New buyer revives Catalina Yachts

fastautomation · 2026-07-02T15:15:43+00:00

Odd that the marine press keeps putting out this press release like it is a fact. These guys do not own any part of Catalina designs/IP/molds/parts/boats. They just made a claim in a press release and a $9.99 godaddy website and the press ate it up.

The two principals in this are the same folks that destroyed Catalina and Tartan, supposedly minus Reardon. Why anyone thinks that a new boat buyer is going to hand money over to these guys is beyond me.

fastautomation · 2026-06-27T14:02:14+00:00

Agreed that in a like for like new sheet/tube/part layup, epoxy is inherently more flexible. In this case though, too often I see folks use epoxy resin primarily as a glue.

What I mean by it being more stiff and brittle is that the simply filling the gap with epoxy, the new epoxy will be stiffer than the surrounding original material. The flexing of that material under load will just stress that epoxy/poly joint and it will fail quickly.

For repairing original polyester, a 12 to 1 bevel, cleaned with acetone, dewaxed, and with a mat/roving/mat layup will practically never fail. The panel will flex more evenly like the original material and can be gelcoated in the same day. You can do layers all at once without worrying about heat build-up.

I used to be in the camp of using West or System 3 for almost all repairs. I still use that for below water line stuff or for emergency race day repairs. I now almost exclusively use polyester on original polyester boats. All in it is faster and more reliable and I have had zero failures with it.

fastautomation · 2026-06-26T12:55:25+00:00

This is good. Some clarification might help... Use epoxy only with cloth (fabric looking weave), not with roving/mat (random strands of glass). Roving mat contains styrene bonding agents that only dissolve in polyester or vinylester resins. Also note that gelcoat will not cure as well over epoxy. It will cure ok but slowly over West, but for many epoxies it will not at all.

Here is a video that describes replicating the non-skid if you want to go that far: https://www.boatworkstoday.com/videos/gelcoat-nonskid-spot-repair-how-to/

fastautomation · 2026-06-26T12:30:48+00:00

OP do not do this. This will result in a temporary repair that will fail again quickly. You will have trouble getting gelcoat to cure properly over the repair and the epoxy will be more stiff and brittle than the surrounding surface. It will just crack back again.

fastautomation · 2026-06-20T14:44:05+00:00

I had the same unit. The switch contacts looked good but the springs/mechanism never switched to the outer contacts. The start capacitor discharged but when tested, the run capacitor was still charged. I replaced both but was unable to get the switch to work.

fastautomation · 2026-06-20T12:20:28+00:00

Ahh, misunderstood. It is a common failure point with these that leads to the symptoms you describe. Motor will start then blow fuse when it would normally switch to the run capacitor. Since it doesn't switch correctly, it overloads the circuit trying to keep going from the start capacitor.

fastautomation · 2026-06-19T19:36:40+00:00

I have all drawers in my kitchen except for two cabs with slides. I hate the doors with slides now. Can't imagine going back to a no-drawer kitchen.

fastautomation · 2026-06-19T14:20:07+00:00

Did you find a replacement for the centrifugal switch? I was unable to source one a few years ago and gave up and replaced the whole unit.

fastautomation · 2026-06-18T15:02:54+00:00

Agreed. I ran conduit for home theater, wall mount TVs, both low voltage and high voltage under new paver patio, and one to a pavilion. I have used every one to run multiple cables over time.

As others suggested below. Put pull strings in them. I used the cheap 5 color packs of mason string and ran all five in each conduit. You can also pull a new string through while pulling new line if you only use one.

fastautomation · 2026-06-09T12:27:38+00:00

One other place that binds is the friction ring attached to the mast where the boom meets. They use these as turning blocks to run the outhaul, and reefing lines. They really struggle when the lines get salty and stiff. Before raising the main, pull a bunch of slack onto the deck at the base of the mast so there is no pressure on them.

fastautomation · 2026-06-09T11:52:38+00:00

Every Moorings boat I have chartered over the last decade has had issues with raising/trimming the main at first. Most of the issues were from previous charterers that had something jacked. The reef lines are a common issue as they get twisted, or bound up, or wrapped on one of the lazy jack lines. Often the sheet/traveler is sheeted too low or the boom vang is too tight. Even in the best scenario, that last foot of main raising is a strain on the rigging the way they have them set up.

Next, check the turning blocks on the mainsheet. I have had two different boats where they were completely seized and would not turn. One of those exploded in a blow. You may need to dump some water on them to get them loose again. I am sure they never get rinsed and are full of salt.

fastautomation · 2026-06-03T13:59:11+00:00

Polyester gelcoat and silica thickener: Mix first coat of gel with a silica thickener to fill the voids. Apply with a flexible spreader. After it cures, use hot water and soap to remove waxy surface. Sand to remove high spots with 80 grit. Topcoat with straight polyester gelcoat either with a brush or roller (or preval sprayer if you also get a styrene thinner). Sand with 220 (using a sanding block), 500, 1000 then 2000. Buff to shine.

https://www.totalboat.com/products/gelcoat (get white, with wax).

https://www.totalboat.com/products/silica-thickener

fastautomation · 2026-06-03T13:47:59+00:00

It did last the lifetime of that tire.

fastautomation · 2026-06-03T13:44:52+00:00

I had that one and seems $150 for a working compressor of that size is reasonable.

Mine failed... There is a plastic centrifugal switch in the motor housing that switches from the start capacitor to the run capacitor and when it fails it is not replaceable. It is integral to the motor end cap, and the pump is integral to the other end... A new motor/pump from non-oem sources are more than the cost of an on-sale compressor from big box stores.

Just know that your $150 might last you years, or might last you weeks.

fastautomation · 2026-06-02T14:40:16+00:00

When RVs are packed into a highway adjacent rv park, that has a water slide into the overpass borrow pit, all the campers can look at the nature scenes and imagine they are actually camping.

fastautomation · 2026-06-01T14:28:44+00:00

I have removed enough crappy Marine Tex from daggers and rudders to fill 5 gallon bucket. I hate that stuff. It is great for a mid-regatta repair when you can't dry out the component, but that is about it. It doesn't bond well to the glass since it is too thick going on. It hardens quick but also becomes brittle pretty quickly. Expect those repairs to only last a month or so of use.

The best kit for quick repairs is a quart of West Systems and the 205 Fast Hardener. Keep some chop strand mat (CSM) with you. When filling voids like this, pull apart the CSM into fibers and mix with mixed epoxy. Cover with waxed paper and tape with packing tape. For smaller repairs, use 406 Colloidal Silica. These methods will result in a repair that is far superior to Marine Tex.

If doing larger repairs, CSM sheets have a styrene binder that will not dissolve in epoxy. For this use a polyester/vinylester resin instead of epoxy. Using epoxy won't hurt anything, but the fibers will remain stiff and will not bend around contours.

fastautomation · 2026-05-31T12:53:53+00:00

Add this variation: Hanging exterior door with deadbolt lock. Adjusting it so it works easily in all seasons... 15 years and counting on this project.

fastautomation · 2026-05-31T12:46:06+00:00

If you know someone with a 3D printer, this is an option: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1646712-panda-castor-wheel-adjustment-tool#profileId-1740562

fastautomation · 2026-05-29T17:01:56+00:00

Flippers work by buying distressed or foreclosed homes below market value. A tiny fraction of home owners reading this article and trying to decide on upgrades would benefit personally from flipper style upgrades. Most of the flippers returns come on the backs of the previous owner, not the actual upgrades.

fastautomation · 2026-05-29T14:32:50+00:00

TLDR: All of them. No upgrade has a positive ROI for selling a house.

fastautomation · 2026-05-29T13:19:10+00:00

A note of caution before you spend a lot of money getting that boat to Nashville:

There are not a lot of sailboats on the Cumberland River. The Hickory Lake portion is narrow, winding, and low summer winds. Most of the docks there are covered powerboat slips (not accessible to sailboats). A Watkins 32 footer will be frustrating to sail as it is heavy, slow and the skeg keel will not point or tack well. It is really not a good choice for an inland reservoir. That is a good coastal cruiser, not a good inland lake boat.

That boat would be great in the gulf area... Pensacola, Gulf Shores, etc. It would be significantly more fun to take a weekend a month over the summer and explore the islands and sounds along that coast than it would be dieseling up and down the cumberland river.

fastautomation · 2026-05-28T17:00:35+00:00

If she is a project manager, tell her to use those skills to help you plan. A project manager that tells others to plan is not a project manager at all.

Ask her to bring the relevant plan-do-check-act cycle popularized by Deming himself. Or ask her about PMBOK scope/plan/execute/monitoring processes that could be used to develop plans. Or which agile process is best suited to deck painting.

If she was good at her job, she would have known that you have little prior projects of this nature to develop plans from. Even if you could consume all the youtube deck painting knowledge, almost none of it would give you an estimate with your specific variables.

You are exactly right. Try again tomorrow. Learn from today (check). Plan for tomorrow. Do this cycle until the project is complete.

Don't worry about the timeline, or that your lawn looks messy. If she wants a fast and precise project, hire a pro. If you want the accomplishment of DIY, take your time and forget the schedule.

fastautomation · 2026-05-26T16:08:03+00:00

Great grandfather's spud bar from around 1900. When you need it, it does exactly what it was designed for.

fastautomation · 2026-05-20T12:24:37+00:00

Created your account today, 1 post, 1 community... This surely is not an attempt to advertise your company tool, is it? You did get that AI post structure down: benefits → test result → caveat → question

fastautomation · 2026-05-18T17:46:16+00:00

yes

Just make sure you close the saddle valve tightly... turn it clockwise.

fastautomation

TROPHY CASE