93 Catalina 34 Mk1.5, is this normal

jono

.
Nov 16, 2020
7
Catalina 34 Mk1.5 sydney
Just had a test sail on this boat which I would like to buy. Problem was that the old Universal 23 HP motor with 3 blade prop would not rev over 2200 rpm and she struggled to make 5 knots in enclosed waters with little wind. A little bit of growth but not much. Engine temps OK circa 85C and no smoke etc. Lots of vibration at certain rev levels.

Will be offshore a lot and need to be able to punch into a chop and headwind to get across a bar before tide change etc. Oz East Coast current can run up to 4 knots, usually south. Summer NE winds die at dusk, once spent days trying to make port.

Too old for that now.

Thinking of making an offer that allows for a new donk, Beta or such 30 HP.

Asking $85k Oz.
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
have you checked to see if the prop and bottom are clean? Sounds like you have a bunch of growth on the prop.
 

jono

.
Nov 16, 2020
7
Catalina 34 Mk1.5 sydney
Could be, but the owner says the boat is dived on every 3 months and we are just coming out of winter here.
 

dmax

.
Jul 29, 2018
970
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
It's not normal, the engine should be able to rev to 3000 rpm, cruise at 2600 and you should be able to do more than 6 knots. There are many reasons why the rpms might be limited but if the engine isn't smoking or making bad noises most likely you don't need to replace, just fix what's wrong. If the bottom and prop are clean and the exhaust system isn't constricted, it may be over-propped (eqivalent to too high a gear ratio for the engine to pull). Ask the seller what the size and pitch are for the propeller - the recommended sizes for that boat are 15 x 10 or 15 x 9. If the pitch is greater than 10, that's your problem right there. The vibrations could be caused by fouling on the prop or imbalance in the drive train. Another common problem is the exhaust riser is clogged restricting the exhaust flow - this is pretty much a maintenance item that needs to be addressed every 10 - 20 years.
 
Last edited:
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
Could be, but the owner says the boat is dived on every 3 months and we are just coming out of winter here.
The fact that the owner pays someone to dive the boat every three months does not necessarily mean that the bottom and prop are clean. I speak only from my personal experience many years ago based on a quick dive to inspect the results of a diver when I experienced similar low revs and vibration. I guess he was banking on the assumption that no owners would brave our 55º water to check up on him.

That is why I dive my own boat now.
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
This is my prop 5 months after the last time that I paid a "professional" to dive my boat. The next time the boat was cleaned was 6 months later after the full summer of no use due to work obligations. With proper cleaning and removal of all of the white barnacle bases down to bear metal, the prop only have a very few small barnacles and took very little effort to clean.
 

Attachments

Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
How old and how many hours are on the motor?

Just like everyone else said, I would check the prop and hull to make sure they are clean. If they have growth then that is most likely the issue.

If they are clean then you probably need a new exhaust riser and to check the prop shaft alignment.
 

jono

.
Nov 16, 2020
7
Catalina 34 Mk1.5 sydney
What a great resource! Thanks to all for the responses.
The engine shows only 1000 hours, it is the original. This, in itself, is a bit suss. 30 yrs old. The current owner is elderly and knows little about the boat history or details before his purchase.
I have made an $$ offer. If accepted I will be able to run down all the suggestions raised herein, once she slips for survey.
I will almost certainly re power, however would like some breathing space to learn the boat and attend the multiple jobs, nearly all cosmetic, before springing for another truly biblical $$ outlay.
Thanks again all

Jon
 
Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
Don't be so fast to rush to a repower. My engine is a 1984 Universal M25 with 689 hours on it. I just purchased the boat a year ago, did some basic maintenance on the engine, upgraded the alternator, replaced the exhaust riser, rebuilt the coolant pump, replaced the impeller (all just normal maintenance stuff) and it runs great. I'd go through all the basics like you said, because as long as the engine has been decently taken care of it could last for a vey long time.
 
Last edited:
Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
This is a before and after picture of my engine. I also removed it and sand blasted and painted it, but if something that looked like this still runs strong and reliable you could be just fine.
engine.jpg
 
  • Like
Likes: AndyBC

jono

.
Nov 16, 2020
7
Catalina 34 Mk1.5 sydney
Great job on the donk!
Out of interest, was it difficult to remove? Anything needed to be cut away?

Also, do you have a 2 or 3 blade prop? Will she push into a steep chop and a 20 knot headwind?
Many of the ports on the Oz east coast are barred, and whilst I'm not looking for a motor sailer, I do like to get in as planned, at the top of the flood, not slop around for another night at sea.
Call me a wimp.

Jon
 

dmax

.
Jul 29, 2018
970
O'Day 35 Buzzards Bay
Actually, 1000 hour engines of that age do exist, some people use their engine very little each year. I looked at two boats that age for purchase one with 75 hours and the other with 150 hours and judging by the condition of the engines, I believe them - they were immaculate with perfect paint everywhere and not retouched, all original. Super low hours like that may not be a good thing, depending on how often and how it was run. Post a picture of the engine if you get a chance, it should look pretty good if it has 1000 hours and was maintained.
 

jono

.
Nov 16, 2020
7
Catalina 34 Mk1.5 sydney
It looks far from good.
The whole boat has had years of neglect. Whilst I can see thru the general grime and verdigris and am confident I can remedy, not so the donk.
As you say, if the engine has only been used to get on and off the mooring, then it has probably never got up to sustained operating temperature and raises the likelihood of cylinder glazing and other nasties.
Anyway it's all academic until my offer is accepted. I really love the boat and excepting the power issues, it ticks all the boxes.
Thanks again for input.
Jon
 
Jun 7, 2016
315
Catalina C30 Warwick, RI
Great job on the donk!
Out of interest, was it difficult to remove? Anything needed to be cut away?

Also, do you have a 2 or 3 blade prop? Will she push into a steep chop and a 20 knot headwind?
Many of the ports on the Oz east coast are barred, and whilst I'm not looking for a motor sailer, I do like to get in as planned, at the top of the flood, not slop around for another night at sea.
Call me a wimp.

Jon
It's a 2 blade prop and at 2400-2500 rpm I can do 6 knots. It slows down in a stiff headwind but can still make way.

If the mast is up, pulling the engine is pretty easy. On my boat the worst thing I had to do was remove the galley counter.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
@jono

Hope you're aware of the vast C34 website: www.c34.org and our forum and tech wiki. Hope all works out for you. Before you throw the M25XP away, you might want to join us there, because our skippers have tons of experience with that engine and might well be able to help in some additionally specific ways.

Stu