Hi all, I have bought a 2004 Catalina and it will be arriving shortly via trailer. Basically the boat is arriving on a trailer with the mast lashed down and I want to get her in the water in maybe 3-4 days. I am trying to organize a checklist as to what I need to accomplish prior to launch. Could those of you who have gone through this offer me any help? I have a copy of the commissioning checklist and I wonder if I should just systematically go through it..... From reading the literature I know that I need to: 1)adjust the packing gland, and 2)align the engine/shaft. Any other biggies? In stepping the mast I know to check all the lights, etc. Any insight on this and what I need to be aware of? The bottom paint is good- it has been in a fresh water lake for the last two years- since new- and only has some lake scum on it which will pressure wash right off. At commissioning the hull had a barrier coat applied. No blisters detected; I plan on adding one more coat of ablative as I don't want to haul for two years. The engine has less than 40 hours on it. The previous owner changed the oil at around 20 hours. I'm thinking I should change the oil again as well. The boat will be kept in fresh water with an annual 2 week trip to the San Juans in salt water, plus 1/2 dozen 2-3 day trips in salt water to Poulsbo, Blake Island, Edmonds, and Langley (for those of you from Seattle) So far this is my list to accomplish before splashing: 1)Step the mast, 2)paint the bottom, 3)adjust packing glands, and 4)once rigging is tuned and in the water, adjust engine/shaft alignment. What else? Thanks in advance. I am moving up from a Tanzer 26 on which I did everything with great confidence-but now the C310 is a lot more complex a system. Will Papke Seattle, WA 2004 Catalina 310
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One trick on the 310..
Before they step your mast you should wrap a good quality electrical (3M Super 33) tape around the "wire stub" on the mast base and the wires coming out of it that have the boat end plug. Make sure you get this as water tight as you can with the tape and don't skimp. Then bend the wire bundle into an S shape. Picture the wire coming out of the stub about three inches then a 180 degree turn back towards the mast base (basically a few milimeters from the mast base but not touching it) then another turn heading towards the sky. Once you have done this tape your s turn together so it stays put. Don't forget to look inside the bottom of mast to make sure you bundled this wire in a spot where the extrusion won't pinch it! Now pinch a little hole in the tape at the bottm S turn of bundled wire, at the low point, near the mast base, and you're done. This little trick will basically send any water dripping down the wires directly to the mast base and subsequently to drain onto the deck & not into the bilge via the "stub". By sealing the top of the "stub" you prevent any water, not coming down the wires but dripping down the mast, from also entering the boat. Yes water gets into the mast!! The "stub" is a welded aluminum pipe that sticks above the flat part of the mast base by about three inches. By bringing the wires down next to it and pinching the hole you have prevented any water from tracking down the wires and into the bilge because water can't beat gravity and when it gets to the botom of the S turn it's not going to move upward through capilary action back up the wire and into the wire trace pipe/stub. Pinching the hole at the bottom allows any water tracking down the wire a way out of the wraped tape at the lowest possible point. I hope this made sense it's really tough to describe without a picture... If your itching for some 310 pics check out my photo galleries below. Mine is a 2005 so they are prety much the same. I did remove my grey stripe (a lot of Catalina owners ask) & cut the name into the blue stripe so that's why it may look a little different. Click "All" at the bottm of the main page to see the 310 specific gallery.. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising
Before they step your mast you should wrap a good quality electrical (3M Super 33) tape around the "wire stub" on the mast base and the wires coming out of it that have the boat end plug. Make sure you get this as water tight as you can with the tape and don't skimp. Then bend the wire bundle into an S shape. Picture the wire coming out of the stub about three inches then a 180 degree turn back towards the mast base (basically a few milimeters from the mast base but not touching it) then another turn heading towards the sky. Once you have done this tape your s turn together so it stays put. Don't forget to look inside the bottom of mast to make sure you bundled this wire in a spot where the extrusion won't pinch it! Now pinch a little hole in the tape at the bottm S turn of bundled wire, at the low point, near the mast base, and you're done. This little trick will basically send any water dripping down the wires directly to the mast base and subsequently to drain onto the deck & not into the bilge via the "stub". By sealing the top of the "stub" you prevent any water, not coming down the wires but dripping down the mast, from also entering the boat. Yes water gets into the mast!! The "stub" is a welded aluminum pipe that sticks above the flat part of the mast base by about three inches. By bringing the wires down next to it and pinching the hole you have prevented any water from tracking down the wires and into the bilge because water can't beat gravity and when it gets to the botom of the S turn it's not going to move upward through capilary action back up the wire and into the wire trace pipe/stub. Pinching the hole at the bottom allows any water tracking down the wire a way out of the wraped tape at the lowest possible point. I hope this made sense it's really tough to describe without a picture... If your itching for some 310 pics check out my photo galleries below. Mine is a 2005 so they are prety much the same. I did remove my grey stripe (a lot of Catalina owners ask) & cut the name into the blue stripe so that's why it may look a little different. Click "All" at the bottm of the main page to see the 310 specific gallery.. http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising
Mast tuning
Where are you splashing it at? If you want help tuning your mast, let me know when you're ready. I have the appropriate Loos Gauge and specs. Yes, change the oil. It's two years old! Reminds me, I need to change mine. Don't know about yours, but on my mast, the riggers drilled a small (1/8th inch?) hole in the aft bottom edge of my mast to help water drain out.
Where are you splashing it at? If you want help tuning your mast, let me know when you're ready. I have the appropriate Loos Gauge and specs. Yes, change the oil. It's two years old! Reminds me, I need to change mine. Don't know about yours, but on my mast, the riggers drilled a small (1/8th inch?) hole in the aft bottom edge of my mast to help water drain out.
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