Alternator/Regulator Mods Jim Norman, Jos Sonneville 8/1/2004 Hull #: 33
We’ve had a lot of “traffic” on our Sailnet email discussion list on this topic. Modification of your engine’s alternator, to provide connection for a “smart” external regulator, can make the full alternator output available for your battery charging; otherwise, the typical alternator’s regulator will provide only about 1/2 of the available charging current.
The particular description here is applicable to the earlier C380’s that have the Westerbeke 42B engine, which includes a 72-amp alternator. The same concept will work for the Yanmar-equipped boats, although it’s smaller 55-amp alternator has less potential “reward”.
The alternator’s standard regulator is contained in a housing [aka: “doghouse”] attached to the back of the alternator. There are both “N” [negative] and “P” [positive] types, so named because of the electrical location of the regulator with respect to the alternator’s field winding. They require
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
There have been a number of discussions on this topic on our Sailnet email discussion group. Most of you probably realize that our fuel tank is not a simple rectangular shape, especially in the vertical plane, and so the fuel gauge does not read accurately [our sender–the sensor in the tank–is a typical swinging-arm-with-float-type which is calibrated for a rectangular tank]. Rather it is tapered, from a depth of 11-1/2″ forward to an average of about 5″ aft. [It’s actually tapered in three directions].
In order to estimate what corrections to apply to our fuel gauge, I phoned our tank manufacturer [Ezell Industries], who supplied a dimensioned drawing [rather than measure my tank, a bit uncomfortable to do with our present winter set-up]. From this I was able to calculate- actually estimate- volume versus depth. To keep it relatively simple, I
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Installing A Second Anchor Roller Johnny Smith 2/1/2003 Hull #: 240
When I decided to install a second anchor roller on Shearwater, my 2000 model 380, I first looked in the local West Marine and BOAT/US stores. I then looked in my Garhauer catalog and found one I liked. I wanted one that is shorter than the one that came with the boat to make mounting the second anchor easier. I ordered the model AR-30, which is 24″ LOA with an ID of 2-1/2 inches and weighs 8 lbs. The price in the catalog is $93.50. Their phone number if you don’t have it is (909) 985-9993. I chose a Garhauer unit because our boats are loaded with Garhauer equipment (vang, traveler, adjustable genoa leads, etc.) and I’ve been pleased with their service and appearance so far. Secondly, none of the models I saw in the marine stores were pre-drilled
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Here is one captain’s solution for space for electronics–we all seem to want more and more toys. But it’s nice to know what’s going on in and around our boat!
With the proliferation of gadgets for “Angel’s Wings,” I needed to re-design the nav station. The logical choice was to use the shelf above the breaker panel. It was easy to duplicate the wood frame of the door and I used a 1/4-inch thick white melamine panel (available from cabinet shops) for the actual panel. 1 x 1-inch stops around the opening, a piano hinge, and a cabinet lock completed the job. The only thing requiring time was fitting the door since the two existing vertical panels are not square (is anything on a boat?). I now have my VHF, stereo, recording barometer, Autohelm repeater, GPS, Radar/chartplotter, tank monitor & Heart
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
More on 2nd Bow Rollers Bob Bierly 2/1/2003 Hull #: 255
That Second Anchor Roller That You Always Wanted-
I was the owner who tried to get Catalina and Garhauer to develop and manufacture a heavy-duty double bow roller in the winter of 2000. Simply put, Catalina decided- for undisclosed reasons- not to provide Garhauer a sketch of such a roller incorporating the geometry of the forward part of the C380 that would insure the proper fit and function. Instead, in September 2001, Frank Butler recommended that I add a second roller, similar to the original, on the starboard side of the fore stay. Since we were preparing for a seven-month trip down the eastern coast of the US, I had already done so when the recommendation was received.
I bought a stock 24-inch long roller from Garhauer (AR-30), cut off about 6 inches with a hacksaw and ground the
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Title: Refrigerator and Batteries Author: Jim Seeman Date: 11/1/2003 Hull #: 123
Refrigerator & Batteries Jim Seeman, “Pipe Dream” #123 sent me the following: “My wife and I returned from a three week cruise in the Bahamas where we enjoyed many pleasant nights at anchor and some excellent sailing and fishing enroute. Here are a couple of items that might be of interest to others contemplating an extended cruise:
My wife found a simple way to prevent water from condensing on the upper access door and the inside roof of our refrigerator. She used an automobile windshield heat reflector (1/8″ foam with a metalized mylar on one side) that was cut to the approximate inside dimensions of the top of the box. The heat shield is placed between the roof of the refrigerator and the freezer coil and on top of any food stored on the upper shelf. Condensation was
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Aft Cabin Seat Storage Some of you will recall our discussion indicating the storage space available beneath the two seats in our master sleeping cabin. Has developing those spaces been on your ” back burner”? Well, now you’ll have one less excuse for not moving on this: you’ll see what they look like! The photos you see here [Insert Photos #1 & #2 w/captions] were taken by Earle Ellefsen [Valkyrie, # 271] with his trusty digital camera [I’ll have my own soon]. These are of the storage spaces on my boat [#44].
Cutting the openings in the top of these seats is a bit of a chore. The material is 7/8″ thick, with half of this fiberglass and half plywood. After drilling a starter hole, I found that a quality medium-tooth jigsaw blade worked, albeit fairly slowly.
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Several C380 owners, either those on Sailnet, friends, or some that I met at the recent northeast Catalina rendezvous expressed unhappiness with this classic problem. And it occurs both in and around the head compartment itself and outside the boat via the vent line. Here’s what’s kept us “sweet-smelling” for most of the 7 years we’ve owned and sailed “My Bride II”.
First, I installed an in-line treatment called “Earth Safe” [West Marine #568592, $37]. This consists of a plastic container that is plumbed into the toilet’s water intake. The container has a compartment into which a large tablet is placed; this dispenses a blue-colored liquid that both deodorizes and lubricates the pump. I can report that this system woks well in fresh water or saltwater; it worked for us right away [may need a few
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Title: Water in Forward Compartment Author: Warren Elliott Date: 8/12/2003 Hull #: 44
Quite a few of our Sailnet group, over the last year or two, have reported finding water in the forward compartment, the one accessible through the small hatch under the V-berth. This occurred on my boat also when I found about a gallon there after My Bride II was two or three years old. I also found the very small volume at the bow was full with perhaps another gallon. My trusty wet/dry vacuum cleaned out the water easily. I did a routine check of fittings, and hit the area with fresh water, but nothing obvious turned up. In the next three years, another 1/2 -1 gallon accumulated, so it’s obviously not much of a leak. Recently, I used some “Captain Tolley’s Creeping Crack Cure” around the bow roller and the forward stay chain plate. We’ll see
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.
Title: Flexible Coupling for Drivetrain Author: Gordon R Croudace Date: 8/12/2003 Hull #: 18
I am the owner of a Catalina 380C [“”Cahuilla””, Hull no.18], based in Sydney, Australia. I recently fitted a flexible coupling between the transmission and the propeller shaft. As it has made such a dramatic difference in terms of virtually eliminating vibration, reducing noise transmission through the hull and the impact of gear engagement, it has prompted me to recommend this relatively inexpensive and easy-to-fit mod to all owners. In fact, it surprises me that the flexible coupling is not fitted as standard equipment to all Catalina yachts.
The flexible coupling purchased is a product of R&D Drivetrain Solutions in Lynnwood, WA. USA. [ www.flexible-coupling.com]. It is available through PYI Inc. [ www.pyiinc.com. ] The model number of the flexible coupling fitted is 910-001. It is designed to be bolted between the transmission’s half coupling and
You need to be logged in to see the rest of this content. Catalina380-IA members, please login.
To join please fill out a membership application (Association->Membership Application) and send a check to the address on the form.