Hello, new Catalina 30 owner here

Dec 12, 2018
11
Catalina 30 Philadelphia
Hi all,
I'm a new Catalina 30 owner. She is a '78, and I have had a bunch of fun in the few months I owned her so far. I have a winter full of neglected maintenance to catch up on, and my own list of improvements to start. But I believe she has good bones and with a little love can serve me and the family well.

I'm in the midst of a port light update, rebed, and reseal project at the moment. But I'm open to other owners sharing their insight as to what maintenance issues I should look for and focus on. I already know I will need to rebed a number of items (especially the chain plates) as I strive to minimize the leaks inside...

A few last details - she has an A4, the interior finishes as far as I can tell (other than cushions) are original, and has a standard height mast. The longest journey I've taken so far was a several day cruise from Long Island, NY down to Philly right after I got her.

Sean
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,759
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Welcome, Sean. Ken Kloeber has started a wiki on C30s in addition to this fine website and other C30 Owners Association information. Google C30 tech wiki. Great stuff to help you avoid reinventing the wheel. What engine do you have?
 
Dec 12, 2018
11
Catalina 30 Philadelphia
Hi Stu,
Thanks, I will check out the wiki. I certainly am not looking to reinvent the wheel here.

She has the original atomic 4, it was well maintained and still has great compression. I am considering adding the aftermarket oil filter to avoid changing the oil every 50 hours.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
With your A4 check out Moyer Marine at mouermarine.com. More info on A4’s than anywhere else in the web.

One Thing I found is they like points set using dwell more than gap. But then again who is still using points in this day and age. Also valves are better on the loose side vs tight.

Les
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
One Thing I found is they like points set using dwell more than gap. But then again who is still using points in this day and age. Also valves are better on the loose side vs tight.

Les
I haven't used a dwell meter in ages. I always gapped them to get in the ballpark, then checked the dwell. Do they offer aftermarket electronic ignition for the A4?

Is this one of those years for the C30 that the compression post needs to be checked for rot? Cracking chainplates? I have no experience on Catalinas, just what I read here.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
@Justin_NSA one trick with dwell meters is you don’t have to put the dizzy cap on to check. Just crank it over. I would be very surprised if there wasn’t an electronic module replacement for A4 points. I haven’t played with one in 45yrs.

Les
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
Congratulations Sean

Is your home port LI (where?) or Philly?

Drop in the International Catalina 30 Association forum - there's 33,465.8 years of experience on there, and owners who have tackled any project you face or can dream up. And join the association!
https://groups.io/g/catalina30

The TechWilki needs populating - take pix and write up a project!
-Ken

[EDIT] PS added: The FILES link on the forum is the gateway to TONS of resources for a new owner, many of which will be flipped to the TechWiki as "time allows." Help is always appreciated on improving that forum.
 
Last edited:
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Never tried that Les. The "classics" I worked on had the little inspection doors on the cap to set it with. While it was running. Had to watch out for leaky wires!
 
Dec 12, 2018
11
Catalina 30 Philadelphia
With your A4 check out Moyer Marine at mouermarine.com. More info on A4’s than anywhere else in the web.

One Thing I found is they like points set using dwell more than gap. But then again who is still using points in this day and age. Also valves are better on the loose side vs tight.

Les
I already registered on the Moyer Marine forum. I had an issue over labor day and needed to play with the points, easy enough to remedy once I figured out it was the points that needed attention.


I haven't used a dwell meter in ages. I always gapped them to get in the ballpark, then checked the dwell. Do they offer aftermarket electronic ignition for the A4?

Is this one of those years for the C30 that the compression post needs to be checked for rot? Cracking chainplates? I have no experience on Catalinas, just what I read here.
There is an after market electronic ignition for the A4, I had not seriously considered making that update yet. In general I have not had any issues, and she starts right up for me.

And these are the kind of issues I was hoping to get a jump on. I’ll check the chain plates when I rebed them.
 
Dec 12, 2018
11
Catalina 30 Philadelphia
Congratulations Sean

Is your home port LI (where?) or Philly?

Drop in the International Catalina 30 Association forum - there's 33,465.8 years of experience on there, and owners who have tackled any project you face or can dream up. And join the association!
https://groups.io/g/catalina30

The TechWilki needs populating - take pix and write up a project!
-Ken

[EDIT] PS added: The FILES link on the forum is the gateway to TONS of resources for a new owner, many of which will be flipped to the TechWiki as "time allows." Help is always appreciated on improving that forum.
My home port is Philly. I grew up on the south shore of Long Island, spending most of my time in the flats and bays behind Jones Beach. The long story short is that this boat was a wedding present from my wife and she needed my family's help in choosing since she admittedly has very little experience with sailboats, and none with purchasing one. I am of course bowled over by this generous gift.

I will take a look at the association and see what they have to offer.

As I mentioned earlier, I am more than half way through resealing and rebeding all my port lights, and swapping out the smallest for ones that actually open. I don't have any pictures so far, but could snap some to show what they look like finished and build that into a wiki.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
My home port is Philly. I grew up on the south shore of Long Island, spending most of my time in the flats and bays behind Jones Beach. The long story short is that this boat was a wedding present from my wife and she needed my family's help in choosing since she admittedly has very little experience with sailboats, and none with purchasing one. I am of course bowled over by this generous gift.
.
She's a keeper! The boat and the wife!
My wife's family lived on the north shore in Locust Valley. Her mother passed away and her father lives near us now. We used to drive down to Jones beach when we went up to visit.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Welcome aboard, @anchor1800 . It's nice to have more Catalina owners on here, and may she serve you well for years to come. I'm still within a few years of buying my "experienced" boat, and found it useful to make a list of all the catch-up maintenance and upgrades so I wouldn't get overwhelmed (or broke). I found that the winter was great time to catch-up on projects, particularly as that's when the chandlers have their sales and such. For example, each year I select the worst line or two on-board, and plan to replace it at the annual APS line sale in the winter. A few hundred bucks isn't bad, but doing them all at once would kill me.

I assume since you're re-bedding that you've already read MaineSail's excellent tutorial? http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects
 
Dec 12, 2018
11
Catalina 30 Philadelphia
I agree @Justin_NSA!

Thanks @Parsons. Yes, the material MaineSail has put out really helped me get started. I had never used butyl tape before, but I really love it! No sticky mess to clean up that you have with 4200 or other sealants. I ordered the window kit from Catalina Direct, and have been generally happy with it so far. I also got the Lewmar port lights to replace the slider in the head along with the matching port on the opposite side. Hoping it improves the ventilation situation below.

I just read a good book on surveying a sailboat and am just starting my to-do list. First up, at the request of my wife is to make the boat less drippy, hence the window project followed by various other rebedding projects. I have not found core that was in awful shape yet, fingers crossed.
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Welcome Sean. You sound like you know what you're doing and you make great choices since you chose to join SBO. There is so much expertise here, you will think you have an architect, a builder, a rigger and a mechanic living in your focs'l.
How did your Long Island to Philly sail go? Were there any issues, concerns, problems that popped up? She points well, her sails are in good shape, the rigging is tuned and tight, the steering is responsive without too much weather helm? It really sounds like you have a great boat on your hands.
I, for one, would like to see pictures.
Good sailing. It's good to have you as a fellow SBO member.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Welcome Sean. I see the Catalina experts have voiced their approval of your “Brides choice”. May I say she sounds like a wonderful woman to give her man a new boat.

Winter is the time to read about all the creative ways to make the boat your own. And then spring shows up with a tax refund that you quickly use to acquire all the goodies you need for the boat. Then summer appears and you get to rush out on the water and use (break) all the gadgets you bought. Fall you sit back and lament the loss of summer sailing and start making lists of winter projects...

It is a viscous cycle... Just remember to give that special someone a kiss now and then who started you on this rat race circle of life....

Welcome to the forum where we share tales of whoo and ideas. :beer:
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Welcome Sean, to SBO and to being a C30 owner.

I bought my C30 last November in Rhode Island. I planned on sailing down to the Barnegat Bay but decided in the end to have it trucked down so I too would like to hear more about your trip down. Route, stops along the way, etc.
Yes, what a great gift from your wife. You don't get much better buy in than that!

Like you, I've had a list of deferred maintenance items I've worked on since I got her. I will share my most unpleasant surprise I had on mine.
Shortly after launch I noticed some really funky smell in the bilge and a trickle of water coming from the macerator. Mine is located on a T fitting in the pump out line between the holding tank and deck pump out. Turned out the bolts holding the pump to the motor had corroded away and fell apart when I went to remove it.
I plugged the T fitting and the discharge thru hull and removed the macerator and its discharge hose complete.

Good luck on your port light project.


Winter is the time to read about all the creative ways to make the boat your own. And then spring shows up with a tax refund that you quickly use to acquire all the goodies you need for the boat. Then summer appears and you get to rush out on the water and use (break) all the gadgets you bought. Fall you sit back and lament the loss of summer sailing and start making lists of winter projects...
Well put John.
 
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Jan 18, 2016
782
Catalina 387 Dana Point
There are at least three aftermarket electronic ignitions for the A4. Moyer offers a delco replacement and a complete pertronix distributor. Indigo electronics offers a replacement ignition.

I would never go back to points and condenser. I run the pertronix distributor.

You likely need to bed the stanchions as well as the chainplates. The butyl from mainesail is the bomb for rebedding stuff.
 
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RitSim

.
Jan 29, 2018
406
Beneteau 411 Branford
We had a '89 Catalina 30 for 10 years. Two important areas to add to your list- The mast step under the cabin sole is behind the forward bilge glass layer. This frequently rots over time and the mast, cabin roof, and rigging start to sag. You can easily drill into the step and assess the condition of the chips- bright and wood colored or black and wet. There are several ideas on the catalina 30 google group. The other major area to check is the keel stub. Prior to '88 or '89, Catalina used plywood inside the keel stub. Over time, the plywood gets wet and the keel lowers gradually (Catalina smile). Both of these are good spring projects while the boat is on the hard. One more critical upgrade is the engine to cockpit wiring. The factory used one and sometimes two "gummy" plugs that are subject to corrosion. As the corrosion worsens, the connection heats when used (especially starting) and can melt. You can find wiring info on the same site. I was forced to jumper the plug wires on the initial delivery because of this. I pulled in new wiring, as a bundle, using one of the old wires and got rid of the plugs. The mast step took me two yard days with a helper on one day. We didn't have the keel problem. The wiring took one day.

Good luck,
Rich
 
Dec 12, 2018
11
Catalina 30 Philadelphia
Thanks all for the replies and advice, really some great stuff in here. Some additional background on me, I grew up on the water up in NY on the South Shore of Long Island. I moved to Philly a number of years ago and had been without easy access to a boat of my own for some time. To help fix that I joined a club and race J-27's on the river here, and of course now have the Catalina as well.

As far as overall condition, the sails are old but have a bit of life left in them yet. I plan to take them off and have them cleaned and looked over this winter once I fully winterize her. The boat has a tiller, and there is significant "feedback" from the prop wash while under power, but no real weather helm while cruising with everything up. The rigging I am certain is not tuned at all, and I really strained things sailing down from Long Island, more on that later. When I rebed all my chainplates I'll take the time to tune everything. Before I do that, I need to repair one of my knee walls, a bolt on the underside of the chainplate has pulled partially through the wood, which I believe happened during my cruise from LI to Philly.

I added some photos. This is at my folks house right after I learned she was mine, my brother and friend are in the picture helping get her ready for the trip.
Bellmore.JPG


Here she is after arriving to her new home in Philly.
Philly.JPG
 
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