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Brought my TR/SK home for overhaul

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Randall
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123 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/05/2003 : 10:11:52

Howdy gang,

The Army has been keeping me busy so I haven't had much time to post, although I check in on the site as often as possible to see what everyone is up to. There are always insightful conversations going on about issues I have with "Kite"-- biminis, wiring, bilge pumps, etc. This is truly a great website.

I finally had enough leave time to run down to Del Rio TX (Lake Amistad) and load my 79 TR/SK onto it's trailer & haul it home. I made the 150 mile trip using my trusty 360 powered Dodge 4 X 4 quad-cab. I locked out the overdrive and held the speeds to 55-60 and had no problems despite the many hills. Couldn't use cruise control, though, the hills caused the transmission to "hunt" too much.

I now have to do triage on the boat. I must decide which of many, many projects to do first so that I can have her back in the water by Christmas. Dec 29th is my birthday, and this next one will make the tenth straight birthday I've spent sailing. I plan to celebrate every remaining birthday offshore, even if I have to chop my way into the boat with an icepick. The weather has been good for the first nine years-- clear skies, light winds, mild temps. Gotta love south Texas for that.

I know that I can only complete about a tenth of the things I would like to do in three months, so I'm starting with these three:

Project one is to rewire the mast, and install all new standing rigging. I will also switch to all rope halyards and be rid of the meathooks. There is rot under the mast step, so that area of the cabin top must be reworked also.

Project two is to 'glass in 5 of the 7 thru-hull & to-hull openings that Kite has below the waterline, and reinforce the keel trunk. A crude patch job was done by the PO to stop seepage around the trunk where it was damaged, probably by an accidental keel drop. The only below-the-waterline thru hull will be for the depth/knotmeter.

Project three will be a new wiring system from stem to stern. I threw away the factory water tank, and am installing two deep-cycle batteries in the starboard settee, along with storage for tools, collapsible 5 gallon water containers, etc. This should help trim the boat, which has the outboard mounted on the port side, causing her to be chronically out of trim.

There are plenty more things to do, but those are the big three that I want to finish. The rest can be done when she is back in the water: bow roller, rebed railings and fittings, new portlights, etc.

If it weren't for all the support available on this site and from Catalina Direct, I'd probably ditch the boat and start over on a 27 foot Ericson or Cal. But you guys done got me hooked!

Randall

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2003 : 11:05:37

If you want a Cal 27 on a trailer, very cheap, call these guys. Ask for Ed, be persistant.
http://www.actionsail.com/

<img src="http://members.cox.net/fhopper/Catalina25/sigbow.jpg" border=0>Frank and Martha in Wichita KS. Lake Cheney

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2003 : 12:18:06

Beam on a Cal 27 is 9'- 3" Think the Erickson is similar.

Be aware that you aren't going to trailer than in most states without a wide load permit.. and maybe even a pilot car.

Currently maintaining two holes in the water...'77 Venture 23 and new to the family,
'78 Catalina 25

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2003 : 14:58:03

Hi Randall,
Welcome back from the Army. I read a story in today's paper about all the interest by the servicemen in Iraq in what will happen to them if they go AWOL. What a cluster----

Sorry for the digression.

I'm going to rewire my mast toothis winter. I have been collecting parts to do the job. I want to add a windex light as I would like to try some nightime sailing. This means I needed a 5 wire conductor and a 5 pin connector. (I also have a mast, deck, and steaming lights) I bought some Ancor 14-5 wire and some Ancor 14-3 wire from West. I also got a 5 pin deck connector made by Aqua signal, also from West. I am looking for an LED mast light to lower power draw when anchoring.

I'm also rewiring lots of my circuits too. I bought a 250 foot spool of both 12-2 and 14-2 through Iboats.com. Tinned boat wire (not Ancor, some kind of generic) but the 14-2 was 20 cents/foot and the 12-2 for 26cents. Quite a deal.

When I rewired the mast on my old C22 I also added an in mast conduit so the wires wouldn't bang the mast and make noise. My 89 C25 already has a conduit inside it.

Good luck

Frank Gloss
89WK/TR

Edited by - on

matsche
Captain

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USA
280 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2003 : 16:24:36

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>glass in 5 of the 7 thru-hull & to-hull openings that Kite has below the waterline<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

7 thru hulls? Just curious, what were all of those for?

John Matsche 1985 TR/FK #5171

Edited by - on

Randall
Navigator

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123 Posts

Response Posted - 10/05/2003 : 22:16:52

Hey, come on you guys, don't be telling me where to find Cals and Ericsons, I'm trying to focus on rebuilding my Cat 25!

Thanks for the "welcome back", Frank, but I haven't really been anywhere yet. I was called to active duty 21 months ago to go to Afghanistan, but wound up in Atlanta GA working for a two-star, doing homeland security stuff. Instead of living in a foxhole, I lived in a hotel suite. I share your concerns about Iraq, I think we have stepped firmly into a quagmire. I'm a 52 year old Army reserve officer with 27 years of service, and my wife is an active duty National Guard NCO with 22 years in. We have a 9 year old daughter who is going to inherit this war when we retire.

While in Atlanta, I found a Cal 25 at Lake Lanier that I desperately wanted, but it didn't have a trailer. I looked on-line and found a trailer in Florida with a Cat 25 sitting on it. The price was right, so I brought it to GA with the plan to sell the Cat and rework the trailer to carry the Cal home. In November, I was unexpectedly transferred back to Texas to work at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio (82 miles from home in Kerrville), and didn't have time to sell the Cat and buy the Cal. Now my wife and daughter have forbidden the sale of the Cat 25. I really love the 9' 3" beam of the Cal/Ericson 25's, but our Cat is getting to feel pretty homey.

John, my boat has three holes under the forward dinette seat for the original marine head intake and outlet, and one for a depth/knotmeter. It has one for the sinks, one for the icebox, and.......... hmmmm, I guess it only has five thru-hulls! I must have counted the cockpit drains as the other two, but I ain't plugging them!

Randall

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 10/06/2003 : 09:42:45

Randall,
One of my co-workers who is in the Reserve has been called up and was sent to Fort Sam for several months. We have all had to take up the slack for him. (But that's OK, we all have to make sacrifices, some have made the ultimate one unfortunately) He should be back next week.

He says that when his commitment is done, he is out of the Army. It's too bad that we don't support our troops more, and take such advantage of them

I remember your posts of a while back. Glad you made it to Texas OK.
Keep us posted on your progress. It seems that we are doing some of the same upgrades.

And thank you for serving your country (That would be us)

Frank Gloss
89WK/TR

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.