Never thought I'd post this... but I am back in action!

[HeatherE]

Hi all! I dropped off this site because after purchasing my 1st sailboat (Cal 34) the engine broke. (after I spent 3 months ginger breading the interior/exterior..)Doing this post Covid was no joy. Once I got the engine in, I found out I had to rebuild the exhaust... then realized I needed a new propeller. Then the custom propeller was the wrong size... You know the drill. Well, happy to say, everything is good! (Knock on wood...) Now I just have to remember how to sail.. haha. Anyway, just wanted to share because I am not mechanically inclined, nor am I an experienced sailor... so this weighed on me quite heavily. If I can make it through all this, anyone can! Glad to be back!

 

[dlochner]

Welcome back.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Congrats! Hope you can start enjoying the boat now!

 

[Tally Ho]

Looking good! Now get out there and enjoy your work ;-)

 

[BigEasy]

Glad to be back!

Trials & tribulations of boat ownership; can definitely be stressful!
Happy to hear that you survived. The boat is looking great!

 

[shemandr]

Is that a sail drive?

 

[dLj]

Is that a sail drive?

Photos make it look like a V drive. I think that's what the Cal's did in their boats.

dj

 

[rgranger]

You are now an expert.

 

[dLj]

Hi all! I dropped off this site because after purchasing my 1st sailboat (Cal 34) the engine broke. (after I spent 3 months ginger breading the interior/exterior..)

Being active or busy working has nothing to do with "dropping off the site"... We all have our moments of more or less involvement in the forums. They are to be used as you prefer. those of us hanging around try to support all who swing by asking for input...

Doing this post Covid was no joy. Once I got the engine in, I found out I had to rebuild the exhaust... then realized I needed a new propeller. Then the custom propeller was the wrong size... You know the drill. Well, happy to say, everything is good! (Knock on wood...)

There are so many levels here.... Boat projects - perhaps you know when you start, you never know when you'll finish, even when you think you may be finished, it may not be the case...

Now I just have to remember how to sail.. haha. Anyway, just wanted to share because I am not mechanically inclined, nor am I an experienced sailor... so this weighed on me quite heavily. If I can make it through all this, anyone can! Glad to be back!

This is not making a lot of sense - you say you are not mechanically inclined yet you just took on a major mechanical project and succeeded! Perseverance is probably the single greatest requirement in all things boating. If you have that, obviously you do, then you will go far - as far as you wish.

Remembering how to sail, for me at least, is now the most fun part of this whole ordeal! Good luck! If you have more questions, bring them on, I'm sure there will be someone here that may be able to answer or at least provide support for whatever those questions may be. And remember, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask....

dj

 

[mikeracca]

Welcome back! I didn’t get a chance to meet you prior to your adventure, but it’s still good to see you back.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Welcome back and don't be a stranger! What you experienced is pretty common among this group. All our boats require a healthy dose of maintenance and modification from time to time. Somebody once made a very astute observation about a "law of thirds". It goes something like this, I believe ... in order to make sailboat ownership worthwhile, we need equal parts sailing, maintenance and relaxation in terms of time spent with our boats. We often find ourselves needing to spend too much time, effort and money on maintenance. Hopefully, you've cleared a hurdle in maintenance and can devote more on sailing and relaxation to make up for it!

This forum is always available for help and wisdom. I think it is often part relaxing, maybe even cathartic, for us sailors to help other sailors through some of the difficulties and questions when we can. Think of it this way ... based on your own experiences, you can start imparting your own wisdom! We all get slapped down from time to time when our contributions aren't particularly helpful, but normally just about all contributions are greatly appreciated!

 

[capta]

Engine? You don't need no stinking engine; it's a sailboat. lol

 

[jssailem]

Congrats on the engine install. Not a simple task. Have you had the opportunity to test the new to you engine?
How did it go?

@dLj is correct. It looks like a Paragon V-Drive. Cal was known to install V-Drives. It gave them more interior space in their boats. It also made servicing the stuffing box more difficult as it sits beneath the engine.

Like the interior clean up you have done. The cushions look great.

As you said, time is right to get out and go sailing. Post pictures. Cal's are a great boat to sail.

I found this link to a diagram of the Paragon transmission.

https://marinetransmissions.com/paragon

 

[Parsons]

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer. ― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Welcome back, and please share your experiences when someone asks.

 

[FastOlson]

Is that a sail drive?

Stock drive train on the Cal 34 was usually a Westerbeke with V-drive. The C-34 is known as a comfortable sea boat with an easy motion. Usually on most top ten classic sailboat lists, somewhere.
Fair winds!

 

[NYSail]

Great boat. I started with a 1976 Cal 34 III. Westerbeke 30 with a v drive. Encapsulated keel with the deep bildge kept everything high and dry. Good luck!
Greg

 

[sailme88]

The seamless re-install of the sink and countertop looks great..

Sail Drive?

 

[SycloneDriver]

Looks fantastic!
Good job and welcome back.

 

[Siamese]

Sometimes it's hard not to think of your boat as a ticking time bomb.

 

[shemandr]

I'm still stuck on the V drive.
Why? I can't see that the engine is less intrusive to the cabin. It doesn't fit the KISS rule. It's bassackwards. Difficult to service the stuffing box. I could understand if it put the engine in the middle of the boat for performance reasons but ... it doesn't.
But kudos to OP for getting that beast in the boat and connecting the v drive with the drive shaft - I can't imagine how that went. How do you align the shaft?