Catalina 25 Project

Buying an old sailboat often turns into a project, but with patience and simple repairs, even a neglected boat can return to sailing condition.

Summary at a Glance

This is my Catalina 25 restoration project. This post, highlights how I cleaned, repaired, and finally got an older, trailer-stored sailboat back on the water. I have documented many of the things I came up against, everything from my sail repairs and engine work to fixing the wiring, adjusting the trailer, and adding a few small upgrades. This is a realistic look at how I brought a neglected cruising daysailer back into sailing shape.

     New to me boat    

      When I began looking for a 25-foot swing keel boat, I said, "No projects, I want a turn-key boat." Well, I guess those are famous last words (again).  After running down the list of old boats and visiting several undesirable designs, I decided I wanted another Cat 25, a tried and true boat I have enjoyed owning before. 

       I  have some news, I just picked up a 40 year old Catalina 25 that has sat ignored on its trailer for eleven years. I have owned and sailed five Catalinas, this is my second 25 and yes it is a project.

     My cursory inspection showed a roller furled jib sail that fell apart in my hands and the furler hanging  limp and sagging between pulpits, two of four winches wouldn't turn, two deep cycle batteries dated 2006, a broken solar fan letting in rain water, original cushions that are crunchy, two hank on sails in bags that look and feel new. Thankfully, the main sail looked clean and in good shape. Probably because it was rolled on the boom and stored in the cabin, still wrapped in its Sunbrella cover.  Inside the cabin is quite a bit of white mold growing on the woodwork. I am sure there is a lot more to be discovered, but I saw no deal breakers and made my offer accordingly. 

Let the project begin:     

      First thing I did at home was to empty the boat and use a shop vacuum to suck all the bilges dry and set up a box fan. Since it is March and raining, I rigged a tarp to cover the windows and companion way. I found a nice Danforth anchor with some chain and rode, I discovered eight brand new looking type four cushions, a large windex,  The electric plug for the outboard, a porta potty. I found all the cushions except the big one for the quarter berth. I found a brand new, but old Standard Horizon scanning radio still in its plastic wrapper. (I immediately switched it with Kraken's radio) I did not find any fenders, which is too bad because all my extras are being used. I didn't find any dock lines or any extra lines for that matter, which means the one jib sheet will have to be switched around when I change sails. 

  Did I mention that moss was a half inch thick in places on deck and the halyards are black with something growing.

 A wet and wild and messy two hour pressure wash job made a huge difference but I accidentally got black hose marks all over the sides and gunwales making my clean up job needing a clean up job.  BTW Soft Scrub takes off black marks easily, including bicycle tire marks.

     More later, I'm sure.

     I'll just list off what I'm doing:

    I put in a new battery today and still nothing works, totally dead. I tilted the electric panel forward and discovered loose ground wires, good news, after tightening a screw everything lit up but the wiring is an atrocious mess with lots of disconnected wires.

     I pulled out all the drawers and removed the cabinet frames for demildewing with Clorox and then refinishing. Some of the plywood is delaminated and got glued and clamped, some got tossed.  I removed the galley sink and hand pump faucet that had a broken inline filter.  The charcoal from the broken filter somehow back flowed into the fresh water tank.  I don't know how that was possible but the tank has lots of black charcoal  crud on the bottom.   Eventually I rigged a semi rigid 1/2" tube to the shop vac and sucked the tank clean and dry through the 1" inspection port.  Smacked my head again which is one reason why I said I got rid of my last 25.

     Bear with me, I will edit this post later, but for now I'm simply posting notes as I proceed.

Brightwork:

     It's amazing how a little high gloss varnish inside a forty year old boat spruces things up. I pulled the drawers and removed the easy to remove frames and  other  fancy teak doodads.  I spent next to no time roughing up things with a scotch pad and then tinted some polyurethane with a touch of bombay red.  The shiny top coat with a burgundy hue hides blemishes and water marks fairly well and gives the boat interior a warm look.

Wiring: 

     It turns out tightening a loose stud for the grounds was all it needed to light things up.  I switched the interior bulbs for LED ones. I fished a wire from the new battery, through the boat and out the back to the Honda outboard. I found the motors electric accessory plug in a drawer and connected it to the new wire.  The online manual says I can expect 5 amps or so at 1,000 rpm.  We will see!

     The boat came with a solar panel that had sat attached to the stern pulpit the entire time, amazingly it is cranking out amps and voltage into the new battery even on cloudy rainy days. After a few days the battery is reading 13.6 volts.

The Honda BF8 outboard:

This Is what happens outside

     Sitting uncovered for eleven years in the PO's driveway took its toll.  The fuel line squeeze bulb was hard and had to be discarded but the big problem was insects.

 It's a good thing I did not pull the start rope because mud daubers had built a home under the cowling bridging between the flywheel and the housing. 

 The dead nest was about six inches long and covered all of one side.  Fortunately I was able to break it off in large chunks while using the shop vac to catch mud crumbs and insect bodies.

     I pulled the lower end off the motor and found the interior of the leg totally full of dead paper wasp nests. More shop vac work and a screwdriver to knock things loose.  I removed the water pump housing and found insect larvae inside the pump passages and all around the impeller vanes.  The vanes were permanently bent over.  Again, I am glad I never attempted to turn over the motor.  After a few hours of poking and probing with wires and string trimmer string, using the blow gun and shop vac, I greased up a new impeller and put it all back together. Lastly, I drained the decade old oil and put in fresh 10W-30. I've said before that during winter lay up I cover all my outboard holes and orifices with tape. This motor is a perfect example of how bad it can get.

It's easy to see something's not quite right.

Yes it needs a new impeller

     I prayed the PO had run the motor out of fuel eleven years ago and then clamped the motor on my stand with the lower end in a plastic garbage can full of water. I connected a fresh tank of alcohol free gas, squeezed the bulb about fifteen times until firm and starting pulling the cord. After about ten pulls and a shot of ether it sputtered to life but there was no water coming out the tell-tale hole.  I found a rubber hose I had missed and after some more probing water came out.

     Ultimately I started and stopped the motor a dozen times and finally let it run at fast idle for one hour.  I know from experience not to trust the motor, my fingers are crossed.  For you mechanics out there, yes I checked the gear oil but didn't change it.

Galley water pump:

     The boat came with the original forty year old hand pump that has a little lever you pull back and forth.  I pulled it apart, greased the shrunken seals and poured water in it to prime it and it worked.  A new replacement pump is less than fifty dollars but I was not considering buying one since I prefer my fresh water from a five gallon jug I bring from home anyway.   After sitting for three days the hand pump lost its prime and wont work. I'm considering installing a $7.00 rubber fuel type squeeze bulb for priming, or course that will make the water undrinkable, we'll see.

Sunbrella mildew:

     The boat came with pretty blue handrail covers, winch covers and a really nice fitting companionway hatch cover.  All the above Sunbrella was heavily black stained.  I scrubbed and scrubbed using detergent cleanser with bleach, I even tried my secret orange lanolin hand and hull cleaner, nothing made them look good.  Earlier when I first pressure washed the boat I hit the sunbrella a few times and noticed clean spots.  I was reluctant to subject the cloth to 3,000 psi but nothing was working so I stapled all the pieces stretched out flat on a sheet of plywood and let er rip. I started with the nozzle about a foot away and moved in.  At three of four inches the black came off and the blue returned.  The cloth held up well but some stitching came loose. At this close distance the pressure washer will dig a hole in asphalt, it is truly amazing how well Sunbrella takes abuse. I wonder if I washed away any waterproofing.

Roller furler:

     I stood the mast using a ten foot tall oak A-frame made from really skinny 2x2's and attached the furler drum to the headstay stem fitting. 

After pulling off the sail, I can see that the plastic CDI furler foil looks like a piece of spaghetti with half a dozen back and forth bends four or more inches out of whack.  Tightening the backstay really tight helped but not enough. When I drop the mast on a warm day, I will attempt to re-bend the furler by standing on it. We'll see about that too. It would be nice if it looks good but simply rolling the sail smoothly is all I really hope for.

This system for raising/lowering the mast is fairly simple. I ran the four part tackle line to the jib halyard winch and cranked away.

The CDI factory recommends that the foil be supported with a strongback when stored,
the reason is evident.

Headsail:

     Unrolling the 135 jib was a real floppy chore since the furler was so messed up.

  The leech is rotted with big tears from the clew up about fifteen feet right along the edge of the protective cover cloth.  I don't think it was rolled tight enough to do it's job. I checked online for used jibs and decided that spending $500 to $1,000 made no sense so I ordered from Sailrite a piece of tape ten inches by fifteen feet and plan to cover the entire compromised area.  I took the sail off and working on a tarp in the driveway carefully scrubbed all the mildew and green areas making sure I thoroughly rinsed away soap and bleach residue. It's a real shame that this good looking clean sail is so damaged by neglect. 

The leech is damaged for about the lower fifteen feet.

On close inspection you can see the fabric rotted next to the intack seam

Spreading a tarp over this simple frame made a shallow wash basin and the cleaning job doable but not easy..

     After a week of drying, I stretched the torn and rotted jib out on my family room floor and using masking tape temporarily positioned it as best I could.  Next I carefully positioned the fifteen foot long ten inch wide dacron repair tape and then peeled off the backing paper while using a wallpaper seam roller to work out the wrinkles. I have my fingers crossed that it will work and stay in place when furled.  BTW, the tape was $40. 

With the sail rolled up you can see the clean white tape is partially covered by the many wraps.

Because the taped section is so large it almost looks proper. The creased wrinkles were caused by the sails fullness not lending itself to fulring. This is why modern headsails have foam luffs and older sails don't work well when reefed.  I'm just hoping it doesn't rip apart or the tape begin to peel.

Mainsail:

     I almost forgot that I had the boom with the main still attached sitting on my side porch.  Fortunately the boom and sail were protected with more blue Sunbrella covers and placed in the cabin all these years. I hung the boom, sprayed silicone on the slugs and hoisted the sail.  My hands are turning black from handling the mildewed halyards. The main sail looks great, no damage, no stains and two sets of reef points but only one reef line for the clew, finally some good sailing news.  A light breeze filled the sail in my driveway and the boom swung out. For a moment, I'm hyped and ready to go sailing.  I ran the sail up and down several times making sure the slide slot is lubricated and then carefully flaked and tied it on the boom. I must remember to rig a tack line for reefing.

Sail track gates:
     Mainsail slugs that fall out of the track when lowering the sail for reefing is a huge nuisance and always at in opportune times. 

I have done this simple gate fix several times with excellent results.  I use a six inch scrap of aluminum floor metal. Several profiles are in the DIY stores.  I prefer metal that has one thicker and rounded edge for extra stiffness but there is very little pull out force so just about any flat bar will work. The most important issue is that it has no gaps where the slugs can hang up and that you don't accidentally drill into the track groove for the sheet metal attachment screws.  Similar gates are available online for around $45.  My system is free since I used left over floor metal and takes about ten minutes to hacksaw and install.

Cutter forestay:

     I plan to use my assortment of hank on sails so I attached a reinforced pad eye about ten inches from the roller furler basket and rigged an inner stay for hank on sails. The CDI furler has its own built in halyard so I can use the boats unused jib halyard for the hank on sails. The boat came with a drifter and a almost new 110 jib that were not used once they switched to a furler system. I already have two more smaller hank on sails ready to go so if the furler and patched headsail turn out to be useless it wont matter much.  That reminds me, I need to rig a downhaul line for the hank on jibs, I wonder if I can run it through the furling line blocks and fairleads back to the cockpit.

Cleaning sheets and halyards:

     I have been collecting ugly back lines in a bucket of sudsy bleachy water and periodically sloshing them around.  Like the black Sunbrella crud, nothing seems to work. Years ago I would toss them in a knotted pillow case and sneak them into the washer but these are too far gone for that.  After gathering all the lines together I flaked them and using small twine I tied them into parallel bundles.  Using the pressure washer at point blank range and plywood to protect my ankles and feet, I blasted away. Flip flopping and adjusting the bundles until the black was gone and the halyards and sheets were getting a little fuzzy, I kept at it. I either salvaged them or hastened their demise.  Anyway, they're whitish now and I'm not buying any new rope and that's that.

Trailer woes:

     I noticed on my initial look over that the trailer rollers were not adjusted properly.  There are spots where the gelcoat (bottom paint) is resting against aluminum struts. The winch is rusted, the jack has no foot and worst of all the 3/4 ton swing keel may be supporting the weight of the boat. That's what I noticed in two minutes as I walked around it before I said I'll buy it. Now I have to figure out a way to lift the boat enough to make changes.

     Using two bottle jacks and some planks I jacked the front of the boat off the trailer enough to adjust the front support, and then followed at the rear. Actually quite easy and fast. Now the keel is suspended properly when the cable is tight or may be set on trailer.  Unfortunately eleven years on a poorly adjusted trailer has left minor indents in the hull. While working underneath I ground off a few rusty spots on the swing keel and touched up paint with hammered rust encapsulating paint.

Fortunately this trailers steel tubes were arranged in such a way to make this job go smoothly and safe.  I have done the same work with nightmare trailers. Those are 2x8 planks, 2x6 planks bent too much and a 4x8 not enough. The pink foam blocks help keep the boat stable.  I climbed onboard with it jacked up to raise and lower keel, no issues.

    As is often the case, the trailer winch looked much worse than it really is. A few squirts of oil and the mechanism freed up and works fine except the handle is missing. I will make a new handle but for now I can use the one off Kraken's trailer. The undersized kinked up cable is full of fish hooks waiting to get me. I will leave it in place at least until after my first ramp launch and retrieval.

Roller furler bends and twists:

     I took the furler foil in the house to warm it up to 72 degrees and then spot heated it with a radiant heater. I was able to straighten the first bend quite a bit. Moving up the foil I worked an area where I had not spot heated it and when over zealously bending it the other direction, it snapped. The plastic couldn't take reverse bending that had taken eleven years to settle in.  I splinted the break with an aluminum plate and eight screws. I'm bummed about the entire episode but thankfull for my suite of hank on sails.

You can see the curved foil is tied between two chairs with a dowel.

In spite of the bent and splinted foil it rolls in and out easily

     I stood the mast and hooked up the splinted furler today between rain showers.  The patched jib slid up the luff groove perfectly.  Yanking on the furler line rolled it up, also perfectly. A slight pull on the sheets and a slight breeze began to unfurl the sail, I'm ready to go sailing.  I've got a working main, working jib, and four hank on sails, what am I missing?

Autopilot:

     Simrad tiller pilot arrived yesterday.  I also ordered a bimini top.  Both will be simple straight forward installs.  
     I made a rather ugly homemade looking mount for the tiller pilot. The idea was to make something that did not protrude into someone's back while lounging. I have seen aluminum and stainless steel angle brackets that are back killers. My simple design took thirty minutes or less, used free left over components and lifts off for storage. I could have used a block of Starboard and still may if the wood mildews or something. 

The ideal mounting location doesn't quite reach the coaming and the light is in the way anyway.  The  seat is too low.

Wood block bracket lifts off, all that's left is a slim aluminum plate and doesn't impede lifting lid of storage compartment.  Notice all the filled in holes from prior installations. I'm guessing this isn't the first tiller pilot that's been on the boat.

Solar juice:

     Keeping the battery up to snuff for the tiller pilot will require the solar panel to be permanently mounted.  Using Starboard again I fashioned a couple clamps and mounted the thirty inch by twelve inch panel crossways on the stern pulpit. I plan to leave it tilted enough that rain water will mostly run off.

Bimini:
      The Bimini turned out to be a pain in the rump to install because it is so big it is hard to control with one person (Eight feet long and seven and a half feet wide) It kept jumping ship leaving black marks on my shiny old fiberglass.   I wasn't sure of the height so I bought one too tall planning to cut the legs.  Cutting the legs is fast and easy but you can't uncut what is too short so I raised the mainsail, attached the sheet and pulled the boom down as low as I figured was close hauled.

     Rather than using the supplied rigid back braces, I chose to use straps front and back and mount it on sliding cars.  I have done this trick before, it allows fore and aft adjustment which comes in handy when storing the top flat on deck or against the backstay. Not using the rigid braces also makes climbing on and off the boat less of a challenge because you can simply temporarily unclip an offending strap.

     I  really wanted to use Sunbrella but was unable to find a supplier with the dimensions and bows I wanted so I opted for a very cheap $162 including postage bimini. With proper care and a little luck it should last until the first accident or major storm hits. Then I will have more fodder to share in this blog.

I planned the bimini width to extend beyond the lifelines and stanchions to make going forward easier and provide more cover. Plus I wanted to attach the supports to the genoa tracks that on the 25 run the entire length of cockpit. In this picture, I haven't cut down the supports yet and the boom is sitting on bimini. I cut six inches off, it may not be enough. If after sailing a few times I find it is interfering with sail I'll cut some more.

I made  sliding cars out of Starboard scraps. The thumb screw locks it in place and came from the rear support poles that I chose not to use. Starboard is soft enough that you can simply drill an undersize holle and force the machine screw, creating threads.

     

Cabin:

     I pried off the broken solar fan, amazingly when I pointed it at the sun the motor spun. Replacement units are over a hundred boat dollars so I opted to cover the deck hole with a piece of 1/4" starboard. Using the old frame as a template I was able to match the holes and reuse the screws. Total cost of repair, zero. 

     I have found one window with a substantial leak and have been applying Capt'n Tolleys Creeping Crack Cure to the old seal where I think it is leaking.  Yesterday after a night of rain I definitely noticed a huge improvement.  I think I am making progress, we'll see.

     Off to one side under where the solar fan was is some damaged plywood bulkhead still needing attention and I haven't even looked at the porta potty, ick.  

     On my earlier Cat 25, I removed the cook top and installed a microwave in the alcove.  This time, knowing that the microwave was seldom used, I plan to leave the factory alcohol unit in place and set my portable Coleman stove on top. Done and done. 

     A previous owner glued a low quality indoor outdoor carpet to all the soles, I started to pull it off and decided to leave it be. I'm going to throw some house carpet over it and move on. I placed on the stained and ugly cockpit sole three pieces of interlocking 1/2" gray closed cell foam foot pad.  I don't know how well it will work out, again we will see.

Anchors away:

     On my initial walk through, I noticed I was buying a really nice Danforth style anchor and chain and lots of rode tucked into the anchor compartment.   Today is warm and sunny for April so I pulled out the entire ground tackle and stretched it out in the driveway for inspection.  When sizing anchors, bigger is better but it still needs to fit in the compartment. This one has a sliding ring on the shank and about 15 of chain shackled to 250 feet of three strand nylon that is marked with colored cable ties every 25 feet. After examining the compartment, I gave up on installing a padeye for tying  the bitter end because there is no suitable  and easy place to drill for bolts except right into the vee berth. I settled on tying the bitter end to a small dinghy fender. I may lose the end of the rode overboard but at least it won't sink while I'm looking for the boat hook.. Lastly I flaked the rode into large triangles and set the chain and anchor on top and closed the lid.  Earlier when cleaning out the dumpster cabinet under the cockpit I discovered an identical anchor but no chain or rode. The bow has no anchor roller or guide so I will toss a scrap of carpet in with the anchor to protect the gel coat. I don't plan on anchoring much and will wish I had installed a roller if I do, again we will see.

      I need to remember to bring on board some spare shackles and create a dedicated tool kit.

Washing:

     What a pain, I have been working a few hours at a time going over every inch of the decks with a stiff brush, rags and a tooth brush.  I have used almost a full bottle of Soft Scrub. Now I am slowly retracing my steps and waxing all the non nonskid areas, which means the nonskid areas are already beginning to collect dirt. Hopefully the waxed areas will be easier to keep clean and not cause me to slip and fall off like I did once on a Mac 26X.


Window leaks:

     Success, on my last post heavy rain inspection there was no water in the tracks. Four or five applications of Capt'n Tolley did the trick. Now I can put the inside trim back in place.

Little things take time but need to be done:
     Each time I get on the boat I seem to spot something. Today I dug out some flexible trim I have saved for years and began fitting it around the cockpit storage boxes. The U trim is way to narrow to slide over the 3/8" fiberglass so using putty knives I spread the vinyl clad metal and then glued it in place using ultra-clear Dap sealant (great stuff, works on rusty gutters too)

     The galley sink hand pump still loses its prime in a day or two so I spliced into the line a $7 squeeze bulb. Now with two squeezes the pump works.

     With the water system functioning again, I poured an ounce of bleach into the tank and filled it up and then pumped the treated water through the lines. If I remember I'll dump it all and refill later with two drops of bleach.

     From my endless hoard of junk I found a left over roll of plastic floor pad and made a quick exact pattern of the inside sole.  Thirty minutes later I was laying down a brand new piece of left over house carpet on top of the P/O's crappy indoor/outdoor carpet and adhesive. Wow, what an improvement and it feels good on the feet too.

     I pulled the porta potty being careful not to let anything spill or touch me or the boat and tore it apart on the ground. Good news, after washing off the dust and figuring out how it works, it looks unused and in perfect condition. I scrubbed it with a sanitizing product and gave the two tanks the bleach treatment. With the head compartment empty I can address the ugly water damaged paneling.

     I have noticed water stains and dried silt under all berths and storage compartments, it looks like the boat was allowed to sit with water about six inches deep.  Neglect is a shame, total neglect is a boat killer. 

      Tiny cleats:

     I have added four four inch cleats on the cabin wall, two on each side of the companion way. boards.  I will use them to organize and secure halyards, furler line and down haul. Some boats hang bags, some have Velcro straps, my solution to the often tangled mess cost me $9.99 and works and looks better.

Vinyl stickers:
I have named the boat SUNSHINE and applied a eight inch tall four foot long decal to the side near the stern on each side. Sunshine was the name of my other Cat 25 so it seemed appropriate. I rejected Sunshine #2 as being pointless. Plastering a big garish name on an old boat takes twenty years thirty years off her age.

Mast lights:
While the mast was tilted down so I could work on the furler, I plugged in the deck plug at the mast base, the steaming light worked but the anchor light did not. After cleaning the brass connections I managed to get both lights to work but not at the same time. I think that means I have a ground and feedback issue. I've decided to ignore it, all I really care about are the red, green and white running lights and they seem to be functioning properly.

     Dock lines and fenders:
    I've managed to repurpose four fenders that I have been saving for rafting and cut up some old halyards for dock lines.  I sill need to get five gallons of alcohol free gas and then I think I am close to a sea trial.  I know better than to think the sea trial will be anything but chasing down issues but hopefully there wont be anything major like a seacock (two I think) breaking off. 


     Splash the boat:
     Today is the day.  Here are just the highlights.  The parking lot sign says ten minute "ready area" I spent about two hours stepping the mast and rigging the boat without a helper. The A-frame and tackle worked fine, I remembered to attach the windex but the flags are a little to one side, oh well it works.  

      I tried to launch without extending the trailer tongue and came up short, my last Cat 25 launched without extending tongue but this trailer rides the boat about a foot higher.  I forgot to uncouple the surge brake line and ripped it off, ####. The boat floated free with about a six foot extension.

     After tying to the float and parking the truck I pulled the boards and the bilge was dry, the Honda started with ten pulls of the cord and immediately idled fine.   Two days later and again a week after that it still took ten pulls to start. (that's about eight too many)  I ran it wot for ten minutes, the boat achieved 6.75 knts through the water. Apparently the paddle wheel knot meter works and so does the depth sounder.  I checked the electrical output of the outboard and it was charging the battery and so was the 12" x 30" solar panel. I mention all this because I normally don't expect anything to work and was really surprised. Add in the facts that I got the running lights and radio working makes my low purchase price a very good deal. (we'll see)

     After ten minutes at wot the engine began slowing as if fuel starved, backing off a little cleared it up.  I plan to switch tanks to see if that makes a difference, we'll see.

      My third visit to the boat. I plugged in the new Simrad tiller pilot and it kept me headed up while  I hoisted the main in light winds, no problems.  Next I unrolled the damaged and repaired head sail, again no problems. Five minutes later I pushed the tack button and the tiller pilot put the boat in irons, oops.

       Fours hours later as the sun lowered I wrapped up a pretty enjoyable evening sail. I checked the battery and found the voltage still topped up.  I put the blue Sunbrella back on the main and hatch and went home with a full bottle of wine.

       For my next outing I will try to remember a corkscrew.

      My next visit to the boat was so that I could calibrate the tiller pilot.  For those of you new to autopilots, the directions say to turn on calibrate mode and swing the boat slowly through 1 and 1/2 circles over a 1 to 2 minute time period. If you go too fast it will blink if you go too slow it will blink, when you are done it will beep once, if you fail it will beep a bunch. My first attempt got aborted as I ran into the bushes close to shore and had to do an emergency reverse in the narrow channel behind my island. After three or four tries I got the beep but honestly I couldn't tell any difference in how it operated afterwards.

     Later, I short tacked the rest of the way around the island and when the wind piped up I wanted to reef but alas, I had rigged the tack reef line to the first set of reef points and the clew line to the second set of reef points.  Unable to reef and being short handed by myself I took a few nasty gusts laying me over way more than I am comfortable with before dropping the main, the autopilot sure came in handy so I guess I wasn't short handed afterall.

     A few days later on a calm afternoon we cast off for dinner and wine, I never raised the main but did unfurl the jib after struggling with the bimini top. We sailed and then motored and I intentionally  ran the boat aground in a sandy creek bed so we could enjoy dinner without the trouble of anchoring. Putting up the bimini saved us from sunstroke and I determined I need to shorten it by about four inches to clear the boom.   All in all, I'm happy with the boat and it didn't turn out to be that much of a project afterall.

End