Bottom Paint - What else to change while hauled out?

[CarlF]

The first thing you are likely to notice after the haul is a "Catalina Smile" where the keel is slightly separated from the hull. Lots of choices about how to address this. I expect Catalina owners have favorite methods.

Much higher up your lists of worries (and possible expense) than seacocks is the condition of your keel bolts. Do you know if they have been replaced or repaired (possibly by "sistering" new bolts alongside the original ones)?

The bottom may also have many layers of old bottom paint. You'll be able to tell because the bottom will be a bunch of slightly different levels where a chunk fell off and was painted over. It makes for a rough and slow bottom. It's expensive to remove all of the old paint in an environmentally acceptable way - but at some point the build up requires it.

[JPA Cate]

What Carl F wrote above about removing the x years buildup of dead bottom paint is right on. Jim removed 14 yrs. buildup from our first Insatiable, a 36 footer, using a 2 inch scraper. It took him 5 10 hr. days, at age 54. He thought he'd removed 200 lbs. of paint. Your boat will appreciate it. It is not urgent, but it is a good idea to accomplish it. Soda blasting is one way to have it done, but of course, less effort for you BUT more money!

I'd say, ask the rigger about the chainplates. At the moment, i don't remember anything dire about Cat 27 chainplates, as long as there hasn't been water intrusion, so if there's no signs of bulkhead repair or water damage, maybe that's okay--but just check. If the boat is to be insured, the insurance company will have some things they want to know the age of and what is permissible. If you're going to insure it, find out what they need, perhaps their own surveyor will need to vet the boat, and usually out of the water (so you don't have to pay for another haul out, just for insurance survey).

FWIW, since no one else mentioned it, this is the time to clean, and then take a Q-tip and put bottom paint on the paddle wheel for the knot meter. Also, it's a bit of a struggle, but clean out the apertures where water comes in, knot meter and for toilet water egress, drains, engine intake, etc, and paint as far as you can up the holes. Even as crude a tool as a stick that you rubber-band paper toweling to can get paint up there.

I hope you don't find any unpleasant surprises.

I don't know if you have the gasoline Atomic 4 or diesel. Don't fire it up if the blower stops working, if it's gas. The engine has only 2 crankshaft bearings, is not what I'd call a sturdy beast, but should serve you okay.

Ann

[sailorcherry]

Cutlass bearing (if it hasn't been changed already in the last 10-20 years). It's a really inexpensive part, just bought one for $50.