Bow Rail

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Good morning,

Have any 310 owners removed the now rail? It's the last piece of deck hardware that I need to pot and bed with butyl. I'm trying to figure out if the rail is bolted down with fender washers and nuts or into a tapped plate. I can see the end of the most stern bolts looking up in the corner of the crew berth but I can't see where it comes through the deck.

Thanks,

Jesse

 

[rukidn]

We've not removed and rebedded but it's on the list. I do want to suggest one of my favorite boat tools, a USB Endoscope. These cameras have about a 5/16 (8mm) head on a ~15' flexible cable. I have two, one very flexible, and one with a stiff cable. $20 on Amazon. I've been able to get a good look at other stanchion fasteners and get into other nooks and crannies to recover dropped tools and hardware and guide tools.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

We've not removed and rebedded but it's on the list. I do want to suggest one of my favorite boat tools, a USB Endoscope. These cameras have about a 5/16 (8mm) head on a ~15' flexible cable. I have two, one very flexible, and one with a stiff cable. $20 on Amazon. I've been able to get a good look at other stanchion fasteners and get into other nooks and crannies to recover dropped tools and hardware and guide tools.
View attachment 169464

yeah, I thought about getting one but Amazon doesn't deliver to this part of the Caribbean. You can't even find a GoPro south of St. Maarten, never mind this. oh well.

 

[Ward H]

Jesse,
I know each boat can be different but on my C30 I could see a couple of the stern bolts of the bow sprit just poking through the deck into the v-berth. The area the bolts were was noticeably thicker than the surrounding area. I scratched a bit of the sprayed on paint/gel coat around one of the bolts and it was shiny, confirming an embedded plate.
Just an idea on how to inspect the area.

 

[JRT]

I really hope it for embedded plates for all if us 310!

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

I really hope it for embedded plates for all if us 310!

me too. I will probably try to take out a bolt today and see.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

So, 9p out of the 10 bolts holding on the bow rail were tapped into an imbedded metal plate. On one they either missed the plate or drilled too large of a hole so they put a washer, lock washer and nut on the underside. This location happened to be almost perfectly in line with the bulkhead that is the forward wall of the vee berth. We couldn't get a socket on it. I could barely touch the bottom of the bolt. Somehow my Bride was able to get a box wrench on it and we were able to get it off. Catalina did this to us on one gate stanchion bolt too. But that was the one behind the head and it was easy to access the bolt.

All 10 bolts are in solid glass. So no potting is necessary on these. So tomorrow morning we will counter sink the holes, clean up the old polysulfide and begin bedding with my Bed-It Butyl Tape. Getting a nut and washer back on that bolt will be fun.

 

[JRT]

Good Deal @JK_Boston_Catalina310, with the bolts being screwed in, is Bed-It Butyl Tape the right choice? I read that to use the tape correctly, the fastener needed to not spin the material during installation but instead to just compress it. I ran into this with my old toe rails on my O'Day 25 and I was never sure I had a good seal. Post up pics if you have the time!

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Good Deal @JK_Boston_Catalina310, with the bolts being screwed in, is Bed-It Butyl Tape the right choice? I read that to use the tape correctly, the fastener needed to not spin the material during installation but instead to just compress it. I ran into this with my old toe rails on my O'Day 25 and I was never sure I had a good seal. Post up pics if you have the time!

You are correct that the best application of butyl tape involves not spinning the bolts. I use a Qtip and put some mineral spirits on the bolt then prep as normal. Then I try to press as far down as possible before I start tightening. Then I watch closely to make sure it doesn't suck the butyl along the screw and pull the butyl from other places. If that happens you have to start again and use a little more mineral spirits this time. I believe @mainesail included that in his write up.

 

[JRT]

Thanks @JK_Boston_Catalina310 , I don't recall that tip but makes sense. So is working on boat projects nice in Salt Whistle Bay Grenadines? I saw the pics and sent to my wife, kids are 5 years till out of house, so I'm sucking everything out of our forum till then and sail every time I can.

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

Thanks @JK_Boston_Catalina310 , I don't recall that tip but makes sense. So is working on boat projects nice in Salt Whistle Bay Grenadines? I saw the pics and sent to my wife, kids are 5 years till out of house, so I'm sucking everything out of our forum till then and sail every time I can.

haha @JRT. We didn't do many projects in Saltwistle. That was more like some time off. Of course I did have to fix a fan and give the bottom a quick cleaning before heading back to Bequia. There isn't much but bars in Saltwistle. In Bequia we have grocery stores a produce market, a couple hardware stores and a couple of marine stores. So projects here are better. there is also a canvas guy that does good work cheap. We are replacing our bimini and doing a modified bimini that can stay up under sail. It's going to cost under $2k.

We have already rebedded everything but the chain plates, potting every place we go through a cored deck, rebedded the main hatch with adding through bolts throughout, refit on the dinghy including chaps and a new nonskid floor, finishing up some other projects like the arch, lithium batteries, new electronics, speargun rack, trying to find a place for my massive freediving fins, and so many I'm forgetting.

Cruising=doing boat work in exotic locations.

 

[paulj]

Well some pictures from long ago....while I was checking things out.



paulj

 

[paulj]

last pic

 

[paulj]

JK
need more info ?


paulj

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

JK
need more info ?


paulj

Not yet Paulj but thanks for asking. Right now we have all the rails, stanchions and cleats bedded in butyl tape. We have been working on our bimini upgrade and some other small projects. This week we will tie those up and do our new dynema lifelines. The end of next week we have a friend visiting for a few days. After he leaves our next major pieces are new interior cushions and bedding the chain plates with butyl. Then it will be time for a break from boat work and start writing up all the work we have done. We will start by spending some time in the Tabago Cays before the cruising hord starts heading north from Grenada.

I'm sure I will be asking the collective for some more help in what I will find.

Fair winds,

Jesse