On Christmas Day 2021, I picked up my 1986 C30 TR, Island Time:
My previous boats have been an Impulse 26, a Hobie 33, and an Olson 29. And a slew of Catamarans, I still have a Boyer Mark IV ACAT that's fast as anyone needs to go single handed on a boat.
I struggled with what my newly acquired C30 was, was not, and was never going to be.
It was overall in good shape, even though it had been minimally used for 5 years. My friend Captain Love had worked on it for six months fixing the little things before a sale, and I have about $14000 in receipts for maintenance that had been professionally done, including a replacement of the electric panel and most of the main wiring harnesses. Inside finishes are perfect on everything except the cockpit entry stairs, & They can wait.
Toilet was dying, couldn't find parts, so I removed the toilet and all its internal plumbing, Put a nice pressurized flush portable toilet in the I can walk up the the house and manage without having to find a dump station on the lake.
Had to build a custom base for it. Whole thing is about 40 pounds lighter that the original with hardware.
I still have to pull the blackwater tank, I'd like to reclaim that space for storage.
Original Oven/stove had just been pulled, I had to fabricate some brackets to get the old removeable countertop over the stove to look like it was permanently installed Mounted a YETI Cooler up under the space, to have a place to store ice etc for day trips, and have the space functionally filled. I guess someone needs an oven on a boat, but not me. If I cant grill it, There's no need . I do have a plan to put a new stove and sink combo in there, probably around winter storage project time. I really dislike the original double sink. New sink much more modern and will be covered at all times not in use to give more counter space.
From my other thread, I was greatly bothered by the Mark 1 lack of clearance between the cockpit seating and the large destroyer steering wheel, So I Got a 22" Destroyer wheel from EBAY installed about 6 weeks ago. Was $200 shipped. I can just get my knee past it. I've not had it out in any huge air yet, but so far I like it quite well.
No More walking on the cushions!
Been doing all the other new owner preference things.
LED bulb and fixtures conversion, Have also added LED lights up under the motor housing so I can see what is going on in there without a flashlight.
Same thing added to the portside storage where the refrigeration unit is. I ran lines for the rear quarter berth lighting, and the rear lazarette. Waiting on new fixtures to arrive. While I was doing electrics, I had three rusty fans, two of which barely worked. New fans were sort of uncomfortably expensive, for something I'd use occasionally. Stripped them down, dusted and oiled the motors, repainted the housings w chrome paint, and the 2 combined from 3 fans work like a new toy.
Also changed out one of the 110V AC outlets and put in a socket with 2 USB chargers integrated. I have those in the house and they are the jazz. Hate having a dead cell phone or light source.
Work done on both the AC and the Frig. Glad my Marine HVAC buddy owes me a favor and I got those serviced for free.
Removed stock stern swim ladder. Designed & Added a Swim platform from 3/4 Non-skid starboard, with attached ladder under. Was a pain to get the curves right But finished product is gorgeous. The thick starboard is hard to source in large sizes. Found a set of mounting brackets that allow the whole platform to be removeable with just two quick lock pins. Got their last set for $125, Pandemic prices pushed same part to $175 a month later.
One of the Raymarine autopilot displays was faded to the point of unreadability. Learned new skills in replacing LCD screens.
I'm brand new to diesel engines, even though I've been a marine mechanic for an earlier period of my life. (Medicine payed better).
Captain Love is mentoring me on Diesel, most important thing I've learned is even though I read the whole M25 manual, I WOULD have screwed something up.
Changed the oil in the diesel twice. Had no idea how long since it had been changed so I drained it with an electric pump I picked up off Amazon. Refilled the engine with kerosene to wash the internal engine parts, turned it over without letting it start, and drained the black kerosene out. Cycled some cheap oil through it again ran it for about 15 minutes, and changed the filter. Put some hi quality Diesel Oil in there. No comparison to the the original black goop that lubricated the engine.
Refilled the diesel tank and put in a health amt of diesel conditioner. I like clean stuff running in the powerplant.
Deteriorated filter on the AC water intake, built a temp filter out of squirrel screen until I could get a new one from West Marine. I like the squirrel screen better, it it not going to corrode like the previous stainless did, but I put the new one in anyway.
Installed a rigid vang system, Did not like the boom rubbing on top of the Bimini, and I've never liked a topping lift.
Around April, I discovered what a mess the main was dropping to the deck when sailing up to the dock, and I installed a simple lazy jack setup in May (after I did the Jethro Cypher to measure it out). Going up the mast in a bosun's chair just never seems to get old, not matter how much worse your vision is or how fumbly your fingers are when the boat is swaying and you are up the stick. I find I buy a lot more spare parts to take up the mast than I used to. I think that is cause I finally gave up trying to recover small stainless parts with a magnet in 15 feet of water, its hard enough to find a wrench or your glasses.
Installed a Martec 14" two blade folding prop. Seems faster under sail but lost some top speed under power, maybe a 1-1.5 knots or more top end. I may go back to the three blade, but I hate the idea of the drag.
Installed a new Raymarine Axiom 9 Touchscreen display. Integrated seamlessly with my old Raymarine autopilot, and it bluetooths to my phone and the stereo. (And to the radio I think, have not tested this yet.) Was on sale for 1/2 price on July 4th. I love a deal!
Screen is huge by comparison to previous Dragonfly5, big enough to actually see my course, and touch screen makes it a snap to set a course or marks, or a starting line. Even has the polars programmed in for many boats(just not the C30 TR) I have to figure out what is the closest thing in the Raymarine database to mine, Have not put much thought into that yet.
Calculates your laylines based on Instrument data your polars and your course marks, and updates with wind shifts. Pretty Fine!
Had to figure out how to design an instrument cabinet since I could not source one that fit like I wanted. Used a 2'x4' 0.375" PVC material I've used in the past as a starboard substitute. It worked quite well, bent@ 90 degree angles beautifully so there are no visible fasters on 3 sides. Axiom 9000 and my existing Raymarine autopilot control both fit in there, added a pair of USB chargers and a battery monitor as an after thought, which turned out quite well. 99% done with that, I have to refab a top cover plate to get tighter clearances around the binnacle rail, tricky to shape around that curved rail, but I don't want a lot of sealant or gaps for the mud daubers to find their way into. Had to learn some new tricks, seems the usual process.
Finally this week I got all the Cockpit teak sanded and refinished, and for three hours today I cleaned the topside with Clorox cleanup and a pressure washer. Sponge Washed the bottom too. 5' down scrubbing the keel always seems deeper when you don't have your tanks on. Glad the water is still warm. Boat looks 15 years newer.
I'm almost done. Going sailing on my squeaky clean boat tomorrow.
Plans include refinishing the few teak pieces that are on deck, replacing the stove/sink this winter, and resealing all the windows. 3 of the windows have leaks when it rains hard. Have a center cabin hatch that leaks around the glass but it has a cover that keep the leaks out as long as I remember to put it back on. I don't know how to seal this hatch glass yet, more to learn.
Think I remember you can get a window replacement gasket kit from Catalina Direct, guess I'll be making friends with them real soon.
Saw the procedure on YouTube University, funny how none of my 5 college degrees have anything to do with boats.
Gonna haul her in Early November Just to dry her out after being wet for 8 years, But I know there will always be something that needs doing on the bottom, I've never hauled a boat that didn't need at least a fresh coat of paint.
Next spring I can start on repair of gelcoat chips, of which I have little experience and less expertise. Back to Y-T U, I guess. At least it will be warm again by then.
I'll post some pictures of all this in a while, but I'm about to go three different vacations for 5 weeks, Dunno when I will get to that.
Captain Red
Lake Murray, SC
Ballentine Yacht Club
My previous boats have been an Impulse 26, a Hobie 33, and an Olson 29. And a slew of Catamarans, I still have a Boyer Mark IV ACAT that's fast as anyone needs to go single handed on a boat.
I struggled with what my newly acquired C30 was, was not, and was never going to be.
It was overall in good shape, even though it had been minimally used for 5 years. My friend Captain Love had worked on it for six months fixing the little things before a sale, and I have about $14000 in receipts for maintenance that had been professionally done, including a replacement of the electric panel and most of the main wiring harnesses. Inside finishes are perfect on everything except the cockpit entry stairs, & They can wait.
Toilet was dying, couldn't find parts, so I removed the toilet and all its internal plumbing, Put a nice pressurized flush portable toilet in the I can walk up the the house and manage without having to find a dump station on the lake.
Had to build a custom base for it. Whole thing is about 40 pounds lighter that the original with hardware.
I still have to pull the blackwater tank, I'd like to reclaim that space for storage.
Original Oven/stove had just been pulled, I had to fabricate some brackets to get the old removeable countertop over the stove to look like it was permanently installed Mounted a YETI Cooler up under the space, to have a place to store ice etc for day trips, and have the space functionally filled. I guess someone needs an oven on a boat, but not me. If I cant grill it, There's no need . I do have a plan to put a new stove and sink combo in there, probably around winter storage project time. I really dislike the original double sink. New sink much more modern and will be covered at all times not in use to give more counter space.
From my other thread, I was greatly bothered by the Mark 1 lack of clearance between the cockpit seating and the large destroyer steering wheel, So I Got a 22" Destroyer wheel from EBAY installed about 6 weeks ago. Was $200 shipped. I can just get my knee past it. I've not had it out in any huge air yet, but so far I like it quite well.
No More walking on the cushions!
Been doing all the other new owner preference things.
LED bulb and fixtures conversion, Have also added LED lights up under the motor housing so I can see what is going on in there without a flashlight.
Same thing added to the portside storage where the refrigeration unit is. I ran lines for the rear quarter berth lighting, and the rear lazarette. Waiting on new fixtures to arrive. While I was doing electrics, I had three rusty fans, two of which barely worked. New fans were sort of uncomfortably expensive, for something I'd use occasionally. Stripped them down, dusted and oiled the motors, repainted the housings w chrome paint, and the 2 combined from 3 fans work like a new toy.
Also changed out one of the 110V AC outlets and put in a socket with 2 USB chargers integrated. I have those in the house and they are the jazz. Hate having a dead cell phone or light source.
Work done on both the AC and the Frig. Glad my Marine HVAC buddy owes me a favor and I got those serviced for free.
Removed stock stern swim ladder. Designed & Added a Swim platform from 3/4 Non-skid starboard, with attached ladder under. Was a pain to get the curves right But finished product is gorgeous. The thick starboard is hard to source in large sizes. Found a set of mounting brackets that allow the whole platform to be removeable with just two quick lock pins. Got their last set for $125, Pandemic prices pushed same part to $175 a month later.
One of the Raymarine autopilot displays was faded to the point of unreadability. Learned new skills in replacing LCD screens.
I'm brand new to diesel engines, even though I've been a marine mechanic for an earlier period of my life. (Medicine payed better).
Captain Love is mentoring me on Diesel, most important thing I've learned is even though I read the whole M25 manual, I WOULD have screwed something up.
Changed the oil in the diesel twice. Had no idea how long since it had been changed so I drained it with an electric pump I picked up off Amazon. Refilled the engine with kerosene to wash the internal engine parts, turned it over without letting it start, and drained the black kerosene out. Cycled some cheap oil through it again ran it for about 15 minutes, and changed the filter. Put some hi quality Diesel Oil in there. No comparison to the the original black goop that lubricated the engine.
Refilled the diesel tank and put in a health amt of diesel conditioner. I like clean stuff running in the powerplant.
Deteriorated filter on the AC water intake, built a temp filter out of squirrel screen until I could get a new one from West Marine. I like the squirrel screen better, it it not going to corrode like the previous stainless did, but I put the new one in anyway.
Installed a rigid vang system, Did not like the boom rubbing on top of the Bimini, and I've never liked a topping lift.
Around April, I discovered what a mess the main was dropping to the deck when sailing up to the dock, and I installed a simple lazy jack setup in May (after I did the Jethro Cypher to measure it out). Going up the mast in a bosun's chair just never seems to get old, not matter how much worse your vision is or how fumbly your fingers are when the boat is swaying and you are up the stick. I find I buy a lot more spare parts to take up the mast than I used to. I think that is cause I finally gave up trying to recover small stainless parts with a magnet in 15 feet of water, its hard enough to find a wrench or your glasses.
Installed a Martec 14" two blade folding prop. Seems faster under sail but lost some top speed under power, maybe a 1-1.5 knots or more top end. I may go back to the three blade, but I hate the idea of the drag.
Installed a new Raymarine Axiom 9 Touchscreen display. Integrated seamlessly with my old Raymarine autopilot, and it bluetooths to my phone and the stereo. (And to the radio I think, have not tested this yet.) Was on sale for 1/2 price on July 4th. I love a deal!
Screen is huge by comparison to previous Dragonfly5, big enough to actually see my course, and touch screen makes it a snap to set a course or marks, or a starting line. Even has the polars programmed in for many boats(just not the C30 TR) I have to figure out what is the closest thing in the Raymarine database to mine, Have not put much thought into that yet.
Calculates your laylines based on Instrument data your polars and your course marks, and updates with wind shifts. Pretty Fine!
Had to figure out how to design an instrument cabinet since I could not source one that fit like I wanted. Used a 2'x4' 0.375" PVC material I've used in the past as a starboard substitute. It worked quite well, bent@ 90 degree angles beautifully so there are no visible fasters on 3 sides. Axiom 9000 and my existing Raymarine autopilot control both fit in there, added a pair of USB chargers and a battery monitor as an after thought, which turned out quite well. 99% done with that, I have to refab a top cover plate to get tighter clearances around the binnacle rail, tricky to shape around that curved rail, but I don't want a lot of sealant or gaps for the mud daubers to find their way into. Had to learn some new tricks, seems the usual process.
Finally this week I got all the Cockpit teak sanded and refinished, and for three hours today I cleaned the topside with Clorox cleanup and a pressure washer. Sponge Washed the bottom too. 5' down scrubbing the keel always seems deeper when you don't have your tanks on. Glad the water is still warm. Boat looks 15 years newer.
I'm almost done. Going sailing on my squeaky clean boat tomorrow.
Plans include refinishing the few teak pieces that are on deck, replacing the stove/sink this winter, and resealing all the windows. 3 of the windows have leaks when it rains hard. Have a center cabin hatch that leaks around the glass but it has a cover that keep the leaks out as long as I remember to put it back on. I don't know how to seal this hatch glass yet, more to learn.
Think I remember you can get a window replacement gasket kit from Catalina Direct, guess I'll be making friends with them real soon.
Saw the procedure on YouTube University, funny how none of my 5 college degrees have anything to do with boats.
Gonna haul her in Early November Just to dry her out after being wet for 8 years, But I know there will always be something that needs doing on the bottom, I've never hauled a boat that didn't need at least a fresh coat of paint.
Next spring I can start on repair of gelcoat chips, of which I have little experience and less expertise. Back to Y-T U, I guess. At least it will be warm again by then.
I'll post some pictures of all this in a while, but I'm about to go three different vacations for 5 weeks, Dunno when I will get to that.
Captain Red
Lake Murray, SC
Ballentine Yacht Club
