[C320-list] new boat terrors

[Jeff Church]

Susan,

This email list is capable of reporting just about every problem that ever 
occurred on a C320. You aren't likely to encounter very many of them. If 
your dealer is any good, all systems should be checked thoroughly before you 
set foot on the boat. You can and should keep him honest by checking 
everything yourself.

If you don't have much experience and don't know the dealer very well, I 
would consider hiring a surveyor. Aside from going through the entire 
commissioning checklist, you and/or the surveyor might want to check some 
areas that have been mentioned on this list a few times over the past many 
years. Your dealer will probably overlook a few of these:

Check for leaks. Although they don't usually show up on a new boat, you 
would prefer that the dealer fix any that might be present at delivery. 
Check around the hatches, ports, stanchions, chainplates, binnacle and 
rudder post.

There is a short section of radiator hose at the cold water inlet of the 
water heater. Get the water heater up to max temp and make sure that hose, 
the TP valve and the drain petcock don't drip.

Check for gelcoat crazing around the pads that the boat rested on while 
being transported, especially the port/aft pad. Check for slight crazing in 
the non-skid deck gel between the port winch and toe rail.

The factory epoxy finish on the rudder and keel looks like stucco. My dealer 
fairs the keel and rudder on all the boats that he delivers.

Check the steering control cables for proper adjustment. Edson recommends 
1/2 inch deflection in a 1.5 foot unsupported run.

Once launched, make sure the doors to the head, aft cabin and v-berth don't 
stick. Sometimes the lid to the nav station sticks.

The dealer should check and adjust the engine/prop shaft alignment after the 
boat is launched.

Check the shrouds and stays. Several owners have mentioned that they had 
shrouds or stays that were a bit too short. With the mast centered and raked 
0 to 1 degree, there should be some adjustment remaining in the turnbuckles. 
(You can tell when the mast is raked 1 degree. There will be 8 inches 
between a plumb bob that is hung between the masthead and the base of the 
mast.)  Also check to see that the cap stays are led through the aft hole in 
the top spreader. Mine were incorrectly led through the forward hole.

The new Yanmars are supposed to be smooth and quiet. Make sure the engine 
will run at full RPM, remain under 180 degrees at full-op-temp and doesn't 
emit much smoke.

If you have a 2 blade prop, take the boat up to 6 knots and make a sharp 
turn. If the prop cavitates (shuddering) tell the dealer that the 2 blade is 
unacceptable and that he owes you a 3 blade prop.

Check the stuffing box for appropriate seepage.

Good luck.  It's a great boat.

JeffC



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <moondancer5 at comcast.net>
To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 3:41 PM
Subject: [C320-list] new boat terrors


> I've been reading the list for a month or so while waiting for delivery of 
> hull #1089 here in NJ. What I've been reading is scaring the hell out of 
> me! It seems there are a number of problems with the new 320s. (I realize 
> that some are due to special needs for charter boats) My last one was a 
> Capri 22 and I have not owned a cruiser before, so please take pity on 
> this newbie:
>
> What do I need to do when the boat hits the dealer? Do I/they go through 
> testing all the systems before or after I sign the boat loan papers? (The 
> last boat wasn't financed, so I'm clueless.) Is there a test sail before 
> the sale is final, or is everything just considered warranty problems to 
> be addressed? I'm going to give the freezer a good look after reading of 
> mismatched doors here. Are cosmetic defects addressed by the dealer if 
> there are any? Do I let the boat leave the dealer at all before everything 
> is 100%? I was already surprised that the bank wants the boat USCG 
> certified (for $550!) as I already have to have the state registration 
> done.
>
> I'd like to put together a checklist of what I should be doing when it 
> arrives, any help here would be greatly appreciated. Silly me, I thought 
> they'd just rig it, give us the orientation, and send us off (with a 
> skipper) to bring it around from the Delaware to the Bay. Now I'm 
> freaked...
>
> Susan
>
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