New Cat 22 Owner

[mbaker267]

Hello to all. I just acquired, free, a 1976 Catalina 22. This is my first sailboat but not a first time sailor. My dad had a smaller sail boat when I was younger. I am in the process of refurbishing this craft and have a long way to go. I have mapped out 74 tasks to get done, so far, and have completed 16. If you have seen the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean", my boat looked like the Black Pearl. It was covered in pine straw, leaves and even lichen. It was flooded on the inside with about a foot of rain water. I spent 3 days pressure washing the outside and inside after I pumped out all the water. Fortunately, I can't find any fiberglass rot. Most of the inside wood is rotted. I have already pulled all of that out and can use the remains to make a pattern for replacements.

My first of many questions is now that I have the inside cleaned and dried, I still have quite a bit of mold stains. What suggestions do you have to kill and remove these stains? Is it possible to paint the inside and if so what type of paint?

Thanks for any and all help and suggestions. Looking forward to getting this thing in the water next summer.

 

[pclarksurf]

May not be a popular recommendation, but if you have a pretty robust mold buildup-- bleach and bleach derivatives in a quality household cleaner. Fair waring -- bleach fumes in closed areas are hell on your lungs-- use active ventilation (fan) and a quality respirator.

No magic answer on interior paint options -- you have a myriad of choices. Awlgrip if you want bullet proof, Interlux is a good option -- and you can certainly spend less and get a good result, really depends on how particular you want to be.

 

[Joe]

Go to an online chandlery...west marine, defender, etc. or you can google something like "marine interior enamel paint"... the common brands make various paints for their specific application. For istance there is no need to spend bucks on high level 2 part epoxy paints that are meant for a boat's exterior surfaces above the water line. Some of the more common brands are Interlux, Petit, Total Boat, etc. Some people have been pleased with Rustoleum's products.... price is right, for sure. The point is there are many choices, you want to get familiar with as many as you can, then start shopping for the ones that appeal to you. For the interior of your cat 22 I see no reason to not use a basic marine interior enamel, commonly available from Interlux, Petit, and most of the others. I found these paints at Lowe's... great prices.

But, you must realize that a good paint job is all about the preparation. So whichever end product you choose, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions, whick will be on the can and on their website, and also on the listing in the online chandlery you follow. Honestly, I would take the time to visit your local marine store and talk with an associate. Your questions can be answered much more quickly and they'll have the products..much easier all around.
Back to the prep comment. Remove the mold! There are a number of products available...doesn't have to have "marine" attached either. Go to the hardwared store and tell them what you need. If it doesn't work it can be easily returned and exchanged for something that will. Follow the istructions. Start in an area that won't be seen, such as under the cushions or behind a cabinet.. When it turns out gorgeous you'll be inspired to tackle more. Don't forget the bilge, motor well, lazarette's and wherever you store your ground tackle (anchor, rode and chain). good luck

re: mold remover. This stuff's supposed to be pretty good. Available on Amazon

 

[mbaker267]

Thank you for your help. Sounds like refurbishing the interior is definitely doable but will require a lot of elbow grease. I agree that the prep is everything and removal of the mold is imperative or it will just bleed right through.

My next question is I need to replace the top hatch rails. Looking online, I can order a new set of teak rails for $500.00. But, since I am an amateur woodworker, I can easily remake a set. I am sourcing some teak, but I have a good supply of white oak. White oak is tuff stuff and is naturally water resistant. Anyone know of any reasons not to use white oak for the hatch rails and the hand rails?

Thanks.

 

[Gene Neill]

None at all.

 

[pclarksurf]

been trying to find an excuse to use zebra wood-- but until @Gene Neill gives me his paycheck... I can't swing the necessary sheckles

 

[mbaker267]

I know right! Zebra wood is a really nice, but expensive wood. What I am planning to do since I have to replace the inside wood panels is to use marine plywood to make the panels and laminate burl walnut veneer. Then apply many coats of gloss spar urethane.

 

[C_Level]

Thank you for your help. Sounds like refurbishing the interior is definitely doable but will require a lot of elbow grease. I agree that the prep is everything and removal of the mold is imperative or it will just bleed right through.

My next question is I need to replace the top hatch rails. Looking online, I can order a new set of teak rails for $500.00. But, since I am an amateur woodworker, I can easily remake a set. I am sourcing some teak, but I have a good supply of white oak. White oak is tuff stuff and is naturally water resistant. Anyone know of any reasons not to use white oak for the hatch rails and the hand rails?

Thanks.

I have been doing a total restore on a 1975 C22. Mine sounds like it was in condition sim to yours. This past winter is the third winter that has passed since I squeezed mine into my garage and started working on it. In my case, after the initial draining and clean up I started with the swing keel.
I found most of the wood everywhere was rotted, the fiberglass ceiling was delaminating, deck had soft spots and most all of the wood was partially rotted and or soaked. Check the support for the compression post that is imbedded behind the keel trunk. Even the plywood imbedded along the top of the hull behind the rub rail. I used White Oak to replace the support under the compression post and marine plywood for all of the core for Deck, cabin roof, pop top and bulkheads. I am now working on the companion way and since teak is so expensive I am using a wood that is called Sepele. I would certainly use it for my rails if but the ones I have are fine. It is rot resistant, not crazy expensive and although I have not varnished it yet I like the way it looks. Good luck with your project!

 

[mbaker267]

The swing keel is on my list of many tasks. Yep, all of the wood is gone except some of the upper teak trim pieces. I have already taken those off and sanded them down ready for refinishing. I would love to see some photos of your work. I have just remade the top hand rails and will post a photo of those soon.

 

[LakeShark]

@mbaker267 check your deck for soft spots which could indicate rot in the deck. I would hate to see you invest a bunch of time and effort only to find deck issues in the future. If the deck is solid then you have a good project on your hands. When is the first launch day?

 

[mbaker267]

I have one small "soft" spot on the starboard side at the corner of the front hatch. If I put all my weight in that spot, it deflects less than a 1/4". The rest of the deck is nice and firm including the cockpit area. It was full of leaves, pine straw, dirt and water.

Here is a photo of the handrails that I made from white oak. This just has the first of 3 coats of spar urethane.

I haven't set a specific date yet, but I am targeting around mid summer next year.

 

[C_Level]

The swing keel is on my list of many tasks. Yep, all of the wood is gone except some of the upper teak trim pieces. I have already taken those off and sanded them down ready for refinishing. I would love to see some photos of your work. I have just remade the top hand rails and will post a photo of those soon.

I hope that your completion estimate is better than mine turned out to be. Once I started one thing led to another and before I knew it I was hooked on full restoration. I think that my C22 spent it's entire life trailered and most likely only used in fresh water. Everything was still as factory as it was when it left Catalina in 1975 and as it turns out was in pretty good shape except for all the wood. Not sure if you are aware but there have been many upgrades on these old C22 boats but easy to research. One thing for sure is that this forum can be very helpful. Pics of keel process attached.

 

[mbaker267]

Very good job on the swing keel. I am a project manager for a software company so I am used to breaking large projects into small, manageable pieces. So far, I have documented a little over 100 tasks some of which need to be subdivided. 22 have been marked completed. But, as you know, as you get into things you find more to do's. The list keeps growing.

The main thing is, I know I will not be doing a full restore. Doing enough to look ok, be safe and have fun.

 

[Jacktar]

Boat ownership is always a collection of incremental maintenance tasks. But sailing and enjoying is top of my list of to dos.

 

[ShotgunSlim]

Consider some cabinet grade mahogany plywood for your interior pieces. I had a rotten SB bulkhead and pretty much everything plywood along the floor was water damaged when I acquired my boat. I bought one 4 X 8 sheet of 1/2" mahogany for the project and it looks so similar to the teak, most people don't even see the difference. Like you, I have a wood shop and have re made my sliding hatch rails, eyebrow trim, crib boards, swim ladder step, etc from mahogany.

 

[mbaker267]

I haven't thought about using mahogany. That would be a good alternative. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[pcharn01]

I bought a couple of 6x4 rough sawn teak boards from this site… Hardwood Decking, Flooring, & Lumber | AdvantageLumber.com
Made new eyebrow trim, hatch rails, companion way threashold, crib board rails, slider trim and handle, and swim ladder steps. All with a tablesaw, router table, and miter saw.
Fun project, came out looking sweet.

 

[mbaker267]

Wow! Thanks for the info.