We have a 1978 catalina 30. The electrical panel is on the port side, just above the icebox. We want to move it to the starboard side just above the chart table (which is slanted) There seems to be enough room for it there. Has anyone else done this?
Electrical panel relocatioin
- Thread starter windcat
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I was under the impression that the location was above the nav station on C30s. Could it be that the PO moved it?
I second what Stu said. Every Catalina 30 that I have ever seen had the panel over the Nav station. Someone had to have moved the panel. It makes sense to have it over the nav station.
The original Catalina 30's had a dinky little 6 circuit fuse panel mounted over the ice box on the rear galley bulkhead. The slanted chart table didn't have enough of a vertical face to mount anything over there. And Windcat, I did exactly what you're asking about.
First things first, I threw the old nav station over the side, the whole thing. Hated the slant top plus the P.O. hacked the front of the lower cabinet open to jam in a camper fridge (dispatched that via eBay). Then I patterned and made a new nav station complete, all the way up to the side deck, made my own electrical panels (had the faces engraved by a trophy shop) and fit all the nav electronics, stereo, DVD, etc. in there. The cabinet underneath is now my liquor locker. I could go on and on about how I made the Formica top with the teak edge and a bunch of other details but instead I'll offer a few pictures, including one of the original factory fuse panel.
Depending on your skill level and tool inventory, it's not that difficult to do.
First things first, I threw the old nav station over the side, the whole thing. Hated the slant top plus the P.O. hacked the front of the lower cabinet open to jam in a camper fridge (dispatched that via eBay). Then I patterned and made a new nav station complete, all the way up to the side deck, made my own electrical panels (had the faces engraved by a trophy shop) and fit all the nav electronics, stereo, DVD, etc. in there. The cabinet underneath is now my liquor locker. I could go on and on about how I made the Formica top with the teak edge and a bunch of other details but instead I'll offer a few pictures, including one of the original factory fuse panel.
Depending on your skill level and tool inventory, it's not that difficult to do.
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Yeah Neil2099 is right, my 1977 also had a circuit panel in the galley.
It's funny, the PO on my boat did the same thing installing a fridge under the nav table. Unfortunately he also threw out the original doors.
Neil's looks pretty damn nice! Here are a few pics of what I did, my skill level is much lower than his, but it shows there are several alternatives. I've included a picture of the original panel and a lower picture of the door created to cover the gaping hole. I put 2 house batteries and the Xantrex charger in there.
After uploading the files, it's obvious the PO put a 'new' circuit panel in...
Good luck!
Chris
Oh yeah....new panel, wiring and 2 years with out a fire...courtesy Stu Jackson!!!!
It's funny, the PO on my boat did the same thing installing a fridge under the nav table. Unfortunately he also threw out the original doors.
Neil's looks pretty damn nice! Here are a few pics of what I did, my skill level is much lower than his, but it shows there are several alternatives. I've included a picture of the original panel and a lower picture of the door created to cover the gaping hole. I put 2 house batteries and the Xantrex charger in there.
After uploading the files, it's obvious the PO put a 'new' circuit panel in...
Good luck!
Chris
Oh yeah....new panel, wiring and 2 years with out a fire...courtesy Stu Jackson!!!!
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Hey Chris,
Here's what the P.O. did with the cabinet doors, made his own liquor locker and screwed it to the main bulkhead (see attached pic of the interior when I bought it). I was able to salvage those doors and reuse them back on the nav station.
One thing my boat has that I haven't seen on others is the drawer below the nav. It's the handiest thing but I have no idea where it came from.
What's your hull #??
Edit:
I added a picture from the original brochure of the slanted chart table so y'all could see what we've been dealing with.
Here's what the P.O. did with the cabinet doors, made his own liquor locker and screwed it to the main bulkhead (see attached pic of the interior when I bought it). I was able to salvage those doors and reuse them back on the nav station.
One thing my boat has that I haven't seen on others is the drawer below the nav. It's the handiest thing but I have no idea where it came from.
What's your hull #??
Edit:
I added a picture from the original brochure of the slanted chart table so y'all could see what we've been dealing with.
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I am going o do the same thing. Fortunately, my nav station was intact when I bought my boat. To make more room above, I cut the slanted part of the nav station so that it is now horizontal. I will eventually make a new vertical face out of Mahogany, and I will put the electrical components there. I also plan on keeping the lift top by shortening it slightly so that it will fit right. I am replacing all of the counter tops anyway, and the nav station will get the same treatment.
By the way, you can run all of the wiring under the quarter berth to below the nav station easy enough, and put the batteries under the nav station as well, which helps correct the port list of the 30.
By the way, you can run all of the wiring under the quarter berth to below the nav station easy enough, and put the batteries under the nav station as well, which helps correct the port list of the 30.
It's funny you mention the drawer under the nav table. I was just looking at a YouTube video of a Catalina 30 Tall Rig and he panned to the nav table and there was a shelf/drawer in side. I thought that was a nice addition.
It wouldn't have mattered if the PO had saved the doors, they would have been too small for the opening anyways. The 2 batteries fit nicely there and the water pump is directly below it.
My hull is #655. I assume my boat must have had the slanted nav table too and the PO fixed it. Below is a picutre mid demolition and Foolproof is 100% right, it was a dream running all of the wiring under the quarter berth to the nav table. I used some old 2 1/2" sauna hosing as chafe guard for the bundles of wires as they lay along side the fuel tank.
I included a pre-purchase pic I took...what was I thinking! Notice the 'old fashioned' E-PIRB?
It wouldn't have mattered if the PO had saved the doors, they would have been too small for the opening anyways. The 2 batteries fit nicely there and the water pump is directly below it.
My hull is #655. I assume my boat must have had the slanted nav table too and the PO fixed it. Below is a picutre mid demolition and Foolproof is 100% right, it was a dream running all of the wiring under the quarter berth to the nav table. I used some old 2 1/2" sauna hosing as chafe guard for the bundles of wires as they lay along side the fuel tank.
I included a pre-purchase pic I took...what was I thinking! Notice the 'old fashioned' E-PIRB?
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Hey Neil2099...
I just looked at your profile and see your boat is #600...very close. Of course yours looks great. I've seen pictures of your boat before. I remember the cabin lights and how they're situated by the hand rails.
It gives your boat a very modern look...
I also noticed your previous boat and I have a stupid question. There is a picture of it sailing and there are 2 jibs up. If you tack or jibe how does the most fore jib swith sides? Do the sheets for this jib 'wrap' around the inner jib? (maybe almost like rigging an asymetrical spinnaker outside?)
Just curious...
I just looked at your profile and see your boat is #600...very close. Of course yours looks great. I've seen pictures of your boat before. I remember the cabin lights and how they're situated by the hand rails.
It gives your boat a very modern look...
I also noticed your previous boat and I have a stupid question. There is a picture of it sailing and there are 2 jibs up. If you tack or jibe how does the most fore jib swith sides? Do the sheets for this jib 'wrap' around the inner jib? (maybe almost like rigging an asymetrical spinnaker outside?)
Just curious...
looks like a lot of guys with earlier boats have had the same idea. the attached pix shows my take on it. i reduced the angle of the table top, built the cabinet and added the blue sea panels as shown. to the right i mounted the VHF and stereo. it works just fine for me. (sorry for the lousy pic)
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Chris et al,
Your projects all turned out nice. It's amazing what we'll put ourselves through sometimes. I particularly enjoyed the 'mid-project' pic. In fact, it might be kind of fun to post pics of our boats in various stages of disassembly. To try and stay on topic somewhat, here are a few pics of my interior just before painting, nav station area included.
Then to stray off-topic again, your cutter rig tacking question isn't stupid at all. It's one of those things that once you do it, it all makes sense. The forward jib is the yankee and when tacking, the wind pushes it through the slot between the headstay and forestay easily, albeit with a little chafe. I found it worked better if I kept the staysail (aft jib) sheeted a little longer through the turn until the yankee made it's way through. No big deal really, but as my staysail was loose footed it meant an extra jib to release and resheet. I also had a sort of running backstay arrangement in addition to the fixed backstay so tacking also meant releasing one running back and tensioning the other after the tack was complete. Yup, tacking required dealing with 2 jibs and running backstays, pretty exciting.
Your projects all turned out nice. It's amazing what we'll put ourselves through sometimes. I particularly enjoyed the 'mid-project' pic. In fact, it might be kind of fun to post pics of our boats in various stages of disassembly. To try and stay on topic somewhat, here are a few pics of my interior just before painting, nav station area included.
Then to stray off-topic again, your cutter rig tacking question isn't stupid at all. It's one of those things that once you do it, it all makes sense. The forward jib is the yankee and when tacking, the wind pushes it through the slot between the headstay and forestay easily, albeit with a little chafe. I found it worked better if I kept the staysail (aft jib) sheeted a little longer through the turn until the yankee made it's way through. No big deal really, but as my staysail was loose footed it meant an extra jib to release and resheet. I also had a sort of running backstay arrangement in addition to the fixed backstay so tacking also meant releasing one running back and tensioning the other after the tack was complete. Yup, tacking required dealing with 2 jibs and running backstays, pretty exciting.
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Neil, as usual...nice work!
I found a 25 year old bottle of vodka under my chart table..it has a 'holder' for two bottles currently..I am thinking I will put my batteries forward of the water tank, so I can get more liquor under the nav table like you've done!
Thanks for the inspiration to all of you that have tackled this. I still have the goofy archaic 6 switch panel by the ice box. Neil, if you take that brochure pic and change the brown plaid cushions to blue plaid, my C-30 still looks just like the picture!
Edit - except for one detail..the light was ripped out of the quarterberth by the P.O. so that is referred to as the 'dark storage cave' !
Ok, I'm done now.:dance:
I found a 25 year old bottle of vodka under my chart table..it has a 'holder' for two bottles currently..I am thinking I will put my batteries forward of the water tank, so I can get more liquor under the nav table like you've done!
Thanks for the inspiration to all of you that have tackled this. I still have the goofy archaic 6 switch panel by the ice box. Neil, if you take that brochure pic and change the brown plaid cushions to blue plaid, my C-30 still looks just like the picture!
Edit - except for one detail..the light was ripped out of the quarterberth by the P.O. so that is referred to as the 'dark storage cave' !
Ok, I'm done now.:dance:
The bottle of Puerto Rican rum in the picture was left behind by the P.O. and unopened. I know we all tend to complain about our P.O. - I think mine did some goofy stuff too - but he loved his boat dearly and every now and then I bring out his bottle and give him a toast. That's sippin' rum, not fer mixin'.
OK, how's this??
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Perfect, I just want to know how you flew over here and got into the boat to snap that pic!?!?!
In reality, the interior cushions are still stored in the attic..I never even got them on the boat this year with all the issues I am having.
In reality, the interior cushions are still stored in the attic..I never even got them on the boat this year with all the issues I am having.
And why didn't I finish sanding that repaired shaft log as long as I was there?
And what happened to the beer you had on board?
[hijack]
I am going to try to get to the boat today and do some sanding...there are no more excuses...ALL of the parts are here..I even took the stuffing box & shaft over to the local parts counter and picked up the Goretex stuffing.
I even found a feeler gauge at the local auto parts store that has a .003" tab on it! :dance:
[/hijack]
I am going to try to get to the boat today and do some sanding...there are no more excuses...ALL of the parts are here..I even took the stuffing box & shaft over to the local parts counter and picked up the Goretex stuffing.
I even found a feeler gauge at the local auto parts store that has a .003" tab on it! :dance:
[/hijack]
Neil, beautiful job on the electrical panel. My husband has the talent, just doesn't have the gumption. I'm about ready to replace him!
Wanted to acknowledge the compliment, thank you.
And you shouldn't use me as an example. I'm a boatbuilding nut that borders on obsession. How else to explain taking on a 30 year old Catalina 30 resurrection, and this after building a Westsail 20 years earlier??
My Gawd, the things we do to ourselves.
Now, now. I'm sure he has other redeeming qualities.
And you shouldn't use me as an example. I'm a boatbuilding nut that borders on obsession. How else to explain taking on a 30 year old Catalina 30 resurrection, and this after building a Westsail 20 years earlier??
My Gawd, the things we do to ourselves.
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