Fixin' Up a 73' Catalina 27

weinie · Jun 13, 2012

First thing: Congratulations on your new boat!
Second thing: I don't have the answers to the questions you posed!

However, I myself, also a former power boater, got into sailing a couple of years ago and bought a 1987 Catalina as a "learner" boat that I would just screw around Long Island Sound on and continue to fulfill my goal of becoming a world champion Corona drinker!
Anyway two years later, and please, don't ask me how much money, I have practically redone everything there is to do on it! One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I had almost completely restored: New cushions, sails, rigging, lifelines, electronics and an autopilot, nav lights, engine parts, prop parts, water hoses, faucets, toilet, wood all refinished, hull scraped to the gelcoat and tons more!
But still, every time the wind picks up, I drop what I'm doing and I head out!
It's a great boat and even if someone gave me a brand new 40 foot catalina, I'd think I'd still choose to go out on the 27 footer I've got and have put so much into. (Though I'd sell the 40 and buy more beer... oh and I'd also pay someone full time to sit on my dock and shoo away that damn little birdie that likes to use my back stay as a comfortable place to take his hourly craps!)
I have a ton of pictures and hope to put together a blog or something soon on IMPULSE. Just don't expect to see pictures of that bird. If he keeps doing what he is doing, it's going to be winner winner chicken dinner for him!

Good luck with your boat, and enjoy it...really!

Faris · Jun 13, 2012

Loutheg said:
1. Is the 18 hp Yanmar the right motor? Everything I’ve read says the Atomic 4 had 30hp.
2. How can I tell if I have the correct prop?
3. We have a problem where occasionally the main sail would stop short about 6 to 8” from the top. We had the mast taken down and I am not seeing anything obvious. What should I be looking for?
4. While I have the mast down I am installing all new LED anchor light, LED nav light and LED spreader lights. I am lubing the mast track with McLube Dry spray lube and replacing the spreader boots which I will wrap in tape. Is there anything else I should do while I have the mast down?
5. I’ve read there may be an issue with the spreader mounts on these older Cats is that true and if so what should I do?
6. Is there anything else I should be doing to this ole girl?

Regarding #1 and #2: What do you mean by "correct"?

3) Well, if it always get stuck at the same point, there are four possible causes: the halyard itself has an obstruction, the track on the mast has an obstruction, the main is getting caught on something outside of the track, or the main is being held down from below (i.e. cunningham, downhaul, etc.)

It sounds like you've eliminated a track obstruction. One thing that can happen that is not always obvious is that the halyard gets twisted under stress, and this makes a kink as you work the twist to the end of the halyard. Also, make sure the head of the sail is not hitting any running rigging. Binoculars are great for troubleshooting.

But, my bet is that you've already eliminated possible causes near the head of the mast, and that the problem is farther down.

4) Just obvious stuff like service any masthead fittings (antenna, windex, etc.) Also, take a hard look at the masthead sheaves since you are having problems hoisting.

5) I just took a look at mine (1972) and judged them to be sound. But ... the issue I've seen is that the bolts that mount them to the mast are allowed to work loose which starts to create a lot of play as the holes widen under stress. Then, at some point, tightening the bolts really only postpones the inevitable. I would remove the brackets and inspect the holes on the mast. If they allow any play when the bolt is inserted, upsize your bolts. If the play is only in the bracket, then consider replacing the bracket. No play - no problem.

6) Very important: Take a hard look at your plumbing. Original equipment probably just has gate valves attached to your through-hulls, and the head (if so-equipped) probably just runs directly to the larger of these. As you're probably aware, the only thing between you and the bottom of the ocean (lake?) is the integrity of this plumbing. If they haven't been already, the gate valves should be replaced with seacocks. Also, if your head empties directly overboard, you'll need to fix that to be legal, or just accept the risk (as most people do).

But, the often-overlooked fitting is where the sink drains. I've seen this go directly into a through-hull fitting below the sink (no seacock, gate valve, or anything). In fact, mine, when I bought it, did exactly this, and a significant leak around this fitting was addressed with a baseball-sized lump of plumbers putty. In other words, plumbers putty was the only thing keeping the boat off of the ocean floor.

Boat projects are never-ending, but here's my order-of-importance in dealing with them when I am fixing up an old boat:

Hull integrity
1. Hull is intact
2. Through-hull fittings are sound
3. Seacocks are sound
Deck integrity
1. No leaks so severe that they risk sinking the boat from rain/snow
2. No soft spots or delamination that poses deck failure risk near:
  1. Standing rigging attachment point
  2. Running rigging attachment point
Standing rigging
1. Chainplates are sound and attachment points are strong
2. Stays are attached to sound material with sound fittings
3. Spreaders are sound
4. Mast support post and step are sound
5. All stays and shrouds are sound, particularly at ends
The boat is steerable (I don't like wheels, so I don't deal with any of those issues.)
Motor reliable
1. If electric start, electrical is sound
2. Fuel filter is brand new
3. Oil and plugs show no symptoms of problems
4. Starts easy, doesn't die unexplainably
Ventilation is safe (fuel, exhaust, propane, etc.)
Electrical doesn't pose serious risk of fire
Running rigging
1. All deck fittings are firmly attached with no signs of failure
2. Lines are clean and free from excessive wear
3. Rigging makes sense and is free of obstructions
Sails servicable
1. Head, tack, and clew are not close to failure
2. Tears are repaired

That's a very simplified list, but pretty much, if these items check out, everything else can wait at least for a little while. I tackle issues in this order when dealing with a new boat because I find this to be the order of importance and usability.

That is, #1 needs to be addressed immediately or nothing else matters. #2 and #3 are slightly less urgent, but are meant to address causes of sinking or serious rigging failures and are jobs that really need to be tackled before moving on. Once #4 and #5 are addressed, the boat is movable. After #6 and #7, it is usable if not sailable. Finally, after #8 and #9, the boat is sailable.

Also, the first half of this list can be addressed out of the water, and the second half in the water ... if need be.

However, truth be told, I always do a thorough cleaning very early on in the process so I can become intimately familiar with the boat and uncover hidden issues.

Joe · Jun 14, 2012

If you go to the owner's website, www.catalina27.org ,you will find a wealth of information specific to your boat. There, you'll find a list of known issues that should be addressed by you if they haven't been by the previous owners.

The original aluminum spreader brackets are certainly one issue - as in, prone to crack - and many years ago Catalina produced a stainless steel retrofit that you can purchase through the factory or another source called "catalina direct". http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=491&ParentCat=130

Also mentioned in this list are the lower shroud chainplates that were not beefy enough and had the potential to pull through the deck. Again there is a retrofit kit available that should be installed if the originals present. http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=12&ParentCat=45

The capshroud chainplates are bolted to the interior plywood bulkheads... it is common for water to intrude where the chainplates pass through the deck. You must first check the integrity of the bulkheads to make sure there is no rotting wood present.... and maintain a watertight seal at the pass through.... a flexible sealant is preferred.

Another issue on the boats of your era were the totally mickey mouse thru hulls... they were simply gate valves screwed to pipes glassed in to the hull... not good. CHANGE THEM!!!!

There's other stuff but I'll leave it to you to research the site, or even call Catalina Yachts customer service for parts and related info.

Note.... When searching for Catalina specific parts.... always check with the factory first... not CatalinaDirect. In most cases the prices are much better.

As far as the diesel........that is a total upgrade from that era...and a very good/expensive one. It vastly increases the value of the boat. If you take the time to read the history of the Catalina 27 on the aforementioned website... you'll understand why the A4 was replaced. In a displacement sailboat, it's not about horsepower... it's about torque, reliability, fueleconomy and safety when it comes to auxillary power. The boat was originally offered with an outboard motor, then the Atomic 4 option... later boats were only equipped with the diesel. It was very common to find the older A4 equipped C27's with locked up motors because their poor accessibility meant many owners neglected maintenance..... For that reason the old O.B. C27 is worth more than an A4 inboard equipped model.

There's an excellent chance, since the previous owners invested so much in the Yanmar conversion, that these mandatory retrofits have been completed already. They were important enough that the factory incorporated them into the boats later in the production run beginning in the early eighties.

Regarding some of your questions: you can determine the appropriate prop size by perusing the Yanmar owner's manual, or perhaps call your local dealer or service rep.

Mainsail should not be hoisted above the black band at the top of the mast..you don't want it all the way to the top.... it will interfere with the back stay and topping lift. Besides, the sail's luff length and the boom's gooseneck will determine those limits.

While you have the mast down, consider changing the halyard sheaves.

jrowan · Jun 17, 2012

18 HP is more then enough power for a C 27.
I believe your manisail hoisting questions have been answered.
ps. I would be wary of doing to much restoration and/ or investment on a
boat which you do not own, or only own 1/2 of. If/when this relationship with the
original owner goes south, or U want to get your money out of the boat one day,
its hard to determine who owes whom for what. Be careful that you don't wind up
fixing up a boat that U think is yours if its not. I would rather put $2,500 into a boat
that was 100% mine, then half of somethin that really belongs to someone else.
Hope you made your investment in writing. Verbal agreements don't mean much,
as posession is "9/10 of the law" & is what really matters. Good luck.

Jon_E · Jun 18, 2012

Loutheg said:
We have a problem where occasionally the main sail would stop short about 6 to 8” from the top. We had the mast taken down and I am not seeing anything obvious. What should I be looking for?

The mainsail doesn't go all the way to the top of the mast. Leaving about 6"-8" of halyard showing is pretty normal. You want to pay attention to the shape and tightness of the sail.

Several Cat-27's in my neighborhood have lines on the top of the mast to show when to stop pulling on the halyard. That line is about 6" from the mast head. Once it is up that far, tie off the halyard and flatten the sail with the down haul (assuming you don't have a rigid boom vang).