Hi all! Well, for the skeptics out there, I haven’t been able to post because “Monterey” was delivered right on schedule at 6pm on Friday last week and we’ve been having a blast! Yes, the dealer turned it around in exactly 1 week and 8 hours. We now need to protect ourselves from 17 month old twins. First: Can anyone provide suggestions on how to best attach lifeline netting without a teak toerail? Second: Can anyone provide suggestions on how to best orient 17 month olds to life preservers? Third: Can anyone provide suggestions on what we are likely to encounter with two 17 month olds rambling through our boat and potential kidproofing challenges? Fourth: Can anyone explain why Catalina installed the battery switches under the starboard settee? My son made a beeline for them day 1. Kevin and Kathy “Monterey” Catalina 36 Hull #1944
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Hayden Watson
answer #1
I have had netting on my last 2 boats. my daughter has been sailing since she was 2 weeks old. I will probably never sail with out it. The key to installing netting well is for it to be tight. You must stretch it both vertically and horizontally for it to work well and look good. You attach the netting by weaving the top and middle life lines though the netting and running a tight nylon line though the bottom. I attached a 1/4” 3-strand nylon line to the base of the pullpit and ran it back through the base of each stanchion. It is tied to the last one as tight as I can get it. The line goes from there to the base of the pullpit. I used a Stanchion eye (WM page 809) to give me a ring at the base which I clip a small snap carabiner to. The line is then run through the carabiner then up to the eye of the pelican hook. By leaving the carabiner loose you can snap the lifelines up then use the stretch in the nylon to hook the carabiner. There are two advantages to this method. 1. You get the line at the gate much tighter than otherwise possible. 2. When you open the gate, the netting goes with it so you don’t have it under foot when getting on board. The best compliment I have had on the netting is when a guy with a boat farther down my dock was complimenting me on how nice my boat looked. I mentioned that I really like the netting and he said “Oh you have netting on your boat!” In a year of walking by my boat he had noticed the boat but never noticed the netting. Hayden Watson 1988 C30tr/bs Papillon Spokane,WA
I have had netting on my last 2 boats. my daughter has been sailing since she was 2 weeks old. I will probably never sail with out it. The key to installing netting well is for it to be tight. You must stretch it both vertically and horizontally for it to work well and look good. You attach the netting by weaving the top and middle life lines though the netting and running a tight nylon line though the bottom. I attached a 1/4” 3-strand nylon line to the base of the pullpit and ran it back through the base of each stanchion. It is tied to the last one as tight as I can get it. The line goes from there to the base of the pullpit. I used a Stanchion eye (WM page 809) to give me a ring at the base which I clip a small snap carabiner to. The line is then run through the carabiner then up to the eye of the pelican hook. By leaving the carabiner loose you can snap the lifelines up then use the stretch in the nylon to hook the carabiner. There are two advantages to this method. 1. You get the line at the gate much tighter than otherwise possible. 2. When you open the gate, the netting goes with it so you don’t have it under foot when getting on board. The best compliment I have had on the netting is when a guy with a boat farther down my dock was complimenting me on how nice my boat looked. I mentioned that I really like the netting and he said “Oh you have netting on your boat!” In a year of walking by my boat he had noticed the boat but never noticed the netting. Hayden Watson 1988 C30tr/bs Papillon Spokane,WA
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Russ Williams
RE: Kidproofing
Congrats on your purchase! First of all, practice patience. I have a 1984 C36 #206 and I sucessfully attached netting to the lifelines and attached it to the "toerail" at the bottom of the stanchions. Mine have a metal reinforcing loop - this allowed me to tension the netting and get a pretty tight "seal". If my son pulled hard enough, I suppose he might be able to get under. We turned the starboard setee/table into a seaberth with a sturdy leecloth. I installed a thin-wall aluminum pipe from the navstation to the forward bulkhead and my wife sewed a nice looking canvass cloth to enclose this area. He can now crawl over it, but it keeps him secure in most seas when he's sleeping. I've not found a kid-friendly life jacket. To provide total face-up flotation, they are usually bulky and the kids don't like them. When it's 95 degrees here in Texas, the little guy is sweating like crazy with the jacket on. If you find a way to "control" kids on a boat, let me know. The jumping, beating and banging always make me nervous thinking somthing has broken or we've hit something. My sailing is not as relaxing as it once used to be, but the look on their faces when they discover the "mysteries of the sea" is worth it all and they grow up sooooo quick. Russ
Congrats on your purchase! First of all, practice patience. I have a 1984 C36 #206 and I sucessfully attached netting to the lifelines and attached it to the "toerail" at the bottom of the stanchions. Mine have a metal reinforcing loop - this allowed me to tension the netting and get a pretty tight "seal". If my son pulled hard enough, I suppose he might be able to get under. We turned the starboard setee/table into a seaberth with a sturdy leecloth. I installed a thin-wall aluminum pipe from the navstation to the forward bulkhead and my wife sewed a nice looking canvass cloth to enclose this area. He can now crawl over it, but it keeps him secure in most seas when he's sleeping. I've not found a kid-friendly life jacket. To provide total face-up flotation, they are usually bulky and the kids don't like them. When it's 95 degrees here in Texas, the little guy is sweating like crazy with the jacket on. If you find a way to "control" kids on a boat, let me know. The jumping, beating and banging always make me nervous thinking somthing has broken or we've hit something. My sailing is not as relaxing as it once used to be, but the look on their faces when they discover the "mysteries of the sea" is worth it all and they grow up sooooo quick. Russ
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Fritz
Sailing with kids...
My wife and I have been sailing since our kids have been months olds. Started on a C-28 and moved up to a C-36 #1728 in 1998. The extra room has been appreciated. One key to our happiness has been shifted expectations of our sailing experiences. We've included activities in the schedule that are fun for the kids too. Lots of anchoring, swimming, etc... A neighbor who sailed with small children gave us some priceless advise years ago. We purchased each child a small plastic boat, attached about 25' of light line (1/8") and tied to the stern rail. They now perch on the stern seats and play with their boats for hours as we sail. Last year, my sons "boat" logged over 300 miles as we crossed Lake Michigan on a two week trip. The only choice with life jackets in familiarity. We have rules; in the cockpit, life jacket are on! Our kids are now 5 and 6 and love spending time on the boat. Sailing with small children is a lot of work. There are many small mishaps (bumped heads, stubbed toes, etc...) while they become acquainted with moving around a boat. But they sure do love it now. Good luck and be brave!
My wife and I have been sailing since our kids have been months olds. Started on a C-28 and moved up to a C-36 #1728 in 1998. The extra room has been appreciated. One key to our happiness has been shifted expectations of our sailing experiences. We've included activities in the schedule that are fun for the kids too. Lots of anchoring, swimming, etc... A neighbor who sailed with small children gave us some priceless advise years ago. We purchased each child a small plastic boat, attached about 25' of light line (1/8") and tied to the stern rail. They now perch on the stern seats and play with their boats for hours as we sail. Last year, my sons "boat" logged over 300 miles as we crossed Lake Michigan on a two week trip. The only choice with life jackets in familiarity. We have rules; in the cockpit, life jacket are on! Our kids are now 5 and 6 and love spending time on the boat. Sailing with small children is a lot of work. There are many small mishaps (bumped heads, stubbed toes, etc...) while they become acquainted with moving around a boat. But they sure do love it now. Good luck and be brave!
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Sharky
Two Kids
I have two kids one five the other eight. They both grew up sailing first on our Hunter 28 with lifeline netting second on our Catalina 36. I decided not to put on lifeline netting on my 36. From the beginning we spent many hours teaching our children on how to walk the decks. In the earlier years it was a lot of work watching and following. One person at the helm the other at the kids. The netting causes a false sense of protection. A kid can still fall over it in a seaway. What gave us a sense of security was running jacklines from the bow to the stern and having the kids wear harness's when ever underway. Keep the tethers short. At least the child will stay on board attached to the boat. My biggest fear was watching me sail past my child while he or she is in the drink. Our kid's have become quite use to the harness and have learned how to walk or crawl when the sea's get high. The also know things like toys can fall overboard since there is no lifeline netting to keep them on board.
I have two kids one five the other eight. They both grew up sailing first on our Hunter 28 with lifeline netting second on our Catalina 36. I decided not to put on lifeline netting on my 36. From the beginning we spent many hours teaching our children on how to walk the decks. In the earlier years it was a lot of work watching and following. One person at the helm the other at the kids. The netting causes a false sense of protection. A kid can still fall over it in a seaway. What gave us a sense of security was running jacklines from the bow to the stern and having the kids wear harness's when ever underway. Keep the tethers short. At least the child will stay on board attached to the boat. My biggest fear was watching me sail past my child while he or she is in the drink. Our kid's have become quite use to the harness and have learned how to walk or crawl when the sea's get high. The also know things like toys can fall overboard since there is no lifeline netting to keep them on board.
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Tom Soko
Sailing w/Kids
I agree with the idea of harnesses for kids. My two daughters grew up sailing on our boats (from the ages of 2 weeks). I also found the life jackets very confining. I modified an adult harness to fit the kids so that the attachment point was in back (they were amazing at getting it unclipped when it was in front!) In the cockpit it was clipped to the pedestal, and if they wanted to roam around, it was attached to jacklines. when in the dinghy or not attached with the harness, the rule was to wear the lifejacket, ALWAYS, no exceptions. they got used to the idea after a while. Good Luck. The kids will have great memories. Tom.
I agree with the idea of harnesses for kids. My two daughters grew up sailing on our boats (from the ages of 2 weeks). I also found the life jackets very confining. I modified an adult harness to fit the kids so that the attachment point was in back (they were amazing at getting it unclipped when it was in front!) In the cockpit it was clipped to the pedestal, and if they wanted to roam around, it was attached to jacklines. when in the dinghy or not attached with the harness, the rule was to wear the lifejacket, ALWAYS, no exceptions. they got used to the idea after a while. Good Luck. The kids will have great memories. Tom.
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