Replacing Pulpit

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Has anyone replaced the pulpit on a C-310?
- Do the bolts have nuts on the back like the stantions do?
- If so, how do you access the nuts? There is no access via the anchor rode locker, and the fasteners are all forward of the bulkhead in the forward berth
If you’ve done this I would like to contact you via PM for exquisite detail.

Same question for the bow cleats.
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Stanchion question might be answered by post #4 in this thread Rebedding bow pulpit on Catalina 310 | Sailboat Owners Forums
Attached is the drawing of the bow pulpit as provided by Catalina. I note here the Clearwater facility parts department one (1) employee who is a bit overwhelmed. He is helpful, but could use assistance! The drawing, and what is on my boat differ. The second attachment has dimensions as measured on my boat.
The referenced thread discusses accessing the nuts on the rear pad. The bolts go through the deck, through the embedded aluminum plate and have nuts on the back. The forward pad just goes into the aluminum plate. The thread says the nuts are behind (forward) of the forward bulkhead in the forward bunk. I've spent hours removing trim and trying to remove the forward bulkhead. The bulkhead won't budge from the top. There are three screws located behind the top of the fiberglass headliner. There is no access unless the headliner is drilled. However, there is a small inspection port, removable by four screws, so that you can see the motor assembly for the windlass. In looking through that I can positively tell you there are no nuts where the rear pad for the pulpit were reputed to be. It turns out the nuts are there, but located four (4) to six (6) inches aft of the bulkhead. The only way to access them is to remove the upper longitudinal trim piece (already done trying to remove the bulkhead) and then cutting into the headliner behind the trim. This may (note the word "may") provide just enough room to get a open end wrench on the nuts. Won't be able to turn the wrench. I won't even be able to get my fingers in there.
This is the same way the nuts for the stations are placed.
It is criminal for Catalina to locate fasteners without a means to access them.

The picture shows why I need a new pulpit. It is badly bent and broken in two places.
 

Attachments

Feb 21, 2013
4,638
Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA
You have really done your homework on this one!! Hopefully a long socket will allow you to access the nuts.
 
Last edited:

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
No, a long socket will only work if the headliner is cut where the scars will be visible afterward. It will take an open end wrench wedged between the top of the headliner and the bottom of the deck
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Stanchion question might be answered by post #4 in this thread Rebedding bow pulpit on Catalina 310 | Sailboat Owners Forums
Well, it appears none of the pulpit bolt, from either the forward foot pads or the aft foot pads have backing bolts. The post referenced above says the bolts will be forward of the bulkhead in the forward bunk and have nuts on the bolts in the rear foot pads. Referring to the picture. On my boat the aft pulpit pads are aft of the bulkhead in the fwd bunk. In the picture you can see marks where the headliner would need to be cut away to get an open end wrench on the bolts. The idea is to slide the wrench up through the cut out, lay it flat on top of the headliner, and wiggle it about until contacting the nuts. The bit of the headliner cut away is hidden behind the trim boards (removed in this picture). Before cutting, I just thought I'd see if the bolts on the rear pads could be backed out. They came out easy. They are bedded in some type of white RTV, possibly 3M 6200. The rear foot pad bolts are no longer than the front foot pad bolts. Further, they don't appear to be long enough (1.25 inches) to have nuts applied to them. The stanchions on my boat do have nuts.
Summary:
- There are significant dimension differences on the pulpit on my boat (sail 307, made in 2005) vs. the dimensions on the Catalina drawing for a C-310 pulpit
- Earlier boats appeared to have nuts on the rear foot pads of the pulpit. My boat does not.

I note here that there are differences in the manual that accompanied my boat and some wiring and especially the head plumbing.

To those who have written saying access can be had through the anchor well: That is only true if there is a port and starboard inspection port cut into the anchor well. No such thing on my boat.
 

Attachments

Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
The first 310's used pulpits from Railmakers in Costa Mesa, CA which were also used on the 28 some 30's and 320's, Florida boats used a different supply. But who knows what can happen on the factory floor. Catalina Direct lists 2 different pulpits for CA and FL boats, all three look like they have different dimensions from my quick look. I'll attach some links to those dimensions in hope one is what you need.
Railmakers - Stainless Steel Railings for any Industry
http://railmakers.com/yachts/catalina-yachts/PDF-files/Catalina28-bow-29048.pdf
https://www.catalinadirect.com/imag...c0fae36d5-F4CB6567-A7E6-6802-4ACC0354C525F998
https://www.catalinadirect.com/imag...c0fae36d5-F4CB6567-A7E6-6802-4ACC0354C525F998
Perhaps a crowfoot wrench may assist, it's an open end that fits on a ratchet, they also make a ratcheting version.
 
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KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Crowfoot wrench cannot go around the corner far enough on top of the headliner.

Thanks very much for the rail URLs. I’m in discussions with Catalina (they will job it out). Issue is getting the dimensions correct.

I’m amazed at the differences in “production” boats.
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Anyone know the name of the company in Florida (or in proximity) that made bow pulpits and railings for the 310 when production was moved to Clearwater?
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Ok, Catalina in Clearwater, as does Catalina Direct, currently get all their rails from Railmakers in CA. The late production C-310 boats from Clearwater obtained rails from two and possibly three different sources in FL. However, it appears those sources no longer exist. The later C-310 pulpits clearly differ from the drawings that Catalina and Railmakers have. Catalina parts dept says the drawing for the later pulpits rested with the FL sources and they no longer exist. Railmakers has noted the differences in my pulpit dimensions from the drawing and may be willing to give it a go if I can provide a full scale template of the pulpit foot print on the foredeck, including the location of fastener holes. Only after reviewing the template will they say yea or nay and provide a price. Production is backed up and delivery cannot be expected before Dec

I’m still working with Catalina to potentially find a source closer to home. In the mean time, it is hurricane season and I’m not real keen on sailing, or motoring, without life lines (like to anchor out should a storm threaten).
It is always something
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
I took tracing paper to the boat and mapped out pulpit footprint on the deck in full scale, including mounting holes. This will go to the pulpit manufacturer

What I don’t know how to do is measure the deck angle, side to side and fire and aft so the foot plates can be appropriately tilted
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Found a local, two-man shop that can make a custom pulpit. Six weeks. Hope it all works out
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I took a different approach.

I had two incidents in 2013 and 2015, IIRC, when my pulpit had to be replaced. The first was my own stupidity of running into a dock, the second one was when some bozo it me while I was anchored. In both cases, the pulpit needed to be replaced.

I gave it to "the yard" and they did it.

The first one had a metal fabricator "make one" to fit. It did, and they installed it.

The second one? I have no idea where they got it, and was a bigger yard than the first yard.

The first one the metal started rusting right away. The second one remains pristine.

In both cases, the yard installed the new ones.

Why are you trying to do this yourself is my question.
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
Stu,
You have the benefit of a full marina with a yard, staffed by folks who work on boats. We don’t have that here. In my marina there is a guy (1), independent contractor, that works on boats when he is in the mood. He is good, but he isn’t going to go out and be a general contractor for major work. There are facilities for haul out elsewhere in the area for bottom paint and such but facilities for major work, and more importantly, quality labor, are quite limited.
if I want sail my boat, it is up to me to get it fixed.
 

KZW

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May 17, 2014
831
Catalina 310 #307 Bluewater Bay, FL
By the way, I was in a club race, on starboard, on the lay line to the windward mark. Boat 2 , 39 ft long, approaches on port. I call starboard and they tack below me. They are below the lay line and have no chance of making the mark. They continually pinch up, never calling for room. I pinch up to maintain the boat length between us. They slowly move forward their stern overlapped with my bow. Without warning they luff up. I don’t mean pinch, I mean full luff, much flapping of foresail. I luff hard, slowing below a knot in speed. I would have tacked but I had insufficient speed to do so and there is a boat above me and three boat lengths behind. Boat 2 falls off a bit, moves clear ahead a boat length. I’m slowly falling off on starboard. Boat 2, now a boat length ahead, and still a boat length below, tacks to port. I have insufficient speed to tack and am looking at their beam, amidships, less than a boat length in front. I crank the wheel hard to port to pass their stern, still on starboard tack. Boat 2 cannot hold the port tack, insufficient speed for rudder effectiveness, and rotates through more than 270 degrees. Their bow anchor removes my pulpit. I’m not a happy guy.