Hello everyone,
I'm new here. My wife and I have purchased our second sailboat, a 1982 Catalina 27. We got a good price on her and she is in need of some repair and updates due to her age. Our boat is the standard rig outboard model. It has most, if not all, of the recommended Catalina upgrades. Notably steel backing plates for chainplates/shroud attachment points and stainless spreader sockets. The boat is located on the Chesapeake Bay just south of Annapolis and is presently on the hard.
Condition of the boat is good. Hull is sound, no blisters or soft sports. Keel is fine without the "Catalina Smile". Sails are good to excellent. Two mains and two roller furling jibs (one standard, one 155% genoa). Furling is a basic crusing furling setup. Electrics work fine. Thru-hulls are original but fitted with Marelon ball valve seacocks. There is one bronze seacock forward and I plan to replace it (showing evidence of corrosion).
With that, here are my questions/queries:
1. We need to repower. We are looking to go with a 9.8hp four stroke on a center-mounted transom bracket. This will entail glassing in the existing outboard hole and reinforcing the transom. Any recommendations for best practices for this and how much reinforcement will give us a decent margin of safety? Does anyone have anyone they can recommend in the Annapolis area to do the work?
2. Standing and running rigging needs replacing. Running rigging I will do myself since it is simply a matter of ordering the lines and setting them up myself. The rigging inspector was quite honest in stating the standing rigging was on "borrowed time". Lifelines are corroded.
a) I am doing the lifeline replacement myself. I am going to replace the 5/16" vinyl covered lines with 3/16" 7x19 316 stainless wire with Suncor Quick Attach swageless fittings throughout. Cheaper than paying a rigger to do it and West Marine had a good clearance sale on wire I took advantage of.
b) For standing rigging, I would like to do it myself with Quick Attach fittings as well. However, is the original rigging 316 stainless or is it 304/302? How hard or safe is it for me to do the rigging myself and does anyone have any experience using the Suncor hardware for standing rigging? Everything I've read indicates it works very well and is easier to use than the Sta-Lok hardware (no unbraiding necessary). I'd also like to go up a wire size but my next available size in this hardware range is 1/4". Is this overkill with too much weight aloft or is standard 316 stainless 3/16" wire sufficient for daysailing and coastal crusing? I have received quotes ranging from $1300 for standard swaged 3/16" 316 stainless to $2800 for 7/32" 316 stainless with Sta-Lok. I'd like to fall somewhere on the lower end of that scale.
c) Does anyone have any advice on replacing the wire-to-rope halywards with rope only? My rigger recommended going with small diameter, low stretch rope like Dyneema to accomodate the small space available for sheaves at the top of the mast.
3. I have two known leaks and fixed one. My forward hatch had a vent in it and water leaked in and has delaminated the core. I have the hatch off the boat and I am in the process of restoring it.
However, I have a small persistent leak in the V-berth area where the holding tank plumbing is. Does anyone know of sources for water localized to this area? I originally suspected the waste pumpout or vent port but I have sealed that under plastic and water is still working its way in. The forward chainplates and anchor cleat aren't it (no evidence of corrosion or water marks) and there are no obvious signs of water travel. I'm suspecting at this point it is either coming from the anchor chain locker topside (hopefully) or the headstay. Anyone ideas for how to narrow this down and fix it?
4. Any other problem areas to focus on? Most of what I'm looking at other than engine and rigging is elbow grease type stuff.
On a general note, my wife and I are novice sailors. I'm the more experienced having sailed off and on for the past ten years. One of the reasons we're excited about being on the Bay (our last boat was on the Potomac River near DC) is the opportunity to experience more "blue water" like conditions. Notably the open water between the Potomac/Solomons area and Smith/Tangier Islands. What is it like being truly alone in a small boat out of sight of land? A long term goal of ours is to work up to cruising to the Caribbean on the boat(s) that will follow the Catalina. This is our cruiser-learner. I've never experienced being out of sight of land and I am seeking that experience. Thoughts? Stories?
I know this is a long intro. I am interested in talking to other Catalina owners and sailors around the Chesapeake Bay. I have other questions but these should do for now.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Matt
S/V Ruff Heeler
I'm new here. My wife and I have purchased our second sailboat, a 1982 Catalina 27. We got a good price on her and she is in need of some repair and updates due to her age. Our boat is the standard rig outboard model. It has most, if not all, of the recommended Catalina upgrades. Notably steel backing plates for chainplates/shroud attachment points and stainless spreader sockets. The boat is located on the Chesapeake Bay just south of Annapolis and is presently on the hard.
Condition of the boat is good. Hull is sound, no blisters or soft sports. Keel is fine without the "Catalina Smile". Sails are good to excellent. Two mains and two roller furling jibs (one standard, one 155% genoa). Furling is a basic crusing furling setup. Electrics work fine. Thru-hulls are original but fitted with Marelon ball valve seacocks. There is one bronze seacock forward and I plan to replace it (showing evidence of corrosion).
With that, here are my questions/queries:
1. We need to repower. We are looking to go with a 9.8hp four stroke on a center-mounted transom bracket. This will entail glassing in the existing outboard hole and reinforcing the transom. Any recommendations for best practices for this and how much reinforcement will give us a decent margin of safety? Does anyone have anyone they can recommend in the Annapolis area to do the work?
2. Standing and running rigging needs replacing. Running rigging I will do myself since it is simply a matter of ordering the lines and setting them up myself. The rigging inspector was quite honest in stating the standing rigging was on "borrowed time". Lifelines are corroded.
a) I am doing the lifeline replacement myself. I am going to replace the 5/16" vinyl covered lines with 3/16" 7x19 316 stainless wire with Suncor Quick Attach swageless fittings throughout. Cheaper than paying a rigger to do it and West Marine had a good clearance sale on wire I took advantage of.
b) For standing rigging, I would like to do it myself with Quick Attach fittings as well. However, is the original rigging 316 stainless or is it 304/302? How hard or safe is it for me to do the rigging myself and does anyone have any experience using the Suncor hardware for standing rigging? Everything I've read indicates it works very well and is easier to use than the Sta-Lok hardware (no unbraiding necessary). I'd also like to go up a wire size but my next available size in this hardware range is 1/4". Is this overkill with too much weight aloft or is standard 316 stainless 3/16" wire sufficient for daysailing and coastal crusing? I have received quotes ranging from $1300 for standard swaged 3/16" 316 stainless to $2800 for 7/32" 316 stainless with Sta-Lok. I'd like to fall somewhere on the lower end of that scale.
c) Does anyone have any advice on replacing the wire-to-rope halywards with rope only? My rigger recommended going with small diameter, low stretch rope like Dyneema to accomodate the small space available for sheaves at the top of the mast.
3. I have two known leaks and fixed one. My forward hatch had a vent in it and water leaked in and has delaminated the core. I have the hatch off the boat and I am in the process of restoring it.
However, I have a small persistent leak in the V-berth area where the holding tank plumbing is. Does anyone know of sources for water localized to this area? I originally suspected the waste pumpout or vent port but I have sealed that under plastic and water is still working its way in. The forward chainplates and anchor cleat aren't it (no evidence of corrosion or water marks) and there are no obvious signs of water travel. I'm suspecting at this point it is either coming from the anchor chain locker topside (hopefully) or the headstay. Anyone ideas for how to narrow this down and fix it?
4. Any other problem areas to focus on? Most of what I'm looking at other than engine and rigging is elbow grease type stuff.
On a general note, my wife and I are novice sailors. I'm the more experienced having sailed off and on for the past ten years. One of the reasons we're excited about being on the Bay (our last boat was on the Potomac River near DC) is the opportunity to experience more "blue water" like conditions. Notably the open water between the Potomac/Solomons area and Smith/Tangier Islands. What is it like being truly alone in a small boat out of sight of land? A long term goal of ours is to work up to cruising to the Caribbean on the boat(s) that will follow the Catalina. This is our cruiser-learner. I've never experienced being out of sight of land and I am seeking that experience. Thoughts? Stories?
I know this is a long intro. I am interested in talking to other Catalina owners and sailors around the Chesapeake Bay. I have other questions but these should do for now.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Matt
S/V Ruff Heeler