Friday · Popularity: 62% · Catalina 22, Cleaning
Yesterday we had a wonderful break in the weather and a simply gorgeous afternoon. So, we decided to take the mast and boom off the boat and remove all the remaining “stuff” from the inside. Scott gave the boat a much needed vacuuming and then we looked at the things that needed to be done to get her back in the water again. She will need some serious cleaning inside and out. The teak needs to be oiled or replaced. Scott will replace the wench that brings the keel up and down.
We knew the keel would not raise or lower and this was the only thing that was mechanically wrong with the boat, but we didn’t know what the problem was until we got in there yesterday and started taking things apart. Luckily we found that the cable was broken and the wench needed to be replaced. That is the best we could have hoped for. As for me, I am going to set about replacing the hatch boards (which are made of 3/8″ plywood right now) and then I will go on to reupholstering the cushions. 1970’s yellow is not my color.
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Sunday · Popularity: 59% · Catalina 22
We went to pull the boat out of the lake that had been it’s home for 12+ years on the 29th of November 2006. There are several things we learned that day, as you will see. When we arrived at the lake we made an assessment of the boat and briefly discussed the logistics of getting the boat around to the ramp and on to the trailer. The boat was in a slip that was one full dock away from the ramp. Our first task was to get the motorless boat around the end of this set of slips and then over to the dock that ran out from the ramp, somehow.
As you can see from the photos the weather was just barely cooperating and threatening rain the entire day. To make it even more challenging there was a wind coming from the lake, blowing in toward the cove. As always, providence prevails and just as we were standing on the end of the dock surveying a much larger sailboat that had sunk in the most recent storm and contemplating what to do, a wildlife officer happened by in his nifty little (but immensely powerful) motor boat. Since it was the middle of the week and he seemed quite bored he agreed to tow us around to the dock on the other side. As it turned out this was the least time consuming and easiest part of the entire day.
Boat at ramp dock
Once we had the boat in place we were ready to back down the trailer, or so we thought. We backed it down once only to find out that there was a really good reason the trailer had an extension bar. The trailer was barely in the water and there was no way the boat was going on it that way. So, we hauled it out and went about extending the bar.
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Friday · Popularity: 48% · Restoration
We had to finish the trailer restoration in time to pull the boat out of it’s slip by 11-30-06 when the slip rental expired. The remaining painting, winch installation, and tire replacement went pretty smoothly and this is what she looks like now. We are now back down at the marina where we will pull out the Catalina 22 we purchased for the first time. It will be interesting to see what the bottom looks like after 5 years on the water without anyone touching it at all, I expect, slimy.
To restore the trailer we used a Rust-o-leum burgundy color which looks nice but was not that easy to find. It took about 3-4 full coats to cover over the white but it should be good now for a few years. It took about a week to completed and cost about $300 in parts [new winch, paint, 2 new tires].
Wednesday · Popularity: 51% · Restoration
We picked up the trailer on 9-24-2006 and began working on the restoration. The seller drew us a comical map of where it was located and we are confident that we picked up the correct one. The trailer wasn’t too bad off. Like the boat, it just needed some cleaning, sanding, and repainting. We decided on a deep red paint color. Eventually we will have to replace the tires in order to haul the boat any significant distance. Here are the before photos.
The trailer was still in solid condition with little rust, just needed a little work to get it in a respectable fashion to move a sailboat.
Friday · Popularity: 38% · Catalina 22
We purchased our Catalina 22 from a gentleman in Auburn, AL. Prior to the purchase we went out to Lake Martin to look it over a couple of times and take some photographs. Here is what she looks like in her slip today, 9-15-2006.
The plan is to haul her out and bring her home around the 12th of November 2006 and begin work on her restoration. You can see from the photos that she has been sitting here quite a while. From all we can tell she has been sitting on the lake here for the better part of 5 years. At least it was fresh water. There is a lot of work to be done.
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