[C38] Customized access openings from engine compartment on back

Fri May 20 08:50:11 EDT 2011

Hello Marci and group,

When I cut out the bottom of my sail locker, I carefully marked the lines I wanted to cut and used a fine tooth blade in a scroll saw. I have several battery powered saws but I used a quality 120v saw.   The utility powered saws are usually stronger, lighter, smaller, and they can't run out of electricity.  I only use my battery powered tools for quick work where battery life isn't important.   I used a fairly long blade front to back for the straight cuts and a thinner blade for the rounded corners.  A good light is needed for a good clean cut.

When I cut my locker, I had not heard of anyone doing it before so I was in foreign territory.  My boat may have been the first to have this procedure.  I cut my locker in 1993 so it was a long time ago to remember specifics but I do recall going through several  hot and worn blades making the cuts. You may want to try wetting the cutting area to see if that will prolong blade life as well as to keep down any glass dust that you really don't want to breathe.  I would wear a mask in any case.

A big concern in cutting out the floor is staying away from the aft outboard side of the floor because you can get too close to the hull where it turns inward under the locker floor.  It's probably not a really good idea to cut through the hull and after I made my cut I was somewhat amazed how close I had actually cut to the hull when I thought I had a lot of clearance.  I have attached another picture of my cut.  My saw blade actually touched the hull making the corner so my cutout was to the maximum using the blade length I had in my saw.

I do remember how apprehensive I was about making this modification but other than getting too close to the hull and also possibly cutting through something under the floor, the operation is a breeze.  Before you cut you can feel or use a mirror and flashlight to inspect under where your cuts will be.

Later when I overhauled my transmission, I actually sat between the steering quadrant and transmission in the engine compartment to remove the bolts, shaft coupling, etc.   What would have been an impossible job became relatively easy for my 5'9" height.  Once the transmission was completely uncoupled, it was fairly easy to just slide and lift it out through the sail locker.  Once you make this access modification, anything you do regarding access to the transmission, heat exchanger or steering area will become infinitely easier.

Tom Troncalli
Ex owner hull #95 Renata

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marci Brown 
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Sent: 5/19/2011 12:00:22 PM 
Subject: [C38] Customized access openings from engine compartment on back

I’d love to compare our boat’s access areas to everyone else’s - before we start cutting. I’m going to take some photos and post them next week. What’s the best power tool to use to cut through the fiberglass when creating new access panel areas? A cordless circular saw set for a shallow depth?

Marci J. Brown
PO Box 520549, Winthrop, MA 02152 USA
Ph: 757-502-7422 | Email: mb at seafor.us

From: Max Soto [mailto:maxsoto at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2011 11:12 AM
To: Larrypi at roadrunner.com; Catalina 38 Listserve
Subject: Re: [C38] Mysterious stuffing box behavior

Larry,

 I have exactly the same locker as Hassle.

Max

2011/5/19 Larry Malmberg <Larrypi at roadrunner.com>
I'm confused too Max.  Our port locker in the cockpit (sail locker?) is open all the way to the hull except for a step where the start battery is located, the step has a shelf for storage where we keep extra oil and coolant, there is a large access to the engine compartment there as well, kind of T shaped.

Larry Malmberg
Team Hassle

From: listserve-bounces at catalina38.org [mailto:listserve-bounces at catalina38.org] On Behalf Of Max Soto
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2011 7:52 AM
To: tdtron at earthlink.net; Catalina 38 Listserve

Subject: Re: [C38] Mysterious stuffing box behavior

I don't know if it is just me, but this locker is totally different than mine... I remember seeing this pics years ago, but still today , I can't figure it out, and my only explanation is that the modification was very big and I didn't get that, or that  (this is getting common!) there are two different kind of lockers. Mine goes all the way to the hull, and has a liner with no  anti skid pattern.. 
How about other boats??????
I need to install a generator behind the engine, so the room I can make for myself, the better!

Regards,

Max 
2011/6/18 tdtron at earthlink.net <tdtron at earthlink.net>
Dan,

While mentioning the sail locker cutout, you reminded me that I came across a couple of old photos of my locker cutout which I have attached.  The holes on the engine side of the locker were left over from the previous owner's hot water heater which I moved to the engine aft of the transmission.  That location was not possible before the sail locker modification.

The cutout is supported by angle aluminum bolted with countersunk #10 stainless bolts and nylock nuts.  The four screw heads in the first photo are holding my pressure water pump up side down between the hull and sail locker bottom.  We found that location to be a very quiet place for the pump and after the sail locker cutout modification, that location also became easy to service, another previously wasted unaccessible area.

On the sail locker cutout, I did add a vertical brace between the forward inside corner of the cutout and the hull.  I bedded a piece of pressure treated wood to the hull and made a support of aluminum angle connected to the perimeter aluminum angle which made the floor of the sail locker very stiff and strong.

Of all of the modifications I made to my 38, I think this was the most practical and best.

Tom Troncalli

----- Original Message ----- 
From: 
To: Catalina 38 Listserve
Sent: 5/18/2011 12:40:01 PM 
Subject: Re: [C38] Mysterious stuffing box behavior

Marci, We bought our boat in Rhode Island and last year did the opposite trip you are doing. We brought it to the Chesapeake Bay. We Had a situation that may be close to yours.
We had 5 total crew and was motor sailing hard in Long Island Sound to try to get to the East River to catch the tide right. We heard water splashing around and the quarter berth was getting wet (we have an opening there to get to the back of the engine, not sure all Catalina's have it). There was a lot of water under the engine and the spinning shaft was splashing it around. When the shaft wasn't spinning there was no splashing.
Before starting our adventure I got a lot of information from the C38 website, most importantly the leaking stuffing box on the rudder post. Below the front of the engine there is a drain hole that allows water to drain from under the engine to the bilge. Ours was clogged up and allowed the build up of water under the engine and the shaft to splash it around. When running hard and even sailing fast the rudder post will let in a lot of water because the stern is squatted down.
Check under the front of the engine and make sure that hole is clear. I think you will find that to be your problem as well as a rudder post leak.
I still have to fix mine. I'm going to cut out the sail locker bottom as suggested on the C38 website to gain access to the rudder post.
Dan #108

----- Original Message -----
From: "Max Soto" <maxsoto at gmail.com>
To: "Catalina 38 Listserve" <listserve at catalina38.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 11:35:51 AM
Subject: Re: [C38] Mysterious stuffing box behavior

Marci,
 I guess that the shaft was spinning while sailing with the transmission in neutral. I'll check the packing gland and also check for movement of the stuffing box while running with the engine, it should denote problems like the ones you just mentioned...

Hope this helps.. 

Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

2011/5/18 Marci Brown <mb at seafor.us>
A troubling stuffing box situation began last week (and continues): We ran the engine reasonably hard for about 4 hours when doing the NYC East River trek to Long Island Sound. I was in the galley when Keith raised the sails and cut the engine (leaving transmission in neutral). Immediately I heard water pouring into the boat from the stuffing box area. I shouted for Keith to throw the transmission into reverse. No more water! Whew! Water quickly exited the boat via bilge pump - with the exception of 10 gallons sitting under the engine that I had to pump out by hand. Diagnostic guesstimate #1: New zincs on the prop shaft causing wobble that is stressing the 2-year old flax packing gland... right? The cutlass bearing is fine. Other thoughts: Folding prop has inherent balance issues, engine/transmission/prop shaft alignment fine tuning necessary, packing glands wear out quickly under stress?? Would anyone like to tackle this one?

Marci J. Brown
PO Box 520549, Winthrop, MA 02152 USA
Ph: 757-515-3151 | Email: mb at seafor.us

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Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

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-- 
Max Soto
C38 #198 ESTANCIA
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
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