Luna, The Story of a Forgotten Catalina 30.

[mikeracca]

Where are you slipped in Tacoma? I’m at the break water. Your LPG tank caught my attention……could you do me a favor and hook it up to a bbq and burn off the remaining gas and dispose of it? That is a fire/explosion waiting to happen. Please store it outside until you can empty it. I’ve seen several failures of tanks due to corrosion and with the weather warming up, the pressure in the tank will be rising.

It's already outside and away from things that can ignite it. I am planning on burning off the rest of the gas after I get the stove cleaned. I will use it to test the stove, also outside away from things just to be safe. I tested the solenoid and regulator tonight and they are all good and functioning normally. I am going to have a propane shop look it over as a safety precaution have the regulator serviced just in case. Thank you for the concern, I really appreciate it!

The boat is at Brown's Point Marina. The one that uses the I-90 bridge parts and a concrete ship as the breakwater.

 

[mikeracca]

So things are way different with Luna today. Waaaayyy different.

She looks like a boat again! I also found out the water that gets in the boat seems to only come in from the windows. There was no noticeable drips from the stanchions or from the chain plates. I’m still gonna rebed them, but maybe not right away. The windows are a must, and I have the new seal kit but I’m waiting for better weather. I also took the sail off the mast so I can work on the rigging and also check the sail for damage. I did find some dirt in it from either a wasp nest or a birds nest so I most definitely want to check for damage.

 

[jssailem]

She looks like a smiling debutant. All cleaned up and itching to party.

 

[Hayden Watson]

And your dock neighbors are so happy!

 

[mikeracca]

And your dock neighbors are so happy!

The neighbor right next to me better… I had to wash his boat too! The wind was blowing all the junk off my boat onto his so I gave his boat a scrub too. It’s now cleaner than before we started on mine.

On a side note, I met a couple of my other neighbors and even helped one out with some repairs. Yesterday was a good day.

 

[mikeracca]

So I would have never thought, at the time I was learning this, that a skill I picked up restoring old rifles would come in handy with my boat. I removed my controls a few weeks ago and after some serious effort I was able to get them apart. There was no lubrication in the bushings and rust had set in to lock the throttle and shift together. Well they sat for a week or so in some EvapoRust and tonight I cleaned them up, and blued the bare steel parts. The anodizing or whatever coating was used to prevent rust was long gone, so I knew something was needed to prevent them from getting locked together again. So for those who don’t know the bluing process will “rust” the steel in a controlled and visually appealing way. It basically oxidizes the iron atoms with an inert chemical (can’t remember which it is) and that will prevent water and oxygen from reacting with the iron. Now this isn’t a perfect process, rust can still happen but it will take much longer than bare metal. Also it has no film like paint would so the parts are the exact same size. Anodizing does the exact same thing.

Below are some pics of the parts by themselves, and also after I dry fitted everything. I plan on assembling the throttle controls with copper based anti seize which will help prevent corrosion, and act as a lubricant at the same time.

I am still missing the mounting nut and I will need to print a base/spacer to mount it to the foot well.

 

[mikeracca]

Ok, so I was thinking about my dilemma. I am missing the large nut that would normally be used to attach this unit to the hull. If I can’t find something to use as the nut, I can print a block that would have 4 holes in it, and then drill and tap holes in the aluminum bracket and use that as the mounting method. It would be simple and sweet in the end, and it should be fairly easy to create.

I will keep you all posted on what I decide.

 

[jssailem]

I like the blueing of your metal. Like all coatings it a delay tactic.

I have been using Lear Chemical products. Lear Chemical Research Corporation
Their Corrosion Block and ACF50 products have proven to be useful tools in the marine environment.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Ok, so I was thinking about my dilemma. I am missing the large nut that would normally be used to attach this unit to the hull. If I can’t find something to use as the nut, I can print a block that would have 4 holes in it, and then drill and tap holes in the aluminum bracket and use that as the mounting method. It would be simple and sweet in the end, and it should be fairly easy to create.

I will keep you all posted on what I decide.

You might try looking at your local Ace or other "old school" hardware store for that nut. My Ace has them in several sizes. Also check at farm and tractor supply stores.

 

[jssailem]

I would check out Tacoma Screw. Tacoma Screw Products | Home
Up here in the North Sound, I like Champion Bolt & Supply when I source unusual or special fasteners.

 

[mikeracca]

I would check out Tacoma Screw. Tacoma Screw Products | Home
Up here in the North Sound, I like Champion Bolt & Supply when I source unusual or special fasteners.

Tacoma Screw was going to be my first place to look. My local ACE doesn’t have anything that big. So this week or next I will be heading out that way.

 

[mikeracca]

Well I decided to play around in Tinker Cad tonight and print a mounting block for the throttles. I made the file and went to prototype it and my printer wasn’t printing. I did a couple checks and still nothing… then I decided to check the filament and that’s when I discovered the bearing had broken off. Well bugger… So I ordered the upgrade parts and hopefully they will be here in a couple days so I can try again.

So this version of the part is 32mm tall. The same as the shaft the nut would normally mount to. I’m thinking it’s going to be too much, but it’s a test print. I’m going to use this one to figure out the proper and exact height to make it and a companion on the back side for a good and strong mounting. I’m thinking that I will print 2 plates, one at 10mm and the other at around 22mm. The final print will be a solid block. I will post pics of the prototype when I get my printer fixed and make it.

 

[mikeracca]

Ok so I decided to go to Luna early this morning. I got a couple donuts and a soda and enjoyed them while lounged out in the cockpit. The morning was beautiful. I replaced one of my traveler lines with a longer rope so now they are both 43’ long. The 25‘ line I had on one side was long enough to do the job, but I only had like 2’ left at the cockpit. Now I have plenty of rope to the helm. The 25’ section replaced the rope from the traveler car to the boom and now that’s all sorts of pretty. I met a couple of my neighbors as well today, and one couple didn’t even realize Luna was the same boat, they thought it was a new boat. Another neighbor 2 boats down just bought his boat to from a guy I met last week while cleaning Luna. He has never owned a sailboat before and bought an Ericsson 32 for less than I paid for Luna. It’s in good condition and ready to sail even! So I helped teach him how to hook up his Genoa and showed him where the lines go. Good day… well while I was at the boat anyway.

I found a length of rope that was spliced to a piece of wire rope in the boat a few weeks ago… today when I was trying to locate all my different rigging and see where it all goes, I found the same setup going into my mast, and coming out the masthead, and it was tied off with a shackle on a safety line. So I’m guessing this is for the spinnaker… any thoughts on that. My gib halyard and main halyard have been found at this point, and they both exit the mast at about 5’ from the deck and stay at the mast, this rope goes all the way back to the cockpit.

And for some bad news too … my oven is toast… it maybe used to make toast, but now it’s not. There was some surface rust near the bottom of the door, so I decided I was going to remove the door, and clean up the rust, and paint it with some high temp paint. Well once I got it apart I found signs of water having set inside for a long time and was right up to the window. Also the lower 2” of the inside piece of the door was missing, and most of the inside of the door was just rust holding the shape the metal used to be in before turning into powder when I took the stainless cover off the door.

So yea, I need a new oven. Maybe just a new door, but that’s not all I found wrong. I got a new propane hose made, and decided to see how well my system works, and burn off some the propane in the rusty tank. The regulator is good, the solenoid is good and the stovetop part of the oven is good. Unfortunately the oven side of the burner didn’t work properly. I got the pilot light lit, but when I would turn the valve to a temp the pilot light wouldn’t get bigger so the valve could activate unless I manipulated the dial a bit, then it only lit for a few seconds before burning out (after I let go of the knob). The burner when it did light had a nice even flame all the way across. So not all is lost with the oven. I will try to see if there is a good replacement in the boat graveyard up north or just swallow the bullet and go for new.

 

[Alan Gomes]

So yea, I need a new oven. Maybe just a new door, but that’s not all I found wrong. I got a new propane hose made, and decided to see how well my system works, and burn off some the propane in the rusty tank. The regulator is good, the solenoid is good and the stovetop part of the oven is good. Unfortunately the oven side of the burner didn’t work properly. I got the pilot light lit, but when I would turn the valve to a temp the pilot light wouldn’t get bigger so the valve could activate unless I manipulated the dial a bit, then it only lit for a few seconds before burning out (after I let go of the knob). The burner when it did light had a nice even flame all the way across. So not all is lost with the oven. I will try to see if there is a good replacement in the boat graveyard up north or just swallow the bullet and go for new.

Granting that a faulty propane system can blow you and your boat sky high, based on what you are saying I'd rip out the whole thing and replace with new, done to ABYC spec. (Even the bits that you say are "good" will be just fine until they aren't, and are all suspect given the system's overall poor condition and lack of maintenance.) Or, simply replace it with a non-pressurized Origo alcohol stove. (Origo is out of business but you can find them around used, and they virtually never wear out.)

 

[mikeracca]

Granting that a faulty propane system can blow you and your boat sky high, based on what you are saying I'd rip out the whole thing and replace with new, done to ABYC spec. (Even the bits that you say are "good" will be just fine until they aren't, and are all suspect given the system's overall poor condition and lack of maintenance.) Or, simply replace it with a non-pressurized Origo alcohol stove. (Origo is out of business but you can find them around used, and they virtually never wear out.)

So yes, this is what I’m doing. The oven is going bye bye, the tank is going bye bye and the regulator is going bye bye. Regulators are cheap, the tank is too rusty and I want a fully functional oven/stovetop. This testing was all done outside off the boat. So far I have had a new hose made, and I ordered the replacement regulator (it should be in this week) and I am looking at getting a Force 10 3 burner stove/oven. My wife and I have also been talking about just a gas stovetop, and using an electric oven. We would lose the oven while under way but have it when plugged into shore power. Our last RV was this way and it worked out pretty ok. We rarely used the oven even when we were plugged in, so I doubt we will miss it too much.

 

[mikeracca]

Hey guys, so today turned out pretty ok. I fixed my 3d printer and prototype printed the throttle mount. It came out perfect. It’s just the right size and with s similar unit of about 10mm on the back side it will mount the throttle levers perfectly once again. No need for the large nut. I have the printer working on the fully filled version right now, it says it will take 16 hours to print. Here is the prototype piece.

The production piece will have countersunk areas for the screws.

So after I got that part done, I decided to remove the fuel tank to give me better access to it to clean it up. So out it came. I bought a cheap cleanable fuel filter assembly that I am going to use to filter out the gunk. I also got a biocide and overdosed the tank. It says 1oz for 20 gallons, I have 2 oz for about 4 gallons at the moment. I also bought a slime remover/tank cleaner that I’m going to also run through as well. hopefully this will work. I need to make a nozzle next to spray the fuel around inside the tank. Looks like some brake lines are in my future!

 

[mikeracca]

Well bugger… after running all night the print failed about 75% from finishing. Not exactly sure why, the PLA just stopped flowing. The screen showed the correct temp, but no flow. I don’t have enough filament to start over in this color, and I want to outside piece to be white. I ordered more filament so tomorrow I can try again. I’m going to check to make sure everything else works in the mean time.

 

[mikeracca]

Ok so not a totally complete failure. The part actually was almost the desired size for the interior part. It’s only off by .3mm which is close enough for what I’m doing here. So I guess that’s a win. I ordered the parts needed to fix my printer and I should have them by the weekend were I can try again.

I think my printer had grown sentience and it decided that now is the time for upgrades.

 

[mikeracca]

I got some of the new parts for the printer yesterday, which is good. A new and upgraded hot end, a new feed tube and today I’m getting a upgrade, a plate sensor so I don’t have to worry about the work surface being perfectly calibrated manually, this sensor will auto calibrate the plate and adjust the position of the head accordingly. So that should make printing much less failure prone. I do have a pretty good track record with it so far, but a few prints have failed because they didn’t stick to the plate properly.

Now to the boat. I got the tank cleaned out and ready to go. Well to be honest I didn’t clean it, a friend did. He had a car that he couldn’t fix, and I had a tank that needed cleaning so we traded jobs. I fixed the car, he cleaned the tank. He cut an inspection hole in it and that allowed us access to everything inside, we got all the goo out, most of the staining and found no corrosion. He is going to fabricate the access cover today and the tank should be ready to go back in here soon. One step closer to starting the engine!

Oh and the biocide I put in the fuel turned the fuel really nasty! The fuel went in a beige color, and when I siphoned it out it was completely black. This was the original fuel I pulled from the tank. I have a friend who has one of those garage heaters that will burn anything for heat… well he is getting a few more gallons of old diesel to keep his garage warm. The first 5 gallons I gave him, he said worked great.

 

[mikeracca]

So fingers crossed that my part will print properly. I started the print this evening after upgrading my printer, and learning how to set and use the new sensor. This print is slated for 16 hours, so we will see. I will post updates tomorrow.