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Volume
27,
Number 2, May 2009
(This
is only a fraction of the Technical content found in each issue of mainsheet.
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Catalina
470 Technical Editor Jim Wohlleber
A
Heated Issue
Our Yanmar 4JH3-TE and 4JH4-TE engines are marvels of reliability, relative
simplicity and above all else, a source of propulsion when the winds
are not favorable for sailing. As a fleet, I have heard of no one who
takes care of their engine in anything less than stellar fashion. We
change the oil and filter ahead of the required maintenance (mx) schedule
which is every 150 hours. We change fuel filters, both on-engine and
in the Racors, if there is the slightest doubt about their ability to
allow fuel to pass thru them after required filtering. Engines in the
Northeast are properly winterized and owners religiously monitor the
anti-freeze mixtures to ensure proper cooling on the fresh-water side.
Raw-water strainers are checked for debris and fouling; exhaust water
is regularly monitored for anything unusual. Our reward for these efforts
is a smooth-running engine providing proper power for normal and the
occasional non-normal situation. When power is being developed, we are
closely attuned to what the engine should sound like, what the gauges
should read and how fast our boats should be going at a given power setting.
If there are deviations from the norm we sense it almost immediately…almost.
Because our engines are seldom asked to perform at maximum power, problems
which will only manifest themselves during a non-normal power demand
are, as one would imagine, seldom seen. If Larry Berlin, The Diesel Doctor
from Union, NJ reads this he is undoubtedly thinking “I told Jim
to run his engine regularly at max power to get the oil hot enough to
evaporate any water in it, thus reducing the potential for the sulfur
in the fuel to combine with water and produce sulfuric acid which is
not good for the innards of the engine”. Indeed, The Diesel Doctor
DID say that (at Diesel School which I and Mike Yorke [Certa Cito, Hull
# 108] attended several years ago) and I have done that regularly; therein,
somewhat obtusely, lies the reason for this lengthy Tech article...
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Catalina
42 Technical Editor Garry Willis
Counter
Tops
Garry,
The white counter top in the forward head is pulling away from the base
and I don’t know how to remedy the situation. We’re the original
owners and I’ve never caulked the seams. Everything seems OK in the
aft head. Should I caulk the aft head?
I guess it started about two years ago, but can’t be certain. My
wife Shirley uses the forward head, and I use the aft one. She says that
she dries the counter off after each use, as I do mine, so I don’t
know why her head has the problem.
Actually, this fall it’s been pretty cool since we came down after
Thanksgiving, but I’m certain it was steamy last summer, though we
had a dehumidifier going most all the time. We have a man check on the
boat while we’re not here. –Truman Cleverland - Galavant #544
Truman,
Well, it appears that for whatever reason, the facing has separated from
the base and needs to be bonded (epoxied - use a two part available
at any good hardware store) back in place. The mold and mildew along
the seams (where its black needs to be removed with whatever you typically
use to remove that stuff. We use Amazon when we need to. Use a toothbrush
to get into the corners and scrub hard. Once it is all cleaned up,
I would then get some clear silicone and place a bead on all the seams
to prevent any more water from infiltrating into the area again. Do
all the seams on the counter and walls.
For the area under the faucet you will probably need to inject some epoxy
into the opening and then place a heavy weight on top of it to keep it
in place and let it set. -Garry...
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Catalina
400 Technical Editor Brian Mistrot
Hoop-ups in the Anchor Locker
Most boats, likely including most Catalina designs, have shore power,
water and other hook-up connections on the transom, or very close to
the stern (if they have them at all). Since most sailboats enter slips
forward, shore-side connections require laying electrical cords, water
hoses, etc. on deck, for virtually the length of the boat. Then, these
lines must reach to the dock hook-up location. This can require many,
many feet of hose and electrical line. If the boater is cruising, with
frequent stops at marinas, laying the lines and picking them up again
with each marina visit can get to be a real *#@*.
In preparation, for our first of two nine-month trips from Lake Ontario
to the Gulf side of Florida via the ICW and the Keys, I installed hook-ups
in the anchor locker. On these trips, we stayed at marinas about 70%.
It was really great, to be able to use shorter water and electric lines
and to have them either connected for use or dismantled in preparation
for departure, in a matter of 3-4 minutes. Additionally, we don’t
have the clutter of these lines running along the deck. The photo shows
the three connections as installed: one for a TV cable, one for the electric
cable and one for water (the water has a quick disconnect). For the 110V
line, I installed a breaker with reverse polarity check, in the V-berth.
When connecting at the dock, I run the lines to shore straight forward
over the anchors, and can close the anchor locker cover. –Jim Ebmeyer,
Tranquility II, C400, #14, jebmeyer@yahoo.com...
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Catalina
380/397/390 Technical Editor Warren Elliott
Dis-Ruddering
The following are excerpts of emails from Gary Green, who seems to have
had more than his share of interesting occurrences.
Yesterday, I experienced a catastrophic failure of the rudder on my Catalina
380 Green Dragon, hull #128. While sailing off Marina del Rey, California,
the rudder suddenly and without any warning separated from the boat. The
entire rudder literally floated away. While the sailing conditions were
challenging (mid to low 20’s), the boat was appropriately canvassed
(double reefed main & small jib), and we were fully under control until
this incident happened. The boat has been as far as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico,
and has experienced far worse conditions, with no problems. The boat is
only 10 years old (I am the original owner) and had been hauled, the bottom
painted and inspected within the past year. The boat is also dived twice
monthly. No rudder problem was previously observed or even suspected...
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Catalina
38 Technical Editor Tom Troncalli
Heat
Exchangers
The engine heat exchanger is one item that we sometimes tend to forget
about until there is a problem. As sailors, our engines are sometimes
regarded as a necessary evil. A heat exchanger is a device to extract
waste heat from our engines, just like a radiator does on a typical car.
Marine heat exchangers are a water to water type system using sea water
to cool the hot engine.
Marine engines can be cooled by using direct sea water, called Raw Water
Cooling. A better way to cool is by a closed system, sometimes called
Fresh Water Cooling. Sea water is corrosive so by using a heat exchanger
the engine is isolated from the corrosive effects of a raw water cooled
system. On a fresh water lake, a raw water system may not have the corrosion
problems associated with using salty sea water but a new problem is introduced,
engine freezing. With a heat exchanger closed system, no sea water is
allowed into the engine and the distilled cooling water inside the engine
will have antifreeze, just like in a typical car cooling system.
The heat exchanger should have a sacrificial anode of zinc to help protect
it from corrosion and the zinc will have to be replaced on a regular
maintenance basis. Even if a heat exchanger does eventually fail, the
engine will still be protected. A heat exchanger is inexpensive compared
to the price of a new engine and properly maintained both should last
a long time.
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Catalina
36 Technical Editors
MK I Hulls: Glenn “Chooch” Jewell
MK II Hulls: Tom Senator
Dipstick Not Reading Correctly?
Tom,
For the past year a strange thing has occurred every time I check my oil.
Nobody has been able to believe it much less explain it. Every time I check
my oil when I get to the boat there is nothing on the dipstick. I stick
it back into the hole and pull it out again and it is more than 3/4 up
the stick. This has been going on ever since I had the engine rebuilt last
year. Thanks for any insight! –Scott St Germain, Floridalea #1296,
Pascagoula, MS
Scott,
I think this topic was discussed a few years ago on the list server (before
it was archived!). The group came up with the idea that when the engine
is running, oil is circulating around the engine, making the oil level
in the crankcase lower. Also while the engine is running, oil in the
dipstick tube drains down into the crankcase. When the engine is shut
down, the circulating oil settles back into the crankcase. Because
the top of the dipstick has a rubber cap, which is both a good oil
and air seal, the oil never makes its way back up the dipstick tube
after the engine stops. As soon as you remove the dipstick, you release
the “pressure”, and oil flows back up into the dipstick
tube. You can then read it normally on the dipstick. Most older car
dipsticks had a metal cap, which was not airtight, and always showed
the current level. Newer car engines, and our Universals, have a rubber,
airtight cap on the dipstick, which requires removing the dipstick
and reinserting it to read the oil level. Hope this helps. –Tom...
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Catalina
350 Technical Editor Tim Ryan
Air Conditioner fresh
water in-line strainer – In-line
Valve installation
After installing my repaired Smart Talk computer I noticed the fresh water
in-line strainer to the air conditioner looked dirty. We had used the air
conditioning over a year without checking the strainer. I now check this
every couple months to make sure the system gets the proper water flow.
This looked like a pretty straight forward and easy maintenance project.
Just for reference the strainer on our boat was positioned next to the
engine water strainer which is below the aft berth access boards. Yours
might be in a slightly different location since our dealer installed the
air conditioner after we purchased the boat.
So I took the plunge and disassembled the strainer, cleaned and replaced
everything.
After reopening the seacock valve, I turned the air conditioning system
on. Everything sounded fine until my wife said there was an error message
on the digital screen. After about 45 minutes of trying to figure out the
problem the captain, my wife Kathy, talked me into getting help. I finally
ate my pride and asked the service technician, Jason, at our marina, to
check out the air conditioner. When the tech took a look at the problem
he knew right away what was wrong. He had a funny grin on his face and
told me he had seen this same problem many times and often the owner would
work hours and sometimes a whole day and still not solve the problem. I
watched him cut off a small piece of rubber pipe near the out flow side
of the pump. As soon as the pipe was removed the strainer filled, and water
began to flow through the pump. He had to cut off the pipe since it is
nearly impossible to just pull it off the fitting leading out of the pump.
If you continued doing this each time you cleaned the strainer the pipe
would become too short. The service technician suggested a simple solution
that would simplify the process.
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Catalina
34 Technical Editor Mike Vaccaro
Replacing your Standing Rigging
After 18 years I decided to replace my rigging. Through those years,
I’d closely looked at the rigging a number of times myself
and once had it professionally inspected by a rigging company. I
was somewhat disappointed in the professional inspection in that
my eye was much more discriminating than theirs! The normal longevity “rule
of thumb” for a cruising boat rigging is about 15 years. When
I say the rigging had been inspected, it had been except for the
head stay - which remained hidden inside the roller furling system.
Most of us only look at the head stay for inches at each end and
maybe the turnbuckle during an infrequent adjustment. In general,
my rigging showed no obvious cracks or broken strands of the exposed
rigging. However, the head stay condition remained unknown - especially
where the tubes connect together and those connecting bearings ride
on the stay itself. There have been numerous Mainsheet articles on
the upper bearing popping out and the lower bearing inside the drum
breaking, so what about the middle? Over the years I had changed
from the OEM Hood 915 continuous line drive to the Hood Sea Furl
single line drive.
I decided that, with the all-new “pin to pin” rigging
replacement, I would also install a new roller furling system at
the same time...
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Catalina
320 Association Editor Karl Mielenhausen
Fuel Gauge Problems
A failed fuel gauge may have several causes. Here is some troubleshooting
tips from past postings on the C320IA Discussion List.
First off, has the gauge ever worked correctly? The fuel “sender” is
simply a variable resistor attached to the fuel sender arm. If the arm
were installed incorrectly (rotated 90 degrees in the tank) it would not
be stuck on full, instead the gauge would not be able to reach full as
the pivot arm would bind inside the tank.
If the gauge is reading above ‘Full’ all of the time,
the most likely culprit is a short to ground in the positive lead (pink)
from the tank to the gauge. Conversely, if the gauge reads below ‘Empty’ all
the time, the most likely cause is loose wiring. Check the top of the tank
where the fuel hoses enter and verify that the wires connecting to the
tank sender are in good shape. Next, remove the wheel and open the engine
pod, and check the fuel gauge. Ensure that the connections are in good
shape. Clean if necessary with a wire brush and some WD-40, tuner lube,
or dielectric grease. Follow the sender wire(s) from the back of the gauge
to the “terminal block” (where the wires come up through the
tube from below). Frequently this junction block is a problem. Watch for
loose wires and other wires that are clamped on their insulation not bare
wire. On the back of the gauge, there is a power wire and a ground wire
(may be connected to the frames of all the gauges.) This powers the backlighting
of the gauges...
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Catalina
310 Technical Editor Bob James
No
column this issue. Comments and/or questions for next issue? Contact
your Tech Editor today.
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Tech
Talk with Catalina 30/309 (edited by Max Munger)
Where
to Put the Flat TV?
Has anyone mounted a flat screen TV to their 309? I’m thinking that
the bulkhead on the forward port side of the saloon is a good spot but
I’m not sure how to get the wiring, etc into the bulkhead. Is this
a dealer only install? Also, had anyone added a cable TV connection? –Mike
and Kathie, Kidding Around, hull #125, two_gardeners@ yahoo.com
Solutions:
I too had the idea of a flat screen at that location but found no good
way of running coax other than having it exposed. Kept my old free
standing TV on the counter opposite the head door and I use a flat
coax connector (used for sliding glass door applications) going out
the port above that counter and connecting with the satellite dish
coax. Have had no leakage even though it must remain connected except
when sailing to ensure satellite updates. The 309 is one tough boat,
mine survived Ike in Houston when my pier came apart. Much cosmetic
damage but most boats sank in my area. –Larry, Hull # 103 lmillican@comcast.Net
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Catalina
28 Technical Editor Garry Hebert
Chezbear gets a new fridge
An icebox conversion unit is one of the most popular and useful upgrades
that is available for a cruising sailboat. When we purchased Chezbear several
years ago it had a refrigeration unit in the icebox and when the boat was
surveyed the system was working. Unfortunately the compressor came loose
during transport to Lake Winnipeg and the lines were broken. At first we
didn’t bother to get it fixed because we mostly day-sailed or did
over-niters and the icebox was all we needed. But after I retired a few
years ago, we wanted to spend more time on the boat and a working fridge
became a priority. I tried to fix the system myself but the best I could
ever accomplish was to get it working for a day or two. There were obviously
problems with the system that were beyond my capabilities...
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Catalina
27/270
Technical Editor C27 John Ebell
Technical Editor C270 Phil Agur
Wear on the Halyards?
John, I purchased a 1985 C27 (hull 5867) recently, and have a few questions:
I have been working on the masthead, examining the sheaves and halyards.
My plan is to replace the main halyard (longer to reach cockpit), and
main halyard sheave (ball bearing design).
On disassembly, I found that all four of the existing sheaves were designed
for 5/16" line size. However the three existing halyards were all
3/8". Will this arrangement hasten the wear on the halyards?
I could accommodate a 3/8" halyard with a sheave from RigRite.com.
It will fit in the masthead (2" OD, 5/16" ID, 7/16" width).
Any opinions on halyard line size?
Is low-stretch halyard design important?...
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Capri
26 Technical Editor Art Harden
Before
I get into my first technical article for the Capri 26 Mainsheet section,
I want to thank Bob Unkel for his confidence in me to take over the technical
editor’s responsibilities. Although our initial transition of duties
ran aground and I missed the last issue, I hope to steer us back into deeper
waters for smooth sailing.
I had several ideas in mind for the May issue and finally settled on one
that has been recently discussed around the Capri 26 Yahoo Group - “Manual
and Automatic Bilge Pumps”. I would like to thank Bob White (Tulsa,
OK) and Bruce Spletstoser (Lake Roosevelt, AZ) for their input on the Patay
bilge pumps.
Reason bilge pumps are important – First of all we are talking about
boats and all boats leak somewhere somehow and water gets into the bilge.
If they didn’t leak, we wouldn’t need bilge pumps. When you
have a leak below the waterline or sea swells, the bilge pump can mean
the difference between safely returning to port, or making a “May
Day” call. Just think of the possibilities of leaks with all of the
through hull fittings (engine fresh water intake, head sink discharge,
galley sink discharge, knot meter sending unit, depth transducer, rudder
post, prop shaft packing gland). Add the possibility of clamp failures
and hose breaks and you start wondering if you should even leave the dock...
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Catalina
Capri 25 Technical Editor Chris McKillip
Catalina 25 Technical Editor John Gisonde
Catalina 250 Technical Editor Randy Kold
Catalina 25
Single Handing
The C25 may be the best boat to single hand ever made. Even without the
latest equipment you can get to open water hoist the sails and have a great
day.
It is more a strategy of using the equipment you already have instead of
going out and spending the dollars to make single handing possible.
If you have hank on sails and don’t have an auto pilot you can still
get out there and sail. You just have to be aware of the limitations of
your situation and get to a safe place to be on your way.
Due to the limitations of this space and the breadth of the subject this
will be just a brief discussion of the areas that will make single handing
safe and easy.
When this is published a forum topic will pick up the discussion where
this leaves off...
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Catalina
22 Technical Editor Sharon and Philip Merlier
No column
this issue. Comments and/or questions for next issue? Contact your
Tech Editor today.
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Catalina
18 Technical Editor Erik Van Renselaar
No column
this issue. Comments and/or questions for next issue? Contact your
Tech Editor today.
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Catalina
16 Technical Editor Richard Ede
No column
this issue. Comments and/or
questions for next issue? Contact your Tech Editor today.
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Catalina
15 Technical Editor Paul Vance
No column
this issue. Comments and/or questions for next issue? Contact your
Tech Editor today.
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Capri
14.2 Association Editor Ed Jones
Say Goodbye to the Jibcar Blues
We’ve had several conversations with Catalina Yachts about problems
with the jibcars. (We’re using the term “jibcar” to mean
the entire assembly, including the part that slides back and forth as well
as the jibcleats.) There are thousands of cars out there with a poor design.
But don’t despair, they can be fixed.
There are basically two problems. One is with the knurled knob. This is
a magnet for pants, and cheerfully rips them unmercifully. Plus the jibsheets
have a tendency to get wrapped around the knob. This can be a disaster
when tacking in a strong wind...
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