Category Archives: 2007

Procedure for Installing Additional Insulation to Early Refrigerators

August 29, 1997

Some early Catalina 380″s may have void areas between the hull and the back of the refrigerators present insulation.  Voids area will be found on both side as well as the frontal areas.  Additional foam must be added to the bottom area, some sort of temporary cofferdam will be required in this area.  The following procedure will increase the “R” value of the refrigerator.

Please Take Note:

This procedure will require great care in the drilling and injecting of the foam.  Caution will be required when drilling thru the refrigerator outboard face to the void area.  Drilling too deep will contact the hull or hull liner.  Use caution when injecting this foam.  It can become very messy stuff.  Clean with lacquer thinner or acetone immediately.  All drilled hoes to be 1/4″ diameter.

Step 1.      Remove range

Step 2.      Remove sole and sub sole in the area of

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Drain for Swim Platform

DRAIN FOR SWIM PLATFORM
Warren Elliott
Feb, 2007 Hull #: 44

Are you tired of that small pool of often dirty water that accumulates on the swim  platform of your otherwise beautiful boat?? Well, help is at hand!!
I was surprised– almost shocked– to recently learn, via our Sailnet email  discussion group, that many of our fleet do not have this simple, worthwhile device  which eliminates water accumulations on the swim platform!!. How can this be?? It’s  now taken at least two, maybe three happy hours for this info to sink into my brain and  for me to do something about it! So you know that the value/$ of this upgrade must be  high: at least semi-infinite!! In other words, this clearly worthwhile upgrade can be done  for almost nothing!!

Picture, if you will, a brass tube, maybe 3/8″ diameter and 2″ long, flared at one  end. What could be

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Baby Stay on Early C387’s

Baby Stay on Early C387’s
Warren Elliott

Feb, 2007 Hull #: 44

 For C387 captains with the baby-stay configuration [hulls #1-60+], a few of you have reported, on our Sailnet email discussion group, a bit of damage to the baby-stay tie points in the forward cabin. These have been- or are in process of- repair. Please note that various conditions can put excessive strain along the baby stay, just as they can on any stay or shroud.

I suggest checking the at-rest rig tensions, especially on both the baby stay and forestay; over tensioning the former and under tensioning the latter can be problematic. A “Loos” gauge or equivalent may help you get the best set-up. The forestay should be moderately tight; some riggers suggest the tension be set as tight as 10% of breaking strength, which is about 1000 lbs. If a back-stay tensioner is installed, know your stay

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Test Your Engine’s Health

Test Your Engine’s Health
Warren Elliott

Feb, 2007 Hull #: 44

Although we are sailors at heart, and hopefully by practice, we do need to call on our auxiliary engines regularly. With some luck, it’s only off and on the dock, or in and out of the harbor, but sometimes our “iron genny” will be cranking away for hours at a time. Whatever the modes of operation, there sometimes appears a cloud of doubt: will she start ok?…or how long can the engine keep going like this?

To bring the sunshine–and dispel any clouds–there are at least two general approaches, [maybe three if you include Happy Hours]: maintenance and testing. Most of us are patently familiar with the former: change oil regularly [about 100 hours], keep cooling system in good shape [strainer, impeller, heat exchanger on the raw water side, antifreeze/rust inhibitor for the fresh water system [use the fairly

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Waste System Mods

Waste System Mods
Mike Kenny/Bob Goldman/Steve Krazinski

November, 2007
Hull #: C380 # 77/243/102

Following are probably the best methods towards eliminating unpleasant head odors from our C380-390’s. [Note that C387’s have a completely different waste system, one that uses only the new “odor-safe” hose, so most of the following does not apply.]

The basic approach here is to eliminate the older black hose and install rigid PVC piping wherever waste is continually present and doing so is practical. PVC is considered non-permeable so, properly installed, there should be zero odor from it. Alternatively, where not practical, installation of the relatively new “odor-safe” or “noodor” hose is the approach of choice. With regard to the tank egress plumbing, the only part which is continually in contact with waste is the main tank-output line, so this is the primary candidate for upgrading to PVC. Replacing other hoses with PVC or with

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Swim Platform Drain

Swim Platform Drain
Warren Elliott
5/24/07
Hull #: C380 #44

Install Instructions

1- Decide on approx placement of drain tube. Note from photo that location depends on how/where autopilot is installed. For those with no autopilot, locate drain tube in center [port/stb] and as close to vertical step as possible [but be aware of size of your electric drill]. Mine is about 7/8″ aft of “riser”.

 

2- Autopilot drive mechanism is usually installed offset, so you will want to have drain tube on opposite side in order to be as close to center as possible

3- Release wheel [so that rudder is easy to turn from below], and climb down into lazarette on the side opposite autopilot. Look over area, noting existing cockpit drain hose[s], and where you’ll cut into one and insert T for platform drain. Note also how autopilot mechanism moves laterally as rudder is turned. Find

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SSB Radio Installation

SSB Radio Installation
Steve Dublin
August, 2007
Hull #: C380 #84

Editor’s Introduction– As I spent many of my younger years as an active radio amateur [ham] and virtually all of my work life in antenna & microwave engineering, I feel some degree of justification for the comments you’ll see sprinkled throughout the article below [apologies to author: Steve Dublin]; I hope they’re helpful– that’s the intent!

One general comment by way of clarifying some terms. The two popular versions of transceivers used by sailors are “Marine” and “Ham” types; they are both capable of SSB transmissions. Their functional distinction is principally that of frequency of operation. Marine SSB units are limited to certain frequencies as dictated by the FCC.

Ham units were limited to other frequencies, called Ham bands, but newer Ham transceivers are capable of operation on both marine and Ham frequencies, so there’s a distinct advantage for

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Portlights- Resealing & Reinstalling

Portlights- Resealing & Reinstalling
Rick Ranno
May, 2007
Hull #: C-380 # 297

After a few years with my C380 [#297], the portlights developed some water leaks. Most were not obvious as to cause. So, after deciding to “dig in”, the first thing I did was to determine that the portlight was leaking and that a dirty or bad window gasket was not the cause. To do this, I removed the plastic trim rings with a screwdriver and applied some powder around the suspected areas. After several days including some rain, drip lines in the powder made it obvious that most leaks were entering via the window-tohull seal or, in this case, lack of seal. The best, long-term way to beat this one is complete portlight removal and re-installation.

First, with the trim ring removed, remove the 10/32 Philips mounting screws. Use a heat gun to help loosen the seal

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Portlight Replacement

Port light Replacement
Don and Linda Rooker
May, 2007
Hull #: C380 #157

Don and Linda Rooker, who sail “Jolly Mon”, in the Pickwick Lake/ Tennessee River region of North East Mississippi, felt that the crazing on their original portlghts was too much and decided to go for stainless-steel framed units. So, thought I’d insert their photo here, as a different approach [See Photo]. As their new portlights, made by New Found Metal [.com], have tempered glass, no more crazing. Most of the fleet, including Admiral Jeanne and I, continue to shy away from glass on board. Perhaps a few have wine glasses carefully stowed?? But tempered glass is pretty strong.

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More on Portlight Leaks

More on Portlight Leaks
Richard Herbst
August, 2007
Hull #: C380 #93

Last month’s [May 07] article on repairing portlight leaks omitted one source of a leak that is very easy to fix. On my boat (C380, S/N 93), the 2-horizontal seams in the Lewmar portlight’s frame is a primary source of leakage and the fix is really simple. My boat had been in the Gulf area for many years with the result that sunlight beat these seams to death. To fix, just run a bead of sealant across each seam and the leak stops (see photo).

Note that the portlight frame is hollow, so after sealing the seams, you may have to take a brisk sail to heel and spill the residual water out of the already present holes in the lower part of the frame. Before starting, put a towel there to catch the water.[Suggest removing trim ring;

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