[C38] Catalina 38 Questions

[Marc Stewart]

Rob,
Palancar, #26, resides at Liberty Bay Yacht Club, Poulsbo (we're on  
Bainbridge Island).  From your list:
- our propane storage can handle 2 5-gallon bottles that sit in a  
drop-in locker athwart and forward of the transom.  This also serves  
as a helmsman seat.  The locker/box was built into the boat and a  
piano-hinge-mounted lid covers the large space that include the  
locker (w/ built-in scuppers).

- keel bolts:  save the the forward-most which is unaccessible now as  
a result of a permanent deck built over it by the previous owner, the  
remainder are clean.  I had them tightened a few years ago, and they  
were then pretty snug.  Also had several small pilot holes drilled to  
look into the wet plywood problem, and ... found it in the form of  
seepage from a few of the holes.   Solution: for now, ostrich trick.   
I get the smile - not huge - when I haul.  Palancar is out for a long  
term at the moment, so I'll see what's left of the smile come the  
first week in January.  Hasn't been a problem.

- reason for haul-out:  list-serve may recall that I recently  
reported a problem with a non-standard faring over the propeller  
strut that generated some bad pitting discovered when we hauled the  
boat 11/11.   Catalina wasn't as concerned about the strut as the  
boat yard was (I'm probably not going to use them again) but the  
cutlass bearing was worn out as well.  To replace the cutlass bearing  
either required pulling the strut w/ shaft or the rudder.  The rudder  
on a 38 (as noted by Don Strong) is a pain of highest order to deal  
with properly.  So I bit off the strut replacement to also address  
the cutlass bearing problem.  Reliable technical advice suggests  
these bearings last about 10 years on a sail boat - which is why I  
opted not to just put the boat back in the water.  Anyway, most 38's  
don't have this extraneous extra faring along the keel that envelopes  
the strut.  I'm paying ridiculous $$ (which I'm contesting) to have  
the remainder of this faring removed and the bottom/keel from  
propeller shaft hole to the strut restored to normal conditions.  I  
will have the yard put a small zinc on the propeller strut; non- 
standard, but there's no spec-based corrosion protection on this  
component.

-  windlass - no gots, but I'm starting to think I'd like one.

- chainplates:  same story as Don's

- rudder:  see ostrich trick above; actually, I use a grease gun now  
and then applied through a zirc accessible through the quadrature

- baby stay/track:  no gots

- windows:  mine leak a titch on one side - probably sun-heating/ 
cooling related.  Not enough that a towel can't deal with most of the  
time.

- toe rail:   I have some nasty pitting corrosion attacking the lower  
outer edge outboard the aft stbd pulpit stantion.   The cause  
mystifies as there's no difference between that location and any  
other where a stantion is in proximity to the anodized aluminum toe  
rail.  Perhaps it's an example of anodization going away, but it's  
surely gone elsewhere, and I'm not seeing that problem anywhere else.

- holding tank, fresh water tank, fuel tank, etc:  Palancar is  
coastal, i.e., I don't have  large enough tankage for long-haul  
trips.  Water ~35 gal; holding ~21 (stock C38 tank); fuel 12 gal

- engine/propulsion: Palancar was repowered in ~2005 w/ a nice 36HP  
Yanmar + maxi-prop.

Marc Stewart


"We need to learn, in these challenging days, that to every right  
there is attached a duty and to every privilege an obligation.  May  
we all learn the lesson that it is not the right to do as we please,  
but the opportunity to please to do what is right."  The Reverend  
Peter Marshall, chaplain of the U.S. Senate 1947-1949

Marc Stewart
mstewart at sounddsl.com

On Dec 10, 2010, at 6:40 PM, Rob Webb wrote:

> Hello Catalina 38 owners,
>
> I am a yacht broker in Long Beach, CA and a Catalina 30 owner and  
> regular contributor to the Catalina 30 yahoo group.  I have a  
> client that wants to know all things to consider before he  
> purchases a C38 (not 380) for blue water cruising.  Some of his  
> questions include:
>
> Propane tanks, location, options
> Keel bolts, bilge plywood sole repairs
> Windlass - where/how best to install.
> Crack/leaks at chainplates
> Worn rudder tube (check if cap moves 1/8" or more)
> Baby stay/track
>
> I am fairly knowledgeable about the boats but wanted to get input  
> from the experts on these and other items he should consider.  I am  
> also curious about C38 vs. 380 sailing characteristics from those  
> who have sailed both.
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
>
> Rob Webb
> Flying Cloud Yachts
> 6400 Marina Drive (at the Marina Shipyard)
> Long Beach, CA 90803
> Cell: (562) 786-1872
> Office: (562) 594-9716
> FAX: (562) 594-0710
> Rob at robwebbyachts.com
> www.flyingcloudyachts.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Listserve mailing list
> Listserve at catalina38.org
> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org

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