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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Gas tank Compartment

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Chris Z
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452 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/22/2006 : 10:18:28

I have a question regarding how to correct the problem in my 1982 where as the lid rests on the cockpit area and has worn over the years on the bottom edge of the fiberglass and now sits a little lower then the rest of the cockpit seat. I thought about maybe about installing a angle metal piece on the inside with a couple of rubber feet to take the weight of the lid and bring it back to level. keep in mind that this was the year they mmade the gas tank area seperate from the rest of the sail locker.

Chris Z.
Water Warrior
1982 Force 5

Former Owner Blown Away - C25

Edited by - on

John Russell
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Response Posted - 12/22/2006 : 10:49:59

Sounds like that would work. But, maybe just build up the other side with some kind of gasketing material would meet the need. It would also provide some cushioning for the lid as it lowers decreasing the wear. The gasket material could be installed in a location that would not be visible when the lid is closed.

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DaveR
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Response Posted - 12/22/2006 : 11:42:38

Hi Chris,
I'd probably take the lid to a boat yard and have it repaired. I'm sure they could re-glass the bottom to look perfect and I can't imagine it would be to expensive. Good luck with it and Merry Christmas, Dave

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2006 : 22:01:47

I had the separate fuel locker and lid, and wonder how yours wore out on the bottom... After 21 years, mine was unscathed. Before you spend time or boat units fixing it, you might want to determine whether it's gonna recur. (Of course, a piece of rubber-coated cast iron will probably reduce the likelihood...)

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tinob
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1883 Posts

Response Posted - 12/23/2006 : 08:48:24

Chris' I have the same problem on an '83 Cat 25 and I'm contemplating doing as you suggest with the exception of glassing/screwing a piece of teak (which I have)across the bottom/inner side of the cover.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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tinob
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Response Posted - 12/23/2006 : 08:53:52

Chris, In addition to the above post you may notice the lid's right angle turn is cracking, allowing the vertical section to spread beyond the vertical and riding over its seat in the fuel locker. You may want to repair this as well.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT,# 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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cat1951
Admiral

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Response Posted - 12/23/2006 : 18:01:23

My 85 has a large chunk of the fiberglass broken off. Not on the lid, but the cross bracing on the bottom. Maybe a corner angle of teak trim would make a good fix it item...

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Chris Z
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Response Posted - 12/23/2006 : 20:08:20

Val,

I think I might have come across a good solution. I think this would give me a little lift to it and protect from future problems.
http://www.boatersworld.com/product/379510050msk.htm?bct=t13037503%3Bcimaintenance-boat%3Bcihardware-%3Bcirubrail-chafe-protection

I would like more detail on the other problem you were describing. I am hoping to get under my cover tomorrow and take a look and do some other work.

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tinob
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Response Posted - 12/24/2006 : 14:58:56

Chris,

I don't see how the rubberoid gasket like material will help with the problem that you originally posted. The other thing that I mentioned was that when the (my)gas locker lid has pressure put on it the vertical portion of the lid doesn't sit on the base of the locker but tries to reach to the cockpit floor. I suspect that this is happening because the seat(horizontal) surface and its right angle vertical surface has a flange at their confluance that is cracking allowing the vertical surface to override its intended seat causing the problem that we are having. Wish I had a picture of what I'm saying, it would be worth a "K" words.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, pATCHOGUE, n.y.

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Chris Z
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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2006 : 17:39:08

Val,
That is exactly what mine has done also. I will try and get into the boat in the next couple of weeks to take some pictures.

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jaclasch
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Response Posted - 12/24/2006 : 22:24:34

Mine did exactly the same thing and I fixed it by fiberglassing a plywood gusset in the curve area for reinforcement and also making the bottom edge thicker so it would not jump off the ledge when someone sat on it. I will post a picture in the next couple of days if the docks are not too slippery with snow and ice.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/25/2006 : 10:28:59

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tinob
 ...The other thing that I mentioned was that when the (my)gas locker lid has pressure put on it the vertical portion of the lid doesn't sit on the base of the locker but tries to reach to the cockpit floor. I suspect that this is happening because the seat(horizontal) surface and its right angle vertical surface has a flange at their confluance that is cracking allowing the vertical surface to override its intended seat causing the problem that we are having.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I'm trying to picture this on the boat I no longer have... It seems the problem must be that the lid, when closed, should be supported by the underside of top of the lid. Is there not a small, depressed, horizontal surface at the forward and aft edge of the opening that is meant to support the lid? If so, and if the lid is contacting the bottom before it contacts those side surfaces, you might want to add some dense foam weatherstripping to the underside of the lid to help keep the bottom edge from supporting the lid and whoever is sitting/standing/jumping on it. That should keep the vertical front from being pushed out by the same downward forces.

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tinob
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Response Posted - 12/25/2006 : 13:06:55

James,

Sounds like you've come up with a working solution for the problem, kudos.

val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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tinob
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Response Posted - 12/26/2006 : 12:37:01

Hi Dave, Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas ( also Marry Christmas if you prefer).

On the '83 the vertical portion of the fuel locker seat doesn't have but a knife edge where it makes up to the base of the fuel locker. The base of the fuel locker is also just a flat surface which makes no attempt to control the closure of the fuel locker seat. Had Catalina cast a lip in the locker's floor, or a groove to accept the seat's vertical edge, the problem would not have occured. At times it seems that Catalina's design team relies on the ingenuity of the owner to solve issues that they didn't have time to resolve. Or didn't forsee. Often it seems that the construction of a boat is more challenging than the designer is capable of dealing with.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2006 : 16:38:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tinob
 Hi Dave, Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas ( also Marry Christmas if you prefer).

On the '83 the vertical portion of the fuel locker seat doesn't have but a knife edge where it makes up to the base of the fuel locker. The base of the fuel locker is also just a flat surface which makes no attempt to control the closure of the fuel locker seat.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Hi Val--back atcha... But no marrying for now...

I think they must have changed that design by '85 so the lid was supported along the two sides of its top (horizontal) surface instead of the bottom edge. I'm pretty sure that's how mine was. If there is no existing surface to do that, I might suggest screwing two small wood strips onto the sides of the locker in a position that will support the top of the lid, taking the entire load off the bottom edge. Then you'll have an '85! Any scheme that supports the lid only from the bottom or the vertical side would seem to me to put a destructive strain on it.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 12/26/2006 16:43:37

Chris Z
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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/26/2006 : 20:57:29

Val,
You said that just right. As they always say design intent, or better yet design intent due to lack of time given by the corporation. Being an engineer I always find myself shorted on the time to get it right. I think George Lucas once said that he never finished any of his films, they just forced him to put them out.

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Chris Z
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Response Posted - 12/26/2006 : 21:06:14

Dave,
Thanks for the insight. I will have to get under the cover next week, get a closer look at it and snap some pictures to share.

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cat1951
Admiral

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636 Posts

Response Posted - 12/27/2006 : 07:36:09

Chris...I know exactly what you are talking about. I am a voice systems engineer. I worked as PM on a project once that the upper management kept patting themselves on they back saying: "We finished a 9 month project in 3 months..isn't that great?" What they failed to add is that we in engineering spent the 6 months after implementation fixing all of the errors that were inherent in a rushed project. So in reality it did take 9 months.

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Chris Z
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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/27/2006 : 08:01:50

Mike,
That is too funny, that is exactly what I do for a living at AT&T. I design Nortel systems.

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Dave Bristle
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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 12/27/2006 : 08:59:38

Then again, if you wait for the engineers to get it the way they want it, you'll never get the product out.

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cat1951
Admiral

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Response Posted - 12/27/2006 : 09:23:05

Chris...small world. I design Inbound Toll Free / Outbound Virtual Private Networks. I am a specialist on AT&T and have even been a Product Manager for AT&T in my past life for Route It. In fact, I am on a conference call at the moment cutting over some Caribbean traffic from a U.S. Routing network to a Caribbean network routing.

Dave, you are probably right...note I said probably

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jaclasch
Navigator

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104 Posts

Response Posted - 12/27/2006 : 17:26:29

When I first got my boat, I noticed the gas locker cover would make sounds of distress when anyone sat on it. One day I saw the lip of the cover pop over the ledge which supports it. Then I looked closer and saw a crack through the radius of the cover's front flange at the 90 degree bend.

Looking for the cause I found that the 6-gallon tank that came with the boat was pushing the locker cover outward because it was a little too wide. This made it start popping over the ledge when weight was put on it. The width of the locker floor is 15.25 in. forward but it narrows to 14.25 in. aft (at least on my boat). So it is important to find a tank that has clearance side-to-side in all conditions.

For the fix, I cut a plywood gusset to fit the 90-degree bend of the cover and fiberglassed it for added strength. This picture shows the arch of the gusset and the fastening screws.

This picture shows the gusset from inside the locker and also the reinforcement block I put on the supporting edge of the cover.

This shows the ledge the cover rests on. Notice the gelcoat chip where the cover used to pop over the edge.

The reinforced cover now sits where it should and takes sitting or standing on with no problem.

One more view of the gusset and reinforcing block.

I hope this helps. Remember, check gas tank fit if your problem is similar to mine.

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Chris Z
Captain

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452 Posts

Response Posted - 12/27/2006 : 20:44:59

James,
Boy you really came through with the right fix. So how much is it to contract you for this work?

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 12/28/2006 : 13:10:52

Great fix James. Let us know how it weathers. The description of the seat reminded me of the name given to the rumble seat on thirty'ish roadsters.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT,# 3836, Patchogue, Patchogue, N.Y.

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jaclasch
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Response Posted - 12/28/2006 : 18:12:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tinob
 Great fix James. Let us know how it weathers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks, Val. Actually the fix is nearly four years old and there are no more problems. So now I guess it is time to fix the gelcoat chip.

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tinob
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Response Posted - 12/31/2006 : 00:29:25

James,

Think I'll check out Dave's idea as well sounds promising.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT # 3836, Patchogue, N.Y.

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