Catalina 350 International Association

I also changed the riser-- it takes a beating from hot raw water/hot salt water and the corrosion it causes. Good idea.

But, the exhaust manifold should not have issues, nor need "preventive" replacement.

The exhaust riser is pretty easy.

Never heard of a problem with the exhaust manifold itself. What is wrong with it?

By chance a picture?

If this is the VHF radio antenna, do NOT broadcast without an antenna.

And, located at the top of the mast, that is the most likely purpose.

Teri,

Can you post a picture?

Yes, I would go with the next longer pin so that the cotter pin is not taking heavy side loads. It is not designed to do that.

If I am seeing the issue correctly, the sides of the jaw look parallel and the pin looks short for the width of the jaw. I would not squeeze the sides of the jaw closer to make that pin "fit". And, particularly if sailing on a broad reach or run, the forestay can be loose enough that the j...

Bob,

Strongly suggest you check with local yards/dealers.

Best bottom point for the Pacific NW is likely to be different than in Florida or for boats in fresh water.

Said another way, I don't believe there is one best paint for all conditions.

Jack, Sounds like you are on top of maintenance. Sadly, many owners aren't! My diesel mechanic is questioning why you mentioned "valve adjustment. The engine is Kubota. I go by their maintenance interval for valve adjustment (800 hours): https://www.kubotausa.com/service-support/maintenance-sch...

Scott, Wish there were a wire routing that would be shorter. Guess no chance of coming down port side with its shorter run to the batteries OR battery switches. But, oversize the wire gauge will help compensate for longer runs. Use the 3% voltage drop tables and remember wire run is positive PLUS ne...

Probably need to separate Preventive Maintenance (I am a STRONG BELIEVER!) vs Break Down Maintenance. My mantra is "fix it before the trip/before it breaks" and have less issues underway. How many hours on the engine-- valve adjustment? boil out heat exchanger? replace raw water impeller? ...

OK, a "counter-point". After doing a LOT of cruising on a number of boats with fully battened mains (most of it in a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37') I was very dubious about the in-mast furling on the Catalina 350. Does it give as much power as a fully battened main-- no. Is it a good compr...

Until you are very comfortable with the boat-- sail handling, maneuvering, etc AND with its mechanical condition, I would not plan on "learning" offshore. Said another way, out in the Atlantic is not where to learn that the batteries that showed good while plugged into shore power are dead...

Yup, long distance cruising is VERY different than day sailing/weekend sailing. Not better or worse, but certainly requires a whole additional level of skill sets. Agree, not everyone's cup of tea. Do what YOU enjoy! And, if you experiment with new experiences, whether on land or water, you need to ...

Definitely a"Bubba" job to use 5200 on anything that may ever need to be removed!

Glad you got it fixed.

Worst case, it may be that I will have to get a panel cutting drill attachment of a slightly larger diameter to cut the fiberglass and get it out. Marinco tech specs for the outlet: https://www.marinco.com/-/media/inriver/12VRC_SPEC.pdf?modified=20200227133342 Installation instructions: http://www....

"Mounted vertically"??? So water can get down in it. And, wired to cabin lights suggests a "less than electrically enlightened" previous owner did this. Unless you really like that location, find something that can serve as a cap for that hole and relocate the 12 VDC outlet to th...

OK, 15 minutes labor and zero parts cost.

Sounds like a great "fix".

If it is not working, I would access the back of it and check the connections. Only takes 5 minutes to remove the screws holding the instrument panel (assuming that would access the back of that 12 VDC outlet).

Hi Barbara, I'm not sure what enlarging that access door will buy you that you can't reach with the aft cabin engine panel off. I use that door to open/close the engine raw water through hull, quick check for leaks, etc. and that's about it. Bill Atlanta Elizabeth G #193 Same here, plus access the ...

No question, a visual inspection of the "engine room" every 25 hours is important to mechanical reliability.

DO IT!

Chris,
Suggest you post a picture of the hose to belt clearance area of concern.

Brett