Photos of Upgrades or Updates

Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
Canvas, Cushions and Interior

All the canvas is new : dodger, bimini, sail cover & winch covers.

In the cockpit we had cushions made up using Sunbrella over dry fast foam. The bottoms of the cushions are Phifertex mesh and they attach with snaps.

Unlike the stock cushions ours have a break in the center that makes getting into the cockpit locker easier. The bimini needs to get a window added to make checking sail trim easier.

The cockpit cushions stay on all season and have stayed put through some serious storms. Water drains through them and they only need a good scrubbing a couple of times a season unless the seagulls or that @*#$& heron visit.
 

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Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
Salon & Berths

There's been a lot of upgrades to the interior.

  • New salon cushions in celery colored Ultraleather. When we did the upgrade we made the port setee wider (the line on the photo shows where the original cushion ended. It makes it a lot more comfortable to curl up with a book. The firm high density foam doesn't bottom out like the original cushions. We picked the color a couple of years ago, now all of a sudden it's the "in" color. Who'd a thunk it!
  • For the berths we went with a darker colored material over medium density cushions. The darker color creates an optical illusion that the cabin is larger.
  • We picked up two Froli kits at the boat show last fall that are supposed to make sleeping even more comfortable.
  • We added a lot of small touches, like custom door pulls for cabinets and decorations.
  • All the original lights have been replaced. Most are Imtra and all the bulbs are LED.
  • We picked up some really bright Imtra galley lights for above the stove at the winter boat show. You really need good lighting for cooking and washing up after dinner.
  • I added a new backsplash to protect those cushions. It's solid cherry and I had some hand glazed dolphin tiles made up that I inset into the wood and surrounded by blue glass tiles.
  • This spring I'm adding solid cherry cabinets and reading lights light one show here in the v-berth. That will give us a lot of additional storage.
  • We replace the carpet every second or third year depending on how it's wearing. I keep debating on one of the faux teak floors like Catalina uses on the new boats...
 

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Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
Electronics

  • All the instruments were upgraded with new Garmin gear including a NMEA 2000 network, wind instruments, gauges and a 441 chart plotter. I've been really happy with the Garmin stuff. Sorry no pictures though.
  • I just picked up a Standard Horizon 2150 VHF with AIS and a remote mike that will replace the fixed VHF below.
  • I added a 12v TV/DVD combo mounted on the bulkhead.
  • A dockside cable hookup runs to a Shakespeare amplified splitter that switches between a mast top HD antenna and cable TV. The mast top antenna pulls in 48-50 channels depending on weather conditions.
  • A Sony marine stereo gives us tunes through Bose speakers below and WM speakers under the stern seats. A remote at the helm controls the stereo when under way.
  • A Sirius radio pipes satellite music into the system.
  • I built a WiFi amplifier but now that I have a cell phone that can act as a hot spot it's been retired.
This is the first time I actually sat down and thought about all the projects. The worst part is I can think of about a dozen more project I want to do with her! :dance:
 

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Oct 5, 2010
322
Catalina 30 mkII St. Augustine
The vent on the dripless should be pointed up so the air can escape.
 

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
Nice job Jim! Don't like to think of the moneys we sink into our summer homes. Got to love it!
 
Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
The vent on the dripless should be pointed up so the air can escape.
It's hard to tell from the angle of the shot but it is rotated above level. With the layout on my boat there's no way to point it up. According to tech support at PYI this is fine on a sailboat.

No problems in three years running it this way.
 
Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
Nice job Jim! Don't like to think of the moneys we sink into our summer homes. Got to love it!
Thanks Bob. I know some guys keep spreadsheets of every dime they spend.

I'd rather not know ! ;)
 
Nov 14, 2013
238
Catalina 30 MkI 1983 TRBS Westbrook, CT
Finally doing an upgrade, up to this point I've just been replacing broken and/or worn out "stuff". New insert that will go over the electrical panel. Will also have a cigarette lighter and 2 USB outlets along with a goose neck light.
 

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Oct 28, 2013
114
Catalina 30 1978 #980 Catalina 30 1978 #980 Mission beach, California
Made new chart table cabinet and laminated inside of top/storage area. Made cabinet to cover the backside of the gauges on the bulkhead. New Peninsula cabinet and all new counter tops. I reused all the teak, and I prefer Semco natural teak sealer on my teak. Hence the lighter color of the teak. The other thing I did was where the steps connect to the bulkhead. Covering the surface with for Formica® brand color was Pearl white. I used very thin felt pads at the top where it meets the Formica and also on the bottom of the steps these were a little thicker felt pads. Also made a box to hold VHF radio on top of battery switch and breaker panel.

To remake these two cabinets and counter tops and laminate other items was fairly inexpensive to do, mostly just labor. To remake you cabinets all you need is a router to trace out the old pieces on new material such as Formica and MDO Plywood.
 

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Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
Cool thread. It's nice to see what other folks have done with their boats.
 

jrowan

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Mar 5, 2011
1,294
O'Day 35 Severn River, Mobjack Bay, Va.
Canvas, Cushions and Interior

All the canvas is new : dodger, bimini, sail cover & winch covers.

In the cockpit we had cushions made up using Sunbrella over dry fast foam. The bottoms of the cushions are Phifertex mesh and they attach with snaps.

Unlike the stock cushions ours have a break in the center that makes getting into the cockpit locker easier. The bimini needs to get a window added to make checking sail trim easier.

The cockpit cushions stay on all season and have stayed put through some serious storms. Water drains through them and they only need a good scrubbing a couple of times a season unless the seagulls or that @*#$& heron visit.
My advice would be to store your cockpit seat cushions down below in the aft berth when not actually using them. They will last years longer, & it looks like you spent some bucks on them. Mine are the original white vinyl type & are still in remarkably good condition after 30 years, presumably because they were kept down below & not fired by the sun & salt.
 

jrowan

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Mar 5, 2011
1,294
O'Day 35 Severn River, Mobjack Bay, Va.
Looks good mate, but do you have to leave your anchor locker door open to use your shore power connection? I would also worry about corrosion & it getting hung up on anchor & rode. Surprised that after all your upgrades you still have the original set cushion fabric. That was one of the first updates we made, & makes a HUGE difference in the cabin looks & smelll! Cheers.
 

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Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,746
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
Jeez you guys, take a break. I added a new corkscrew and a bungy to hold a case of scotch. Spent the rest of the time using them and sailing.
 
Jan 6, 2010
1,520
Sail,

Just to clear things up, you said & I quote:

"Spent the rest of the time using them and sailing"

Were you referring to using the bungee chord, or that lovely bottle of Scotch?

Inquiring minds want to know..............

CR
 
Feb 26, 2008
603
Catalina 30 Marathon, FL
My advice would be to store your cockpit seat cushions down below in the aft berth when not actually using them. They will last years longer, & it looks like you spent some bucks on them. Mine are the original white vinyl type & are still in remarkably good condition after 30 years, presumably because they were kept down below & not fired by the sun & salt.
Hey JRowan, we're aboard pretty much every weekend (except this year :confused:, work). Our original vinyl cushions soaked up water like a sponge. You couldn't sit on them after any kind of rain, so on weekends with a lot of passing showers we were constantly pulling them in and out. Then we'd be tripping over them when we were already stuck below on a rainy day. Throwing wet cushions in the aft bunk wasn't an option as that's where I sleep (the wife accuses me of snoring).

It just became one of those annoying things...

So when we were re-doing all the Sunbrella the idea was to come up with something that could stay in the cockpit all season. The Sunbrella should hold up for many years, water drains through the dry-fast foam, and the phifertex on the bottoms prevents mildew. Snaps hold them in place when the wind pipes up and Sunbrella is easy to keep clean.

So far I'm VERY happy with these. The past couple of years I've noticed Catalina is offering similar cushions on new boats. Now when I get up in the morning I can just wipe the dew off with a towel and relax in the cockpit with a book and a cup of coffee while the wife sleeps in. I consider them some of the best money I've spent on the boat.
:dance:
 

Sailm8

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Feb 21, 2008
1,746
Hunter 29.5 Punta Gorda
Sail,

Just to clear things up, you said & I quote:

"Spent the rest of the time using them and sailing"

Were you referring to using the bungee chord, or that lovely bottle of Scotch?

Inquiring minds want to know..............

CR
Actually both. The bungy holds the lovely current number one bottle of scotch in a protective yet accessible position. There is a second bottle, we all know we need spares, in the ditch bag. There are 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th stored in various locations yet again, well thought out for accessibility.
All kidding aside, I do not drink and sail but when that anchor goes down....
 

rmwac

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Apr 22, 2011
19
Catalina 30 Watkins Glen
At the risk of putting you all to sleep, I submit some upgrades I've done for the Delta G. I've owned the boat for 2 seasons. I've been busy... I'll start at the bow and work aft.... Some projects are photographed, some are not.

1) 25 lb Rocca anchor on 18" roller, 60' chain and 200' nylon rode. Replaced tiny Danforth with 6' chain and 100' rode (LOL)

2) Shore power outlet waterproof box in chain locker. 30 amp double pole breaker. Chain locker is never wet, locker is closed when shore power cable is connected.

3) V berth. 4" memory foam on top of stock cushions. Oak step to get up into V Berth gracefully...

4) Replaced all 12v lighting with "68 LED" WARM white bulbs from EBAY $3 each. Added 12v and 110V outlets above hanging locker. Added LED switched light IN hanging locker. YOU WILL LOVE WARM WHITE LED's. Bright, and pull almost no current. I HATE the cold blueish LED's, so take care that they specify WARM white.... unless you like a cold blue cast on everything.

5) Replaced head formica counter, built backsplash and A/C raceway from tongue and groove teak. (Raceway hides ductwork going thru dinette bulkhead on port side. A/C project to be completed after haulout this year.

6) Drop leaf table from oak and teak to replace the 3'x3' monster dinette table that you cannot get by.... Leafs are down most of the time... wife and I can now lop on each side of the dinette without being crunched by the table....while watching DVD's on the flat screen TV across the aisle.

7) Patterned the sole of the boat with posterboard and duct tape and fabricated cut-to-fit one-piece marine carpet

8) Flat screen TV on starboard dinette shelf... Blue ray player in nav station cabinet. Upper edge of tv just catches the molded lip below portlights. heelproof See pic. Wiring pulled thru behind the "double hull."

9) Engine.... alternator bracket upgrade, Kubota d850 air intake/filter, Dynamat soundproofing around engine as far as I could reach in all directions. Doors, corners, every surface reachable. Much quieter engine
Catalina panel and wiring harness upgrade to remove ammeter circuit, remove old style wiring plugs, and to beef up wire gauges. Also added a raw water strainer AND... a raw water alarm that detects diminished flow of raw water. I used the ENGINE OVERHEAT light and audio alarm circuit on the new panel with the raw water alarm. $70 from Defender. "Aqualarm LOW FLOW raw water alarm." Also did the 3" heat exchanger upgrade direct from SEAWARD. Half the price of the same thing from Catalina Direct.... The engine originally ran 190 degrees any time I was nearing 2000 RPM. Now, I can run all out, all day, and the temp is steady at 160. We cruise at 2500 rpm at 6.3 kts. Max speed of my M25 is 3600 rpm, but we keep it at 2500 max.

10) Plumbing....Removed old leaking 5 gallon water heater from port lazarette, removed coolant circuit. Installed a 110v cigar box sized tankless water heater in cabinet under sink. Flow is not great, but water is HOT, and good for dishes, etc. Also relocated the coolant reservoir from lazarette to the undersink cabinet. Replaced stock water tubing with 3/8" semirigid plastic (like refrigerator ice maker tubing...) idiotproof connectors eliminated almost 2 dozen ever-loosening hose clamps.. Also added a taste/odor filter and a Jabsco accumulator tank to keep pump cycling down. Also replaced the lousy stock galley faucet with a high stem faucet.

11) Removed old pressurized alcohol range. Built 2 large drawers in a 3/4" Sand Colored Starboard front panel. Found an almost new KENYON combination electric/unpressurized alcohol cooktop for $100 on EBay. See photos. Used pushbutton drawer locks to prevent the drawers from opening during heeling.

12) Built a poplar and teak-trimmed galley shelf over sinks. Underside has LED light above the sink, wine glass holder, and shelf holds our coffee maker and coffee carousel. All are velcro'd to the shelf. The coffee maker snaps onto the vertical stainless support rod via boat hook holders affixed to the coffeemaker. All heelproof.

13) Zarcor PEEK A BOO portlight blinds and companionway doors (love em)

14) IsoTherm ice box conversion with freezer section (I can MAKE ICE!!!)
IsoTherm 110v switchover unit to allow refrigerator to bypass the battery bank and use shore power whenever in the marina. (mounted in the Nav station cabinet.)

16) Cockpit.... Tack-Tick wireless wind instruments, Raymarine wheel autopilot. Wind instruments and autopilot head are mounted on 3 place NAVPOD affixed to pedestal guard. New complete Catalina Control Panel. I also reverse-engineered 2 knockoffs of the Zarcor stern rail seats. We love those for steering from either tack. Finally.... built a folding cocktail table from white 1/2" Starboard and teak trim. A 12v and remote marine radio head outlets on Binnacle.

17) Fuel vent line desiccator cartridge and strainer. Strainer catches a surprising amount of rouge splashes into the vent inlet, which is mounted too low on the hull IMO. Just unscrew the strainer bowl and dump the water. Desiccator crystals in 12" long a 2" wide clear tube remove all water vapor. If you don't protect the vent line, this water and vapor winds up in your fuel, a wonderful environment for all kinds of microbial goo to ruin your fuel system. Crystals are orange when dry.... when they turn green they are water-saturated. You recharge them by putting them onto a pie tin in your oven at 175 degrees until the water is driven off, and they are once again orange.

18) Poor man's A/C. We had a useless 10,000 BTU portable AC that was just sitting around the house, as it was a PIA. We were sorry we ever bought it, till I started brainstorming it for the BOAT. Doees it ever work great in the boat!! This is a Kenmore 10,000 BTU model, that fits perfectly in the aft berth. I removed the starboard cushion, built a strong frame from galvanized plumbing pipe parts to fix the unit to the heavy wood berth "floor." Ran the condensation drain lines thru the thumbhole in the wood floor, and to the bilge. I ran the 5" diameter output hose (exhausts hot air) thru a starboard side cockpit speaker enclosure after removing the rotted 6" speaker unit. This is purely a temporary situation, but I bring it up for your entertainment. I intend to eventually install a marine A/C, but we have to wait till haulout to place the thru hull, etc. But this thing works surprisingly well for $350. It was 92 degrees in the marina this weekend, and our cabin was 75 measured near the head. In combination with the Zarcor companionway doors, this unit does the job. It is not quite as elegant as a purpose-built marine A/C, but I did NOT have to disfigure, or permanently modify anything on the boat to install this unit.

We would like to eventually replace the old cabin cushions, but I'd bet it'll cost a king's ransom..... 18 (?) cushions. Any sources, or experiences with cushion replacement would be appreciated!!!

An exciting two years of work. Hope there is something there to get someone excited. I think you will be able to see much of things I've mentioned if you study the various pics. All the best!
 

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Jun 5, 2012
144
Catalina 30 mkI Victoria, British Columbia
It has been a while since I checked out this thread, but I wanted to say again - thanks to all who posted. You have both inspired and informed :)

Since obtaining my boat (from a close friend) 2 years back - boy, time flies - I have slowly chipped away at the jobs on her, trying to hit the safety items first and cosmetic items second. Wasn't always successful, but I feel like I can finally share a little of my work.

Year one haul-out I tried to get the majority of the old bottom paint off so that there was a smooth surface to work from. It was VERY orange peel looking with all the layers. "Most" of the old paint was removed, and I now work on the remaining bits each time she comes out. By 2016 I'll have it all smooth. It is amazing how much the old paint weighs when I clean up the ground after scraping.
I repaired the classic Hull-Keel joint separation with West System G/Flex epoxy.
I also replaced the prop shaft, the engine coupler and put in a PSS. Like many of you I just couldn't STAND a wet bilge. (Plywood core issue aside.)
Next was all of the accessible wiring. The boat got a complete redo on everything possible. I will attach a copy of my wiring diagram. Everything was made as large as possible and I put on solar, added Golf Cart batts, put in a monitor, did the 1-2-All switch update and converted to LEDs.

That was enough of a bleed to the wallet for one year. Couple of grand easily.

Year two (right now) my list was even longer.

1. Pot (epoxy) all of the deck fittings and replace hardware using butyl. MANY holes were leaking.
2. Replace lifelines with uncoated 3/16" wire and replace all hardware
3. Re-weld all the stanchion bases as some had hairline stress fractures
3b. Make aluminum backing plates for stanchions
4. Paint bootstripe/covestripe with Polyurethane
5. Test drill the bilge plywood. Then reseal and apply gelcoat
6. Install stainless keel bolt bars to extend life of plywood core
7. Replace Bowmar saloon hatch glass
8. Inspect and service all steering chain and cables
9. Check all wiring for corrosion, heat issues, or abrasion.
10. Remove and glass over all old transducers (2)
11. Move the location of the forward sink foot pump to behind bulkhead.
12. Install true seacocks
13. Head sink and Galley sink – add soap dispensers
14. Rebuild the winches
15. Repair the UV strip on genoa
16. Install reflective hull insulation in all lockers
17. Install new Campbell Sailer Prop
18. Remove and try repair of hour meter on digital Tachometer (in the end - repair not recommended)
19. Check inside the mast for water – It had some. Drilled a small hole at base for drainage.
20. Remove, inspect and clean and the engine exhaust elbow (3YM20)
21. Replace all engine fluids
22. Add a gate valve in the primary water tank main feed to tap - stop water flowing out sink when heeled over.
23. Pettit Captain's Satin Varnish on the galley wood. Exterior varnish refresh on all outside wood
24. Forward water tank – clean out and add access port.
25. Replace stuffing in rudder shaft
26. Replace diesel filler cap O-ring, replace water tank O-rings.

The attached photos are all of the jobs, rather than of the boat. I really need to put all the cushions back and get some good interior shots.

BTW - I mentioned adding a Campbell Sailer prop. This was an upgrade from a Michigan prop previously and when I tested it out this week the boat went from max 4.5kts under the Michigan to over 6kts with the Campbell.
Best
Invention
EVER
 

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