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Hard Time

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/05/2005 : 08:56:22

Truth is, the hard is here. Many of us are already on it. Those who are not quite yet... it is staring you right in the face. Our mild Autumn already has me in past Halloween, I will pull next Sunday.
So what will we do for the boat this winter? How do we not only meet the responsibilities of maintaining a boat but go beyond and improve the boat? It is only with careful thought, planning, and scheduling, that any of us can get our winter project list completed.
Please try to document and digitally record as much of your winter work as possible. Everyone benefits so much from the group wisdom; and newly documented projects keep that dynamic alive.
Let's use this thread to document the Winter projects of our association. By late Spring we will have a wonderful new batch of "Hard Time" Tech Tips for the site. (Some new ones would be nice, eh?)

Please post your most Optimistic list; Prioritized. That will get this thread moving. Then we can post the individual projects here as they happen.

Frank Hopper
Tech Tip Editor, Catalina 25
Mainsheet Magazine

Edited by - on

tingwc
1st Mate

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31 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2005 : 10:05:14

Some of my winter projects I've planned include adding a second battery and replacing the electrical panel which came with the boat. That thing is ugly, old, and has seen it's last days. I'm not sure exactly how I plan on doing this, but either I'll rig a new switchboard myself or buy one online.

I'm also planning on making new cushions... I've already taken the old cushion covers out and thrown away the foam. I'm having my girlfriend create new cushion covers from the old cover lengths and we'll cut out the foam together.

Finally, I bought some sunbrella fabric and and am planning on making a boat cover to extend from just behind the mast to over the cabin doors. This'll prevent water from ever getting into the cabin if there ever is a leak anywhere. I'm making it with buttons so that it'll just snap onto where the pop-top cover usually snaps onto.

I'm definately very interested in seeing what everyone is doing this summer. Frank, this is a great idea. Hopefully this will be a great resource for everyone and give some folks ideas to keep busy! Should be a busy winter for me!

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2005 : 11:03:48

Well Frank, its that time of year for us to take sweatshirts and windbreakers down to the boat. I am going to loosen up my rigging a little and get us ready for the bigger winds and bigger waves of this season. Whales will be arriving soon. Lately we've been having winds over 15 so maybe I'll put up my other main, the one with the two reefs, and make sure the 60% jib is ready to fly. My roller furler is stowed and I've committed to using hank on jibs till spring. I would like to buy a real set of foulies, we tend to have to duck a lot of spray this time of year.

Dec. 14 will be the annual boat parade of lights and we're sure to have a big Fleet 7 party. This year we will have to put up some lights, the Norgans and Cavins have been really showing us up past years.

Indiscipline is pretty much ready to go but sometime this winter I am going to junk the stock stern light and put a new halogen on the stern rail. I've already deep sixed the miserable excuse for lights Catalina put at the bow on the older boats.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2005 : 15:06:38

Well It will be a little different for me this year, I find out this tuesday if my slip will be ready to move into. I have been on a mooring for the last two years waiting on the slip list at the club. The boat has a new coat of bottom paint that was put on in July so I have just decided to keep the boat in the water for the winter months. If I do get my slip I have a 6000lb hydrohoist that I purchased last spring. The boat will be out of the water with just the tip of the keel touching. It will be a real upgrade for me as I have been rowing out to the boat in a dingy every weekend. As for the winter projects I will list them below in order to being compleated.

1. Fix window leaks
2. Install electronics
A. AM/FM CD radio w/ speakers
B. Standard Horizon WIND,SPEED,DEPTH Guages
C. Compass - KVH Sail Comp
3. Interior Storage Spaces
A. Cockpit Storage-Port&Starboard
I am going to install a cargo net as the floor so the compartment now will have access from the top for the anchor, and gas can, misc sheets and lines, finders.
Below the netting I am planning on creating a storage area that can be accessed thru the rear bulkheads with a forspar hatch 12x16. This area will be for all of my racing sails I have for the boat. All of the sails I have are rolled up and put into sausage bags, I have a 150,140,130,100,main, and the spinnaker.
B. Interior Aft Storage-Port&Starboard
In all of the storage areas on the boat I am planning on building a box that will slide into these spaces. The capri 25's storage areas are all open to the hull of the boat, so if its wet in the builge its gonna get my stuff wet. Starboard side will be for hardware and tools. the port side will be for cooking and cleaning supplies.
C. Side birth storage-Port&Starboard
Here I am planning on building light weight dividers so stuff can be put into bins. This way I will know right were I have stuff stored.
D. Small V-Birth Storage
This are has access panel that is a 8x8, Its just right for toilet paper and cleaning supplies, It will be another box made but this one will be watertight.
E. Large V-Birth Storage
I want to make another water tight box her as well. this will be the place we will store thow pillows and bedding supplies.

Well thats the three things on my list for the winter. As for the storage boxes, I am planning on making them out of fiberglass and a foam core material. I might even just use cardboard. cheap and light weight. Its gonna be really nice to use the boat for a weekend getaway as well as going out and racing the boat every other Sunday Afternoon.

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

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USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2005 : 23:17:37

I have a new C250WK that will be arriving sometime in deep winter, so I will be equipping it from scratch. My projects:

1.) Commission the boat under dealer supervision.
2.) Take it to the motor dealer (Yamaha), and hang an 8HP XLS and decide if I want to remote it or not, also whether to use the outboard motor bracket described in these forums.
3.) Take it to the boatyard and get a barrier coat and bottom paint applied before it goes in the water.
4.) Buy all the needed safety equipment (gotta find a list of what that is), including Lifesling. Buy a portable GPS and handheld VHF at the January boat show.

The above gets me in the water, so that when the ice storms stop, I can go sailing. (We seldom get snow here in Portland, but it does freeze now and then.)

Not sure how many more of these I will get to, but as money permits over the winter:

4.) Either buy Catalina cockpit cushions or from another source.
5.) Install shore power, charger, battery panel and switch, second battery.
6.) Install an electric bilge pump.
7.) Install Raymarine electronic wind indicator (unless someone tells me another brand is a better choice).
8.) Install ship's power connector and some sort of bracket for handheld GPS (Will be a Garmin 396.)
9.) Install a mast antennae and VHF radio.
10.) Install trailer guides.
11.) Install a trailer brake washout system.
12.) See if Trail-Rite or someone has a spare tire/launch wheel setup I can install.
13.) Install Problaster washdown pump as described in these forums.

I doubt I'll do all of that, or even half of it perhaps. But it's the list. I'll be sure to take photos and notes as I go along.

Any comments or suggestions from anyone on the list, or items on the list, would be very welcome. I am very much a newbie.

Edited by - kevinmac on 11/06/2005 12:19:26

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2005 : 08:35:38

Frank, great idea and I'll look forward to gleening some 250 specific related offerings for the Mainsheet 250 side as well. I'll add my invitation to any one who has a 250 tech tip, modification or upgrade they feel would benefit the group to write it. take pics and submit.

The group should know there are actually two forums for submissions. One is to the online tech sections and the other to the Mainsheet technical editors Frank on the C25, and myself on the 250. The Mainsheet offers a format for removing the tech pages of interest and notebooking them.

If there are specific questions or things which any one would like covered in a Mainsheet tech column... all that is needed is to say it.

Edited by - on

Downbucket
Navigator

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USA
188 Posts

Response Posted - 11/06/2005 : 19:36:16

Great idea Frank. I have a couple of projects planned for late winter/early spring and I'll try to take some pictures and post them. I plan to install a new hard plastic holding tank to replace the rubber bag installed by a previous owner. Also, I hope to apply new anti-skid to the deck.

Will

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

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USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 11/08/2005 : 09:42:23

Here's my 'off season' to-do list. Let's see how much I can get done...
In no real order...
-remove and refinish exterior Teak and stairs (all has been removed and the process has started)
-remove/upgrade the ladder with the swim platform/telescoping ladder mentioned in this forum.
-remove/replace the motor moount
-remove/install new rubrail
-install solar powered fan in fore hatch
-replace wire-rope halyrads with all rope
-install a boom vang
-replace the original depth finder with ???
-gudgeon upgrade
-purchase/install a tiller extension
-look at ideas for a Bimini
-clean and polish the hull
-new antifouling paint
-evaluate electrical system
-clean, clean, clean (springtime)

This should keep me busy for awhile

Edited by - on

PamC
Navigator

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171 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2005 : 11:15:50

Good idea Frank, this'll be fun. Prozac is already tucked into her dry dock beside the house and covered. Here's our list:

1 - Dave is prepping the deck for painting & nonskid. I know, I know there are many who are wincing, but we've checked out a couple of several year old paint jobs that look VERY good still. This will be the big job this season and also means rebedding all fittings.
2 - The bottom needs some new antifouling paint.
3 - Custom bedding for the vee and quarter berths.
4 - New open turnbuckles for the standing rigging.
5 - I've already cut new carpet
6 - Recoat all exterior teak with Armada
7 - New window coverings
8 - I've already pulled all cushions and made polar fleece slip covers for the settee bottom cushions. Hoping to make life with pups easier when they come back from a shoreside romp. And extend the life of the current covers.
9 - The website is well under construction, maybe 70% done. I'm currently chipping away on the San Juan adventure page and still want to add a boat project page. But feel free to take a look at www.chapsail.com and critique as I go. Well, be nice though.

Edited by - on

frankr
Captain

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256 Posts

Response Posted - 11/09/2005 : 11:29:24

I'll have several projects for the winter/early spring hard time. We have purchased 1989 Catalina 36 wing keel. So I've got the list of stuff the surveyor found to work on. I also need to tidy up a few things on our 2003 C250 that is for sale - so that it sells fast in the spring - we may take one last motor on it this weekend as we have stripped the sails and cushions for winter storage, then on Monday it goes up on the hard. This has been a great site with lots of information and exchanges.

Edited by - on

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