# Bought my 1st sailboat



## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Hello all, I introded myself before I believe. But after 6 months of climbing onto and off of inumerable boats, I've found a 1973 coronado 35' cutter ketch rigged center cockpit vessel named Catharsis. Needs a couple of things, but nothing I can't figure out...I hope.

Now, all this is dependent upon the outcome of the survey, so cross ur fingers.

I'll be living aboard and doing coastal cruising amongst the Southern California Channel Islands. My long term, bucket list sailing goal is to get to the Galapagos Islands.

I've not sailed in over 20 years, and I realize that my skills need to be derusted. So any helpful advice or cautionary tales on this boat in particular (I've never sailed a ketch, only sloops), or on living aboard, or any general boat things to which I ought to attend, will all be greatly appreciated.

I'm still having trouble navigating tapatalk, so if you anyone directs me to look at a thread from before, kindly tell me how to get there..thank you all in advance. I am very excited to get to it!

Almost have a boat, almost have the life.
Should be a liveaboard cruising fool in no time.


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Well how kool is that! Great to see dreams achieved! We will want pictures!....Dale


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Course, I don't know how to upload pics herein. 

Almost have a boat, almost have the life.
Should be a liveaboard cruising fool in no time.


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## newt (Mar 15, 2008)

Congrats! Sailing a ketch is fun, you should have no problem becoming er derusted. Just take baby steps now and break in to the lifestyle gently. Read lots of books, talk to lots of liveaboards and sail to the nearby islands. I am thinking of coming your way in a few months, just have to build a dock and a few other things....


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## turboduck (Jun 25, 2014)

Congratulations! I'll look for you out there! Are you in SB, Ventura or CI? I'm in CI myself and with a little luck I'll have my mast back up in a month and will be out there a good part of the summer. Columbia 29 named "Pythagoras."


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## Zarathu (May 26, 2014)

Make sure your motor works, and that you know how to repair it when it stops working. If there is anything other than sailing you need to know how to do, its dealing with the motor. There are so many times when having functional propulsion when there is no wind is critical to safety and to life, that this is more important than anything else almost. It would be of benefit to have a small OB that you can use if your main engine propulsion dies, and if you do that try to find ethanol free gas. 

Here in Maine, there aren't a lot of boats out there with us. So if we need help its pretty much only the Coast Guard. Many Motor Boats with big 250 HP engines have a little 5 HP engine that they can use to limp back to port if and when the biggie dies. 

People never talk about this. I know this. When I first when out, nobody gave me any advice about the importance of the engine and the prop power. But it was the dying of my OB on ethanol poisoning that made the maiden voyage of only 6 miles from ramp to mooring a nightmare when the wind died and so did the engine. Wife was totally freaked, and so was the 76 year old very experienced sailor, who never ever experienced an engine failure and had no idea what to do. 

If you are going off shore, you need to take a course on engine maintenance and repair. But even only a couple of miles from shore, you won't like it if your engine dies and there is no wind.


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

newt said:


> Congrats! Sailing a ketch is fun, you should have no problem becoming er derusted. Just take baby steps now and break in to the lifestyle gently. Read lots of books, talk to lots of liveaboards and sail to the nearby islands. I am thinking of coming your way in a few months, just have to build a dock and a few other things....


Thanks Newt, building a dock should take no time at all. Look me up when you're over L.A. way 

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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

turboduck said:


> Congratulations! I'll look for you out there! Are you in SB, Ventura or CI? I'm in CI myself and with a little luck I'll have my mast back up in a month and will be out there a good part of the summer. Columbia 29 named "Pythagoras."


Thanks T-Duck, I'll likely be in MDR or San Pedro, the latter being more likely. I'll keep an eye out for you. 

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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Zarathu said:


> Make sure your motor works, and that you know how to repair it when it stops working. If there is anything other than sailing you need to know how to do, its dealing with the motor. There are so many times when having functional propulsion when there is no wind is critical to safety and to life, that this is more important than anything else almost. It would be of benefit to have a small OB that you can use if your main engine propulsion dies, and if you do that try to find ethanol free gas.
> 
> Here in Maine, there aren't a lot of boats out there with us. So if we need help its pretty much only the Coast Guard. Many Motor Boats with big 250 HP engines have a little 5 HP engine that they can use to limp back to port if and when the biggie dies.
> 
> ...


That's great advice Z, in fact I'll be spendig a day with the guy who knows this engine best going over all the ins and outs. But a course on the marine diesel is a fantastic idea! Thanks for the heads up on the importance of knowing how to fix it if things go bad. It is appreciated.

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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Lake Superior Sailor said:


> Well how kool is that! Great to see dreams achieved! We will want pictures!....Dale


Think I got the picture thing down. I've only these three at present. Boats in San Diego, I'm in L.A. but I'll have more after Sat. Good Lord willing, and all that. 


















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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

nowiscertain said:


> Think I got the picture thing down. I've only these three at present. Boats in San Diego, I'm in L.A. but I'll have more after Sat. Good Lord willing, and all that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Lake Superior Sailor said:


> Well how kool is that! Great to see dreams achieved! We will want pictures!....Dale


Trying again









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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Nice Pictures, looking good!....Dale


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

The haul out, hull is fine, but meglected. Propneeds replacing, lots of metal showing on the keel, keel bolts are all rusted and the plates flaking. Nothing too bad, I'm told, but how would I know?










Brin - 1964 Center Belly Button
Catharsis - 1973 Coronado 35 Center Cockpit
California - Channel Islands National Park
Dream - Galapagos Islands


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Let me try that again...

Brin - 1964 Center Belly Button
Catharsis - 1973 Coronado 35 Center Cockpit
California - Channel Islands National Park
Dream - Galapagos Islands


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Brin - 1964 Center Belly Button
Catharsis - 1973 Coronado 35 Center Cockpit
California - Channel Islands National Park
Dream - Galapagos Islands


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Well, she didn't pass survey. Back to the grind as the search continues...siiiiiiiigggggghhhhh...

Brin - 1973 Coronado 35' Center Cockpit
For my living and cruising pleasure.


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## Skyeterrier (Feb 11, 2016)

For our education can you tell us what the issue was with the keel on Catharsis? Were there signs of structural damage or instability that the surveyor found?


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## nowiscertain (Apr 7, 2016)

Skyeterrier said:


> For our education can you tell us what the issue was with the keel on Catharsis? Were there signs of structural damage or instability that the surveyor found?


I can only tell you that the surveyor thought that the plates needed replacing, lots of rust detrioration, and that there were some leaks. Also that the bolts might need replacing. He pointed out that one of the nuts was almost completely corroded in one area. Also, there was extensive demetaling on the outside of the keel, as well as of the prop. Whenthe yard got in there they felt that they would need to drop the jeel and filly replace the bolts in order to seal up the leaks. There was a good deal of water in the dry bilge about the keel plates.

So short answer, yes. There were structural problems related to corrosion. I'm not sure what is meant by "stability." If you're asking if the keel wobbled back and forth, the answer is no. If you're referring to holding point under sail, I did not investigate that issue.

The sad part is that I had formed a friendship with the owner, and here he is trying to foist this decrepid wreck on me. A tad hyperbolic, but the meaning is the same. He was all for saving me money by trying to convince me that a survey was unecessary. I go by an axom, however, when it comes to buying boats. One that has served me well. It goes a little something like this: "I'm more certain to get a survey on a boat than wear a condom when I'm f**king."

And I always suit up for that latter


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