Words of wisdom to a c30 owner

Jun 5, 2012
144
Catalina 30 mkI Victoria, British Columbia
Hey all,
While ruminating about my boat the other day (when I was supposed to be working), I had a thought-
What if we started a thread of "General Words of Wisdom" to a Catalina 30 owner. I'm kinda visualising a list of sorts that could be compiled and referenced from time to time. I for one, get bogged down in all the myriad info that's out there and I find that I forget really important stuff sometimes. I already record everything I do to the boat in a couple of notebooks, (with drawings, print-outs and such). One book is for maintenance, tasks, upgrades, etc and the other is more of a 'topic-based" compilation where I put say notes on principles of solar, diesels, fiberglassing, etc. I guess my idea here though is C30 specific tips. Stu has something like it I think on his C34 listserv....
I know there are differences in our boats by year and by mk, but I still think there could be a ton of good stuff we could put together.
What do you guys think?
Maybe to get things going, and to show you what I mean I could put down some of the points I added in a recent thread about keel bolts:
  • MKI C30's (maybe more) have a plywood core In the bilge. Watch that you don't add screws or drill holes which will allow water to penetrate and rot the core.
  • If you get the famous Catalina Smile, don't panic. It isn't a big deal and can be repaired. Watch the following as causes: keel bolts pulling down from rotten wood in the core or improper blocking of the keel by Yard Staff. Always double block the keel (at front and aft) to properly support it.
  • Make sure your keel bolt nuts aren't partially glassed in. Mine were and I think it was factory. This led to anaerobic deterioration of the nuts. New nuts should be torqued to 105ft/lbs.
  • Original ice box- watch any redesign you might try on the drain hose (such as Teeing it into the sink drains). The boat's waterline can be ABOVE the bottom of the icebox.
  • Rudder posts in MKI's will wear to the point where replacing the rudder flax stuffing does not stop weeping water. CD makes a sleeve that you can insert to stop this.
  • Etc?
I don't know, maybe this is kinda redundant.....or maybe I'm just a fastidious nut-bar!!
Cheerio!
Mike
 
Sep 29, 2015
97
Catalina 30 2188 St. Petersburg
I like that ideas. I'm new to sailing my own boat and new to C30 MkI. Any information is very helpful. Especially since I do not have an owners manual. But in that not anyone have a pdf version or place to get the pdf version?
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Mike, do you mean our Critical Upgrades?

If so, that list is pretty much applicable to the C30, too, since the systems are almost identical.

Feel free to borrow whatever you need.

The real "trick" will be to find a place here to put it so it is easily accessible and folks know it exists. Perhaps a sticky topic on the C30 section.
 
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Jun 5, 2012
144
Catalina 30 mkI Victoria, British Columbia
Yes, your Critical Upgrades thread was what I was referencing... I really like it and there is a ton of good info there, but the catch is that you end up following links to multiple threads and it's so easy to get lost or side tracked. For me anyway...
What about if we were to create that sticky thread (if people think this is even worthwhile) where I could add or link to a living "compiled" document of sorts. I'm only thinking out loud here.... So bare with me.... But maybe people could post in their thoughts in the thread, we could discuss them, and I could then add them to the document and put in relevant Catalina technical drawings, photos, step-by-steps, etc....
It would be a bit of work...but I think could be done....
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
In order to avoid reinventing the wheel, you might want to get in touch with Ken Kloeber KWKloeber
who frequents our C34 'site. He is trying to get Max Munger to support a C30 wiki. You can get in touch with Ken via email or pm on our C34 forum.

You C30 skippers have many different means of communication: the old C30 Association website, the yahoo group and this forum are the ones I know about, i wouldn't be surprised if there are more.

Too many places to go. You really oughta find ONE place to put it ALL so skippers with C30s have someplace to go to find everything.
 
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Jun 5, 2012
144
Catalina 30 mkI Victoria, British Columbia
Thanks for the lead Stu,
I heartily agree with you about C30 skips needing a single place to go on the web.....and I'm afraid I will undoubtedly offend some people - but I really feel like THIS should be it. The other two sites just miss the mark. The International C30 Site is horribly out of date and antiquated and the Yahoo Group site has lots to offer (with some really handy features) but is nowhere near as user friendly as this site, nor as robust.
 
Nov 14, 2013
238
Catalina 30 MkI 1983 TRBS Westbrook, CT
All great ideas above, there is also a Catalina 30 owners facebook group. I don't know why but I find the Yahoo group very, I don't know, hard to navigate? I just can't seem to figure it out.
 
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Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
You C30 skippers really need to get onto Max Munger and get him into the 21st century. Ken Kloeber and some others have had discussions with him to start a wiki, instead of the cumbersome Yahoo group and its repetitive Q&As with no search function. Max seems not to understand that a free wiki would be a great idea.

We C34ers, too, have an "experienced" guru who has "written the book" literally on our boats, and he seems to believe "It's all out there" which makes no sense with skippers with new to them boats and other questions. I help with links, he rants that he wrote it up but won't bother to tell anyone just where it is. Too bad.
 
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Jun 5, 2012
144
Catalina 30 mkI Victoria, British Columbia
Stu - I have registered on the C34 site, so just waiting to get the confirmation email back from the verification process. Still, I wonder at the value in chasing this Max fella...I had never heard of him before. If he's the Gatekeeper for such things and has already been asked, but proven uninterested I'd just as soon spend my efforts elsewhere.
I am in the process of compiling all of my relevant hand-written notes, pictures, web links and PDF's. Once I get things organised (and if people want) I could create a sticky and load everything up.
 
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Feb 15, 2014
180
Catalina 30 Bremerton, WA
All great ideas above, there is also a Catalina 30 owners facebook group. I don't know why but I find the Yahoo group very, I don't know, hard to navigate? I just can't seem to figure it out.
I agree 100%
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
Mike et al,

Are you members of the Catalina 30 International Association? If not, please join and help us to support developing exactly what you are looking for. The IC30A has just opened a TechWiki website and in the next few weeks(?) will start moving content that is available to the wiki site. Also, become active on the Yahoo! Groups Catalina 30 discussion forum. The Yahoo site contains tons of files on maintenance tips, C30 manuals, factory fixes/mods, engine manuals, equipment manuals, etc. That content will be moved to the TechWiki site, but the discussion group will remain on Yahoo! The Yahoo discussions are hard to search./locate what you want, but the files section is fairly well organized (no, not perfectly) into logical sections -- maintenance, mods, engine, CTY issued fixes, parts manuals, owner mods (content scant as of now), etc.

www.Catalina30.com
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Catalina30/info
wiki.catalina30.com <--- just opened, getting organized, will become active soon.

Cheers,
Ken Kloeber
1984 C30 #3573 TRBSFK M-25 diesel
"Positive Impact"
Lake Norman NC
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
Stu - I have registered on the C34 site, so just waiting to get the confirmation email back from the verification process. Still, I wonder at the value in chasing this Max fella...I had never heard of him before. If he's the Gatekeeper for such things and has already been asked, but proven uninterested I'd just as soon spend my efforts elsewhere.
I am in the process of compiling all of my relevant hand-written notes, pictures, web links and PDF's. Once I get things organised (and if people want) I could create a sticky and load everything up.
When you have your "stuff" together we can upload it to the appropriate section of the wiki, or you can do it (that may take a little longer for the wiki administrator to get all the permissions set up.)

Also, a big shout out "thank you" to Stu and the rest of the C34 team for their encouragement and help (their trials and tribulations re: getting the C34 wiki site to where it is). It has been a while getting the C30 wiki going, but I think we've turned a corner to the light.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I have registered on the C34 site, so just waiting to get the confirmation email back
I did it a few hours ago. You should be "in." Look forward to seeing you there, too.

Ken K is doing the C30 community a great big service. We are always glad to help and share.
 

jrowan

.
Mar 5, 2011
1,294
O'Day 35 Severn River, Mobjack Bay, Va.
I agree with you fellow C 30 sailors about the need for a C 30 website for just our boats.
Stu has a great site for the C 34, which indeed shares many parts, but the C 30 is a different model, & uses many different engine configurations, such as the 5411, M-18 & the Atomic 4 that were never used in the C 34. We need a clearing house of info., on just the C-30, because we are all spinning our wheels giving advice on the same old problems that newbies have, over & over again. While I like helping others to solve problems, it does get a li'l tedious. I would also like to see if there are any resources out there that I don't have. Such as a pdf free copy of the full owners manual, not the outdated parts manual. Cheers.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Stu has a great site for the C 34, which indeed shares many parts, but the C 30 is a different model, & uses many different engine configurations, such as the 5411, M-18 & the Atomic 4 that were never used in the C 34. We need a clearing house of info., on just the C-30, because we are all spinning our wheels giving advice on the same old problems that newbies have, over & over again.
That's exactly the issue that Ken (weekendrken) is trying to resolve by starting his C30 wiki. He'll keep you posted, I'm sure.

And please note, it's not Stu's website, I contribute a lot and am the secretary of the C34IA, but thousands of skippers have contributed to our website.

We had the same goal as you folks are trying to accomplish: everything in one place. In our case, we get a lot of grief (Charlie Brown!!!) 'cuz newbies think there's too much stuff! :poke:

"Consider the alternative," I suggest to them! :banghead::banghead::banghead::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: