[C320-list] First time out and QUESTIONS!

[Jon Vez]

Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is, one way to recover
from your experience is to put the boat in forward and turn the wheel away
(no more than 30 degrees) from where the bow line is secured. This will
bring the stern back toward the slip and stay there until you get the stern
line secured. Because we have such beamy boats with no standard mid-ship
cleat, this is a fairly common occurrence. We actually use a premeasured
line that is secured at the bow cleat and dropped on our mid-slip cleat. I
come in slow enough where there is plenty of time to get the stern line
secured, but if not, I just put it in forward and use the rudder to offset
the pull on the bow which keeps the boat straight.
The problem with this approach is that it is counter-intuitive and you
really have focus on shifting into frwd when all you want to do is hit
reverse. You can try this while in the slip with a couple of people at the
dock holding a loose stern line to get a feel for how the boat will react
using a spring...as many on this list have mentioned, practice and learning
how the boat reacts in different conditions is the only way to dock
comfortably....good luck!

Regards,

Jon Vez
Solstice #582

-----Original Message-----
From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
[mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Taylor Devlin
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 5:05 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] First time out and QUESTIONS!

We are very interested to read this thread.  We too are experiencing some 
'not very pretty' returns to our slip.  We are pretty inexperienced sailors,

and are getting to know the foibles of our 320, which is our first boat. 
Only recently we worked out that reversing in neutral was a lot easier than 
under reverse power.  Our slip is pretty tight, and requires a 90 deg right 
turn followed by an immediate 90 left to get in.  An important lesson came 
our way yesterday.  A friend was on dock and offered to help.  We threw him 
the bow line expecting to deal with the aft spring ourselves.  He pulled 
tightly on the line and of course I lost the stern.  I had no idea how to 
correct things so we backed out and left the fairway to try again.  More 
successful this time.  Sometimes it might be best to say no thanks to a 
helping hand.

May I ask about batteries?  When is it best to select BOTH?  I start on 1 
and use 2 for house purposes, so why would I go to BOTH?

Happy sailing and docking!

Taylor and Louise Devlin
ESCAPE
2003 320 #938
Salt Spring Island BC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Danko" <ken320 at sbcglobal.net>
To: <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] First time out and QUESTIONS!


> You want to be careful with changing the range of motion of the radial 
> drive. If you try to increase it too much the chain will come off the 
> sprocket and you will no longer be able to steer except with the emergency

> tiller.
>
>
>
> Brad Kuether wrote:
>> We (the family) took Independence out for our first sail.  It was blowing

>> like snot, and we kept the genny reefed in around 130.  The boat handled 
>> exactly how I thought it would, maybe getting overpowered once or twice 
>> but nothing drastic.
>> The real adventure began when we tried to put the boat away, going dead 
>> downwind.   It took us three tries to get it into the slip and it wasn't 
>> pretty how we did it.
>>
>> The problem was that boat simply would not turn to port going backwards. 
>> I knew it wouldn't handle like my C&C did, but I mean it would NOT move 
>> at all.  And while I was trying I could only get 180 degrees on the 
>> wheel.  It didn't seem right.
>>
>> So after the wife and kids left, I crawled down into the aft compartment.

>> The wire that keeps the radial drive wheel from over turning had a rubber

>> snubber on it, that basically took about 2 inches off the length of the 
>> wire.  I think this is what kept me from being able to steer into the 
>> slip.
>>
>> So based on my first experience here are my questions...
>>
>>   1.. Is the snubber standard, or was it put on the by the PO?
>>   2.. Can it be removed or is 40 degrees really what the turning radius 
>> is?
>>   3.. Has anyone had problems with the wheel getting loose?  (I tightend 
>> the piece that hold the wheel on and it just got loose again. )
>>   4.. If you plug the boat in will it charge the batteries and does the 
>> battery switch need to be in the on position for that to happen?.  (I 
>> know RTFM, but I spent all my time diagnosing the steering!)
>>   5.. Is there a temperature where the engine can safely be shutdown? 
>> (3GM30) I have never had a gage just knew if I let it idle for 5 mins or 
>> so it would be fine.  ( I know probably another RTFM)
>> Thanks and I am sure I will have more questions after we go out more.....
>>
>> -Brad, Mary, Monica, and Jarod
>> "Independence"
>> 2004 Catalina 320 Hull 1006
>> Middle River, MD
>>
>
>