Restoration of 1981 C-22 swing keel #10580

Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Well.... I have some REAL deadlines I need to deal with over the next few months.
I will be keeping my C22 on a mooring ball in Mission Bay, the permit costs $600 per year and you have to buy it on March 1st. Remember, this is a city bureaucracy so they have zero flexibility or common sense.
The application process is pretty simple, but you must have a USCG Aux safety check of the vessel completed before hand, and then your mooring tackle is inspected and dropped after you get the permit. I already purchased a 24 inch mooring ball when it was on clearance from Gander Mountain, its a 'JIM Bouy', same exact thing as a Taylor Made but at least $100 cheaper. I also need about 30 feet of galvanized 3/8" chain, swivel, shackle, and lap links all hooked up to a cleaned V8 engine block (which I have in storage).
I can worry about the mooring tackle after I buy the permit, that's the easy part. The fun part is getting the minimum of systems completed to pass the USCG safety inspection sometime in the month of FEB. So going through the inspection checklist to know what is required tells me what has to be finished on the boat;
- I have to get the bow and stern rails installed because they will hold the Nav lights.
- The electrical system has to be rigged in so far that I have at least one battery and the circuit for the Nav lights set up so I can show that they work.
- The Mast and boom have to be rigged. I'll be using all my old wire rigging except the backstay, for that I'll have my dyneema split backstay and new tackle.
- The check list says nothing about sails or running rigging... I will try to at least have the Main and Jib halyards set up, but beyond that I will only probably put things on if I have time... The idea is to pass the safety inspection, not be ready to sail.
- Visual distress signals... I have a flare gun, need new shells.
- PFDs - I have 3 new lifejackets, but I need a throwable device probably mounted to the stern rail.
- Sound Device... Probably just need an Air Horn
- Vessel Numbers need to be applied to bow sides, and according to this check list the vessel name and hailing report are required. I didn't realize that was REQUIRED, but oh well, I was gonna do it anyway.
- Need at least one Fire Extinguisher
 
Jul 13, 2015
900
Catalina 22 #2552 2252 Kennewick, WA
Nothing like a hard and fast deadline to keep you motivated! Can't wait to see the "floating on the ball" photographs.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
So, the above list is what I MUST have according to the check sheet... from the top of my head, this is how its going to work;
- The bow and stern pulpits need to be done ASAP. That means I have to string the new wires through the tubing and then gently plug weld the access hole in the top of the tube shut, then re-polish all of it. This is probably the last 'super-pain-in-the-butt' job left to do.
- To plug up the last holes on deck I need to bolt down and bed the inboard jib/genoa tracks. This is painful because of the curve in the tracks when dealing with the bedding compound and trying not to make a mess.
- I have to get the entire mast/boom and all spar hardware put back together to include mast wiring... better get cracking.
- For working NAV lights I need at least that circuit installed and on the battery. The only hard part about that job is that I haven't finished the new 'home' for the battery yet (the rectangle compartment under the V-berth).
- Won't do much with the interior, the cushions won't even be in there.
- Won't even put on the mainsheet traveler track...
- I will get the non-skid decks done in the cockpit if I can, although it is in no way required. It will help the boat look finished.
- I'll install as much deck hardware as I can, although there isn't much left and its relatively simple to do.
- I'll only put on running rigging if I have time, main halyard and jib halyard would be a good idea although check-list says nothing about running rigging or sails.

There is probably more to it than that... probably stuff I WON"T do, but now I need to get busy because there is plenty that I MUST do to pass that inspection!
 
Sep 15, 2016
799
Catalina 22 Minnesota
Wow you’re going to have the best looking boat on a mooring ball in Mission Bay! Last time I was there (a number of years ago) when I had a Laser on one of the beach bars most of the mooring cans were made out of Beer Kegs painted blue on one end and most of the boats on the balls looked rather derelict. Times have changed I suppose in the last 15 years though. It’s funny though the requirements for the engine block as the anchor and the chain seem to have remained the same. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing some action shots when you finally hit the water.
 
Aug 16, 2016
61
Catalina C22 Panama City, Fl
I had a 5' piece of railroad track and 20' of 1/2"galvanized chain to the ball with 5/8" three strand to the pennant/pickup bouy that i just dropped into the cove across from the sub base for my Sprite. No permits or policies just don't bash into some elses boat if you know what's good for ya. But that was back in the 80's. Now you need a governor pardon practically to even get on a waiting list. Glad I don't live there anymore. Miss the boat though.

Geoff
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Wow you’re going to have the best looking boat on a mooring ball in Mission Bay! Last time I was there (a number of years ago) when I had a Laser on one of the beach bars most of the mooring cans were made out of Beer Kegs painted blue on one end and most of the boats on the balls looked rather derelict. Times have changed I suppose in the last 15 years though. It’s funny though the requirements for the engine block as the anchor and the chain seem to have remained the same. Keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing some action shots when you finally hit the water.
Yeah, they 'standardized' the mooring bouy policy.... they specifically note in the guide that kegs are no allowed. They have everyone buy specifically a 24 inch foam filled ball. They do note that they made the change because flotation failed in the home made kegs. They also specify 38 feet of 3/8" galvanized chain for Mariner's Basin, 6 feet for going around the engine block and the remaining 32 feet is 2x the water depth. Also cannot use nut & bolt type chain link connections, must be a galvanized lap link and also use an anchor swivel & safety wired shackle. I got lucky and found the 3/8 chain for 3.50 a foot at my usual industrial overstock place, it's 4.50 a foot online plus heavy item shipping or $6 per foot out in town.
 
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Jul 25, 2016
197
Catalina 22 Sacramento
I also finalized the position of my motor mount and re-drilled the holes. Its pretty much in the factory position, the lower holes you can see that were filled in must have been put there when a P.O. tried to run a short shaft motor. When I got the boat those holes were sealed with bolts and silicone... poorly.

I'm not liking the position of the tiller arm so much. When I bed the motor mount I may go up a notch on the 3 position holes of the mount bracket.

Also, a shot of my backing plate on the inside, just 1/2" marine plywood coated in epoxy.



I also finalized the position of my motor mount and re-drilled the holes. Its pretty much in the factory position, the lower holes you can see that were filled in must have been put there when a P.O. tried to run a short shaft motor. When I got the boat those holes were sealed with bolts and silicone... poorly.

I'm not liking the position of the tiller arm so much. When I bed the motor mount I may go up a notch on the 3 position holes of the mount bracket.

Also, a shot of my backing plate on the inside, just 1/2" marine plywood coated in epoxy.



Hey Luke,
I getting ready to re-install my motor mount. I've over-drilled the previous holes and epoxied them so that they are ready to be re-drilled. Did you bed the mount with butyl tape? I also plan to use marine plywood as a backing. Did you just paint the plywood with epoxy? I wasn't planning on doing any bedding on the backing plate, correct?
Thanks!
Kevin
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Hey Luke,
I getting ready to re-install my motor mount. I've over-drilled the previous holes and epoxied them so that they are ready to be re-drilled. Did you bed the mount with butyl tape? I also plan to use marine plywood as a backing. Did you just paint the plywood with epoxy? I wasn't planning on doing any bedding on the backing plate, correct?
Thanks!
Kevin
You can certainly use butyl tape to bed the motor mount, but I used 3M 4200 UV... either will work fine, and only really necessary to bed from the outside. I did paint epoxy onto the plywood backer and I painted it for good measure, no harm in that. Remember to still use fender washers under the nuts, otherwise the tightened nuts can still compress the plywood enough to loosen the motor mount over time (and a lock washer too!).
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
So what do you say we get back to work this eh? Well, by 'we' I mean 'me'... LOL.
So I really haven't done much of anything on the boat since I went to South Africa back in November. Since then I've been swamped at work and drowned with grad-school work... But I gotta get going. March first is just a few weeks away and I want to get my mooring in Mission Bay so the boat needs an inspection. I have to get it rigged and at least half way working to pass the visual on the trailer.
So the bow and stern pulpits need to go back on so I have working Nav lights... here we go...
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Way back in an earlier post I figured out how to make Nav light rail clamps since Aqua-Signal discontinued them. I got that worked out, but the wires have to run through the tubes, so I would have to drill holes in the top of the tube so I could then drill through the bottom of the tube and pull the wire down the leg, like so;
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
After the holes were drilled I could run the 18 ga wire through, pretty easy. Then I used a piece of solid 5/16 stainless rod to plug the hole and weld it in, then cut off the rod, and grind/sand/polish smooth. Well, everything was going well until I heated up the tube too much and melted the wires. Bad move... smokey stinky mess that was. So I had to re-drill the hole to 3/8 and start over.
This time I reached in to my chopper-building bag of tricks and ordered a small roll of this spark-plug wire insulation that is good to about 800 degrees of direct contact to hot metal. I cut a 6 inch piece and slipped over a new pair of wires and heat-shrinked each end. The insulated portion lives right under where the weld will be, 3 inches past the down tube hole and 3 inches into the down tube too, helps with chaff against the drilled hole also.

 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
With heat protection on the wires I could weld the top hole shut again, but rather than a big 3/8 plug I decided on a new approach. The plug was needing too much heat and was distorting the metal too much, so I cut a short piece of stainless tube and then cut it in half, more like the top 1/3 actually. This would make a square patch to lay over the hole and weld the edges. I cut the heat on the torch down to 30 amps. Here is the two tacks on the bottom edges since I can't use a clamp, then I could use a hammer to smooth the curve of the patch tight around the radius (same size tube won't exactly 'nest', needs a little help). Then I tacked the top two corners.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
After tacking in place I could slowly stick weld the sides of the patch plate. I only went a short distance and then stopped and allowed it to cool completely before welding more. The bow pulpit is almost done, then I'll do the patch on the stern rail with the stern light wire run in place. After the welds I'll use my pneumatic die grinder and ending discs to clean them up, followed by scotch discs, then polish the entire rail. Maybe I'll get them both back on the boat this weekend?
 
Jul 13, 2015
900
Catalina 22 #2552 2252 Kennewick, WA
I was just thinking as I shoveled off the boat for the 3rd time this winter that It's time to get back to it-- the winter doldrums are over when CD starts to weld!
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
I was just thinking as I shoveled off the boat for the 3rd time this winter that It's time to get back to it-- the winter doldrums are over when CD starts to weld!
LOL... I shoulda been welding weeks ago and I'd be done by now!
 
Feb 14, 2017
24
Catalina 22 Smithville Lake
I just finished reading this thread, great work. Beginning my research restore a '76 C22 that I just bought. I am very sorry that your paint job turned out so poorly. You know that will probably just be a continual thorn in your side. So being the selfless saint that I am, I would be willing to trade you straight across my as yet un-started project boat, a blank canvas so to speak, for your boat, just so you don't have to keep looking at that paint job. I would be willing to make that sacrifice for such a hard working young man like yourself. While you are thinking about that, do you know of anyone who has enlarged the diameter of the original scuppers? I don't really want to install the tubes through the transom.
 
Feb 11, 2015
212
Catalina 22 Lake Jacomo
Hey Track4ever, I see you're from "Methdependence" too. Any chance you'll be sailing at Jacomo?
 
May 23, 2016
1,024
Catalina 22 #12502 BSC
Track....first off, welcome to the party....and I believe you have made Luke a very fair offer!
You did good reading his entire thread, one of the best resources out there.

As to your scupper question, bigger holes above just lead to small diameter plumbing below, so I doubt it would be advantageous, those small drain lines plug up very easily. Transom scuppers are the only way to go imo, here's a good/recent thread on some options...
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/moeller-flanging-tool.182890/#post-1345569



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