1995 Catalina 30 MkIII

[Stu Jackson]

exactly what is a fire port, why did catalina omit them, and what does one have to with some kind of auto system in the engine compartment? as far as the swim ladder, i have one and have never considered allowing access when nobody is aboard, no more than i would provide a ladder to my house windows, though i do live on the twenty-eighth floor.

morty, I provided a link to the fire port in reply #45 on page 3. Pictures worth a thousand...

Catalina didn't "omit" them, they just weren't "the thing" back when this boat was made. I don't know if they include them in new boats.

IIRC, the ladder thing was to allow the skipper or crew to get back on the boat. A boat ladder isn't quite the same as your analogy, since there are other ways to get on a boat, this was just dealing with from the water.

 

[mortyd]

stu, we're on the same side. all i was saying is i don't my swim ladder making it easier for strangers to get aboard when i'm not there. i don't imagine catalina ever thought of anyone exept people already on board deploying the ladder. by the way, how much of a problem is fire in a diesel engine compartment?

 

[Calif. Ted]

I think everyone adds fireports on their new boats now, I know our friends the French do.
Under that panel in the cockpit are the cables and steering quadrant, unlike other Catalina's these 30's don't have the cables and quadrant in the aft cabins. Unfortunately the shallow pan under the panel doesn't drain well and sometimes leads to leaks in the aft compartment. Unfortunately sometimes owners try to fix the leak by sealing the panel and/or the emergency rudder access hatch.
5 minutes with a screwdriver ought to allow removal of the panel unless someone tried to glue it in. Removed the round hatch is a simple fix, but it needs to be opened regardless.
Also, Catalina's new boats have the swim ladder in the swim step so it is accessible from the water, I think.
http://catalinayachts.com/images/gallery/c355-4509.jpg

 

[Stu Jackson]

stu, we're on the same side. all i was saying is i don't my swim ladder making it easier for strangers to get aboard when i'm not there. i don't imagine catalina ever thought of anyone exept people already on board deploying the ladder. by the way, how much of a problem is fire in a diesel engine compartment?

Agree on the ladder. In my neck of the woods, we don't get too many folks swimming around, since the water temp all year long is 57F!!!

Any fire on a boat is a problem, of course. Very rare to hear of diesel fuel fires, per se, though. A runaway diesel could provide enough heat for other things to burn, like the sound proofing and the wooden enclosure. Alternator failures or wiring faults could also start fires in the engine bay.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

People also fall overboard and need a way to get back aboard. It's really no big deal to enable the ladder to be deployed from the water. What is the risk? Do you think that the ladder is all that is keeping your boat safe from someone who wants to get aboard?

If you have a crew and someone falls overboard it's OK to have someone on the boat deploy the ladder (and the rest of the MOB gear). If you are by yourself and fall off you just may be thankful you can deploy the ladder.

Again, I don't see the downside of having the ability to deploy the ladder from the water.

Barry

you've gotta ask this ding a ling if he thinks the swim ladder is there to allow any passing swimmer access to the boat. please, let us know.

 

[mortyd]

yes, i do think an undeployed ladder is all and sufficient to keep swimmers off my boat. now, as far as boarding parties.....

i have seen lots of boats with swim ladders but never one that was made accessable from the water with nobody aboard.

 

[Calif. Ted]

i have seen lots of boats with swim ladders but never one that was made accessable from the water with nobody aboard.

Now you have,
The rectangular hole in the swim step on the transom on this Catalina 355 is the swim ladder.

 

[jsalley]

Tried to avoid getting into this but can't stop myself. Nearly all new boats (new since early 2000's) have swim ladders deploy able from the water. ALL Catalina's do. My 2006 C309 had one, as does my 2012 C355. They are a safety item, to help a MOB to get back on the boat unassisted. Regarding fire ports, all of the new Catalina's in the 5 series have them. I added one on my 309 - very simple job for under 20 bucks. Likelihood of an engine fire on a diesel is low - until it happens.

 

[mortyd]

i stand corrected, but in the bronx like i am, i prefer not water accessable. now, exactly what is a fire port?

i am always learning new things.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Sluggo, the point we were trying to make about the survey results is this:

New Codes do not require the upgrade of buildings built before the Code was written.

If you take that to it's logical conclusions, the surveyor could have, for example, made you bring all your wiring including your older electrical panel up to 2015 standards.

Doesn't happen. And shouldn't.

 

[mortyd]

sluggo this is a good time for you to learn this lesson on your road. the surveyor's job is to inform you how the boat compares to how it came from the factory and what LAWS it is not in compliance with and not to compare it with he might want on his dream boat. save your money - you will need it later - and forget frivilous these mods.

 

[Stu Jackson]

morty's right. However (and here's the BUT), if the surveyor put it in writing, an insurance company could (I said could, not Would) require it or use it in some way not necessarily beneficial to Sluggo.

The surveyor could be covering his you-know-what, but doing so by writing up stuff for a 20 year old boat by mentioning it doesn't have stuff that is only found on new boats is, at best, a real stretch in my mind.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Sluggo, here's where you can exert some influence, if you're serious about this boat.

Let's say the owner does the running rigging, but he ends up using cheap crap.

How about you huddle with the broker to make sure he uses what is good stuff?

Can't hurt to try.

 

[hvbaker]

Stu, best would get owner to reduce the price and then have buyer buy quality he/she wants and make sure the work is done right.

 

[Scotty C-M]

Good for you, Sluggo! Sounds like this is comming together. Glad to hear you hired a mechanic, it probably will save you money in the long run. If the broker is working with a reputable supply house it will probably give you the appropriate stuff. How exciting. Stu, and others, are correct. Now is the time to pay attention to the details.

Ask someone to show you a fire port, it is a small plastic circle a couple of inches in diameter. The center section is lighter plastic which can be broken when you insert the nozzle of a fire extinguisher. Look on line and you'll see them. Thus you can fight a fire without opening the engine to the outside - which could cause the fire to flame up. By the way, it is best to use halatron or argon or another gas extinguisher which does not leave a residue on the engine.

Boating is full of details, and learning the systems of any new (to you) takes a lot of time and effort. Go over every inch (especially the bilge) of your new boat. Read everything you can (like on the internet), visit the Catalina 30 sites, and also the Catalina 34 site. Although the 30 and 34 are quite different, there is a lot of overlap, and the 34 site is rather well known for its' helpfulness. One great thing about the Catalina 30 is that there are so darn many of them. With a little luck you might be able to meet some people in your area that have Catalina 30s. It's really fun to share ideas.

Damn, it makes me want to go out and buy a new boat! Wait a minute ….. getting a bit carried away. Have fun Sluggo.

May you have calm seas, and a fair wind at you back.

Scotty

 

[mortyd]

another lesson in my opinion. forget west marine. defender industries has prices as good and people who know sailboats, not drones who don't. and as long as catalina yachts is in business, forget catalina direct, who is not catalina.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Yes, same pump assuming the part # is the same.

That's why comparative shopping is sooo darned important when it comes to boat stuff.

Pumps: www.depcopump.com may have a competitive price, too.

FYI, price a (rotten even when new) Sherwood. Probably twice that price, no discounts available as far as I know.

 

[mortyd]

if you don't know, which engine you have, find out, get an owner's manual, and read it.

 

[dj2210]

For my 25xp I had to grind a little on the Ober pump flange. No biggie and relatively simple to install. I hated the Sherwood.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Well, it's official: I now own a 1995 Catalina MkIII...closed the deal a couple of hours ago. Gotta admit, I have a little buyer's remorse, but I suppose that's not uncommon. I think it's due to never having owned a sailboat before, and the unknown territory that that entails.

Many of the discrepancies noted in the survey were corrected. A few 'nickel and dime' things remain. But all in all, she's a good boat with good bones.

CONGRATULATIONS.

Now you can get over the buyer's remorse, because with this website, the C30 group & association website and our engine and systems info on our C34 website, plus the great C310 skippers here, you simply do not ever have to reinvent the wheel.

What nickel & dime things remain?