Catalina 22 Restoration Project

[cobis2798]

Let me preface all of my thread with this; my friends and I are teenagers and have no experience whatsoever with boat restoration. This is as much an instrument of getting our story heard as it is a means of communicating with more experienced sailors and craftsmen/women. Here goes...

Step 1: I was staying late after school playing basketball with some friends, when my dad calls me to tell me that there is a boat (a 'big' boat) that washed up onshore a little ways down from my house. I leave my friends to go have a look. Sure enough there, sitting on the rocks, is red 22 foot Catalina.

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Immediately we filed a report to Salvor's (we live in Canada, I don't know the protocol in the U.S.) and immediately got a response outlining the steps we must follow in order to receive the boat as our own. This includes a wait "in excess of 30 days but not to exceed 90". I called my friends down to the boat to check it out, and we hatched a plan to get it off of the rocks. Worked first on cleaning out the cabin of the boat. We began the long job of cleaning out the inside of the cabin. This took a few days (after school).

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Step 2: We spend a few days (while we were cleaning it) searching for holes. We found 2 out of the 3 that were present. We patched the largest one, but weren't able to patch the other. It was only about the size of quarter, so the damage was minimal. Unbeknownst to us, the largest hole was under the boat and we weren't able to even able to find it until we got the boat out of the water. We then rented a 2 inch pump and began making plans to get it off the rocks.



Step 3: At high tide we tried unsuccessfully to get it afloat..twice.. The problem was that the swing keel was acting like a barb preventing us from towing it out until it was completely clear of the rocks. That being said, on the third attempt we were successful in getting it high enough above the water that we were able to tow it out.



With the pump running the entire time, we towed the the Catalina into a nearby marina where it was taken out of the water and placed on 'stilts', this is where it sits today.



This was our first chance to really see the holes that were in the boat. I must say, if I had known that there was a third 'hole', I would have been very hesitant to tow it in such shallow waterways.


We salvaged the boat a little over a month ago and are still awaiting further word from Transport Canada. If nobody comes forward to claim it, we hope it will be released to us. We have cleaned the inside of the boat so that the bare (finished) Fiberglass is the only surface exposed. I will update this thread when we begin the real work.

If anybody wishes to know more, or has advice (or spare parts) to share, feel free to contact me. I have many more pictures to share and questions to ask than I saw fit to include here.

Questions:

What would the best way to get a rudder be? I know that it is possible to buy one, but to be entirely honest, it is far outside of our budget to buy one new AND pay for the rest of the boat. Has anyone made one before?

If anyone has replaced the cabin doors with plexiglass can you contact me, I have a spare sheet laying around and thought that it would be a very nice touch, but I don't know.

Finally, there is a kicker mount that is attached to the boat. I do not know whether or not it is original, but if it is, does anyone know the maximum weight that it can support? And also recommendations on engines. Size, weight, power, four stroke or two?

As I have said, we are very new to boating and would like feedback. Thank you for your time.

 

[Nahart51]

Go to CatalinaDirect.com. You will find everything you need. You don't have to buy anything, but you can get a lot of info by window shopping.

Good luck! You have a quest.

 

[agprice22]

As far as power: I've seen C22's using 4hp to 10hp depending on location. The more current, tide, or open water you are sailing, the stronger the motor you would want. I sail out of a marina on a large lake. I face no current, no tide, no large waves, and few high winds. I use a 2 stroke, 4 hp Mariner motor. The good news is that these are pretty longlasting motors, so you can get an old one cheap and in good shape, and it could last you long time.

You may have to modify your mount to use a motor over 5 or 6 hp.

Andrew

 

[agprice22]

As far as rudders and parts: watch Craigslist for C22's being parted out. Also, check the classifieds of the sailing forums and owners forums.

Andrew

 

[whatcaneyedo]

Cool story and great pictures. If you're still in high school maybe someone in wood shop could cut a set of crib boards for you on the table saw? Take some measurements of the companionway, a picture from Catalina Direct and say that you need them in three separate pieces with rabbeted joints.

 

[KingAirDriver]

Check out our build thread here:

http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=144663

and here:

http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=147708

Also, WELCOME! Keep up the good work and you came to the right place. Keep your eyes open for rudders, ebay, CL, here etc.

There may be one available here in Florida, I'll call the guy and see how much he wants for it.

Once you get those holes patched, you are golden.

Keep us posted!

 

[agprice22]

Also, I haven't seen anyone use plexi as crib boards (the main hatchway). This doesn't mean it hasn't been done. The boards slide into a pocket created by the trim on either side, so the boards need to be thick enough to stay there and thin enough to slide out but not too freely. Probably 1/2 thick. Someone on here will know instantly. Also, the boards are joined to each other by a groove that helps keep rainwater out.

Too thin, and your crib boards could crack or splinter...

If you are going cheap: you could use epoxied or painted plywood. I don't know how long it would last. Next, solid wood. But... My preference is for the white Starboard crib boards you can get on Catalina Direct.

Andrew

 

[Chris Patterson]

Wait a minute, isn't that Chip's boat?

Anyway, I super admire your new adventure, and urge you to pursue it. If you've floated one off of the rocks, you show the tenacity to finish, as few things will require that kind of attention. Years ago I salvaged one up north that was being crushed by the ice, and it was challenging, and just wanted to see if I could pull it off. I'll never forget it.

I too have the starboard hatch cover, and like it a lot. After doing a lot of very obsessive varnish jobs for other people, I don't care for wood on my own. I cut one out of plexi for another boat that I just use for a bay window while sitting below with the A.C. on. There's not much of a chance of me using it underway as it would be useless in a knock-down. I cut it out of one piece, and it's surprisingly leak proof. It was just an experiment that I was sure would fail, but held up very well. Which is very nice considering the jobs that I figured would be great, and failed miserably..

 

[kito]

I wouldn't make that boat look too good or the owner may reclaim it after all your hard clean up work

 

[cobis2798]

Thanks you all. The advice is very useful. We noticed the angled groove in the plywood to keep rainwater out, and plan to mimic it. KingAirDriver, thank you for the offer w/ regards to the rudder. If you could give me this person's contact information, I can arrange something.

Again, thank you very much for all of your input. The more advice, the better.

 

[GorillaToast]

Great story. I wish you all the best. Boat restoration is a lot of expensive fun.

If you've never done fiberglass repairs like you'll need to, I would get a copy of Don Casey's book on hull and deck repair. It has step by step procedures for repairing large holes like that boat has.

 

[jfrench]

As "found" boats go you got the perfect one. Parts are plentiful and cheap (nearly free with enough looking), and once you have her sailing again, the Cat 22 is a very capable boat. I can see you and your friends making many great memories with her. Craigslist is definitely your friend. Search it about once a week for the word "Catalina" in the "For Sale : Boats" section. Every few months someone has one to give away or part out.

Fiberglass repairs are easy to grind down and re-lay until you get them the way you want them, so you can learn how, but still end up with a perfect finish in the end.

Almost anything you need to know has been covered three times or more in this forum. Use the "search" function to look up relevant articles. One smart thing to do after the boat has sat out to dry for a few months, is to check for any soft, spongy areas in the decks and hull. The Cat has plywood sandwiched between fiberglass cores for strength. If the wood gets wet it can rot and weaken the composite structure. It is repairable in several ways (do a search here) and is not cause for tossing the boat away -just check for it before you go out to sea. Also- spend time removing all the deck fixtures and screwing them back down with fresh sealant between them and the deck. That's how you keep rain water and sea water from finding its way into the core in the future.

Have fun, many adventures await!