New catalina 22 owner, new sailers, many questions!

Bilbo · Jun 23, 2011

Hi, There are no dumb questions. Part of your answers come from the fact that it is a used boat and so it may be equipped with non-stock rigging.
So, generally there was no bilge pump from the factory.
Adding a battery may be a good idea but you need to consider how to charge it.
Does your outboard (If you have one) have a generator system, do you have some way to hook up a charger(Solar or otherwise)???
Check out Catalina Direct (Usually on forums we refer to them as "CD" for certain factory replacement parts. They have an owner's handbook which is kind of great to have:
http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=3&ParentCat=5
They also have a forum with loads of archived info.
There is also a Catalina 22 association which is very helpful.
http://www.catalina22.org/

Bilbo · Jun 23, 2011

aimcat said:
Ok - is that normal for a sailboat to not have a bielge pump? Im so use to them in ski boats, etc? What do you do if the inside or hull gets a little water? I think its usually natural for boats to get a little water - from rain, sitting, etc?

The boat came with a 70s model Johnson - so I am not sure?! We have not completely checked out everything yet - do you know if thise engine would have the charger?

Well, I have a hand bilge pump in mine. It's really a cheap piece of machinery.
I've had some water inside the boat but I can remove it with a sponge or that pump. One issue is that the boat can sink if it starts filling and some have added that foam insulation inside of the compartments but it's not really good because when (not if) it gets wet, it holds the moisture for a long time and it's a real mess to remove. Mine generally doesn't get water inside the cabin from rain. If yours is getting rainwater inside, there are reasons to try to stop any leaks.

I believe that having a generator or ALternator on an outboard is sort of an option on some of them. If the motor is set up to run, it would have tubing to the inside for a gas line maybe but if it has a charger there would also be a second line to the boat which is two wires. If your boat didn't come with a battery, then it may not have a charger on the outboard. Having an electrical system would be necessary for regulations of safe night operation and if you decide to sleep onboard. On mine, I have converted many of the Navigational lights to LEDs which cost about $50@ but they use about 1/10th the electricity from the battery.

Bilbo · Jun 23, 2011

For your motor, I'd have no idea but this may be of help eventually:
http://www.boatpartstore.com/jande.asp?cat=horsepower&val=4

scuzzlebutt · Jun 23, 2011

The standing rigging should be pretty much self explanitory as to which shroud goes where. You perhaps should get a tension gauge to make sure you have the proper amount of tension in each shroud. You need to google "catalina 22 shroud tension" and follow instructions.

When stepping the mast, one of you should crank the winch, the other needs to be on top of the boat holding the mast in line (mare sure it does not swing or sway far to the left or right).

Unless you have a sail cover for your jib, take it off/down and store it in the cabin - UV radiation will KILL sails QUICKLY. The covered main will be fine.

I say forget the lifelines unless you have kids. However, its your preference.

You will need a battery if you guys want to sail after dark as the battery powers the required navigation lights and cabin lights. Make darn sure to tie the battery down. I use a solar panel to keep my battery charged. You might have shore power at your dock - check on that.

If you must replace the companionway door, you could make them yourself out of teak - otherwise http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=700&ParentCat=42

What flag does he want to fly? If its an American flag, it should be flown from the stern either from the backstay or from a pole. If its a pennant, it should be flown from the starboard spreader.

scuzzlebutt · Jun 23, 2011

SOlar pannel:

1)Buy one a put it somewhere sunny

2) Run the wire coming out of the pannel to your battery
3) That wire should end in a pair of alligator clips, one red, one black
4) clip black clip to black electrode, and red clip to red electrode
5) kick back and let it do its thing.

Ken · Jun 23, 2011

questions

aimcat said:
Hi guys! Well where to start! My husband and I are new to sailing - we are in our late 20s and just purchase a 75 cat 22. It has been completely redone, repainted, rewired, etc. The boat is actually in what seems to be in good shape. My husband and have years of boating experience but NEVER owned a sailboat or sailed! We will be sailing on a decent size inland lake. Once we get our new purchase in the water late in the weekend we will be docking it and leaving in the water until the end of September. So I have many many questions!

Welcome aboard.....

Ok on our Catalina - it came with a home rigged system to help step the mast. Its a large bar that goes up from the trailer - you attach a cable to the mast and winch it up. But I want to know whats the best way to go about doing this and once we get it up will the rigging lines be fairly self explanitory as to where they go?

There is no "best way" there will be "your way" to raise the mast, the system you describe works great as long as there are two people, in fact it's probably one of the easiest to use.

Next - will rigging the sails be pretty simple? Attaching the boom, etc? Setting up the jib? Now this will probably be a really stupid question - but do we need to bring the jib in after we are done and dock the boat? We have a main sail cover and plan to just leave it on.

I'm going to assume you have a hank on jib, yes it should be very easy to put on and yes you need to remove it after each sail. (I'd get into the habit of folding the jib before stowing) If by chance you have a furler and the sail has the sacrificial cloth added it can be left on or you have a jib without the added cloth you would need a cover for the jib sail also.

Our boat needs some type of covering over the windows - I had thought about tint or making/buying curtains - any suggestions?

I used Limo tint with great results on my 1981 model, (you can see through it at night when a light is on in the boat)

Our boat as the back bar/life lines but does not have them on the sides - should I add this?

I would NOT add the lifeline on the oldstyle boat, makes going forward very hard.

Our boat did not come with a battery in it - haven't gotten one yet but I was wondering - do these boats come equipped with a bilge?! I did not see a switch for one?

You'll want to look very closely at the battery attachment point, unless a PO replaced it just a piece of plywood glassed to the hull bottom. Make sure it's solid or replace it with a "real" battery box.

Only a few models had bilge pumps added nearly all were hand pumps. My 1981 never had more than a few drops of water in the cabin area the entire time I owned it. As stated before if there's water in the boat means you usually have a leak you need to find and address asap.

Our companion way door - someone must have home made it - it is made out of some type of plastic which I am just not fond of. Is there anywhere I could buy new inserts?

You could also have a set of wood crib boards made, I had a great set of teak in my old boat. Or if you or your husband is handy with a table saw you could just buy the teak and make them.....

And here is my last question for now which will probably be a dumb one - but my husband has a flag he wants to put on the boat - what is the best way to put it on and where do we need to attach to rigging?

I fly a flag on the backstay, but also have a halyard attached to the starboard spreader to fly burgee's. I would only consider a staff if it was going to be mounted AWAY from the stern ladder, had a friend slip while boarding his boat to fall right on the flagstaff....

YES I may have asked some dumb questions but we are new to these boats and sailing so bear with me!

THANKS in advance!

Again Welcome aboard

Joetech · Jun 23, 2011

Batt and Solar

I have a 77 Cat 22. When I bought it the wiring was a mess. I cut it all down to the factory wiring and started over. A 5 watt solar panel with not charge a dead Battery but will keep a full or nearly full one charged. I got one from Harbor Freight for about $30 a few years ago. Make sure is comes with a diode or it will discharge the Battery at night. I cut off the alligator clips and crimped on ring terminals and hooked up directly to the battery. Since it is not waterproof I just tied it up in the window that gets the most sun at the dock.

I use a U1 battery, the kind found in garden tractors. Cheap (about $30 on sale) not a deep charger but OK for nav lights and running a radio and/or GPS thru a cigarette lighter socket I installed. Since your on an inland lake this should be fine. U1 batteries are light. I sail on Lake Erie and these last 3 years. I replaced it this year mostly because I found one on sale for a great price not because I actually had to replace it. I was probably good for another year or so. My outboard does have an alternator but I rarely bother to hook it up. I only recharge the Batt via the motor when I have sailed extensively using everything on the boat for hours. Keep these batteries charged and they are fine.

You have a lot of questions and these forums will help. If I were you, I would find a local Cat 22 sailor and invite them over. They could see things that need to be done that you are not aware of to ask. Free beer will usually be involved.

shipwreck66 · Jun 23, 2011

Tint the windows or buy cheap paper blinds at Home Depot (Yes, everyone will cruise by and look in to see what you're doing) Stepping the mast is really a lot easier than those contraptions make it look, normally two people just lower it and walk it down. Get a small deep cycle battery from Academy, it will cover your overnight needs. When taking the jib down I usually drop it loose through the forward hatch onto the v-berth, keeps it from getting all wrinkled and creased and is easy to grab next time you want it. Put a bilge pump on the cabin floor when your gone, a Shur-Flo with built in float switch wired to your battery, will let you sleep easier. The Catalina cockpit drains are prone to clogging so keep ALL debris out of the area, no matter how small. enjoy the boat, they are a blast and are really easy to maintain.

Stu Jackson · Jun 23, 2011

Find, beg borrow or otherwise find a copy of Patrick Royce's Sailboat illustrated a handy little book that includes the answers to all your questions specifically including YOUR new boat.

We found it invaluable when we first bought our C22 in 1982.

Bilbo · Jun 24, 2011

aimcat said:
Thats a question I had - where do those cockpit drains go to? Also what are the two chrome hubs on the back side of the boat for? There are holes under each one? WOW I am probably asking some dumb stuff!

IF these are in the middle of the transom and one is near the bottom/ the other is about a foot above it, they are the gudgeons that the rudder pintles fit into.

I bought a battery today - maybe I over did it....I got a deep cycle marine battery? :/

Is there a box store I could find a solar battery charger? Or will I probably just have to order one?

If you are keeping the boat at dock, then a solar charger may be good for this unless it gets up and walks away when you aren't there. At my docks, I'd probably not trust that it woudln't get stolen because the docks aren't supervised and the amount of time that I'd be there isn't enough to charge the battery with a solar charger. Probably one of the best places to buy a small charger is at at a store called Harbor Freight as already mentioned. Some auto parts places sell Solar chargers. Or online. This one is a bit larger than 1 ft square and it's 5 watt peak power : http://www.amazon.com/Sunforce-50022-Battery-Trickle-Charger/dp/B0006JO0TC/ref=pd_sim_auto_3
It uses a car cigarette lighter plug. One can add that to the boat for using other things. Has built-in overcharge/discharge protection.
or consider alternative ways to charge a battery. You may be able to add the electrical addition to your outboard for a small price or you may be able to connect to an electrical outlet or gas generator. THen there's wind generators.......
I should also mention that one can buy small bilge pumps that would automatically work off the battery. The hand bilge pump that came with my boat was this one from Attwood: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...hopping_googlebase&om_mmc=shopping_googlebase
It works bit it really is all plastic and will probably break if I really needed it.

shipwreck66 · Jun 24, 2011

Harbor Freight, Northern Tool, West Marine, maybe Academy will all have solar chargers. There are no dumb questions, keep asking