C-27 Refit/Refurb

Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
So tonight was busy work as I continue to ponder gas tank options. I replaced a bilge pump hose I had cut to get motor mounts installed and remounted the bilge pump.

A previous owner ironically did something clever, quite by accident. I have to believe it was the same guy who shoved a length of shoelace into the stuffing box..... :D

No doubt as a result of excessive water intrusion from the stuffing box a PO had glued in an aluminum dam in front of the motor bed. Right there under the motor was a bilge pump to drain that area. I don't know if that pump is stock, but the whole package seems to be a great idea to help keep water out of the bilge and off the cabin floor.

A few nights ago after getting the motor back in place I fabbed up a 1/4" thick ABS dam to replace the old sheet aluminum one and glued it in place. Tonight I fabbed up the little shelf that the bilge pump is mounted to. The v-shape on the bottom conforms to the shape of the pan.

At this point, I am inclined to repair the tabbing on the existing tank and run with it. The aft compartment can carry a cooler instead of fuel...
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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
So some may know I've been debating a fuel tank change. I have weighed all options and just can't see the expense of replacing what is already there.

Today I got out the rubber gloves, scuffed and cleaned the old gas tank tabbing and laid some new mat in place, tabbing the tank back solidly to the hull.

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While waiting for it to kick I moved the power lead for the engine blower onto a full-time 12V source. Now I can run the ower for a while prior to energizing the ignition circuit.
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
A good mod I've read about and finally got around to:

We are dealing with a Zebra Mussel infestation in our lake. I also plan on leaving the boat in the water year-round. This raw-water intake mod potentially takes care of both.

I have installed a T on top of the thru hull seacock. The water pump takes its feed at the 90-degree horizontal barb. The top barb has a short length of hose attached followed by a quarter-turn ball valve, (I would have installed the second valve right on top of the seacock but the total stack is too tall). Then after that valve is a 4' length of additional hose terminated by a barbed garden hose fitting.

Any Zebra Mussel growth has the greates chance of forming in the intake or the first few inches of hose. It will be easy with a dowel or other semi-rigid rod to simply remove the cap end of the auxiliary hose, and while holding it above the water line, gently ream the mussels out. When done, cap the hose and close the auxiliary valve

With this setup it is easy to use the seacock and aux valve to control the raw water intake for winterizing, or to re-winterize after a pleasant winter day sail.

The trick is to bring the motor up to temp if it's cooled. Run the motor on raw water from the thru-hull till the motor stabilizes temp, for my motor, 140-160 degrees. At temp your thermostat will be open allowing complete circulation of PINK, (not green) antifreeze.

With a 5-gallon bucket and several gallons of PINK antifreeze, bring the motor up to temp. Shut down and quickly close your seacock and open the secondary valve. The auxiliary hose end is submersed in a 5-gallon bucket with straight PINK antifreeze. Remember to remove the hose cap. :D. Restart the motor and let it run a few gallons through from the bucket 'till you are certain all water is gone from the motor having been displaced by antifreeze. Close all valves, including fuel cutoff.

Boom done!
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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Seeing those hose clams in the photos reminds me I REALLY need to get an order together and replace all, old AND new with the proper clamps that Maine Sail recommends. I will try to get a count and a set of sizes and get them ordered.

Speaking of ordered.. I went ahead and ordered one of the new Indigo double-acting thermostat kits. I have never run this motor up to temperature, and I am just afraid the existing thermostat is toast. Or absent. I like the double-acting feature that the Indigo thermostat adds... It will be here tomorrow. I also think I found my new marine alternator... :D stay tuned.
 
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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Work progresses, roughly two hours at a time. Tonight I continued working on the fuel system. First off the old plunger-style fuel shutoff valve had to go. In place there is a new quarter-turn ball valve. I also installed a water-separating spin-on-style fuel filter with a drain bowl. It is mounted to starboard, inside the engine compartment. In the process I am replacing all of the fuel hose with new alcohol-resistant fuel hose.

This may be lost on most, except the C27 owners... The raw water intake and the fuel tank are both located under the starboard aft quarter berth. In a stock boat you have to wrangle a big huge chunk of upholstery out of the way to open the seacock and turn on the fuel. When I redid the upholstery I made that big awkward cushion into three. There is one cushion that lifts out to gain access to the fuel and cooling water valves.

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Feb 29, 2016
15
Catalina 27 Beaver Lake, AR
That's a pretty cool solution to accessing the fuel and raw water intake valves. It's a real hassle removing the large cushion each time you need to access them. Nice job!
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
I yanked out the old automotive alternator tonight, along with about a dozen butt connectors on worthless extra lengths of wire. I also decommissioned the old ammeter and removed the tiny 16ga wire coming from the alternator output. That wire went to the instruments and through a series of screw connections and ring terminals somehow got back to the starter battery. ??????

Here is the new alternator in place. Note the flame arrestor!!! :D
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While visiting with Tom Stevens at Indigo Electronics I mentioned in passing that when we hung up I was going to start looking for a proper marine alternator. He wished me luck and we hung up. About 30 minutes later he called back. "Guess what I found?" he asked.


It turns out that several years ago Indigo offered a hi-output alternator with a Xantrex XAR regulator. He had discontinued it due to a vendor who quit building the alternator for him if I recall. My mention of going shopping prompted him to go check and sure enough, he still had one.

Tomorrow starts a self-directed three-day weekend. I hope to have the new regulator installed and wired tomorrow with a NEW properly-sized output wire connected to the house bank.
 
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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Hi All -

It is boat hibernation time here in sunny hot Oklahoma... As in my un-insulated shop is way too hot to work in this time of the year. Most posts coming this fall hopefully. I am close....

Happy sailing everyone,

Jealous in Oklahoma... :)
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
phil how is the rub rail doing with the fusion paint?
Rebecca-

I have not gotten around to using the Fusion Paint on the 27. Yet. I will tell you I had REAL good results when I first did it on my '87 C-22. A good Acetone scrub, followed by careful masking is what you want to do. I might even go so far as to abrade your rub-rail a bit with maybe 400 grit paper to give the Fusion a little tooth. I didn't but looking back it might improve adhesion.

Even without the sanding, the Fusion lasted for as long as I owned that boat afterwards, so go for it and good luck!
 
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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Sorry for being gone from this thread, AND the boat for what, almost a year. I ran into a few issues physically this year, and I am not out of the woods yet. Nothing life threatening, but issues that certainly affect my ability to work on the boat.

My gut says I injured myself putting the motor mounts in. Any of you who know the older C27 with the A4, (or any inboard for that matter) know that engine access is horrible. It takes a contortionist to work on these. Apparently I injured myself reaching and stretching, then exerting some crazy mechanical leverage to get the motor mounts in. A Venous Thrombosis, (blood clot) in my right upper arm apparently formed, combined with or caused by a very large benign fatty tumor. The fatty tumor was several pounds, and was impinged upon the veins in my arm.

I have had the tumor removed, and am watching healing on my right arm, waiting for it to heal up enough to see about a shoulder replacement on my left arm.... Yup... After all that, I still need to have more work done to replace a joint that has basically failed. If it isn't one thing, its another.

Stay tuned... When I get buttoned back up and feel good enough to work on the old girl, I will revive this thread. We are almost done.... Just need to finish polishing and waxing, address a cosmetically nasty cockpit floor, and finish up the horn install. Then I can drag the girl out of the barn, wash her, install new batteries, add gas, oil, and do a motor run to see if I need carb work. Then the short haul to the lake.

I doubt it will be this year, but we will see what the spring brings us.

fair sailing to the rest of you all!
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Phil,

Good health to you!

My suggestion: GET HER IN THE WATER. Time is precious. Perfect is the enemy of good.
I hear you. I may just go with "matte" as a surface for the smooth gel above the rubrail. Less glare right? :)
 
Jan 24, 2017
13
catalina 27 oriental
yikes, sorry to hear about the health issues. those are some tough things to rebound from--no winching for you for awhile.
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
Hi guys... still here. Out in the shop looking at the boat. I may still pull it out this summer and get it ready for splash day.

You know life happens sometimes. I want to take a brief moment to share something else I've been working on that takes a lot of my time. It's worth it though.

These two didn't exist when I started this project...

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Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
I'm back.... :D

Blood clot finally dissolved after getting the lipoma removed. I got off blood thinners in time to get my shoulder replaced. I started rehab in October and finished in January. Time to get back to work on the C27!

SHE'S OUT OF THE SHOP!!!!!!!

My father-in-law came over with his one ton truck and we yanked the boat out of the shop tonight. There's a huge hole in there, and a lot of stuff on the floor... time for some serious cleaning

As a bonus I decided I'd get out my laser and see how much tweaking I would need to do to get her resting on her lines before the rain comes . Total luck.... when we set the trailer down we managed to put it down where the boat is sitting perfectly level front-to-rear...

Stay tuned for fresh battery installs, fueling, and test running of the A4. I may get an A-frame built and step the mast just to make sure the new standing rigging is good.

I may get her in the water soon. Yay!
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