All posts by Webmaster

Repair/Replace/Maintain

Shopping for Cockpit Cushions?

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My cushions are beat up and smell really bad. Found “Bottom Siders” online which seem like a great product and available for the C380 including helm seat and stern rail seats. Anyone own these? Open to other suggestions. I want something that can take a beating and is completely water-proof and absorbs no water.

Leon
Akula-SF
C380#144

Another option is C-Cushions. Like Bottomsiders, they are closed cell foam, and can stay out in the rain. A friend of mine tried sample cushions from bothvendors and liked the C-Cushions better. He is in his second set of them and I’m in my third set (for both of us, it was changes in boats, not the cushions going bad that prompted the replaceements). The only caveat with the closed cell foam cushions is that they are slippery when wet.

Steve Magennis
Alchemist C-380 #71

 

A couple of options for you to

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Engine, Thru-Hulls

Blowing out raw water line and strainer

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Editor:  A discussion ensued on finding a top for the raw water strainer where you could hook up a garden hose to blow out blockages.  Warren provided the following interesting approach:

I took another approach..found a special “expandable” plumbing fixture that works great…and is “dirt cheap”.

It’s called a “Mechanical Test Plug, with By-Pass”.  This is essentially a short pice of steel pipe [maybe a foot long] with a rubber “donut” attached to and surrounding the pipe, and has a large wing nut; the latter squeezes the rubber so that it expands, filling and sealing whatever its inserted into.

This is made in many sizes/diameters.  Our ID of top of strainer is 2″, so I bought test plug rated for 1.5 to 2.25″.,

Got mine from McMaster-Carr, p/n 2644K21, $8.17.     nj.sales@mcmaster.com is shown on p.o., but website available.

To make it easier to pour in a bucket or bottle of

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Customizations

Bow Thrusters

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Has anyone installed a bow thruster on their 380? If so, any details with the installation would be helpful. Cost, brand, effectiveness, etc.

Keith
380, hull 375

I spoke to New England Bow Thrusters at the Newport Boat Show.  Their verbal quote was $8000-$8500.  He seemed to be very familar with the Catalina 380.  They are based in Groton CT

http://www.newenglandbowthruster.com/

Harlan Shakun
Morning Star

We were also at the show and talked to Floridabowthrusters for a quote of about $6700 installing a Vetus BOW55 121 lbf./12 volt bow thruster .  We were looking for anyone who had installed a thruster and/or had experience with  Floridabowthruster.
We also requested a quote from New England Bow Thruster, but have yet to receive a quote.  We are located in Groton Ct.

Keith
2003, 380, hull 375

My bow thruster was installed in 2007 by Engineered Marine Systems in Annapolis.  The total cost

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Customizations, Electrical/Electronics

Wind Generator Installation

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Here’s one example from Warren Elliott:

As to pole mounting, it’s adjacent to middle of aft seat, with attachment to rail forming aft-most part of seat’s back-rest.  Attachment is from Edson & uses a couple of C-clamps with special “adapter” which grabs rail.

At bottom, pole is supported/attached to hull with Edson’s swivel-type surface mount.

Also used Edson’s tall pole…11 1/2 feet as I recall.  Used this pole to get radar beam sufficiently above boom & bow per my radar antenna background.

Garhauer has similar parts, although somewhat shorter pole, but probably considerably less $.

BTW, wind gen is “Air-X”, not a “big” unit as some.  If you are going to install a big gen & radar, then you’d definitely need the longer Edson pole or equivalent to have sufficient space.  If wind gen only, smaller/ shorter pole is ok.

 

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Repair/Replace/Maintain, Rudder

Composit Rudders

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Here is the thread I mentioned where Bob Perry discusses carbon fiber rudders:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=80490&st=0

Here is a link to a specific message in the thread where Bob included his design for a carbon rudder:

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=80490&st=0

In response to my question he guesstimated $7K to $9K for a cf rudder but suggested contacting Phil’s Foils.

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Electrical/Electronics, TV

Shakespeare TV Antenna

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The original TV antenna provided with La Mariposa in 1998 was an analog type that is no longer useable due to transmitting stations changeover to digital transmission.  This analog TV antenna was removed from top of mast and not replaced.  Coaxial Cable is still connected from chart table behind VHF radio all the way to the top of the mast where cable exits the mast.  The Antenna bracket is still on top of mast.

I have replaced the analog antenna with a Shakespeare omni-directional marine TV digital antenna.  The picture quality is terrific and the signal does not degrade as the boat swings on its mooring because of the antenna’s unidirectional feature.  I am now receiving “over-the-air” reception on the boat’s Sharp flat screen TV, model LC-19DV-12U.

I am using 117 VAC power to drive both the TV and antenna.  I use an inverter.  The antenna’s power selector (12 VDC

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Electronics, Repair/Replace/Maintain

Dim glowing of Reverse Polarity Light

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When using my Honda 2000 generator, I noticed that the reverse polarity light glows dimly.

Tom,

The reason you see the reverse polarity light glowing is because the Honda generator has a floating ground, meaning that there is no connection between neutral and ground, like your shore power connection has back at the service on shore.

If you want to eliminate the flicker, and operate the generator more safely, where you’re GFCI outlets trip on fault, make up a plug with jumper wire between the ground and neutral and plug it into one of the generators AC outlets.

Jim Turner
“Makana Kai”, 2000 C380, #227

LEDs are low voltage (about 2-4 v), low current devices and so require a series resistor to drop typical circuit voltage into their range, thereby also limiting the current to reasonable (operating) values.

The 25 k resistor referred to allows the led to operate near

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Customizations, Engine, Repair/Replace/Maintain

Engine Compartment Cooling

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Jim,

May be able to suggest a way to improve the air circulation and cooling in the engine compartment.

I’ve been holding off installing the larger Ample alternator and Balmar regulator until I could figure out how to improve cooling in the engine compartment.

Last trip to the boat I completed replacing the flimsy ventilation hoses with nearly indestructible Hi temp thermoplastic rubber duct hose and rerouted the positive ventilator discharge duct from under engine to top of engine and alternator to scavenge rising heat more effectively. I’m heading up to the boat Wednesday and should be able to complete a number of projects, including rewiring the blower to automatically run when the engine is running, and for a 15 minute cool down period after shut down using a delay board (should be able to re-utilize the fan switch as an off switch). Then install the alternator, regulator and sensors.

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Engine, Repair/Replace/Maintain

Engine Stalling Problem – Discussion

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My westerbeke 42b has run for years flawlessly. Several days ago it began to
stall. Suspected it was starved fotbfeul and I raced primary an secondary filters. They came out black and grimy. Since then engine still stalls after running at 3/4 throttle for 15 minutes. Seems starved for fuel.

Any ideas?

 

Check that the electric fuel pump is working. I had a loose connection on the fuel pump wiring that caused a similar problem. Fuel pump should click during glow plug operation and when the engine is running.

Paul McManus
Sea Sea Rider C380 #185
Port Orchard, WA

 

I had the same problem. It was a clogged fuel line with lots of gunk inside the fuel tank. You will need to clean the line and the tank, and replace both filters. I had the work done by a mechanic. He also recommended a fuel additive to prevent

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Water

Replacing Hot Water Heater – Discussion

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I’m heading up to the boat tomorrow to knock out some projects before going sailing we have friends join us for Labor day weekend.  My top priority is to replace the 12 year old hot water heater, that has sprung a leak.  I did thoroughly check for leaks at connections and pretty confident it’s time to replace it.

I’ve purchased a Quick Nautic B3 3012SL, 1200 Watt, 8 gallon stainless steel tank boiler to replace the Seaward F1100 with it’s 11 gallon aluminum tank.  I found the following comment on another blog which really resonated with me, since I also replace the seaward boiler on our Catalina 30 after it started leaking as well.

“Atwood, Force Ten (Kuumha) & Seaward’s – These square water heaters look to be all made by the same company and re-badged. They all feature a stainless steel JACKET but an ALUMINUM tank! Buyer beware!”

“At

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