my crawl space.…nothing like the devastation of others, even my neighbors only a block or two away. But what about Makani Kai less than a mile away at Ocean Gate Yacht Basin? Other than the “age old” picking up a little water in the bilge (not even enough to trigger the float switch) from the Charleston spar….not a drop of water in the cabins and NO damage on deck. Why, when others….even in closely neighboring marinas….experienced losses that probably won’t be fully realized for months or even years. Yes, of course, the marina is a major factor in whether or not your boat survives: What is the physical location of the marina? Did you have the boat hauled? Does the marina use cradles or just jackstands? Does the marina use jackstands in addition to cradles? A bit shy of 200 of us are exceptionally fortunate to have our boats at Ocean Gate Yacht Basin which is fairly high and the staff (headed by the Mease family) takes all measures to protect the boats. The accompanying photo of “Catalina Row” at Ocean Gate Yacht Basin was taken by the Meases the day after Sandy when the water had subsided by more than two feet. Hurricane prep by marinas and owners has been and will continue to be topics in the boat “mags” (especially BOAT/US Seaworthy their damage avoidance report). It’s not just hurricanes, but nor’easters, microbursts and tornadoes can wreak havoc on coastal SPRING 2013 environments. What, however, can we do and what about or 350s. One of the simplest and easiest things we each can do is reduce windage. Each year a storm is predicted I continue to be surprised by the number of boats that have their biminis and dodgers up. The number of furling jibs with a few “wraps” of the sheet around them. Dinghies hanging from davits or loosely tied to the foredeck like a mattress on top of a car. During and after storms I need both hands and feet to count the number of pedestal and winch covers strewn about the yard. One year, when one of the “typical” nor’easters came through, my wife and I “cruised” the boatyard during the storm and ended up with five biminis from our friends’ boats home in our garage …. saved from the ravages of the wind. My 350 did a lot better than my house and cars …. Makani Kai was hauled for the winter the Thursday before the storm and everything but the pedestal cover (which was triply lashed) was removed. As I said before we picked up not a drop through hatches and ports….but I heard (anecdotally) of a 350 MKII that got so much water in the aft cabin the mattress had to be discarded…..I believe this is more the exception than rule and hope to find out more what happened in that case. I call on all of you….what have been your experiences with storms at the dock, in the marina, on a mooring….not to look for any flaws but what can you share with other owners to give them the success, or warn them of a danger you have experiences. Again, here in the Mid-Atlantic region…. we have just experienced our second storm of the century - this century……late last August Irene came through. Unlike what many of us are left with following Sandy, three days after storm last August our boat club (Cedar Mar Yacht Club) embarked on what we now call the “Goodnight Irene” cruise to Cape May. Yes, we dodged some trees and poles floating in the ocean on our way but as the photo of Makani Kai shows it was a lovely day two miles off Wildwood…….perhaps the relative lack of impact on the Shore by Irene contributed to some level of complacency in preparing for Sandy….and now Sandy will have given us a healthy respect! –Bill Templeton Companionway Steps Nonskid Revisited Several years ago at one of the Annapolis Sailboat Shows I was on a Stephens 54. The interior was on multiple levels with a step down to the galley. The step had an integral bead of what appeared to be black rubber to prevent slipping. In talking with the builder/designer (who once owned a Catalina 47) I asked about the rubber bead. He proceeded to explain how a groove was routed into the step; “blue” or “green” tape was used to build up the edges and 3M 5200 allowed to cure in the built up groove; the cured 5200 was then wet-sanded to produce the rounded rubber non-skid tread. My immediate thought was what a great project for the winter, just bring the steps home and do the project in the garage. I have oft heard the adage that “necessity is the mother of invention” but I am more a believer that it’s laziness and not necessity. The “5200 non-skid” would be a lot of work and needless to say it did not get done. Then one day I was repairing a screen door at home (no doubt one of the ten grandchildren had gone through it) when holding the spline in my hand a light went off…..why couldn’t the spline be the non-skid. I used a hack saw blade to carefully deepen and square the grooves in my companionway steps. I purchased black .160 inch screen spline at my local “home” store. Using any common construction adhesive…sparingly…to hold the spline in the grooves and pressing the spline tightly into the groove with the same tool I repaired the door with (actually the back of a screwdriver handle works well) completed the installation. I used a fresh utility knife to bevel the ends of the spline to match the T13 CATALINA 350 | CATALINA 34/355 edges of the steps and voila….a custom appearing non-skid for when water invariable gets on the steps…..or when socks and no shoes slide on the wood. The accompanying photo not only shows my steps with the spline nonskid and the materials for this project but notice the top step has been cut per Russ Peel’s modification in the previous issue of Mainsheet. I have found his change to the top step makes regular (daily ?) checking of the engine much simpler than removing the steps all together…….and since “laziness is the mother of invention” now I never put off checking the engine! –Bill Templeton C350 #333, Makani Kai Catalina 34/355 International Association C34 Technical Editor: John M Nixon 817 341-1219 [email protected] Rebuilding A Sherwood Raw Water Pump The model of the Sherwood that I rebuilt is the G908. It has a cast bronze housing for the impeller cavity with the threaded ”inlet/outlet” on the top of the housing (no front plate). This is the standard pump on the M35BC and M25XPB engines. I only rebuilt the “water” side of the pump and as with an Oberdoffer pump, I’ve found that the “oil” side of the pump seldom leaks. The water side seal on the pump consists of two ceramic discs pressing against each other. One disc rotates with the impeller and shaft, while the other one is stationary. The stationary disc is also spring loaded to keep pressure against the rotating disc to form the “seal”, keeping the water inside the pump housing. There is a copper snapT14 ring that is inserted in the shaft to hold the compressed discs in place. I found that my “water snap-ring” was almost completely eroded. That snap-ring must be removed to separate the two discs. The top disc and a brass washer slide right off the shaft when the snap ring is removed. I placed the pump body in a vice and took a flat tip screwdriver pressing in the spring assembly. I removed what was left of the snap-ring with a long nose vice grips and pulled it out. You’ll need to take the end of a flat tip screwdriver and pry up the edges of the bottom of the old spring assembly. Then the spring assembly is easily pulled out and you can see the larger snap-ring that holds the oil seal in-place. Clean the inside thoroughly. To reassemble, put the pump body between two pieces of 2x4 or drill a ¾" hole in a 2x4, so the pump body will set level with the shaft extending in between the 2xs or in the hole. Then take the new spring assembly (DEPCO# SH 12859) and coat the inside mating side with #1 Permatex. Do not use #2 Permatex as it’s too soft, because you need a hard seal! Press or tap the assembly into position. I used a 1 inch PVC joiner because it had the correct diameter and only cost $1. Then clean any excess Permatex that may squirt out. Coat the shaft with some silicone spray and slide on the mating ceramic disc (DEPCO #SH 18806) and brass washer. You will need a snap-ring tool to open the new snap-ring. With one hand press down and hold the two ceramic discs below the snap-ring groove in the stainless shaft and with the other hand slide the snap-ring into place. One of the Sherwood pumps’ weak points is that the snap-rings that hold the “water side” seals and the “oil side” seals in place are made of copper. The oil side isn’t a problem as the oil keeps the snap-ring from corrosion, but in a salt water environment the water side snapring will slowly corrode as salt water is pumped. I changed my 5/8" exterior water side copper snap-ring to a stainless one (Prospect Fastener Corp #SHI 5/8 inch). Those older Catalina readers may remember when the heads made by JAPSCO (late 1980s) had a copper “C” clip on the bottom of the hand pump assembly holding everything together. That copper clip corroded rendering the pump useless and JAPSCO later changed to a stainless clip. I’ve passed this SS snap-ring information on to DEPCO. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 34/355 I’m not going to compare all of the pros/cons of a Sherwood vs. an Oberdoffer pump, but I will mention a few of the less talked about aspects. I found that when you have a Sherwood pump and it’s leaking water that you can remove the bronze pump housing (impeller inside) leaving the water hoses attached and just move it to one side. Then remove the pump body from the engine and replace it with a rebuilt pump body and reattach the bronze pump housing w/impeller. No unscrewing brass elbows or water hoses. I also see that the inside brass plate that the impeller rides on can be reversed if one side is worn or scored. My drive belt installation is not captive by the inlet water hose as most of the C34 Mk II factory installations SPRING 2013 are. There is a simple fix that Bill Nuttall Irish Lady #1244 wrote up in past Tech Notes – cut the inlet raw water hose and install 5/8" garden hose male and female fittings! Then to change the belt, disconnect the fittings, change the belt and reconnect the fittings – simple as that!! I’m sure that the procedures that I used for my G908 Sherwood pump are basically the same as for the other Sherwood’s that have the bronze faceplate held in place by 4 screws. Those older model pumps (Model # G902) are used on some of the M25XP and M35 engines, I’ll guess the parts are probably different? I might also add that DEPCO Pump Company (800-445-1656) has a service department (beside parts) and they charge a flat rate labor charge of $37.95 to rebuild a pump, if you don’t want to rebuild it yourself. I also discovered that the G908 pump is a proprietary Sherwood pump solely manufactured for Westerbeke. That means all G908 pumps can only be purchased from or thru a Westerbeke dealer! This is the Sherwood drawing of the G908. –Ron Hill, Apache #788 An Additional Halyard Most Catalina owners have added a spinnaker or 2nd jib halyard to their boat. I would also suspect that after a few years these same owners have replaced both the primary jib and mainsail halyards. If they are like me, those “old” halyards still had a lot of life left, but were changed anyway. I’m also sure that they remain in the attic or shed because they were just too good to throw away! This past year I was rummaging in my attic moving around used sheet lines and halyards. You can’t get anywhere near their worth at a yard sale, but they are still too good to scrap. Then I started to think about the unused sheaves in the top of the mast and the extra (unoccupied) halyard exit on the port side of the mast. I was trying to think about what I’d use that extra halyard for, but it was evident that all that line in the attic would never do me any good sitting up there. So I decided to rig up an extra main halyard, and if nothing else, it could act as a safety line while hoisting someone (me!) to the top of the mast. I called Garhauer Marine and for minimal cost purchased a 3-sheave deck organizer and a 3-hole fairlead. These T15 CATALINA 34/355 | CATALINA 320 replaced those same items that could only accept 2 lines. I made a Lexan pad (5/16" thick) to match the 3-sheave deck organizer and drilled a larger hole in the outboard hole location of the organizer. Then I mounted the new 3-sheave unit by using the 2 bolts and holes of the old organizer with the underside nut of the 3rd sheave recessing into the larger hole of the Lexan pad. I mounted a 3rd turning block at the base of the mast and swapped out the 2 lead for the new 3 lead fairlead. It was easy to drop a 5/16" nylon tracer line with a fishing sinker (for weight) thru the top of the mast and have a friend “fish it out” at the exit in the mast. The tracer line was sewn to the 3/8" halyard and easily pulled through. I had never used the factory installed cleat behind the port side winch on the cabin top; so it was a natural place to cleat that new spare halyard to and hold it in place. I’ve already used that spare 2nd main halyard as a safety line when I’ve been cranked up the mast. Don’t know of other use for that spare halyard at this time, but it’s better than just having it bundled up and stored in the attic at home! A thought. –Ron Hill, Apache #788 Reader Response to Chainplate Re-bedding Article in Winter 2012 Mainsheet The article on re-bedding of the Catalina 34 chainplates was well written and the pictures were great. The only comment I have is on the choice of sealant/caulk chosen. (I also have the C34 #1065) I have in the past tried Silicone, Poly Sulfide, both of which broke down and leaked again in a few years. The last time I re-bedded the shrouds I did all the same steps, except the following. I cleaned out the rectangular shroud slot and the bolt holes then sealed the core with epoxy to eliminate the intrusion of water into the core in case of another leak. I used 3M 4000UV rather than 3M 4200 to do the bedding. I had called 3M to inquire about the caulks and was told that due to the forces and even slight movement of the chain-plate the 4000UV was a better choice. 5200 & 4200 do not have the elasticity that 4000UV has. Additionally, 4000UV is specifically designed for adhesion of metal and other materials (fiberglass, wood ...) I too replaced the slotted roundhead bolts with hex-head bolts, which will make the job of re-bedding much easier in the future. And they are not hard on the bare feet! –Gerry Misener, 1990 C34 #1065 Tech Ed Comments: Thanks Gary for your comments. As always, It’s nice to get reader feedback, and even nicer when you pass along some additional relevant information. I personally had never noticed the 3M 4000UV or investigated the differences between it and other similar caulking products. I suspect this tidbit of knowledge will be useful to many of us with chainplate seepage issues, or any other deck mounted hardware with non-static load applications. Guys and Gals: We need your articles and ideas! To all of you sailors out there that either have good ideas that you have incorporated onto your boats, or who just have technical questions that we may not have yet addressed in past Forum discussions or Mainsheet articles: we need your ideas and/or questions! Help us help you by generating or passing along articles here in the Mainsheet that you find both relevant and useful. Don’t be shy! If you have an idea or question that you think would make a good article, just drop me an email with your thoughts and we will happy to see what we can do. –John Nixon Catalina 320 International Association C320 Association Technical Editor Chris Burti 252-753-4214 [email protected] For this edition we have two new Tech Tips. These consist of technical information concerning the Seaward and the Adler/Barbour products installed as OEM equipment on our C320s by Catalina Yachts. They were provided to the C320 IA email list by two of our members who received them directly from the sources and I hope you will find this information helpful. –Chris Burti, C320 Tech Editor, Commitment, #867 Seaward Products Update Seaward Products has been purchased by WhalePumps, Inc. Because of the long-standing relationship between T16 Catalina and Seaward, the good service we’ve received over the years from Seaward, and my own satisfaction in dealing with Seaward, I wrote to Whale Seaward, Inc. to ask if we might enjoy the same good relationship. Here is their reply: In regards to our continuation of the direct support of Seaward products, I will be honest and say that some things will change and some will stay the same. Our customers will still be able to speak directly with our Tech support on our new products that are still within the warrantee range and we will be available for questions concerning our stoves, ranges and cooktops. We will also help provide the correct part numbers or suggest alternatives for the older models so that our customers can order the correct items from our new Authorized Service Center. The change will be that we will be transitioning our service dept to our Autho- rized Service Center, Sure Marine who has been working with us for the past 20 years doing service and troubleshooting as well as stocking a full range of parts. Their information is; Sure Marine Service, Inc. 5320 28th Ave NW Seattle, WA 98107 Voice: (206) 784-9903 Fax: (206) 784-0506; (800) 562-7797; www.suremarineservice.com We will also be selling our standard replacement items (potholders, burners, sea rails, etc.) through our distribution channels such as Fisheries Supply, San Diego Marine Exchange, Englund Marine just to name a few, you will be able to find a complete listing on the C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 320 web site as we continue to update it. Best Regards, Doug Stubbs, National Sales Manager, ABYC Certified Marine Technician, Whale Seaward, Inc., 802367-1091 Ext 207 –Provided by Warren Updike, Warr De Mar, #62 Adler/Barbour Troubleshooting (and Waeco 50, 80, and 90 series) These units are simple to troubleshoot, but if for some reason you don’t feel comfortable, or you don’t have the proper equipment, we have a large distributor/dealer network to handle issues in the field. Go to Cruisair.com and find a dealer. Choose your state/location. What is on the website is the distributors. They may be in another state or a couple hundred miles away. However, if you contact them, they can refer you to a dealer located near your boat. This is a simple troubleshooting guide I’ve made up myself to help when your system is not performing correctly. These are just some scenarios I encounter everyday, and figured I’d put them in this simple, layman’s terms troubleshooting guide. Before you start, there are a couple things you may need to identify. The Coldmachines produced now contain two PC boards on the actual unit. The front one (the one including the LED troubleshooting) will be referred to as just the PC BOARD. The electronic board mounted to the compressor itself is called the DANFOSS MODULE. If your unit only has one board, and no board w/ the LED light, then all you have is the DANFOSS MODULE. Please note, that there is no way to bypass this board to jump the compressor, and Danfoss has never released any information to dometic on how to troubleshoot this module, or a schematic for the board inside. The compressor is actually a 3 phase AC compressor. If you try and bypass the module, and run 12VDC directly to the compressor IT WILL RUIN THE COMPRESSOR. If your unit does not have the two PC boards, the last section explains the differences for your unit. By law - unless you are EPA certified, you cannot handle or work with any kind of refrigerant. Even though R134A is sold at Wal-mart and auto parts stores, you are not able to handle it with out an epa certification. Dometic can not assist in helping charge equipment with somebody who is not epa certified, because we can be held liable. Refrigerant, if not handled correctly can not only cause harm to the ozone layer, but can cause bodily harm, and lack of oxygen if you are in a confined space. SPRING 2013 Nothing will Start and no LED blinks 1.) Make sure you are getting the proper voltage at the input of the unit. At the input of the unit, not the batteries or the breaker. Be sure that your connections are good, free of corrosion, and are not loose or have fallen out. 2.) If so, check to see if you’re getting voltage through the front PC Board to the top two terminals on your Danfoss module (Skip this step, if your unit does not have the front PC Board). If so, go to next step. If not check all the fuses on your front PC Board. The 15a is the main fuse for everything, and the 5a is for the fan/pump circuit. There should be another ½a fuse on the back side of that PC board, that’s in line with the thermostat circuit. Older units did not have this. 3.) If you are getting the same voltage through the PC Board to the module, the next thing to do is to bypass the thermostat circuit. To do this, you will need to remove two wires from your Danfoss module, T and C. It will be a brown and a black wire. Once these two wires are removed, you will need to make a jumper wire, with two female push on terminals. Put the jumper wire on terminals T and C to bridge the two (you can also use a pair of needle nose pliers or what ever you have laying around to make a connection, there is no voltage present to hurt anything). If the unit still does not start or try to start, then you will need to replace the Danfoss module. If so, proceed to next step. 4.) If the compressor does start, then it may be the phone cord end on the thermostat, the phone cord connection on the board, or the speed resistor on the inside of the actual thermostat housing. To test the speed resistor, unplug it, and check resistance with an ohm meter across the pins on it. There are three different ones we use, and it should read; 270, 680, or 1500 ohms. These resistors make the compressor run at the proper speed for whatever plate you have. 5.) If that checks okay, there is really no way to test the phone cord connections with out fancy equipment. Save yourself time and money and just bypass it. Cut the phone cord off the end of the wire coming from the thermostat, install some female terminals, and plug them onto terminals C and T. The thermostat will work the exact same as it did before. I’ll go over the diagnostic blinks you may get if an electronic problem arises. The module has built in troubleshooting capabilities, that you can use a 10ma LED bulb to determine what the module thinks is wrong. The light will blink a series of times, and pause, then continue. This makes these units very simple to troubleshoot. On the newer units, we incorporated this into the front PC board. If your unit does not have this built in feature, you can install your own LED onto the module. One end of the LED goes to terminal “D” on the module, and the other will need to be piggy backed onto the positive fan terminal on the module. One blink – Low Voltage 1.) 99% OF TIME WHEN THE MODULE BLINKS THIS, IT IS DEFINITELY LOW VOLTAGE. I have never seen a scenario where this is not the case. 2.) If you’re getting this code, then most likely your unit is trying to start, there will be a slight shudder, and then it will stop and continue to do this. 3.) Watch the voltage AT THE INPUT OF THE UNIT AS IT’S STARTING AND STOPPING. You will see a significant drop in voltage. The low voltage cut off is 10.4VDC, but you will probably never see it get this low on your meter because of buffers etc installed in the meter. If you see a drop of over .5VDC you have a problem. You will need to track down the boat’s wiring, find the loose connection/corrosion that’s causing the high resistance. You may even have a weak cell in the battery. 4.) If you feel the voltage is sufficient, then the only other problem may be the Danfoss module. However, I have never seen the module fail like this, and it’s an expensive part to replace, and the replacement may continue to do the same thing. IF THE UNIT IS SUPPLED WITH LOW VOLTAGE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE MODULES FAIL. I haven’t been able to get Danfoss to say yes or no as to whether the low voltage caused the failure, but that’s what we have found usually happens. Two blinks – Fan over current Protection Cut Out 1.) The module has a feature that if the fan draws more than (1a older modules, .5a newer modules) it will cut everything out. This is simple to troubleshoot. 2.) Disconnect the fan terminal from the PC Board (newer) or from terminal F on the Danfoss module. If the unit still blinks, replace the module. If not replace the fan. T17 CATALINA 320 | CATALINA 30/309 Three blinks – Motor Start Error 1.) If the compressor cannot achieve a certain RPM in a given time, the module will kick it out. 2.) Three things will cause this: pressures have not equalized yet, unit has been overcharged, or the Danfoss module is defective. 3.) One, leave the unit off for fifteen minutes, if it starts, then your unit had short cycled for some reason. No need to worry unless it does it all the time. 4.) Two, unit was charged recently, and has been overcharged. If the unit is overcharged, the compressor will not be able to get up to speed because it has been overloaded. Get somebody on board who is EPA CERTIFIED, to recover refrigerant lawfully and according to EPA standards. 5.) If none of these apply, replace the Danfoss module. Please remember, there is no way to determine whether it is the module or the compressor that is defective other than by replacing. However, with all the Danfoss compressors I work with every day, I’ve only seen a couple fail. Four and Five blinks – 1.) I hardly ever see these. … Four blinks mean that you’ll have to replace the module. 2.) If the unit runs for a while then flashes 5 blinks, it is due to a lack of adequate ventilation. Unit needs at least 100 sq inches of air space to operate correctly. It also will not work above 115 degrees without the water cooling option. 3.) If the unit flashes 5 times immediately, replace the module. Everything runs, but unit is not cooling, or there is minimal cooling… 1.) First, check your condenser coil (radiator beside the compressor), and make sure that it’s clean and free of any kind of debris. 2.) If all that checks okay, call a technician on board. There is most likely a leak in the system. The leak needs to be found, fixed, and recharged. Once again, THIS MUST DONE BY EPA CERTIFIED TECHNICION. Danfoss Compressors Waeco and Adler/Barbour have always used Danfoss compressors; however, they have changed over the years. To simplify a rather technical explanation, there were pretty much two different types of compressors, 3 pin and 4 pin, with 3 being the newest, and 4 the oldest. You will need to remove the module to see how many pins your compressor has. There really is no way to bypass the module, to hard start the compressor. However, you can check the resistance across the compressor pins to see if you may have an open or shorted winding. The three pin compressors, you should have 2.3-2.5 ohms between all three pins, and no continuity to ground. On the four pin compressors, ohm readings should be .2-.4, .2-.4, and 2.5-4.5 and no shorts to ground. Unit drawing high amps Typically, depending on the conditions, your unit will run anywhere from 4-6 amps. That depends on how much you have in the fridge, how hot it is that day, ventilation, clean coils, insulation etc. If your unit starts drawing higher amperage it could be a few different things. First, check the voltage at the input of the unit. The lower voltage gets, the higher the amp draw. Second, check your condenser coil to be sure it’s clean. If it’s dirty, and has poor airflow, it cannot condense and disperse the heat like it’s designed to do. Another is the unit has recently been overcharged. GET A TECH ON BOARD. Last, it may indicate your compressor is going bad, but as I said before, it’s very rare to see these fail. Unit blows fuses constantly If your unit is blowing fuses as soon as it tries to start, it’s usually the compressor or the Danfoss module. Disconnect the module plug from the compressor, leaving everything else wired like normal and try to restart. If it does not blow the fuse, then the compressor is bad. If so, then the module is bad. (Note, this tip is not from Danfoss, it’s just what makes sense, and I’ve told people to do this on numerous occasions and it seems to work). If your unit is older, and doesn’t have the PC Board Basically, every test is the same; you just don’t have the convenience of having the LED already there. Won’t start, bypass thermostat like above. Trying to start, monitor voltage, unplug fan, then replace module…. Follow the same steps as above to find out what’s going on. If not explained clearly, or you still have questions, contact the dometic service department at 800-234-8778. –Provided by Karl Mielenhausen, Silver Lining, #690. Written by: Jacob Prince, Dometic Technician. Catalina Parts Update All Catalina production is done in Largo, FL now and all parts supply is located there as well. Ken Roy is your Catalina Parts contact: 727-544-6681: [email protected]. –Provided by Warren Updike, Warr De Mar, #62 Catalina 30/309 International Association C30/309 Association Technical Editor Edited by Max Munger (410)-326-9024 [email protected] C30 Re-Engine, or Up the Chickahominy without a paddle! We own Imp, a ‘90 or ‘91 Catalina 30 Mk II, TR, built in Florida, Sail #5962, Universal/Westerbeake M25XP. Purchased second hand in ‘93. First boat. Spent three times more than we wanted at the time but when my wife and I noted T18 the installed Cruise Aire Heat Pump we never looked at another. Love it! Engine had about 600 hrs on it. The engine had a hose connected to the oil pan drain plug. I used that hose to pump out the oil during changes. I unfortunately never thought or felt a need to check that plug to make sure it was not loose since I never used the drain plug to change the oil (Bad error!); And it is impossible to get a wrench of any sort down below the engine with enough swing room to check it. I tried after it was too late. We were motoring up (about 10 miles) the Chickahominy River when my wife noticed an ever so slight drop in engine rpm and quickly throttled to idle, but the engine seized after a second or two of a horrible scraping and rattling sound. I was in the cabin and immediately found the bilge full of oil. After too many minutes to determine the leak we were drifting down the Chickahominy toward some very nice double level docks with very nice power boats and party boats under them. We were in forty feet of water and I was afraid to drop the hook for fear it would not set. When, Sharon called out 27 feet, I dropped the hook and between her working the rudder, me working the anchor road using the current we were able to snag an abandoned C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 30/309 dilapidated barge dock and pier. We had a reservation at Rivers Rest Marina for the next two nights and a frantic cell phone call to the owner, resulted in his towing us the half mile to his marina. What a lovely quiet marina great facilities, with incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable owners. The Blue Herron Restaurant had wonderful meals, best we ever had on Ches Bay. After five days of trying to find out where we could get the engine repaired or replaced, the River’s Rest owner towed us another five miles upriver to the Colonial Harbor Marina. A very rural but super friendly marina with and excellent repair capability, principally for power boats (restaurant closed for the season). The Marina helped me hoist the engine out and onto a truck that took it to Trans-Atlantic Diesel. TAD was the nearest repair shop I could find. TAD tore the engine down and told me that a rebuild, after all the damage and new parts and labor would cost about $1500 less than a new engine. The next day I visited TAD, looked at the engine and agreed a new engine and transmission was necessary. They also showed me that the input shaft to the transmission was very loose, and they did not rebuild transmissions. It was “only” $400 more for a new transmission. Anyhow I ordered a new “replacement” M25XPB and transmission for $8770 (included 2% tax). I was very impressed with Sherry my POC, her technical knowledge and answers to my every question were very noteworthy. Since I left them the old engine, and only took back my alternator (a whole other story), TAD did not charge for the pickup, delivery, tear down and rebuild evaluation. “Saved” $350. Now, I need your assistance. FIRST PROBLEM. The M25XPB is certainly different from my old engine. It is supposed to be shorter, slightly lower and narrower, quieter and 2 more hp than my 1990 M25XP. I am presently trying to figure out how to run the new wire harness on the new control counsel from the cockpit to the engine. I had hoped to just attach the old harness to the new harness and pull it through to the engine bed. No Dice. It will not budge. I even pulled the three drawer cabinet out between the ice box and steps but can’t get the wires to free up. I am planning on cutting one or two accesses in the port cockpit locker under the ledge to see if maybe the original harness is wire tied and screwed in place. Any better ideas? SECOND PROBLEM. The new engine rubber mounts to the engine bed do not match up to the original bolt holes. I thought the original holes would have SPRING 2013 to be filled and new holes drilled. BUT in checking the old holes, I determined that the wood encapsulated in the fiberglass engine bed is seriously deteriorated. That explained why it was so easy to back out the lag screws that held the original shock mounts in place. I am afraid all that wood in the rails is rotten. Have you ever had this problem surface? How do I rebuild the engine bed? Can I cut off the tops of both rails, grind out the rotten wood and fill with West System? Would that much curing resin generate a dangerous amount of heat? Should I telephone West System? Additional Comment: When I loosened the nuts to the engine mounts, I could not believe they readily loosened with a crescent wrench with just my foot on the wrench. I had been putting penetrating oil on them, but I was surprised they loosened so readily. Can you please point me to any web sites that may offer additional advice on this engine change out and the problems I found? I am going to start scanning all my copies of Mainsheet from 1993 as well as my three ring copy of Dick Dickens Tech Talk I purchased from him back in ’93 or so. A very long story, but thanks for your time. –Charlie and Sharon Votava, IMP, #5962, [email protected], Virginia Beach, VA. After five days of trying to find out where we could get the engine repaired or replaced, the River’s Rest owner towed us another five miles upriver to the Colonial Harbor Marina. Starboard Bulkhead Replacement (Follow up to Dec 2012 Tech Talk) The bulkhead replacement project is basically finished!!! (My girlfriend pointed out where I had missed putting back a couple of the screw, but other than that, we’re done!) There is a before picture of the original bulkhead once it was removed from the boat, and then an after picture following installation of the new bulkhead. I was pleased to discover that the bulkhead did, in fact, only bolt and screw in place. It was also a relief to discover that the trim was only stapled on - so I was able to carefully remove it, and re-use it. If anyone else is contemplating this project, let me know and I’ll be happy to share details. Time to go sailing again!! -John, Night Breeze, #2075, Austin TX [email protected] Catalina 310 International Association C310 Association Technical Editor Bill Lewis 714-960-5367 [email protected] No submission this issue. Please send your technical questions for our next edition. T19 CATALINA 28 Catalina 28 International Association C28 Association Technical Editor Dick Barnes [email protected] Creating More Shelf Space in Mark II Galley Alex Oakes and his wife, MaryLou learned to sail on the Northern Chesapeake Bay in 1966 and haven’t stopped since. They sail Ruby on Barnegat Bay, NJ. The high, narrow door under the C28 Mark II galley sink hides a tall cabinet space that can easily be better utilized. All you have to do is to cut a piece of ½-inch plywood in the shape of a “right-angle” triangle and a couple of ¾-inch by ¾-inch “cleats” to mount it on and you’ve doubled the available shelf space for those tall cleaning supplies. Editor’s note: If you’re not very handy--and I’m not--you can mount the support cleats for the shelf with a pair of Command adhesive strips or any strong double-sided tape instead of screws. I found it hard to measure, drill and screw in the tight confines of the cabinet. Mine are still holding fast after several months. The front (facing door) side is 8 inches and the left side is 8 1/2 inches. The long side (the hypotenuse) will take care of itself, or you can try to remember your high school geometry class! –Dick Prop Pitch and Speed Under Power Question: To get more speed under power, we replaced our original twoblade prop on our M3-20 with what we were told by the prop shop to be the correct three-blade prop. With the two-blade prop at 2,300 rpm we would move at 3.5 knots per my GPS. With the three-blade prop we cannot run over 1,800 rpm without the engine temperature creeping up. At 1,800 rpm we travel at 4.2 knots with no wind or current. I feel like I should be able to move faster and think I may have an incorrectly pitched three-blade prop. I have checked my water pump and heat exchanger and all are fine. What speed do you normally cruise at and at what rpm do you run with a three-blade prop? –Chuck Howard, Zephyr, No. 277 A: Our boat is a ‘92, with the M3-20. I had the same experience you describe. A couple of years ago I decided to buy a new three-bladed prop. The old prop had “10” stamped on it as the pitch. So that is what I ordered in my new prop. But with the three-bladed prop, the motor overheated, put out very dark smoke and I could feel a more significant than usual vibration under my feet when steering. I took the old prop to a prop shop. They measured the pitch and it was 7, not 10. I can only deduce that when the old prop was made it was pitched at 10 and that number was stamped on it. Before we took delivery of the boat, the pitch had been reduced to 7, but whoever did it did not correct the number stamped on the prop. T20 So I had the new one pitched to 7 and it works exactly like the old one-wonderfully. I hope your situation is as easily corrected as mine turned out to be. By the way, we usually run at 2,500 rpm, which produces about 5.8 knots. –Don, Glory, No. 235 What’s the Right Gear Under Sail? Question: What gear should the transmission be in when under sail? When I am sailing in a light wind and need to move faster, I put the transmission in forward and the boat moves faster. What damage can be done, if any, and why? –Gene Sheinkman Answer: I was looking through my Catalina binder just the other day and came across a tag that I would guess was attached to the boat key at one point. It indicates that one should NOT sail with the transmission in forward gear, either use neutral or reverse. –Tony Bacon, Vela Via, No. 191 A: Both my Catalina manual and my boat yard say DO NOT put transmission in forward under sail. Use either neutral or reverse. My boat yard says this is counter-intuitive, but locking the prop in reverse actually decreases drag (less than in neutral with the prop spinning) and also decreases wear on the cutlass bearing. –Clarence Jones, Prime Time, No. 703 A: I agree with the others that reverse gear is the option of choice. When explained to me, in forward gear there is “pressure” on the engine to “turn over”. This will pump diesel into the cylinders and could cause serious problems when you decide to start the engine. –Sandy, Eagle I A: It is safe to sail with the Hurth/ ZF gears in neutral or reverse but never forward. The reason for not using forward to lock the transmission is that the clutch plates slip in forward and “grind/wear” on each other. Reverse locks them up, neutral unloads them but forward allows them to slip on each other. This causes undue wear on the plates, warping and or polishing and leaves metallic residue in the gear box fluid. When you now run the vessel the metallic bits begin to wear away the bronze thrust washer and eventually C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 28 your gear begins to slip and requires a rebuild. If you have ever sailed in forward, for any period of time, change the fluid ASAP then change it again in about five hours use to be sure it is all clean. It will cost you less than $6 in fluid. For the longest life these boxes ideally need the fluid changed annually. I can confirm that a freewheeling prop like those shipped from the factory produce far less drag than one that is locked. You are moving faster because the prop is spinning in forward but it is also causing the plates to wear. Neutral will give the same or better speed boost but minimize plate and thrust washer wear. –RC Collins, Compass Marine. Single-Line Jiffy Reefing Question: The reefing setup on my boat is what I think is factory original. The main has one set of reef points. A reefing line runs up from the coach top to a sheave in the goose neck casting, then back to the sheave in the aft end of the boom, then up through the aft reef point cringle and back down tied (bowline) to the boom. The luff of the sail then pulls down as you release the main halyard and the reef point cringle gets attached to the hook on the goose neck. That’s what I have now but I want to avoid going up to the mast to hook up the hook at the goose neck I want to rig this so that the same line that pulls down the clew also pulls down the cringle on the luff. I think they call this a “single line” reefing set up. I have heard pros and cons. Most of the cons have to do with too much friction so I’m installing a block at the luff cringle to reduce the friction at that point. Has any one set up this kind of system on the C28 ? How did it work? What were the pluses and minuses ? – Bill and Nancy, L.O.L., No. 130 Answer: I have the single line reefing system. All you have to do is run your existing line from the back of the boom to a pulley near the gooseneck, up to the forward reef point, and back down to the pulley at the bottom of the mast. You can either pass the line through the reef point or use a pulley. The system works great. The reef line is on the port cabin winch, and the halyard is on the starboard winch. I put the helm on auto, loosen the main sheet, then loosen the main halyard at the same time as I winch in the reef line. When the sail is reefed to the boom, I tighten the halyard, then adjust the main sheet. We can be reefed in less than a minute all from the cabin. –Mike Smalter, Worlds Away, No. 539 Update: Thanks to Mike and all who replied. I finished the installation today and it looks like it will work really well . I used small Harken blocks at both the tack and the clew with 5/16 line. The blocks are attached at the cringles by using a stainless ring slightly bigger than the cringle hole. On the starboard side I had to add a turning block at the mast step and another cheek block added to the top of the deck organizer as well as a clutch on the coach top . This is such a cool setup . I can hardly wait to use it in a nasty blow. –Bill Apt, L.O.L | CATALINA 27/270 Where to add another battery on Mark I? Question: One of my winter projects is to set up for a dedicated starter battery and use two deep cycle batteries for the house bank. A solar panel will be wired to the house bank, as I’m hoping to use a refrigerator next season. But where to put the third battery? It is too high to fit under the aft berth. The tray behind the aft berth panel holds two batteries now; turning them so they are fore and aft would allow three but require some fiberglass work while stretched out or standing on my head. I would like to avoid either. I could put a tray over the fuel tank but I’d really like it lower and closer to the engine. Has anyone found a secret spot to hide another battery? –Denis O’Keefe, Brazen Article, No. 108 A: I have a 1990 C28, and I was able to fit three batteries in the tray sited below the cockpit and aft of the stern bulkhead. The previous owner had enlarged the bulkhead opening. I can place two 6-volt, 225 amp golf cart batteries, wired in series, side by side in the tray. This delivers 225 amps of 12 volt power as the house bank. There is also room for a third battery, which is the 750 cranking amp starting battery. The first set of golf cart batteries I installed lasted 10 years. I use a battery watering system designed for motor homes to easily top off the batteries. –Tim Prouty, Encore, No. 26. Catalina 27/270 International Association Technical Editor C27 Judy Blumhorst [email protected] 925.997.0786 Technical Editor C270 Phil Agur 530-677-6229 [email protected] Masthead Spinnaker Crane When she was introduced in 1992, the Catalina 270 represented a significant departure from previous Catalina designs, including the predecessor 27. Her refined canoe body, integral hull grid construction, and double spreader rig all represented significant upgrades that would never find their way back into the 27. There were a few features, however, that owners of the Catalina 27 can emulate. SPRING 2013 One of the most useful upgrades is the installation of a spinnaker crane at the masthead. On the C27, the masthead casting had a pin at the extreme forward end on which an optional block could be fitted for the spinnaker halyard, as shown in the accompanying figure. (Note that this is a later model which was delivered with internally run halyards, but the discussion which follows also applies to the older “over-thetop” configuration.) When the C270 was introduced, its masthead included a smooth bail welded on a plate which was bolted to the masthead fitting. This “spinnaker crane” allowed an attached halyard block to weathervane and to provide a fair lead for the halyard. Possibly more www.catalinadirect.com #Z2690 (c) 2012 Catalina Direct, by permission T21 CATALINA 27/270 | CATALINA 26 importantly, by moving the head of the sail forward of the headstay, the chance of tangling the headstay and headsail roller furler was greatly reduced. The arrangement is shown in the first photo (previous page). Now this reduction in problems aloft was eyed enviously by the owners of the 6000+ C27s, and the good folks at Catalina Direct soon provided a retrofit alternative for the C27. Note from Catalina Yachts: This is a Catlina designed part and is also sold through Catalina Yachts Parts Department. –Gerry Douglas The current configuration available is shown in the second photo. Unlike the fitting on the C270, which bolts to the top of the masthead, this unit is installed by fitting over the aluminum casting and is held in place by pins that replace those on the forward assembly. The previous generation of this unit was configured such that it was necessary to remove the pin securing the headstay to the masthead. While it has been reported that installawww.catalinadirect.com #Z2686 (c) 2012 Catalina Direct, by permission tions of this unit were possible with the mast “in the boat”, this refinement is a welcome change, and one which makes the installation of the unit possible, albeit challenging, by a man (or woman) aloft. Note that installation aloft is not feasible with the old style external halyards, since it requires removal of the pin serving as the axle for the forward halyard sheaves, which cannot be safely unloaded with the “over-the-top” halyard arrangement with a man aloft. The unit is delivered with two extended length 5/16 rivet head pins. The following is an overview of the required disassembly and installation steps, based on my experience on Snagglepuss: 1) Block the mast on horses or by other means such that the spreaders are vertical (we’ll describe why shortly), with the rivet heads on the pins to be removed facing up. 2) Remove the cotter and pin at the forward end of the casting intended for the spin halyard block. 3) Remove the cotter and pin that serves as the axle for the two forward halyard sheaves. If done carefully with the mast on its side, this should allow the two sheaves and the splitter plate to rest in place for the next round. If you haul someone up the mast on the main halyard to do this on a newer mast with internal halyards, be very careful to restrain the sheaves and splitter plate. 4) Place the crane assembly over the end of the casting, and align the pin/axle holes. 5) Drop the new pins/axles in the holes and secure with either rings or cotters. MAKE SURE that the splitter plate and the two sheaves are properly captured by the new axle. 6) Hang an appropriately sized (at least 2" with a 1500lb working load) swivel headed block on the bail of the crane. Don’t forget to mouse the shackle, it’s a long way to go up and replace it! That’s it. The final photo is of a crane installed on Dr. Judy’s Bijou during her well documented refit. If you want real luxury, consider replacing the masthead sheaves with ball bearing replacements. Somehow the boys and I did that with the mast up. I’ll tell ya, this is all easier when the mast is down, and you get to avoid the telltale Plonk – Splash of a ball bearing sheave hitting the deck and the drink. The joys of boat ownership are never ending. PZ Catalina 26 National Association C26 Association Technical Editor Art Harden 937.885.9380 (o) 937.477.5544 (m) Well, it has been 4½ months since Sea Belle has seen the light of day, but she will soon be coming out of hibernation. Now is an opportune time for those of us in the north to check our standing rigging before the sailing season starts. Let’s see; back-stay…..check, portside side-stays…..check-check, and starboard side-stays…..check-check, forestay….? Hmmm…. Now when was the last time I saw more than the top 6 inches of the fore stay, or for that matter the turnbuckle on the bottom? For those of us who started with smaller boats, hanked on head sails were the norm. But when you reach the size of Capri 26, most boats have T22 a roller furling system. A hanked on sail is a lot more efficient than a roller furler, but it is definitely not as convenient. Based on various emails within the Capri 26 Yahoo group, there are a few 26 ers’ out there without a roller furling system, but they seem to be far and few between. If you are an Olympic style racer or just a truly dedicated racer, then hanks are the way to go. But for the single-handed cruiser, the safety and convenience of a furler can’t be beat. The CDI furler seems to have been the standard for Catalina in the produc- tion line and, more specifically, the CDI FF4. It is hard to imagine that we’re talking about a sailing device that was introduced over 105 ago. Yes, I did say one hundred and five years ago. Although Major E du Boulay in England is attributed as the original inventor, the first furler patent was held by Major Wykeham-Martin in 1907. Murray Scheiner, a sailor and professional rigging designer from Great Neck, New York, modernized the furling jib in the late 1960’s and the popularity of the device spread. OK, so much for the history lesson, back to the CDI. (http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roller_furling) The 1990’s vintage furler has several issues that CDI improved on over the years. First is the size of the opening to the drum. The early CDI’s had an opening of only 1-1/4 inch in diameter and a limited cup alignment holes. The newer models have improved greatly in both areas. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T CATALINA 26 | CATALINA 25/250 & CAPRI 25 Alternate Furling Systems: If you are wondering why this is important, it all has to do with friction. The smooth operation of the furler can be greatly hampered by poor alignment of the furling line. A significant misalignment reduces the mechanical advantage of the drum. If the furler is 2 inches in width and the drum is 3 inches in diameter, you obtain a 1-1/2:1 mechanical advantage, which increases as you add windings to the drum. The engineers out there will say that you still maintain the mechanical advantage (which technically is true), but the ineffective forces created by the friction point greatly hamper its operation. At this point you have several options; redrill the alignment holes in the cup; enlarge the opening; or replace the cup with a new one from CDI for about $80. A second option to improving the performance of your furler is to replace the original HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene aka plastic) bearing with a roller bearing to the tune of $166. By the time you buy a new cup, ball bearing and replacement halyard (if yours is like mine, it is due) you have spent about $306 on parts. At this point you are halfway to the cost of a new system through one of the internet retailers. The CDI is by no means the only furling system in the fleet. We have reports of Plastimo, Harken 00AL, and Hood Seafurl 705 systems floating out there. Each system has its pluses and minuses, but for me I will stick with the CDI for now, but some modifications to the original 1992 design are coming during my spring rigging program. Keep a little tension on the furling line as the sail unfolds. It will cut down on some of the overlap in the drum. Here’s wishing you a smooth start to the 2013 sailing season. I’ll see you on the water soon. Oh, by the way, don’t forget to check the side-stay tension rod nuts during your spring rigging. They have a nasty habit of coming loose, but that is for another article. –Art The CDI furler seems to have been the standard for Catalina in the production line. Catalina 25/250 & Capri 25 International Association C25 Association Technical Editor Paul Zell catalina25tech@ catalina-capri-25s.org Going Aloft There are various ways to get up the mast: one can be hauled up in a bosun’s chair, ascenders or a tackle arrangement can be used to haul oneself up, or a device with step loops can be hauled up the kerf of the mast to provide a sort of ladder. Safety first is the rule when ascending the mast. It is always preferable to have a separate safety line attached as a failsafe precaution. On Sparky we have a comfortable bosun’s chair purchased at a reputable marine store. Normally, getting up the mast is a two person job for us. One person goes up and one person hauls. One of the first things that a mate had a lad do when he signed on a sailing ship was to climb up in the rigging. Being aloft was essential to the running of the ship. We do not often have to go up our masts, but we should be able to do it. First of all do not let it frighten you. If done properly being hauled up the mast is not that big of a deal. The boat will not tip over because there is weight near the masthead. There may be a little movement exaggerated from the deck to the masthead, but it is entirely tolerable. It is done like this: 1. Main halyard is attached to bosun’s chair. 2. Our halyard is routed back to cockpit and through rope clutches to a cabin top winch. 3. Person hauling uses winch with winch handle for advantage and uses rope clutches when necessary as chair is hoisted up the mast. 4. Person in chair helps as possible by gripping mast to relieve some C250 Association Technical Editor David Gonsalves [email protected] Capri 25 Association Technical Editor John Schramm [email protected] SPRING 2013 weight on the way up. One can step on the spreader attachments close in to mast to get an extra boost for the last portion. 5. The jib halyard is attached to the chair as a safety line and gets periodically tensioned on the way up. This halyard also runs back to cockpit through rope clutches. Note that this line may need to be unhooked and reconnected when passing the spreaders. 6. After finishing work aloft the winch person gently lowers the chair alternating between the main and jib halyard as the person in the chair keeps contact with the mast on the way down. Remember to unhook and reattach the safety line again when passing the spreaders on the way down. Once you have done this a few times, it is very easy and much preferable to dropping the mast when some little job needs to be done aloft. Note from Catalina Yachts: Swing keel models should have the keel in the fully down position before going aloft. – Gerry Douglas T23 CATALINA 25/250 & CAPRI 25 Keeping it cool down below on a C250 This was the first major mod to Joint Decision, our Catalina C250 Water Ballast. After our our first summer spending long weekends in Biscayne Bay back in 2005, the decision to install AC was an easy one. The plan was to install the system aft of the head and inboard of the head locker. We planned to install the pump in the bilge, aft of the water ballast tank, the 110 VAC power management in the head on the aft bulkhead, and install a new bulkhead in the gap on the port side of the cabin steps to mount the AC Vent and controls. At the local West Marine in Fort Lauderdale, we purchased the Dometic Airrrr conditioner kit because of their return policy. We liked it because it has a pretty small foot print. The unit and all of the components cost around $1,800 (2005). The pump system was included in the Dometic Kit, but we had to jump though a few hoops to find pipe connectors that allowed putting it all together. The connectors are joined using reinforced plastic hose and double stainless steel screw clamps on all barbed joints. The space under the bilge is very limited so I wanted a means of securing the pump system while allowing easy removal for repairs/replacement. I should patent this design since it works so well! The Pump is mounted on a small Starboard plate that has angled side edges that match the sides of securing plates all mounted on the base plate. Two screws at the back of T24 the base plate stop the Pump base plate moving beyond them. The wooden fillet holds the pump base plate in position. To remove the pump I just have to pull out the wooden fillet and slide the pump base out of the base plate. The base plate remains (glued) in place in the bilge. There’s not a lot of height in the bilge aft of the access plate, but enough to get the pump and base plate. If I need to service the pump it is easy to remove. If I need to replace the pump, the new one will just get screwed to the base and slid into place. No holes in the hull. The AC unit will sit on a 3/4 marine ply shelf. It has two holes for the cooling water pipe from the pump and the drainage hole in the base of the AC Unit pan. The AC vent and controls are mounted on a new bulkhead. It is installed on the Port side of the cabin ladder. It does not present any change in habit as we don’t ever squeeze through that small space into the aft berth. It had several coats of varnish before install. The first hole in the hull took a bit of moxy. Hole 1 is for the AC system cooling water discharge. First a pilot hole from the inside. Then a larger hole in the liner. Next started the hole through the hull from the inside and finished it from the outside. That way I a neat hole on both sides of the hull. The larger hole is to allow for the flange nut of the through hull. Wasn’t sure which way to position the seawater inlet. Decided it was better to have the flow from from forward. This pic shows the inlet is aft of the swing keel and the ballast drain. Internally the inlet is a couple of inches aft of the water ballast aft bulkhead. The hull is pretty thick aft of the Water Ballast tank. But I still made a backing plate, kinda redundant. It’s epoxied in place and 3M 4200 sealant keeps everything dry. Once the system was installed on it’s shelf I made ply covers for the two exposed sides. The aft cover is secured to a strip mounted vertically on the inboard side of the locker bulkhead and the inboard cover is mounted to the new bulkhead. Both are secured to the mounting shelf and a fillet on the front edge of the aft cover connects the two covers on the inboard aft corner. The tops are not attached to anything but have reinforcing strips on the inside. A few screws and the entire front cover comes off for maintenance. The Flexible duct connects to the air output on the AC unit and the air discharge vent on the new bulkhead. The new bulkhead is secured to the inboard side of the exterior head bulkhead. A white plastic pipe support is used to secure it to the port side cabin step tube and two screws are in place on the bottom of the new bulkhead to secure it to the step of the aft berth. With everything installed we had to launch the boat to test it. Worked like a charm. The option to go below and cool down during Florida Summers was worth every penny. We carry a 1700 Watt generator (on top of the fuel locker) to power the system when on the hook, it consumes about a gallon of gas over a 7 hour period when the AC is running. You can see more pictures of this project on our website in the Photo Gallery under the Projects Tab. C ATA L I N A M A I N S H E E T There is a Better Way... ...don’t tow it, Stow it! G arhauer's dinghy davits allow you to safely carry your dinghy to secluded anchorages. Forget about the hassle of towing a dinghy and all the potential problems that causes, not to mention the penalty of decreased boat speed. Experience better performance in passage making and sleep better at night knowing your dinghy is secure. All davits are made to order, based on the transom design and dimensions of your boat. Davits are sold in pairs. Each davit arm is one-piece welded and polished stainless steel construction, built with the rock solid durability that all Garhauer hardware is known for. Each davit arm comes complete with 6-1 purchase triple block system, including cam cleat, snap hook, 60’ of line, along with cleat for fastening line. Included is stainless cross bar cut to length for your particular installation DINGHY DAVITS dinghy not included with davits DD 6-1 height 33” arm length 36” DD 6-1, 1 in. tubing DD 6-1, 1-1/4 in. tubing DINGHY DAVIT ACCESSORIES Davit Pivot Base with backer plate Davit Pivot Base For any angle transom mounting of arm, with backer plate. Stern Rail Davit Clamp Clamps davit arm directly to 1” stern rail for lateral support. Stern Rail Davit Clamp 1082 West Ninth Street, Upland, California 91786 Phone: (909) 985-9993 FAX: (909) 946-3913 email: [email protected] http://www.garhauermarine.com & A 30 Year Partnership of Enduring American Craftmanship! Outfit your Catalina with Distinctive Edson Accessories at EdsonMarine.com facebook.com/edsonmarine twitter.com/edsonmarine Edson International • New Bedford, MA (508) 995-9711 www.edsonmarine.com