Catalina 42 International Association-Craftsman's Corner

Hull 923 Harness The Sun-Solar Panels
The Taproom
Harley Gee

My wife, Anna, and I enjoyed cruising our Catalina 320 to California’s Sacramento Delta for a month each summer. To keep our beer and food cold, we either had to run the engine daily or get ice. I promised myself that when we moved up to a Catalina 42, it would be equipped with enough solar panels to meet our power needs for refrigeration and other electrical devices while at anchor. When we took delivery of “the Taproom,” C-42 hull #923, in May 2006, I set to work figuring out what I needed to do.

But which panels should I get, how many watts do I need, where should I mount them? The last question was easy. Our boat was ordered with the factory hard dodger, which affords us 84” X 40” of usable space to mount solar panels permanently. I chose to mount three Kyocera KC85T solar panels as they fit perfectly requiring a space of 77” X 39.6” and generated about approximately 1,275 watts a day. I estimated that my power needs for lights, stereo and refrigeration would be between 800 to 1,150 watts a day.

There were three challenges involved in installing the panels. The panels needed legs to raise the edges to allow clearance over the curving dodger and clearance for each panel’s junction box which was lower than the sides of the aluminum panels. The mounting bolts would have to be over 3” long and could not be installed to the panels from below or above. The lock nuts to mount each panel would have to be installed from below on a bolt with just enough length to lock the nut.

I solved the problem of legs by cutting 18 from a teak board. The dimensions are as noted on the illustration. One side of the height is shorter by 1/16” to compensate for the curvature of the dodger. A hole was centered and bored through the height and tapped with a Ľ” - 20 tap. Six legs were then temporarily mounted to each panel with cheap Ľ” X ľ” bolts. The bolts were tightened only enough to hold the legs steady. Place all three panels atop the dodger and arrange them where you want them. Each panel’s junction box should face forward. If a leg needs to be lengthened/shortened, make adjustments to the leg or make a new leg. Carefully pencil the circumference of each leg’s footprint on the dodger. Drill the necessary holes through each footprint.

You will need 18 studs all 3ľ” long X Ľ” – 20. These can be fabricated from two pieces of 3 foot long Ľ” – 20 marine grade stainless steel rod. 3ľ” lengths can be snapped off the rod.

Each leg must be permanently mounted in its original location on the panel. Perform this installation one leg at a time. Begin by unscrewing the leg and removing the bolt from the panel. Thread a 3 ľ” stainless steel stud through the leg. Screwing a cap nut on the stud will make this process easier. The length of stud left protruding from the bottom of each leg should equal the thickness of the hard dodger (approximately 7/8”) plus the height of the washer and lock nut. Slip the top of the stud and leg through the mounting hole in the panel. Fasten the leg with a washer and locknut. You may need to keep the stud from spinning by holding it with vice grips. The threads in the leg will hold the stud and allow the lock nut to be tightened. Note: over tightening will strip out the threads in the leg. Be sure that the taller side of each leg faces the outside of the length each panel.

Connect 60” or more of 10 AWG cable to the starboard panel’s junction box. Connect 30” or more of 10 AWG cable to the center solar panel’s junction box. Connect about 18” of cable to the port side solar panel. Install the starboard side and center solar panels onto the hard dodger with washers and locknuts. Drill a hold through the dodger and dog house to pass the 8 AWG cable that will run from the splice at the panels to the controller (see pictures). Tread the 8 AWG cable up through the dog house then through the dodger. If you are using waterproofing plates around the 8 AWG cable, be sure to feed them through on the correct side of the dog house and dodger. Waterproof the splice that connects the three panel cables to the 8 AWG cable. Permanently mount the port side solar panel with washers and locknuts. Tie the cable to the stainless frame of the dodger.

Follow the instructions from Blue Sky for mounting an SB-2000E Solar Boost Controller. Locate it where it will be easy to view and gain rear access. Run the 8 AWG cable to the controller and then to the batteries. A 30 amp fuse or circuit breaker should be wired to the positive cable close to the batteries.

Solar Panels:

Three Kyocera KC85T solar panels - Cost w/shipping: $1,362

Fasteners:

1 bag (100) Ľ” 316SS flat washers, 1 bag (100) Ľ” – 20 316SS lock nuts
2 pieces of Ľ” – 20 3’ threaded rod 316SS Cost w/shipping: $ 33

Cable:

2-Conductor #8 AWG Outdoor Wiring Cable (25 feet)
2-Conductor #10 AWG Outdoor Wiring Cable (12 feet)
30 amp Circuit Breaker (or Fuse) Cost w/shipping: $ 56

Controller:

Blue Sky SB-2000E Solar Boost Controller Cost w/shipping: $ 216

Total Cost: $1,667

Camelot and Ursa Minor are identical fin keel, 3-cabin MkI boats built in 1990 that share adjacent slips in Portland, Oregon. A couple of years ago Bob Teeter upgraded his rudder to the newer elliptical design while Ursa Minor is still blessed with the old barn door slab. The new rudder has beneficial effects on boat handling but any improvement in boat speed is small enough to get lost in variations in sail trim, luck and sailor attention. We’ve found when racing head to head we both generally lose about the same number of causal races. Our plan for Ursa Minor is to upgrade the rudder fairly soon.

Camelot’s rudder sat in Bob’s garage gathering dust and getting in the way. Recently the planets lined up just right where I had my utility trailer at the moorage and he wanted to get rid of the old rudder. There may have been beer involved… Anyway, I ended up with the rudder in my carport with a vague idea of stripping off the fiberglass, reinforcing the stock and building a new rudder. Here is a story of those events.

Conclusions: The general method of forming the shell and injecting the resin/fiber mix appeared to provide a solid structure. Two things do concern me about the way this rudder was built. The use of plain carbon steel below the waterline seems to be foolish economy. Camelot has spent all but a few months in fresh water. It would be interesting to see what a rudder with full-time saltwater immersion would look like. The other concern is the compete lack of bracing or reinforcement against the torque transmitted to the rudder which is carried only by the single plate. My company uses heavy duty air control dampers in our equipment and we have seen failures of the weld between the blade and shaft when this method is used. We would never accept this configuration. Before buying a replacement rudder from Catalina I would need proof that they have changed to a proper design.

	I built and installed these teak grab rails on starboard side. They have to be cut to fit curve of cabin. I like lots of things to hold on to when underway.
	Another customer teak grab rail, this time on main cabin ceiling.
	Magazine rack next to circuit breaker panel.
	I installed two sliding drawers next to TV, above chart table. I was able to obtain matching drawer latches from Catalina. Great place to put small things without having to lift chart table top.
	Draw opened.
	Folder boarding step. This is made from plywood and painted. With the hinges on each side, the step can fold up into small package.
	Close up of boarding step, it is important to make profile closely match hull side. Top of each side hooks on top. Note rubber strip between step sides and hull, this keeps step from moving when you put your weight on step.
	Boarding step folded.

	Added AC outlet, forward cabin, starboard side.
	Added AC outlet.
	Added Drawer Under Galley Microwave
	Added Handhold Over Starboard Settee.
	Added Handholds.
	Forward Head -- mirror on Door.
	Forward Head -- Towel Racks.
	Forward Locker.
	Modified Enclosure & Curtain -- Forward Shower.
	Single Screw TV Mount.
	String Bucket P & S Coaming.

	I removed the inside liner of the galley cabinet and removed shelves attached to inside of door. With the addition of a few panels on the inside I have lots more room, especially for big pots or appliances.
	I split the lower drawer in the forward compartment and added roller drawer brackets. This makes it a lot easier to inspect knot meter impeller and drawers slide open easily.
	Here is a clear Plexiglass shield I made to protect the autopilot ram and steering from loose equipment in the starboard stern compartment. The panel comes off easily with thumb screws.
	Another view of the Plexiglass shield, before installation.

	Top is a sunburst design inlaid with teak and ash veneers. The oval table base has storage underneath. The table folds in half which gives us much more standing room in the main salon. My friend Miles Poor (in sunburst photo) and I built this.
	Unfold the top and see an exotic tamo ash. Tamo ash is stained with alcohol dyes to match the interior and bring out its unique 3 dimensional grain. Table top is brushed with 13 coats of epoxy sealer, sanded level, then sprayed with 11 coats of 2 part polyurethane ("5 Year Clear" system). So beautiful, we can't stop looking at it.
	Here is a cabinet over the galley sink. Note the small white 10 watt halogens mounted under the ledge below the port side windows. They really help light the galley and the settee. Twelve volt halogen fixtures are available from your local home improvement store.
	Dishes for 6 are stored inside, as well as wine glasses outside. The halogen light on the wine glass rack gives a chandelier lighting effect.
	Here is a photo of the Westerbeke 7.6 kw generator installed in the engine room. A new engine room door was constructed a few inches wider to get it in. One inch sound insulation was added to the engine room. The water heater was moved to the port lazarette.

	At the core of this scheme is an adequate house bank of batteries. The three 4Ds that came with a 1994 model 2-cabin would probably suffice, but with one of the batteries near the mast, some change was needed. The run from the lazarette behind the galley to the mast seemed a bit long for any charger to overcome. Our original Freedom 1800 forced the decision by sacrificing itself to save its fuse.
	The first step was to decide on 6V deep-cycle golf cart batteries. Individually they are much easier to move than a single 4D. They are also much more readily available outside of the US (we've been told and have observed in Mexico). This also increased our Amp-hour capacity from around 550 to 660. More Amp hours could be had from taller 6-volts (they are 1.5 inch taller and may be the replacements for these ... 1100 Ah in the same space!). Fillers were built from 2x4 material which hold down the 4 batteries in the back in the standard battery compartment. A standard 4D battery case fit in the space between the existing battery compartment and the door to the galley. It has its own frame bolted to the floor and the new forward wall which itself is bolted to the existing bulkhead. All covers are bolted down, bolted to the surfaces available which in turn are bolted to the pan. The batteries should stay in place on all angles of heel.
	We decided to go with a Freedom 30 inverter/charger on the theory that when at the fuel dock for a short time, it could do a lot of charging in the time available. (We want to avoid marinas as much as possible.) We've found that the modified sine wave AC output has been no problem for any of our equipment including battery chargers and computer. It is mounted on the shelf running along the outside port hull in the aft lazarette. The shelf required some reinforcement along the back edge to support the added weight (56 pounds).
	The Freedom and Link 1000 documentation are quite good when it comes to installation requirements and schematics. But not perfect ... see the bulletin board posting for additional learnings. Because there was one run of cable over 6 feet, 0000 (4x0) cable was required through all paths that the charger would follow. Wiring to the distribution panel and other takeoffs remained the same but upgrades are part of the long-term plan. The Freedom can put out 140 Amps DC when charging (we've seen 130 on the Link 1000 display) and 3000 watts when inverting (a 250 Amp draw from the batteries). Freedom documentation indicates a dedicated battery switch (at the top right in the photo) and a 350 Amp fuse (below the shelf on the right). Both are mounted on the galley bulkhead. The cranking battery is in the black case at the bottom mounted to the existing shelf. It is fed by the 'Echo Charge' feature of the larger Freedom inverter/chargers and not treated as a separate battery bank by the Link 1000 controller. The house and cranking battery switches are mounted to the pan along the port hull. In the event of a cranking battery failure, we plan to jump the house and cranking battery with jumper cables (golf cart batteries can take it with no damage).
	Correct operation of the Link 1000 monitor/controller required moving all the connections normally run to the battery bank to outside the actual bank itself. This photo shows the Link 1000 shunt on the left with the battery bank connection coming in at the bottom. It is located on the back of the battery compartment. The connections for the charger and all downstream loads are at the top of the shunt. All other connections are then made to the heavy-duty buss bar downline from the shunt. The smaller wires are the Link 1000 monitoring and power wires.
	While not explained in the documentation, the same principle must be applied to the positive side. This buss bar is inside a compartment on the port side of the battery compartment. The wire coming in from the left in the photo is the only positive connection to the battery bank. The small wires are again Link 1000 connections. The smallish wire coming in to the second post is from the alternator (soon to be upsized), The third wire is from the Freedom 30 and the fourth wire leads to another buss which feeds all other connections. Eventually solar and wind power will be connected to this buss. In this fashion, the Link and Freedom can monitor all charging activity, not only their own.
	This schematic is basically a redrawing of one of the options shown in the Freedom documentation. Because all AC power is run through the Freedom before going to other AC circuit breakers, we have to manually turn off the water heater when charging or inverting. The AC could be rewired so that the water heater is on another circuit and automatically turned off when shore power is severed. But our decision to go as a 'green' boat means that once away from the dock, only the engine will heat water (or SunShower) and the water heater AC breaker will be left off. One important consideration is the addition of a galvanic isolator where the shore power first enters the boat. The inverter/charger mixes AC and DC grounds to do its job and for safety. This could lead to catastrophic galvanic corrosion without the galvanic isolator.

	Hanging Wet Locker--We installed a hanging rod on the inside of the forward head locker to store our foul weather gear. This drains right down to the hull and eventually to the bilge so it is ideally suited for this purpose.
	Forward Stateroom Shelf--Just for decorations and appearance.
	Forward Stateroom Cabinet--Again, all wasted space above the hanging locker and drawers. We store sweats and bulky clothing there.
	Sole Hatch--This is located just aft of the mast and has a lot of dead space below. Be careful of wire conduits below...I wasn't.
	Mast Cover--This also is a nice mod that we borrowed from our friends Terry and Sandy Vaughn. It muffles the noisy mast, is easily removed and finishes the look of the cabin.
	Tool Drawer two cabin model--So much simpler to have a drawer than to have to remove the settee cushion each time you need something under. Also installed access doors under the dinette for the same reason.
	Foot Pump--If your batteries run down or the pump won't work, you have no way to access fresh water so we installed a Whale Tip Toe Pump alongside the galley sink. There is plenty of room below the cabin sole for installation.
	Galley Cabinet for two cabin model--This is one of the best mods we have made on the boat and it really ties the look together. The louvered doors slide to reveal the microwave, and storage for dishes, pots & pans and misc. galley items.
	Aft Head Cabinet--All that space under the vanity in the aft head was enclosed in a cabinet utilizing tambour doors. We store linens and towels in there.
	Aft Stateroom Cabinet--The space above the locker and drawers was enclosed with sliding doors. We store a coffee maker and blankets in there.
	Radar Tower--This post can support many items including the engine hoist, cockpit lights, hailers and assorted antennas. It goes straight down to the hull.

	This is the forward locker, just forward of the shower. A Lewmar/Simpson Lawrence Sprint 1000 windlass was installed. It has a handheld control for powered up and down. The chain falls down to the hull. This increases the weight of the chain fall, virtually reducing the chance of the chain getting hung up in the windlass. It also provides LOTS of space for lots of chain & line.
	The aft head was removed, notice the frame for it in the ceiling (above the aft port hole). It is thought this space would be more beneficial as a freezer instead of a head. Luckily, there is a spare head in the bow.
	Custom 5052 and 5356 alloys aluminum fuel tanks were fabricated. 4 @ 30 gallon tanks and 1 @ 42 gallons (where the aft holding tank was located).
	Four L-16 6-volt batteries were placed into the bilge in a series/parallel configuration. This gives 700 amp hours and 700 reserved minutes. The grayish (covered with Interlux barrier coating) fuel tanks are visible. The tanks are filled by overflow and each have their own vent.
	The water maker pressure vessel is in the port aft cabin. The pump is driven from the Phasor 3.5 kw generator. Notice the clear hoses to see quality of the water. The SSB antenna tuner & autopilot brains are easily accessible.
	Here's David in his favorite driving position (when the autopilot is not on). The wheel was removed, replaced with a telescoping tiller. A custom table was built to clamp into the tiller.
	The left photo shows the telescope in the retracted position. When the autopilot is on, the tiller stows up-right by the stern pulpit, right photo.
	All engine gauges & controls were moved in the main companion entrance. Perfect for viewing when driving by tiller or below or when huddled under the dodger (not photographed, not built yet).
	Since David is in the metal business, he built a stainless arch, out of 2" and 1Ľ" tubes, which supports the traveler, the outboard motor lifting slide and the railing seats. Notice the stainless wedges for the foot blocks.
	The traveler is simple--block & tackle to move the mainsheet block (pictured with the bowline).
	Another purpose for the arch is a motor mount for the outboard. This large "paperclip" is easily removable when there is no need to work the outboard. The removable traveler block & tackle are used for the hoist.
	The generator was installed in the port locker in the cockpit. Notice, the hinges were replaced with a piano hinge.
	Close-up of the 3.5 kw Phasor generator. Notice on the left is the pump for the water maker. It's a bit hard to see, most fuel lines are clear, made of high performance Targon. It is easy to see if fuel, air, crud or nothing is flowing.
	A custom stainless adapter was made to "Tee" the generator and water maker exhaust. Six thru-hulls were removed throughout the boat, only 5 are left.
	Nice place for the propane tank. Notice the expanded observation seats.

	The 1 cylinder Kubota diesel generator fits snugly on a platform mounted on legs over the water heater. It generates 14V at 120 Amps with a Balmar 412 smart regulator for battery charging, and runs the inverter for 1.2 kW of AC. All maintenance access is thru the engine access doors. Fuel supply is tee’d into the main engine and has it’s own secondary filter and a check valve on the return. The engine is cooled through a fresh water heat exchanger driven by an electric pump tee’d into the main engine inlet. The engine air intake is plumbed to circulate cooling air around the alternator. The exhaust has a mini water muffler plumbed to a thru hull with flapper valve on the transom. It’s designed to be safe on either tack and in following seas.
	I had to rebuild and relocate the factory fuel valve panel for the aux tank, and added provisions for a third tank. The engine runs at 2100 RPM and is fairly quiet with just the engine compartment insulation. It’s almost undetectable underway and there’s very little exhaust odor except at startup. Fuel consumption is about 0.1 GPH. I get charged batteries and hot water thru the inverter by running 1˝ hours every 24. The genset is a semi-custom design from an outfit in Florida. It took several tries to get everything right with them but so far I’ve been pretty happy. The Kubota engine is a little gem.
	I got tired of always having a little water in the bilge. One day it occurred to me that there was a nice self-priming salt water pump in the aft head that drains the shower and fridge. So I built a valve manifold and added hoses to drain the 3 bilge sections with the pump. It dries things out pretty well.

	Wine glass holder under cup holder. What would otherwise be wasted space is used to store 12 wine glasses with no scratching. The biggest challenge was keeping them in while the boat heels.
	12x12 inch draw under dining room table (H&L Teak, Carson CA). It's a bit difficult to see in this photo, the draw opens athwart ship.
	The primary item in this photo is a simple clothesline, in the forward shower. I used strong 6" yacht stainless cleats & 5/16 Dacron line. The reason for high strength is so it could be used for a wet locker, hanging heavy wet fowl weather fear, even in rough seas. Even though the line can be removed in a few seconds (and re-installed in less than a minute), we keep it up most of the time. It's great to hang up wet towels. You also see a teak hook, mostly for hats. Also in this photo, you see a corner of the cockpit cushions. Upon delivery, I had new cushions made, cut & hinged (with matching piping). All cushions fit neatly in the forward shower.
	I built a pin-rail shelf with easy access from the cockpit to store small items such as keys, sun block... Below the plate and to the left is a convenient place for a flashlight and holder for a few kitchen knives. Aft of that is a cigarette-lighter adapter to make it easy to pass a 12-volt wire through the hatch to power cell phones... Aft of that is a light that lights up inside all 3 pantry doors. To the left of the lazy susan, you see a 120-volt receptacle (also a short run to the cockpit for 120-volts). Inside the lazy susan, you see an indoor-outdoor thermometer, with the outdoor sender inside the refrigerator.
	Our lazy susan opens by itself in rough seas. My wife didn't want any visible locking devices so there was a need to be creative. I drilled a hole to allow a 3/16 x 2" quick release pin to be inserted in the teak, penetrating into part of the door. A small block of wood was attached on the back of the door to allow a more positive lock. I drilled an extra hole to store the pin inside the lazy susan. This door gets positively locked when rough seas are expected.
	After seeing a few Taiwan boats, my wife decided we need teak frames around the windows. I agree, they do dress up the boat quite a bit. I also find the channels below the windows throughout the boat to be an excellent place so stow stuff like screwdrivers, knives, wine corkers, locks.
	I'm a big stickler for ventilation, so keep these doors open when the boat is not in use. Just above the batteries you see a very small portion of a Hella swiveling 12-volt fan, see the description on Ventilation. Just aft of the square light, you see another indoor-outdoor thermometer which measures the temperature of the hot water heater. This way I can tell how warm the water is before running it and wasting warm water. The gooseneck halogen light is easy to turn on and light up the entire garage, including aft of the hot water heater. You can see I added another 2-battery Perko switch and labeled the batteries. You can see a small portion of battery 4, an Optima 1000 MCA fits there after a little cutting of fiberglass.
	In the two closets, just opposite the pullman berth, I installed 12-volt lights. They are manually activated with their own switch. You also see a 120-volt receptacle I installed.
	The under the seat in the forward shower has plenty of storage. I installed a Bomar hatch with a 7x11" opening. So far it has stayed perfectly dry. The other round inspection port was installed as the shower drain hose fitting came off while I was working on the shower sump float switch. This float switch was mounted in a plastic tool box resting on the hull below the pullman. The hose that went from the shower sump to the factory pump was re-directed to this tool box. Coming out of this box is a new hose that goes to the factory pump. When there is enough shower sump water in the box, the float switch turns on the factory pump and uses the rest of the factory system. A sump box system is available commercially, but there is no need to buy another pump.
	Under the nav station has an area of storage that is closed up by 6 screws. I installed 2 hinges on the top and a door button to lock it. Great place to stuff several rags.
	I designed & had Garhauer Marine make a custom outboard bracket. It is constructed of std 1" tubing, polished like the rest of the rails. Even though the 7 hp Mariner weighs about 75 lbs, it never moves or sways. The actual pad the ob is attached to is the standard West Marine ob pad. You will notice it is totally out of the way, takes no rail space. You will probably also notice the Garhauer engine hoist pivot & rail attachment. This is a great place to put it as it allows maximum swinging out of the ob to lower it on the dink. You may also notice where the 6x9 speakers are mounted-under the observation seats. There are also gimbaled drink holders inboard of the observation seats and back rests to match the other canvass.
	A few cockpit ideas. I mounted a fire extinguisher under the aft cabin hatch on a piece of wood. It's thru bolted from the top, with an extra black plastic extinguisher bracket. No problems in over 3 years. My wife brought the Plexiglas cover for the cockpit table to a plastic shop and had them bond similar Plexiglas on the bottom so 4 cans or wine glasses can be held in place. Great idea, especially since we don't use that part of the table for much else. Hull 600 did not have hinged Plexiglas like the newer ones.
	I removed the existing screw near each halyard winch and attached a small line to a plastic button. Excess halyard and main sheet line is neatly kept in place by these line hangars. Also notice the "security" screws holding the stainless runners holding hatch boards in. These screws need a specially designed allen wrench with a hole in the middle.
	These 3 photos show a portable dock step. The stainless rails are made by Garhauer Marine, I did the teak steps. The second photo shows it is easily disassembled by removing wing nuts. Also notice the extra holes in the teak just above the stainless supports. The holes accept the other step's protruding screws allowing both steps to be locked in together when stored. The third photo shows the entire ladder collapsed in it's bag. Once you've done it a few times, it takes less than 5 minutes to assemble is disassemble it.
	The top photo shows new passifated screws at the chainplate. Even though the factory installed quality stainless screws, they showed rust more often than I want (although the chainplate is passifated). The bottom photo shows a neighbor's boat with the supplied screws. I am aware cleaning the shrouds and screws more often minimize this problem, but I feel using screws similar to their surrounding are more compatible, and look better.
Ventilation System	Air blows throughout most of the boat when it's not in use. Just above the 2 @ 4D batteries, there is a Hella swiveling fan, blowing from the galley toward the steering quadrant. In the aft cabin, a fan blows air from the quadrant through the aft cabin back into the main salon. Just aft of the forward toilet, I drilled a 3" diameter hole so air from 3" muffin fan on the other side of that bulkhead can escape. On the wall just outside the 50-gallon water tank (under pullman) I drilled a 3" hole & mounted another muffin fan, sucking air from under port main salon seats. These are all 12-volt DC fans, tied into the "cabin fans" switch on the DC panel. The boat does "hum" a bit when sitting in the slip, and I've gotten a few calls telling me a bilge pump or something is always running. I don't care, I also don't have any signs of mildew.

	Since there have been some failures of the single shackle mainsheet blocks attachment to the traveler, I decided to go with the upgraded car & 3 @ 3" Garhauer Unibody blocks. Beautiful, aren't they? The new car was compatible with the traveler on hull 600. The new car is shipped on a short piece of track with the ball-bearings in place. To install the new car, you need to slide the old car off (may want to capture most of the ball-bearings). Then line up the small track that was shipped with the traveler and transfer the new car to the traveler, being sure no balls fall out. It may sound messy, but very easy to do the transfer. The triple blocks on the ends of the traveler come with the kit & need to be swapped out (so they match the blocks on the movable car). Besides, one needs to be removed to swap the cars.
	On the boom is a 3" double Unibody block (forward). And a 4" single Unibody block with a becket. Garhauer recommended the 4" aft as a larger wheel is more efficient.
	On the traveler ends, I took off the cam-cleat & put a Harken bale instead. Then inside the dodger, ran the traveler control line through a spare sheet stopper & labeled all stoppers. There was a spare stopper on the starboard side. Needed to install a new one on the port side. This way, the traveler can be adjusted easily from inside the dodger.
	Here is a poor sketch (wish I had time to draw it on the computer, but this was quite faster) of the original & new jiffy reefing system. The top half is the system hull 600 came with, with the butterfly block in the boom. The butterfly block came out of the aft of the boom quite easily. You will notice the old system had 3 extra blocks, more friction. I don't see any advantage with the old system, if anybody does, please let me know. The only possible issue in anyone else retrofitting to the new system is there must be a slot above the 4 blocks near the gooseneck so the line can go up to the cringle in the sail. The guys at Charleston Spar volunteered to mill out that slot for me if I need it milled as they made some without that slot. Luckily I didn't need it milled as I didn't want to remove the boom from the end piece.
	I've been concerned about the main electrical fresh water pump failing when on a trip. There is no easy to extract fresh water from the stock tanks. I installed a small foot pump in the coaming compartment under the oven. It is fed from the water manifold under the sink, with a valve in-line. A new basic spout needed to be installed next to the main faucet.
	I found this great stainless soap dispenser in one of the stores in Annapolis ( http://www.eurostyleimports.com/ currently on the 3rd page of Bath). The fact it screws to the wall makes it very functional.
	There has been some discussion on where to mount an inverter (remember, 2-cabin). Putting it just inside the "garage" door makes it very visible and allows the wires to be very short. While I was at it, the stock battery charger was re-mounted so the amp meter can be seen.
	I made a small padlock holster and mounted it just where you need it, in reaching distance when closing up the bin boards. This also turned out to be an attractive location to mount the Number Board.
	We have never used the hanging portion of the aft cabin closet. We're always looking for places to store stuff, so these shelves seem to tie both these conditions together. They can easily be removed and the pole re-inserted if need be.
	Garhauer Marine has an option of longer turnbuckle covers. They are beautiful & cover the entire turnbuckle. You see the delrin is tapered on the top with set-screws so they don't pop out. The hole where the shroud goes thru is very-very tight (and split so the wire can go thru), minimizing the water that will enter the cover. It is quite a job installing them as each shroud needs to be disconnected, one at a time.
	I like to hose down the dink at the islands when done. I installed a 15' coiled hose in the anchor well on the starboard side. Running the hose to the forward sink wasn't too tough, no hoses visible. A valve was installed under the sink to be sure the pump doesn't cycle a lot due to a leaking nozzle. There is plenty of pressure, even at this head, with the stock pump. If you get one of these hoses, be sure to get the version that is setup with a "thru-hull" brass fitting with a friction fitting inside the boat. The 1st one I bought had a standard hose fitting which did not work as well.
	This is my latest gimmick: a guard that goes over the axel on the Edson pedestal. We take the wheel off all the time while on a mooring or anchor. I've always been concerned in losing the key (I do have a spare, though) or allowing someone to touch the axel and get full of grease as this is always lubricated. As you an see it is made of 2 different size PVC pipes glued together. The inside pipe has an oversize notch so the key stays retained. Of course, the nut goes back on.
	When I had a Catalina 36 with a Harken jib furling drum, they said it is not under warranty unless there is a ratcheting block. When the C42 was being commissioned, I installed one of these on the bales at the base of a stanchion. On the 42, I wanted to get this block as far away as any persons foot to minimize tripping. Since Garhauer makes sliders, they made this custom slider, specifically for this block. This ratcheting arrangement works great when pulling in the jib. If you pull from an angel, it holds the line a bit allowing you to rest between pulls. I know some sailors use their winches for this task, but I personally don't like that idea.
	You can buy some SOLAS reflective tape that's about 2" wide (at West Marine). I've applied some on the tops of 4 stanchions. This makes it much easier to find your boat in a crowded area at night. Just point a flashlight & it stands out quite well. OK, I haven't really needed it much, but it sure looks cool at night.
	This kayak holder is not actually on Aphrodisiac. A dock neighbor, Captain Rick, had Garhauer Marine make a few for his kayak. Rick says it has worked out very well.
	I know this is a pretty ugly photo. It is where I mounted a SHURFLO water filter, just above the fresh water pump. I decided to filter all fresh water in an effort to keep the aerators clean on all spigots, which has worked out quite well. At the same time, I got rid of the noisy belt driven pump & installed a new ITT Jabsco VSD (Variable Speed) pump. This pump is great. Extremely quiet. Since it is variable speed, it turns very slow when a faucet is on very low. Can't hear it & very smooth water flow.
	My wife wanted a TV in the pullman area so we went with a Samsung 17" TV/monitor. A 1/4" thick aluminum plate is fastened to the 4 counter-sunk mounting screws that attach to the TV in the back. Coming out the other side of this plate are 2 @ 1/4" screws that go thru the wood bulkhead. The TV comes down easily by removing 2 nuts (and 2 locking crown nuts) just above the toilet. You can see a small DVD player is on the shelf, wired to this TV.
	I know everyone has their favorite decoration on the forward wall in the mail salon. I just want to share with you what my Kinkade painting looks like. It is difficult to see, but there are actually 3 frames around it, It is Velcro up, so I may take it with me if ever sell the boat.
	Instead of taking the US flag down at sunset, why not light it up. Now with white led flashlights, power consumption is not that big of a deal. The flashlights I used have 7 led's. In hindsight, 7 is not needed, especially if you use 2 flashlights. They are powered by rechargeable nimh cells. The mounts (right side of the photo) use 1" clamps, designed to clamp on a vertical stanchion or pulpit and the up/down angle is adjustable by loosening/tightening a nut.
	I like to take photos while sailing. I find tripods don't work, so devised a clamp with a long 1/4" screw onto which the camera is mounted. One of my favorite shots is of the subject sitting on the starboard observation seat. The clamp is mounted on the starboard aft gate stanchion, facing aft. All of us get in the photo, with the flag in the background. Then I email the guests the best shot taken with the self timer. The shot on the right shows a bit more detail of the screw going thru the clamp with a wing nut to lock the camera in place.
	I finally got around to replacing the original (over 8 year old) Catalina supplied 4D battery (closest to the windlass, remember hull 600, 2-cabin). I much prefer golf cart batteries, so went with them. Height was no problem, but the bank is about 1/2" longer than the 4D. I needed to cut off the outboard side of the battery box. Fairly big job, did it with jig saw & belt sander to smooth the edges. Then needed to bond a piece of hard wood on the outboard side, so the batteries couldn't shift around when heeling. The shroud around them needed a bit of trimming to clear this block of wood. I needed to re-locate the 2x2 wood on top, no big deal. Cover fits fine. All in all, glad I did it. Wires were not a problem at all, just long enough.


Plumbing Diagram Click to enlarge	Tank Layout Click to enlarge