C-38 Engine Access

Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
Has anyone come up with a better way to access anything not in front of the engine? I was replacing the heat exchange zinc on Sunday and can't believe the contortions I have to get to put a wrench on it. I would think because of this transmissions and heat exchanges are not maintained as regularly as would be on a a boat with easy access. I am coming from an Ericson 35 with the engine in the middle of the salon. Don't get me wrong love my Catalina 38. Just wondering if anyone has cut better access holes or something clever like that.

Thanks
 
Dec 6, 2016
20
Catalina C38 Pt Richmond
No one has any ideas I guess. I was thinking maybe of cutting an access hole in the wall of the quarter berth. I need to look into it more to see if it would be enough to make that cut. If the fuel tank wasn't under the quarter berth one could get in under the cockpit sole and work. Does anyone think this is a structural mistake? I would put a teak access panel over it to make it look good.

Thanks
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
C38...
Welcome to the world of small boats. Where sailors learn yoga poses that no yoga instructor could possibly accomplish, so they can take their boat out on the water and return. If it was easy there would be no "Boat Marina Workers" hanging around to be paid to do work owners are not ready to do. Of course this was done at the manufacturing stage of your boat so that the dealer could sell the boat at a price the new owner could afford. If you want a boat that is easier to work on, join the Navy, or buy a Mega Yacht... Even then there are tasks it is not possible to pay a chief to do. That is why the Navy has 19 year old swabs who are just learning about beer bellies. They still flex and bend backwards, and are still doing PT.

Regarding your access. Your boat, you can cut holes in it where ever you feel inclined and no one will challenge your wisdom. That is until you sell it to the next owner and he/she will wonder "What was he thinking"...

It is a viscous circle. I would not trade it for a Navy experience. I did that.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
It is hard to respond with out first hand knowledge of how Catalina arranged the boat. I don't know if what I have on my early 36 is anything like your 38 - but for Zinc/muffler/heat exchanger - I have two openings under the aft double berth. one is a small square about 18" to a side - and with it open I can access the muffler incase I need to drain it. The other is much larger and allows access to stuffing box and heat exchanger. It is a pain to relocate the cushion, especially as that area becomes a dumping ground for stuff. Getting to the zinc is easy once I have access to the space.

The tight one for me is the sea strainer, and engine mounted fuel filter.

Les
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Your boat, you can cut holes in it where ever you feel inclined and no one will challenge your wisdom. That is until you sell it to the next owner and he/she will wonder "What was he thinking"...
John and Les are right. If you can improve access, by all means, go for it. On our C34s, the Mark Is had a small door on the starboard side to get to the oil dipstick. When they first started to build the Mark IIs in the mid-1990s, they FORGOT the door!!! They wised up and quickly added it.

I get to our HX zinc by either leaning over the engine with an 11/16" box end wrench or going thru the aft cabin cushions. We have great access down there to our stuffing box.

You most likely have an M25 engine. You may be interested in this:

Engines 101 - The BIGGEST & BEST collection of M25 Series Universal Engine Information on the Internet, plus some M35, too :)

http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Diesel_Engine