Looking For Used Bimini

[primetime]

Hi, I'm looking to purchase a used (or new) bimini for a 1980 Catalina 30.

Any advice or suggestions would be great, thanks.

Alex K.
Long Island, NY

 

[mortyd]

yeah, get one. sailing out of city island on the dead sea like you do, our dodger and bimini are the best thing we've bought. doyle on city island did a fine job on our bimini, and get a window to see the main.

 

[primetime]

great thanks.. I'll call them. What do you suppose just the bimini would cost. I found a rail mounted online for 1400 all in (which seems high). Also, any recommendations for winter storage? I'll need a yard (just bough the boat and it's out east). Thanks, Alex

 

[mortyd]

my boat came with a factory dodger so doyle just did the bimini and if memory serves, it was alot less than your number. tell them morty sent you, and consolidated on city island is where i winter my boat. more important, have jeff lazar do your rigging at consolidated and andy george your general repairs. 646 320 5678. two competent guys you can trust, a rare thing indeed. so is doyle.

 

[primetime]

Excellent, thanks.. gold!
Out of curiosity have you rewired your alternator directly to your batteries bypassing the control panel in the cockpit? A buddy of mine suggested this.

 

[mortyd]

??? no. however, one boring day i decided to read the engine manual - three years late - and when i saw that the glo plug should be heated for sixty seconds my long hard-starting engine became very easy to start. why not stop by harlem yacht club during the season and say hello.

 

[primetime]

Apparently the wiring length from the alternator --> engine panel --> battery compartment impairs charging of the batteries because the run is too long. Rewiring from alternator directly to battery apparently charges the batteries up much quicker.

Thanks for the info, I'll give you a heads up this summer when we make it to City Island for dinner or gas. Last q, I found a mechanic but in a pinch a second contact would be great if you have as well

Alex K.

 

[mortyd]

if we know of two good mehanics in our area we are fortunate indeed. i used to have an airplane and all the mechanics were good but an oil change cost about what a new head sail costs.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Glow plug solenoid and alternator output wiring

??? no. however, one boring day i decided to read the engine manual - three years late - and when i saw that the glo plug should be heated for sixty seconds my long hard-starting engine became very easy to start.

If you install a glow plug solenoid your warmup time will drop to 12 seconds and avoid that messy run from the batteries all the way back to the cockpit panel and then back to the glow plugs.

http://www.c34.org/projects/projects-glowplugs.html

As far as rewiring the alternator, both Maine Sail and I have written this one up:

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.0.html Bottom of the first item in the topic.

 

[mortyd]

as always, thanks stu. does this discussion make you miss winter? all the more frustrating, we didn't have one this year with all the boats one the hard waiting for the snow that never came.

 

[primetime]

Morty, FYI this is the mechanic I used to survey the boat. Nice guy.
Kerry Mindich 631-835-5373

 

[mortyd]

well stu, i looked at my boat and the p.o. already wired a solenoid in. my sixty second rule stands.