Saving Another Catalina, An abandoned Catalina 36.

[Scott T-Bird]

Well, you've probably uncovered the worst of it by now! I suspect that none of the wood flooring is salvageable, except for patterns. All the woodwork above the floor looks like it can be restored and finished though! There is a lot of fiberglass that simply looks like it needs to be cleaned. It's not apparent that there is very much actual damage. Slowly but surely, it looks like a good restoration!

 

[Hayden Watson]

A great first step might be your pressure washer. Sounds draconian but I have done it twice to Papillon from headliner to bilge and she has never been a restoration. You are much more than halfway there now. I did it because I had a diesel fired furnace which blew out the fuel injector nozzle which in turn sprayed raw diesel into the blower airstream and filled the interior of the boat with a fine mist of aerosol diesel. As a result, she absolutely reeked.

I removed everything that could be moved from the boat. Once the boat was empty, I covered the intake of the engine, the alternator and major electrical connections with plastic duct-taped in place. I also taped over the electrical panel. I I took all of the hatch boards to the dock. I then started at the ceiling and worked my way down. First with a boat soap spray than through rinse. I washed every surface inside the boat and also down into all of the hatches and back into the inaccessible spaces. I followed that up with a liberal spray of Febreze Free, which is their scent free product Once that was done, the inside of the boat had no smell.

Things that were not sensitive like the hatch boards, were pressure washed on the dock.

The cloth items I took it home for destinkifying. The cushion covers were removed from the foam and ran through several washes in the laundry. The foam was washed in a kiddy pool with a laundry detergent solution and agitated by doing the "wine grape stop". After a thorough rinse, they were left out to dry, standing on edge which let most of the water drip out. After they were dry, I put each foam pad into a large garbage bag and sucked the air out of it with my shop vac and then sprayed Febreze into the opening as they refill. This pulled the Febreze into all of the air-cells of the foam and it then decomposed the fuel and other odor sources from inside the foam.

The result was a completely odorless boat.

 

[Rick C-137]

That's going to be a fun project! I just bought a project Catalina 38 myself, which I think is in the same marina.......

 

[Mikem]

Mike, seeing what you did with Luna I will anxiously follow this project.

 

[mikeracca]

That's going to be a fun project! I just bought a project Catalina 38 myself, which I think is in the same marina.......

Im next door at Browns Point. Hopefully the new owner will start fixing the place up.

 

[mikeracca]

Well, you've probably uncovered the worst of it by now! I suspect that none of the wood flooring is salvageable, except for patterns. All the woodwork above the floor looks like it can be restored and finished though! There is a lot of fiberglass that simply looks like it needs to be cleaned. It's not apparent that there is very much actual damage. Slowly but surely, it looks like a good restoration!

The bones are solid on this one, even though her mechanicals and electrical are destroyed. I can work with this. The macerator is wiped out and most of it is missing, there are wooden cones in the hoses. The motor and mech for the refrigerator doesn’t look healthy either. I haven’t gotten to clean everything out of the area under the galley cabinets but I’m pretty sure that’s all junk too. So yea, this will be a slow restoration. After she is clean imma work on getting the new engine built and installed. I need to be able to move her on her own power.

 

[jssailem]

Consider the Whale pump to expel black water if you are keeping the holding tank. They have a better design and track record than the typical macerator pumps, in my opinion

Whale | Global Supplier of Pumps, Heating Systems and Plumbing

Whale is a global supplier of high quality low voltage pump, plumbing and heating systems designed for mobile applications and challenging environments

www.whalepumps.com

 

[danooxnard]

Hi Mike, you might want to consider an ozone generator to get rid of smells and mold. I bought on on Amazon to use on my truck. Similar to Hayden I had a bottle of diesel Kleen in the cab of my truck that leaked into the carpet. I cleaned, pressured washed and vacuumed but I could not get rid if the smell. I ran the ozone generator for 30 minutes and is was way better but not perfect. Later I ran it for two hours and let the truck run with the a/c on for 1/2 and hours of the two hours. After that the smell never returned. It also got rid of the musty smells from the a/c. Ozone is not good to breath so follow thes rule about ventilating the area after running the ozone generator. After the two hour run in the truck I left the doors open all day and the ozone smell was gone. The link below is the one that I bought. Some fans on the boat would probably help distribute the ozone while generating and help air it out when your done.
Dano

Amazon.com

 

[mikeracca]

So not much to report for this week, I spent most of it in Alaska. Today was the only day I got to work, and this weekend won’t be much if anything at all. So when I get to Serenity I notice a bunch of stuff going on. The boat behind mine sunk and they just got her refloated and were trying to secure her to prevent her from going under again. Apparently a shaft seal finally failed and the pump couldn’t keep up, then the boat got unplugged and that was the end of her pumping. The marina staff tried to rescue her in time but didn’t have the correct hoses for the pumps within easy reach, by the time they got the right hoses the cowl vents were underwater and even the 120v pump wasn't enough. Here is a pic of the boat with the new ”waterline”. The owner passed away a couple weeks ago so I don’t know what’s gonna happen with it. It is a wooden boat too.

Now to Serenity. Todays goal was to remove the ply on the starboard settee and return that area to its original configuration, I also removed the flooring piece. Then remove the floor for the v-berth area and general cleaning in the forward spaces. Well I got the water and mud out of the head, I’m thinking that mud and all the mud I have found is made of mostly dog poo. It smells horrible. After the sole came up, there was more mud underneath and I got out the scrubby pad and Simple Green and went to work. The after pic of the v-berth floor didn’t turn out so I will have to get another one of those later but you can see the mess I started with. Oh, and the crap and debris under the bed got vacuumed out for the most part. I didn’t get a chance to scrub there but that’s going to be soon. Enjoy the pics.

Here is how the day started… after the removal of the decking at least.

Here is the pic of the settee area, there was barely enough light to get this pic. look how much better it’s getting already.

And a bonus pic, as I wasn’t able to get this one the other day due to lack of light, here is the aft berth preliminary cleaning.

 

[Hayden Watson]

I still have to say that I would tackle it with a 120v 1200psi pressure washer. There is nothing in the boat that would be hurt by it and you start and to top and work your way down letting the bilge pump take care of the water. One big advantage to a small pressure washer is that it removes the "mud" with a minimum of water.

 

[mikeracca]

I still have to say that I would tackle it with a 120v 1200psi pressure washer. There is nothing in the boat that would be hurt by it and you start and to top and work your way down letting the bilge pump take care of the water. One big advantage to a small pressure washer is that it removes the "mud" with a minimum of water.

My pressure washer unfortunately is gas powered and has 3600 psi. And I still dont have the bilge pump fully installed. I did find the little hole in the deck next to the head has quite a bit of room under the deck for whatever. I found several black plastic bags with knots tied in one end under there, and due to the difficulty getting to them, I wonder if this wasn’t where the previous owner hid his stash? I didn’t investigate any further than to catch them in the vacuum, and toss them in my trash bucket they were not dry inside and I had no interest in what was inside. My luck would have been they would have been doggy doo bags. (I think that’s actually what they were, but didn’t want to know the contents).

In my next couple trips out to the boat, I’m going to remove the doors, and floor in the galley and get them home so I can start restoring them when I can’t get to the boat.

 

[BigEasy]

I still have to say that I would tackle it with a 120v 1200psi pressure washer.

Agree that a pressure washer would really help to clean up the cabin, AFTER you get most of the poop & sludge removed. Then you can assess to determine if you need to repaint the bilge areas...hopefully not. Looks like a nasty job; however, the cleanup is coming along nicely.

 

[mikeracca]

Here is a pic of how good the floor in the v-berth is. I didn’t really do much to the boat today just removed the doors to the head and forward berth for refinishing and also removed some of the messed up fittings from the previous owners. Nothing really picture worthy other than the floor I missed last time.

 

[mikeracca]

Some good news today. I contacted Catalina and they still have my boat’s original order form and I was also able to acquire an owner’s manual (in pdf form) for the boat. So what I have found out is I have a standard keel with a tall rig and my only options were carpet interior and full cushion set. So apparently when you have carpet you don’t get teak/holly floor boards under the carpet. So mine are either aftermarket or were had from another 36. And since mine stink to high hell they will not be going back in the boat. They have been sitting outside in my carport for a while now and the smell has not abated at all. Imma hit them with the pressure washer on both sides and see if that helps. Thankfully they are just patterns at this point.

 

[mikeracca]

Well it looks like all the work I have done may have been for nothing. Turns out the previous owner of the marina has been causing trouble with the partner and has locked them out of being able to handle business without going through the court appointed rep. So when I bought the boat the original agreement was for me to work at the marina to pay for part of my moorage fees. The original owner was the one that made this deal with me and we were to negotiate the exact cash and hourly thing when I collected the money to pay for the boat. Well the day I got the funds is the day he bailed on the marina and now this mess is happening. The new owner was aware of this deal and was willing to work with me even though no formal agreement was yet made. Now I am hearing that the court rep will not work with me on this and that there is to be no special treatment. I'm not asking for special treatment I am asking for employment to supplement my rent. If this wont work out I am just walking away. I will return the pieces of the boat that have come back to my place for refurbishment and remove any item I have purchased and left on board. Hopefully I will get the final word here soon, I am not happy. I will keep you all informed.

 

[Mikem]

Well it looks like all the work I have done may have been for nothing. Turns out the previous owner of the marina has been causing trouble with the partner and has locked them out of being able to handle business without going through the court appointed rep. So when I bought the boat the original agreement was for me to work at the marina to pay for part of my moorage fees. The original owner was the one that made this deal with me and we were to negotiate the exact cash and hourly thing when I collected the money to pay for the boat. Well the day I got the funds is the day he bailed on the marina and now this mess is happening. The new owner was aware of this deal and was willing to work with me even though no formal agreement was yet made. Now I am hearing that the court rep will not work with me on this and that there is to be no special treatment. I'm not asking for special treatment I am asking for employment to supplement my rent. If this wont work out I am just walking away. I will return the pieces of the boat that have come back to my place for refurbishment and remove any item I have purchased and left on board. Hopefully I will get the final word here soon, I am not happy. I will keep you all informed.

Any update???

 

[mikeracca]

Any update???

No, not really. The court appointed representative was supposed to call me and talk to me about the boat and the moorage deal I originally struck but no call. The Marina is falling apart again as they can’t fix anything without the approval of the rep as well. Things were going good at first but not so much now. The boat is fine, I haven’t done much to it other than check up on her every week or so. I did hear from the owners of Luna and they got a new dinghy and motor, and they are going to sell me my old dinghy and motor back so that’s a good thing. I hate no knowing, and I have been reluctant to really do much more work on her as it may come to me releasing interest in the boat. I hope not, but it is what it is.

 

[Tally Ho]

My pressure washer unfortunately is gas powered and has 3600 psi. And I still dont have the bilge pump fully installed. I did find the little hole in the deck next to the head has quite a bit of room under the deck for whatever. I found several black plastic bags with knots tied in one end under there, and due to the difficulty getting to them, I wonder if this wasn’t where the previous owner hid his stash? I didn’t investigate any further than to catch them in the vacuum, and toss them in my trash bucket they were not dry inside and I had no interest in what was inside. My luck would have been they would have been doggy doo bags. (I think that’s actually what they were, but didn’t want to know the contents).

In my next couple trips out to the boat, I’m going to remove the doors, and floor in the galley and get them home so I can start restoring them when I can’t get to the boat.

You can get different tips for the pressure washer so you aren’t blasting a hole in your fiberglass or wood.

I have something like this one, that lets me “dial” the tip I want…
Coyardor Pressure Washer Nozzle Tips, 6 in 1 Quick Change Over Spray Nozzle, Adjustable Power Washer Tips with 1/4" Quick Connect, 3000 PSI Amazon.com

That way, even your 3000 psi pressure washer isn’t going to do any damage.


Greg

 

[Mikem]

No, not really. The court appointed representative was supposed to call me and talk to me about the boat and the moorage deal I originally struck but no call. The Marina is falling apart again as they can’t fix anything without the approval of the rep as well. Things were going good at first but not so much now. The boat is fine, I haven’t done much to it other than check up on her every week or so. I did hear from the owners of Luna and they got a new dinghy and motor, and they are going to sell me my old dinghy and motor back so that’s a good thing. I hate no knowing, and I have been reluctant to really do much more work on her as it may come to me releasing interest in the boat. I hope not, but it is what it is.

Ok. I'm sure the forum members are in your corner. Keep us posted.

 

[mikeracca]

You can get different tips for the pressure washer so you aren’t blasting a hole in your fiberglass or wood.

I have something like this one, that lets me “dial” the tip I want…
Coyardor Pressure Washer Nozzle Tips, 6 in 1 Quick Change Over Spray Nozzle, Adjustable Power Washer Tips with 1/4" Quick Connect, 3000 PSI Amazon.com

That way, even your 3000 psi pressure washer isn’t going to do any damage.


Greg

My pressure washer does have multiple tips for various fans and pressures, I will prolly just use it next spring when it warms up. I still have a lot of old broken equipment to remove first, but that’s after I own the boat with title in hand.