Newbie questions

[blindsmokey]

I just purchased a 1981 Catalina 22. According to the PO It's been in storage for the past 12 years. My question is what do I need to check prior to my first launch ? Second to my untrained eye the keel seems to be in fairly good shape. Is there any preventative maintenance that would help it last longer ? I'm moving up from a MacG regor 17 so I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[justsomeguy]

Welcome!
She looks fabulous. Trailer too.

I guess I'd want to be sure of the compression post and its foundation and the hole that the keel cable passes through, but having owned a Mac 17, you're probably familiar with those items. Also the keel pivot bolt is a nice item to be sure of.

Beyond a bit of rust on the keel, did I mention she looks fabulous?

 

[Gene Neill]

Second that. Great find!

 

[rpludwig]

+1, looks like a nice one!
keel cable, turning ball, keel cable bolt, hanger bolts, volcano hose from Catalina Direct for safety sake, a couple hours work. Read a few years posts here, you'll learn a lot in short order, no better C22 resource than this forum IMO. Your keel looks in great shape for its age, you can deal with the rust in the off season...go sailin'! Welcome!

 

[rpludwig]

...also, chk those forward scupper drains, the plumbing below, clamps, hoses, etc., run a garden hose from above, be sure it drains. Leaves, mud daubers, gunk, etc., plug those easily...you'll want to add rear scuppers eventually....

 

[blindsmokey]

Thanks for the responses. I was lucky to find her. Sounds like I'll be ordering a few parts and then sailing !!!

 

[watercolors II]

I’ll add to these other fellow’s ideas, it’s about trailering; strap the stern to the trailer to keep the stern from bouncing around on rough payment and after your first recovery back on the trailer you’ll realize the need for better trailer keel guides.

 

[Gene Neill]

I’ll add to these other fellow’s ideas, it’s about trailering; strap the stern to the trailer to keep the stern from bouncing around on rough payment and after your first recovery back on the trailer you’ll realize the need for better trailer keel guides.

Big time. This would be very high on my list, maybe at the very top. That steel I-beam will eat that nice pretty keel for lunch if you come in crooked.

 

[blindsmokey]

Any recommendations\preferences on keel guides ?

 

[Gene Neill]

This is my trailer, which is pretty typical and works well:

 

[blindsmokey]

Gene, your pictures never came through. Is it possible for you to reload them ?
Thanks

 

[Gene Neill]

My bad. Here goes:

 

[rpludwig]

...THAT is a slick, effective trlr mod! I need to do same, nicely done Gene!

 

[blindsmokey]

Now that's a trailer. Looks like I have some work ahead of me. Thanks for the help/

 

[dzl]

I've always been curious, how close to the roller is the keel when the trailer is on the ramp? It seems like the trailer would be lower in the back since the boat is level and the bow is where is gies on the trailer, but the trailer is angled down? That's why I've held off on putting keel slides on... if you've got a side current, it can be a giant pain to get the boat centered long enough to pull out of the water, especially if you don't have finger docks beside the ramp.

 

[DAVA390]

If an outboard motor came with the boat,change fuel hoses,filter,etc. Change the water pump impeller, been sitting a long time.

 

[Gene Neill]

I've always been curious, how close to the roller is the keel when the trailer is on the ramp? It seems like the trailer would be lower in the back since the boat is level and the bow is where is gies on the trailer, but the trailer is angled down? That's why I've held off on putting keel slides on... if you've got a side current, it can be a giant pain to get the boat centered long enough to pull out of the water, especially if you don't have finger docks beside the ramp.

"Goal posts" on the trailer help with that. We had them on our last trailer, which had no keel guides. It was an acceptable solution.

 

[Leeward Rail]

Nice trailer setup Gene. I'll have to steal that guide design.
our trailer has "goal posts" but it would be nice to have both.
It's not fun to retrieve a boat with a lot of windage, in waves and a crosswind.

 

[watercolors II]

I first tried the goal posts, they did not work that well at the stern because the stern is narrower than the center of the hull. They may work better if they are placed at the widest point of hull when the hull is on the trailer.

What has worked the best is the keel guides but, as stated the guides being below the floating hull when first coming to the trailer do not work until the hull is almost the whole way to it’s final resting place. The keel guides need to be very high and next to the hull when the hull is in it’s final position, almost like another set of bunks right next to the keel.

 

[Jacktar]

Here is my keel guide, have to

replace one missing piece