Several of our 380/390 captains on our Sailnet email discussion group have in-mast furling and have mentioned how they like the arrangement. Some of those without this feature, including me, have usually responded with some “buts”: but there are no battens [so less sailing efficiency], but there’s less sail area [46 sq. ft. less: about 13%], but they jam, but, etc. Some said that a better alternative is in-boom furlers, which have become a lot more reliable, and are much less expensive to retrofit. Of course, buying a new Catalina with either system installed is better than retrofitting; here, in-boom costs more than in-mast. [For the latest on in-boom furlers, see Practical Sailor, Oct. 1, 2001].
I had seen some 380’s with in-mast furling, but had not really dug deeper. Then Earle and Barbara Ellefsen [C380 # 271 “Valkyrie”],
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Genset Installation
Tom McMahon
8/1/2002
Hull #: 29
I recently had the Panda 4200 installed. It is in the starboard lazarette, as close to centerline as possible and oriented with the long axis of the genset fore and aft. This allows me (6′ 2″ and not the most limber person in the world) to sit alongside it, remove the covers and access all the user maintenance items. The genset is mounted on two engine-mount-like stringers, which are glassed into the hull (avoid any mount on top of a solid board – it makes the entire hull into a drum!). The optional Panda soft motor mounts are installed on the stringers, and the Panda case is then bolted to those mounts. I have the Raymarine 6000 autopilot, and the genset does not interfere with it.
The installer modified the case so that I can change the oil filter (strainer) without disconnecting
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Those of us with hull numbers up to about 100 have masts made by Z-Spar [now US Spars]. One issue with them consists of a relatively high gate: the opened part of the slot or tunnel where our mainsail slides do their thing.
The gate allows the slides to enter or leave the tunnel for installing/removing our mainsail. With the sail installed, the gate is “closed” via an angled handle that locks into the mast just above the opening thus retaining the slides. Two problems ensue with this configuration: first, the 1st reef cringle cannot be brought down to the boom, as it should be for a proper reef; Catalina authorizing the installation of “jack lines” solved this on my boat.
Second, the height of the sail’s headboard requires climbing the two mast steps to attach/detach the halyard and
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The following article by Warren Elliott describes replacing the fuel tank.
The original fuel tank actually had a 26gallon fuel capacity as marked on the tank itself. Lift up the aft cabin mattress and port side tank cover to check the capacity of your own boat to be sure what you have! Twenty-six gallons was considered inadequate by both early owners and Catalina so a larger 34 gallon tank was specified in later models. This new tank can be ordered from the factory and retrofitted into the earlier models. This article, kindly submitted by Warren Elliott, explains how to make the retrofit yourself.-Scott
Procedure-
In addition to standard tools, you should have anti-seize or equivalent to seal the fittings. This should be used anywhere dissimilar metals are fastened such as brass and aluminum.
Step I. Configure the new tank. On your
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Food Storage
Ed and Sharyn Dahn
2/1/2002
Hull #: 111
The locker to the left of the microwave is a huge space that we believed to be quite unusable without a shelf. A wooden shelf was considered, however, it was felt that even if a ½ inch thick shelf were used it would require some kind of bracing. The thickness of the shelf and bracing would use up too much room. As a result we decided to make it out of 1/8 inch aluminum sheet metal. Careful measurements were made, and the local sheet metal shop sheared a piece for us. The shelf comes to within ¼ inch of the door so that items on the top shelf can not fall down. The shelf is supported on ½ inch aluminum angle stock that was installed along the sides and back. Photo below:
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Electrical Power Upgrades, Electrical Energy Independence
Earl Poe, Warren Elliott
3/20/2002
Hull #: 140
S/Y Angel’s Wings, hull number 140, spends a great deal of the sailing season anchored in remote coves on a beautiful kentucky lake. Her captain and first mate are people who hate to run the engine which tends to ruin the quiet, summer lifestyle, not to mention scare away the roosting bald eagles, osprey, and deer. Supplemental sources of electricity had to be found. Over the past two (2) seasons, we have added solar panels, a wind generator, and replaced our tired 4D batteries with four (6) volt golf cart batteries. First, we chose to mount two (2) flexible uni-solar model #usf-32 solar panels on top of the canvas dodger (photo 1). We ran the wiring though the coach roof (photo 2), down to the starboard wire chase, and back to a solar regulator mounted behind
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Being a sailboat owner, I truly dislike having to run the engine during good sailing conditions. Bringing our boat home to Portland, OR from our summer cruising grounds in Washington’s San Juan Islands and the Canadian Gul f Islands usually offers such conditions, once we round Cape Flattery and head out into the Pacific and down the Washington coast. It’s a 30-hour broad reach in 17-knot northwesterlies followed by two days of spinnaker run up the Columbia River. We do it short handed – the autopilot is very necessary. Unfortunately, at about 65% of battery charge with the stock Exide 4D marine house battery bank (wired in parallel), the autopilot starts complaining like a series wound DC motor will when it’s getting more of its power from current than from voltage. With the refrigeration cycling at about 33% and the autopilot
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The May issue included a short description and photo by Forrest Lott of his smaller dinette table. I had a few questions, the answers to which didn’t quite make publication deadline, so here they are.
His picture showed a nice sketch of a sailboat centered in the table top. I wondered at Ted’s artistry; however, he reported the sailboat figure is part of an acrylic dish that his wife found in Walmart! It’s usually under a pile of chips! Oh well, just shows how different perspectives can be.
I also inquired how Forrest swaps old and new table tops easily, and where the unused one is stored. It turns out that they leave the new one in place all the time as it is so convenient. The old one is stored under the vee berth cushions without the mounting flange, which is
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The shelf above the sink that was intended to store plates, mugs, and such, was totally inadequate for our needs (worthless). We wanted a “china cabinet” (or in our case a plastic cabinet). The plan was to build a cabinet using the existing shelf as a base and make some kind of a cabinet which had a shelf in the middle. We considered building the cabinet out of wood, but it seemed that this would not only block the light from the large port window, but it would not fit the open styling of the interior. We decided to make the cabinet out of a clear material. The cabinet was made using an acrylic material purchased at the Home Depot called high impact “Lucite Tuf”, it is 3/16 thick. We also purchased some 1 ½ inch diameter oak ½
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Double Bow Roller
Tom Lincoln
11/5/2002
Hull #: 205
We’ve been chatting on the Sailnet e-mail list on the desirability of a double-bow roller, particularly for extended cruising, for over a year.
Catalina has recently responded by providing this feature on new C380’s & 390’s. But what to do if your boat doesn’t have this? Following is the first of at least two articles on retrofitting your boat to gain the advantage of two bow rollers. This is from Tom Lincoln, # 205 “Ridge Runner”, who is on quite an extended cruise.
We prepared our C380, Ridge Runner, for cruising and living aboard. For the past year and a half we have cruised the Great Lakes, The East Coast from NY to Florida and next year: The Bahamas. We have done many things to make the boat a better and safer cruiser. One of the most important, and possibly one
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