Luna, The Story of a Forgotten Catalina 30.

[mikeracca]

I did let off the topping lift about a foot and that greatly improved the shape of the sail.

As for the halyard tension there may have been something that jammed because I had tightrope like tension on it at one point and it wouldn’t move any more. It wouldn’t surprise me if there is something in the sail tracks going up the mast. Each time I have raised the sail tho, it has become much easier to do. I will keep working on that.

I didn’t know about the foot of the sail. Thank you. I have been around boats most of my life but this is only my second sailboat I have owned and the 3rd I have been on. My MacGregor was a much simpler setup.

 

[DArcy]

Each time I have raised the sail tho, it has become much easier to do. I

It may just need lubrication. McLube is the most recommended spray for sail tracks and it's what I use but there have been other recommendations in various threads here for other lubes. McLube costs more than most others but a can lasts me years.

 

[Hayden Watson]

You should not have any tension on the topping lift except for when trying to sail in very light breeze to lift the boom and add fullness. (0-3knots)
As for not hoisting to the top, I would suggests running a single sail slug up the mast with the halyard and a retrieval line to make sure it will to to the top. It is not uncommon for the last 6" to take a lot of force. I also have a 4:1 Cunningham to pull the flattening reef cringle down to fully tension the luff.

 

[jssailem]

Examine the halyard to assure that it’s diameter is not an issue fitting the Sheave at the top of the mast. With all the altering you have completed, examine the mast sheaves for proper function.

The sail’s headboard should be within a foot of the mast top. You should be able to raise the sail with manual force at the mast base.

 

[kappykaplan]

McLube costs more than most others but a can lasts me years.

 

[mikeracca]

Examine the halyard to assure that it’s diameter is not an issue fitting the Sheave at the top of the mast. With all the altering you have completed, examine the mast sheaves for proper function.

The sail’s headboard should be within a foot of the mast top. You should be able to raise the sail with manual force at the mast base.

I actually used a smaller diameter halyard than I found on the boat, I went with the diameter that Catalina used, after talking to them directly about it. What came out of the boat was getting fuzzy from chaffing. The headboard was about a foot from the top from what I could see, and it did feel tight near the bottom, but you can clearly see it was wrinkled going up. I figured that may be in part to being folded on the mast unused for 15 years. Like I said, each time I have tried running the mast up it has gotten easier and easier, but I still need the winch when it gets about 3/4 of the way up. Which is better than needing the winch at about 1/3 which was the first time with the original halyard.

 

[Hayden Watson]

Examine the halyard to assure that it’s diameter is not an issue fitting the Sheave at the top of the mast. With all the altering you have completed, examine the mast sheaves for proper function.

The sail’s headboard should be within a foot of the mast top. You should be able to raise the sail with manual force at the mast base.

Good point. Many sailors put on larger halyards figuring that it will reduce streatch but the masthead sheeves on a C30 will only hold a 3/8"ø line. Anything bigger will just increase friction.

 

[mikeracca]

Good point. Many sailors put on larger halyards figuring that it will reduce streatch but the masthead sheeves on a C30 will only hold a 3/8"ø line. Anything bigger will just increase friction.

That’s exactly what Catalina Yachts said! And that’s exactly the size I used.

 

[mikeracca]

Well I think I figured out why I was only making 2.5kts. There was at least 200lbs so stuffs on my hull. The guys at Swantown cleaned it up all pretty like, and I took over after that.

I started with the water leak on the exhaust flange. Well it turned out the bolt was perfectly fine, but the manifold broke. The bolt only goes in about 1/4 of an inch and that part didn’t wanna hold any more. There is a 3/4 inch deep hole that I’m gonna drop a stud into and attach the flange that way. Problem solved.

Then I went on to the sea cocks for the galley sink and engine. WOW was I lucky here, or Luna was lucky as they pretty much turned to dust when I tried to remove them. I was able to get them off without damaging the threads. Those things are not cheap, but I have 2 new brass ones.

Alternator is out and a new one should be available by Wednesday. My oil pressure switch was also broken so I bought one from a 65 Chevy that operates with similar oil pressures, it should work, and was much cheaper than the Kubota one.

And lastly the sanding. I worked on the shady side of the boat as far as I could with the cord I had in hand. I found a couple blisters that were about 2” or 3“ after I ground out the bad glass, and none are too deep, usually just a single layer. I found a Catalina Frown. You know a ”smile” on the rear of the keel. It looks like it has been repaired before and the epoxy or 5200 (whichever it was) just cracked a little. I dug it out a bit and it doesn’t look like it goes past the fairing compound they used. The front of the keel looks great. Tho I did notice that there is fiberglass on the front of the keel about 4 to 5 inches down, it looks like that was how they repaired the “smile” in the past.

enjoy the pics, they are thumbnailed tonight because there is a few. Sorry none of the engine or sea cocks yet.

 

[kappykaplan]

I have 2 new brass ones.

Brass or bronze?

 

[jssailem]

Lets hope bronze.
Brass do not last.

 

[jssailem]

Looks like Luna had been doing her best to support the local marine population.

 

[DArcy]

Yup, that will slow you down, looks like it was due for a cleaning. Glad you made it to the haul out safely.

 

[mikeracca]

They are prolly bronze, I got them from West Marine. The metal is more brown than gold so I’m guessing bronze.

 

[mikeracca]

We put in a good solid 8 hours today and we are about 3/4 done sanding. The sun cooked us off the Starbaord side to we moved over to port and finished port sanding and before I left I filled all the blisters with thickened epoxy. Speaking of thick… the area that gets the smile was repaired on my boat in the past and wow did they lay the glass on thick in that area. All is good. The frown area got dig out and epoxied. I also took a wire brush to the prop and shaft I’m happy they are not pink. There was a little pink on the strut but it sanded off easy and wasn’t deep.

Got studs for the exhaust manifold, I had to go fine thread at the top, it’s all they had in grade 8 and the size I needed. Oh well. Lemme see… I’m sore and that’s about it.

 

[mikeracca]

Wow has this been a busy week. My body isn’t used to this kind of labor, but I have been enjoying the process.

So there were a few more blisters found, and filled, we finished the sanding and faired the keel and did some more sanding. I needed to get a coat of paint on tonight to make my schedule and I got it… well most, the area we faired wasn’t ready to be sanded so we simply didn’t paint there. Maybe an hour or two more sanding and it will be 100%. I didn’t count but I estimate about 40 blisters in total, which surprised me there wasn’t more. Oh and I found a few from the last time it was painted, they just broke them open and painted over them. They didn’t grind them out. I did. I couldn’t just let that go.

My new alternator showed up and wouldn’t ya know… it’s not the same! Great! But good news is it’s a sealed unit, it puts out more power and is physically the same dimensions, so ok! 46a at idle and 63a at 2000 RPM. That beats the 51a the other one put out.

 

[Mikem]

Mike, you must be very proud of your work. She will be a shiny new penny when done. Cheers, Mike

 

[mikeracca]

Mike, you must be very proud of your work. She will be a shiny new penny when done. Cheers, Mike

I am very proud of the work I have done, but life has a bad habit of kicking me when things start going good. So we have to move back to Virginia... So Luna needs a new home. Anyone here interested?

 

[Hayden Watson]

I am very proud of the work I have done, but life has a bad habit of kicking me when things start going good. So we have to move back to Virginia... So Luna needs a new home. Anyone here interested?

So sad! Someone is going to get a very nicely started refit.

 

[mikeracca]

So sad! Someone is going to get a very nicely started refit.

I know all that is left really is the plumbing and that's not essential for sailing. Everything else has been done!