Category Archives: 2004

Smart Fuel Gauge

Smart Fuel Gauge
Earle Ellefsen
5/1/2004
Hull #: 271

The following is from Earl Effelsen –Warren I have always kept a fuel log for our 2000 C380 (#271), Valkyrie, and know that fuel consumption can range from 0.6 to 1.0 gph (average 0.85 gph) depending on conditions. I am also well aware that the stock fuel gauge is not linear and that, although my tank is rated at 34 gals, when the gauge reads 1/4, there are only about four gals remaining. So, I was particularly annoyed when I recently ran out of fuel despite my calculations indicating that I should still have another hours worth of fuel.

At about this time, I saw an ad for the Cruz Pro FU30 Smart Fuel Gauge and ordered one from the e-Marine, Inc. web site for $169. This gauge learns the shape of the tank and, via its digital readout, can accurately

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Remote Oil Filter

Remote Oil Filter
Earl Poe
5/1/2004
Hull #: 140

Remote Oil Filter

The oil filters on both of our fleets engine types [Westerbeke and Yanmar] are horizontally mounted, resulting in some oil spillage when changing filters. This remote adapter allows you to relocate the filter so that its feed/return end is up, avoiding any messy spills. Further, the filters location on our Westerbekes is a bit awkward, as Captain Earl Poe so aptly describes below, so the remote filter also allows for a much more “ergonomic” location. –Warren

The idea of a remote location for mounting an oil filter was first investigated by Tom Lincoln on Ridge Runner, so he gets the credit. The servicing of our oil filters is, to say the least, awful! Mounting the filter in a vertical direction on an easily accessible bulkhead would save time, knuckles, and the environment. Covich-Williams (800-833-3132) of Seattle sells just

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Hatch and Portlight Issues

Hatch And Portlight Issues
Warren Elliott
2/1/2004
Hull #: 44

While most of us realize that our hatches and portlights will not last forever, on the other hand a certain, and at least moderate, period of trouble-free performance is expected for new equipment. This is apparently not the case with regard to crazing of the acrylic. To be sure there’s also problems with leaks–there always will be with any exposed openable equipment on a boat. But crazing, a natural, usually slow, deterioration of the acrylic where fine lines appear randomly, should not strike for a few years. And when it does, we should see only minor amounts adding slowly over the years. Of course, this will vary depending principally on exposure to sunlight, so those of you in southern climes are most susceptible.

However, quite a large group of your fellow captains have indicated significant crazing appearing in their acrylics,

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Automating Refrigerator Startup and Shutdown with a Battery Combiner

Automating Refrigerator Startup and Shutdown with a Battery Combiner
George LaForge
2/1/2004
Hull #: 147 

We only run the refrigerator on Freebird when power is available from a charging source. That source is either dockside power or the engine alternator. I try never to run the refrigerator only from battery power. [George- maybe your fridge needs an insulation upgrade; Catalina has a procedure for installing expandable foam–Warren].

Not wanting to run down a battery, yet at the same time wanting to keep beverages cold, we developed a routine: as soon as the engine was started someone would need to go below and switch on the circuit breaker for the refrigerator. And after the engine was shut down someone would need to go below and switch off the breaker. Most of the time the problem was remembering to switch the breaker on when the engine was started.

One day while researching

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Filters for Drains

Filters for Drains
George LaForge
2/1/2004
Hull #: 147

Regular cleaning of the inline shower bilge strainer is a task that is easily moved down a to-do list. The strainer’s out-of-sight location under the head sink and the difficulty in twisting the filter can contribute to a lack of cleaning. A simple, next-to-nothing cost project to prolong the cleaning interval is to silicone caulk a piece of nylon window screen over the drain in the shower stall. A quick wipe of the screen with a piece of tissue removes materials and hair that would otherwise be trapped in the under sink strainer.

Measure and cut a piece of nylon window screen the same dimensions as the shower’s stainless steel drain cover. Run a thin bead of silicone caulk around the edge of the drain plate and a few of the bars in the grid. Press the screen onto the drain

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Go Fast Owner Improvements

Basic “Go-Fasts” For The C380 Author:Steve Dublin Date: 5/1/2004 Hull #: 84

We’ve found our C-380, “Caretta” (hull # 84), to be a very able club racer, particularly in offshore events. When her skipper and crew are reasonably attentive, she can sail to her 120 PHRF rating. The stock Catalina 380 comes well fitted out with sail handling gear. However, there are some basic “go fasts” (racing equipment), which can be easily added, to help the boat sail her to her full potential. I’ve described a few of these “go fasts” below along with some installation tips learned the hard way:

Adjustable Backstay The C-380 does not have a “bendy” rig. However, a pincer block assembly (Photo 3), connected to a 4 to 1 block & tackle, will allow you to tighten the forestay and point a little higher in moderate sea conditions. You don’t have to drill any holes

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Lee Berths for the Aft Cabin

Lee Berths for the Aft Cabin
Jos Sonneville
2/1/2004
Hull #: 33

This article is from Jos Sonneville, a C380 captain residing in Holland. He gets out into “blue water” environments and finds a better rough-water sleeping set-up is helpful.–Warren

The aft cabin with the wide, comfortable bed is not an easy place to sleep when sailing through the night especially with moderate or serious seas. While it is possible to use, for example, sail bags to create a space where you do not roll around, it is not ideal. So I had been thinking about creating two lee berths in the aft cabin, without structurally changing the cabin.

Photo 3 shows an artist’s impression of the concept I came up with: on top of the mattress custom-made canvas lee-cloth ‘cocoons’ are installed. They are fixed on the bed itself by 1-inch webbing that is passed through stainless steel loops

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Engine Seminars

Engine Seminars
Warren Elliott
11/27/2004 Hull #: 44

The mail reminded me that our engine manfacturers –actually theirdistributors–sponsor one-day seminars on diesel engines, including yourmodel. As non-sailing season approaches [for most of us, anyway], this is agood time to plan on attending one of these seminars. You’ll learn a lotabout diesels, and you can get answers to just about anything relevant. Costis generally $175.To find the nearest location, a list of dealers is available atWesterbeke.com and YanmarMarine.com Or call Westerbeke at 508 823-7677,Yanmar at 847 541-1900. Here in the northeast, Westerbeke’s Hansen Marine[MA] typically holds two “owner” seminars every quarter. Mack Boring [NJ,NC, MA & IL] has a similar schedule for their “maintenance” seminars onYanmar engines. — Warren

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More on Spinaker & Jib Poles

More on Spinaker & Jib Poles
Warren Elliott

May, 2004 Hull #: 44

As a follow-up to Steve’s article, I did some further enquiries on spinnaker/jib poles and cars. For the older C380’s with Z-Spar masts, Julian Crisp at US Spars [was Z-Spar, tel: 386 462-3760] indicates that, for the standard [non-furling] mast, the cost is about $250 for a car and short section of track. They also sell the same track in a long version [4 meters], for those who want to store their boat’s pole on the mast. US Spars’ furling mast uses a simpler approach in which the car can be added directly to the mast groove, and is about $170; installing this car does not require stepping the mast. They also sell complete poles with fittings, at better prices than the big catalog stores, per Julian. [But remember that shipping long items means that a trucking

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Improving Genny Sheet Leads

Improving Genny Sheet Leads
Warren Elliott
 11/27/2004
Hull #: 44

The standard headsail sheets each lead through a track-mounted block and a cheek block before being led to a primary winch. While this is no problem under some conditions, when the wind pipes up, cranking the sheet winch, especially with my 155% jib, gets really tough. The added friction from the “wrap around” cheek block surely adds significant stress to this old sailor. To improve the situation, some have upgraded to ball-bearing blocks. Another approach is to lead the sheet more directly to it’s winch, as shown in the accompanying photo, courtesy Commodore Earle Ellefsen.

Here, his boat’s port genny sheet lead is shown. From the jib, the lead traverses the normal, moveable track-mounted block [not shown], then through a second block as shown, directly to the winch. This bypasses the cheek block, providing a much straighter lead with correspondingly

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