Catalina 350 International Association

Hello all:

I've already written in a few times between purchase and delivery with panic questions and received helpful answers. Thank you! But now I've got our C-350 "Even Keel II" moved from NJ to her slip at Herrington Harbor North not far from Annapolis, MD. The delivery was an uneventful 38 hours non-stop down Barnegat Bay in the second week of April, down the NJ coast from Barnegat Inlet to Cape May, up the Delaware River, through the C&D Canal, and back down the Chesapeake-- arriving at 0130. We had wind to sail for only about 3 hours along the NJ coast, but saw 7.2-7.6 kts SOG most of that time. The only problem we ran into was vast rafts of debris floating in the northern part of the Delaware Bay due to heavy rains and flooding in the early part of April. We're talking trees and telephone poles! Anyway, now that that's done, I would like to say a more relaxed hello to all Association members and hope to meet some of you in the Chesapeake Bay region this year.

I've lusted after a C-350 since the day I sold my C-320 back in 2002. I've read a majority of the posts on this forum, and of course learned a great deal. I've had a chance to crawl all over Even Keel II (Hull #288) and have pared my "To Do" list down to about 17 1/2 pages (just kidding- it's less than 2 now). I've got quite a few questions, and rather than post them separately to their respective topics, I thought I'd group them together here. If anyone would rather contact me directly, my e-mail address is gbenzon[at]benzonresearch[dot]com. Here goes:

(1) I'd like to join the Association, but I haven't gotten a response at membership@catalina350.net. Is this address still valid for the application form?:
NANOSEC
C/o Catalina 350 International Association
PO Box 9840
Fayetteville, AR 72703

(2) I understand that earlier boats have serious refrigeration problems, and judging by how much my compressor runs when it's cool outside, I'm sure I'll have problems when it gets hot out. How would I know if I have the gasket upgrade kit or the door insulation upgrade?

(3) I have no cabin fans. Is the boat pre-wired for fans whether they are installed or not? Or should I just cheat like I did with my C320 and tap them into the cabin light circuits?

(4) I have no cockpit table and would like one. Is it worth having the Catalina version installed (I assume it's around $1000) or is there an aftermarket version that will attach to the pedestal and be wide enough for this cockpit when folded out?

(5) How does one get into the pedestal to service instruments or anything else? I'd like to install a cigarette lighter type 12v jack there.

(6) I've never been on a boat with such a noisy A/C. Has anyone tried to quiet their's down with baffling or something?

(7) I have the dinette to double berth conversion. I found the two short pedestal tubes to lower the table, and clearly the inner edge of the table is supported by a cleat along the edge of the settee. Should there be something to support the outer edge of the table? If not, can you sit on the edge without breaking the table?

Thanking you all for your indulgence!
Gary Benzon
Even Keel II, Hull #288

Welcome aboard.
A few responses:
#3. Run wires to the cabin fans. It's not that hard to do and you know it will be done correctly. there is plenty of room under the area near the hull to deck flange. I installed three; one in the aft cabin, one in the main cabin, and one in the forwrad cabin all on the port side. I used the breaker pre-labeled for fans.

#5. Access to the pedestal compartment from the cockpit is gained by removing the six screws holding the engine gauge panel. The panel can be wiggled off and left to dangle carefully by all wires. You need to remove the wheel to do this. The wheel is simple, just unscrew the brake and then the nut. be careful to not lose the (greasy) shaftway key. Access from below is gained by taking the large cover plate that hangs from the underside that covers the steering cables. I recommend snaking wires up through there using a regular electrical snake. You then can wiggle down into the port sugar scoop lazerrete (you have to be a contortionist) and handle wiring chores.

#6. Sorry, but I agree, the Air Con is the loudest thing II have ever heard (except for the Newport electric toilet). But, they both work well! My AC does a great job of keeping the boat cool (Texas-GulfCoast)

I have spent much time with the sytems on the boat. Ask away. The list is a great source of info.
Sam
LONGHAWK #173

On the fridge: Problems are not serious. Just a lack of insulation and a poor design. See my latest cooments on ways to improve yours. I'd bet money that you have the original top door insulators. Warren pandy in the Largo office of catalina can get you the new ones. A tough job to do though.
Fans; There is a separate braker, but the wires are not run. I just hooked mine into the lights. I have a total of 5 Hella fans.

12volt outlet, I did this too. I ran a wire to the Axuilary breaker on the top portion of the breaker panel. You just drop out the instrumnet panel to get started, then drop the quardant cover in the aft cabin and run the wire from there to the breaker.

I had the Catalina all fiberglass table installed after I had the boat for a few months. This was four years ago and I think it was $700 ++. I like the table because it is very substantial and the lower bar makes a good place for guests to brace themselves when the boat is heeled. I also bought a cup/bottle holder from SnapIt Marine. It is a real must have item. There is a picture on this site.

Horst Lechler
Seahorst, #127

Thanks for all of the great advice.

Does anyone happen to have the phone number of the Catalina Largo plant? I've tried to e-mail Warren Pandy several times about getting upgraded refrigerator door insulation panels but have gotten no response. Is there a better person to talk with, e.g. a parts guy?

Also, I went and bought 3 Caframo Bora fans and installed them into the existing light circuits since they supposedly only draw 0.2 amps on high. They seemed to work fine until I turned on a light on the same circuit. That shuts down any fan on the same circuit! It seems that the motor speed controller is electronic rather than a physical switch. The slightest momentary voltage drop kicks it off. It will start right up again and run normally until you turn another light on. These circuits have plenty of excess capacity, so that should not happen. THEN, after running them for a bit, two of the units had their fan blades slip down the shafts and collide with the shrouds, making a heck of a noise. Caframo has admitted to a "quality issue" with the units and will pay to return and replace them. That's fine, but now I have to dismount them and fish the wires out. Apparently West Marine had pulled all of them off their shelves a few weeks ago. I bought mine from Defender.

Next is the cranking battery. Since I live 2 1/2 hours away, I decided to get an estimate to have a local shop do the work. Get ready for this: Well over $1,500 including over $557 for cable! Needless to say, I've decided to do it myself, and found that I can get all the Ancor tinned 2/0 and 1/0 cable I need for about $70. You know, I am willing to pay more than I think a job is worth (it is a boat after all), but there is a limit beyond which it becomes insulting.

Still haven't found the right cockpit table though.

Hope all are having a great sailing season.

Gary
Even Keel II

Gary, congrats on your new boat! My dad kept his C400 at Herrington Harbor for many years and is now at Chesapeake Harbour near Annapolis. There is a great club you may want to check into in the area, the CCYC (Chesapeake Catalina Yacht Club). He was the Commodore last year and we've spent a lot of time with the CCYC group over the last few years. They are a great bunch of sailors and they have a lot of raft ups and an annual two week extended sail. http://sailccyc.org/

My dad and the friends we've made at CCYC made Catalina a natural choice when we decided to buy this year. As a matter of fact, we're expecting delivery of our first sailboat, a Catalina 350, in October.



See ya round the forum...
Wally and Connie Conway
Unnamed Hull #467

Thanks, Wally.

I've had Even Keel II for a season and a half now, and have made many improvements and upgrades including a cranking battery, washdown pump, 35# Manson Supreme anchor with 75 ft of chain + 175 ft of rope, extra insulation on the inside of the fridge, TV & iPod inputs to the stereo, cabin fans, LED cabin lights and I forget what else. By the way, the new Manson anchor arrangement is awesome. I also keep a Fortress FX-16 on the other bow roller for a lunch hook, and an extra-large Danforth in the locker for when things get dicey.

I never got around to adding a cockpit table, but decided we like the extra space without it. Still on the project list are (1) high output alternator with external regulator, (2) battery monitor and (3) ducting of hot air from the refrigerator compressor unit out of the boat. I probably would not go this far except that I am h-o-p-i-n-g that I can get down to the Bahamas for several months this winter. If I'm going to keep the beer cold, some of these projects will be necessary so I don't have to run the engine for 3+ hours per day. Your new Mk II should not have such refrigeration issues.

Best of luck with your new baby!

Gary

Good luck with your continued upgrades and trip south. Last Fall we took the last leg of a 3 week trip down the ICW from Annapolis to Brunswick GA with XFactor, a 2005 350. It really was a nice trip with interesting sites along the way.

We'll find out tomorrow if our boat made it through Hurricane Gustav without any damage. We went by to see her last week at the dealership in Mobile. They were moving the boats to higher ground. According to the news reports, the water is up 3-6' in Mobile so hopefully all is well.


Fair winds,
Wally & Connie
Unnamed, #467

Hey Gary from Carlisle, ...Have you read the post under refrigeration on installing the exhaust fan for the fridge? Let me know when you're ready to duct the exhaust from the locker where the Adler Baurbor unit sits. There's a way to swap air duct hoses under the aft berth. I did this then wired in one of those very low volt computer fans on the duct that I cut off near the refrig unit. If you don't see all the info and need more, let us know .... I have pics too. A real easy project.

PS. I have realtives in Carlisle

Triumph-

I do remember a link to a personal website that provided pictures of the ducting switch, but I'm not sure I know how to find it again. That is how I got the idea. Was that your site?

In the end though, it's that long trip from Carlisle to the Bay that is killing me, along with my inability to break away from my business long enough to do what I've always wanted to do--- and that is to take this boat south and spend months exploring the Bahamas. I've gotten so frustrated about this that I'm starting to consider putting Even Keel II up for sale. And that's after spending the last 2 seasons tweaking and upgrading all sorts of things. It drives me crazy to have this boat sit for sometimes 3-5 weeks between uses.

Then again, maybe I'll get my priorities straight and sell my business instead...

Gary
EvenKeel II
#288