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My suggestion is, "look before you leap", so you don't get hooked into replacing a part that's basically sound (as I did with my rudder, but that's another story).
I think Lark should be of the aluminum-tank vintage, and an aluminum tank is not necessarily shot (as a steel one would most certainly be). A lot depends on how much water got into the lazarette and wetted the plywood tank platform. If you have the time, pull the tank and have someone inspect it; it may be alright. (Or you may simply wish to say, the hell with it and replace it - entirely your call and I have no leanings toward aluminum versus plastic or vice versa.)
Fair warning: I've never pulled my tank, but thought I would have to and so measured to see if it will fit through the hatch. I concluded that it would, but I might have to take off the teak surround. Other than the hoses and a cleat at the bottom, there's not much holding it in. Others may wish to comment on the difficulty or lack thereof of removing a tank.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
"Cheaped out" is a bit strong for the situation. C&C started out using steel tanks, then switched to monel, but not for long before settling on aluminum, and for good reason. By the late seventies, all boatbuilders were under serious price pressure from low-cost builders like Hunter and Catalina. Pressure was greatest in smaller boats, like ours, because it takes almost as many man-hours to build a 27 as a 32 or 34, but there was no way the company could raise the price of the boat - it was at the maximum they thought the market would bear as it was. More cost-conscious design for manufacturing of the current line helped a lot, but the real solution lay in fundamental redesign, which yielded the Mk V.
And far from cheaping out, C&C was doing things no other boat-builder was doing, like swapping out the vulnerable, industry-standard brass gate valves for real bronze sea-cocks.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
An experienced marine mechanic told me that what does in aluminum tanks is water, particularly de-oxygenated water (no oxygen = no opportunity to form a protective layer of aluminum oxide). For that reason, a round tank on thin brackets is arguably less prone to corrosion than the later rectangular tank, which sits on a shelf on which water can accumulate and lose its loose oxygen.
The tank in the photo might therefore be fine, but if you're concerned you could pull it and inspect it. And maybe even treat it with the products mentioned in a post above, from http://www.por15.com/Fuel-System-Restoration_c_17.html (I don't know anything about these products, but I do know Frank Marsden was an engineer at a large auto manufacturer, so he probably did).
On the other hand, you might just want to say, in for a penny, etc. and replace the old with new. There are lots of discussions of sources for approved plastic tanks in the Forum.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
First, why? Is the existing wiring damaged by mishandling? Corroded? Or is the issue just that a PO has added a lot of substandard wire and daisy-chained low-quality wire onto existing circuits? This is a lot of work, so I wouldn't embark on it without good reasons. Obviously, if the old wire is damaged, it has to go, but if it's just a matter of cleaning up cruddy additions, you might be happier limiting the scope of your ambitions to fitting a sub-panel and running good-quality wire in a workman-like way.
Can you be more specific about what you mean by "wiring harness"? If you mean literally the wire that runs through the boat and its connections, all you need to do is find a store that sells Ancor wire (each strand is tinned, so it won't corrode). If you don't like the expense of Ancor, use automotive wire, which you can buy at any automotive supplier. (In truth, this is probably adequate for a boat that will spend its life in fresh water.)
Think carefully about how you will run the wire before you start. On my boat, a lot of the wiring was laminated into the underside of the deck before the inner overhead skin was attached. There is no way to feed wire between the two unless you'd like to completely disassemble the boat, so you have to find other routes that are high and dry.
If your ambitions are greater (new fixtures, new switch panel & breakers), that's a whole new topic. You'll probably learn a lot by reading some of the advice on the West Marine web site (and given where you are, their Buffalo store is probably your supplier of choice, too).
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I have another option that will get your desired effect, but that does not involve changing your prop - change the way you handle your throttle.
All props "walk" to one side, particularly in reverse when starting from stationary (a 27 stern swings to port in reverse). The way to avoid this is to get some way on the boat and some flow over the rudder so it is effective in counteracting the swing. (3-blade props have the reputation of being less prone to walk, not because they are inherently less prone to it, but because even at low revs, their far greater blade area and consequent thrust gets the boat moving more quickly and the rudder working more effectively, before the stern starts to walk.)
Instead of putting the engine in gear and easing on the throttle, shift into reverse and give the engine a shot of power; in other words, rather than accelerating from idle to 1,000 rpm, run up to 1,500 or so, but just until the boat begins to move. At that point, drop back to a point midway between 1,500 and idle. That little shot of power will give you enough motion to allow your rudder to bite, and if you give your rudder a touch of starboard helm to counteract residual walk, you'll exit your slip straight as a die.
Do something similar when stopping - rather than easing into reverse, shift and give the engine a good shot of power. That burst of reverse thrust will stop the boat reliably and quickly enough that there is no time for prop-walk.
After I saw someone handling a boat this way, I took out a C&C 34 (with a Martec folder, a worst-case combo) and practised around a plastic buoy (so I could run into it with impunity). In short order I could put that boat anywhere I wanted. It wasn't difficult - in fact it was fun - and since then, I've had no qualms about putting Towser or any other boat anywhere.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Call me an aesthetic obsessive, but it's worth $600 to avoid either rebuilding a bulkhead to accommodate a new style of instrument or having to put up with instruments mounted on a piece of plywood. Also, Signet has a reputation for longevity not matched by Raymarine. Nice instruments, but their quality seems to swing from year to year.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Thank you for that - I'm glad I asked. It seems I'm a tad overdue, given that I installed Towser's Shaft Seal in 2005. Something to add to the spring to-do list (I think I've got about three years on the current impeller, which could turn into a real showstopper).
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
The only tricky bit is cutting through the old one without going too far and cutting the p-bracket. You just have to pay attention.
Now the real reason for this post - what's involved in a Shaft Seal maintenance kit (I assume the main item is the rubber bellows) and how often should the work be done?
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I've seen a couple of very similar set-ups. The height at which you store your mast depends on what you want to do over the winter. If you don't need good access to the deck or interior, just place a length of wood across the pulpit and across the stern pulpit, lashed or taped according to preference and rest the ends of the mast on these. Build a simple little cradle that sits on the mast step and supports the middle of the mast; it should be just high enough to keep the mast straight and level. People here use 2"x4" timber for this because it's cheap and available; I don't know what the European equivalent size is but I'm sure there must be something in that range. If you want access to the deck or interior, bolt two pairs of 2x4's together in X's, making them tall enough to give you the height you want. Stand one up at the aft end of the cockpit, the other around the aft end of the pulpit. Build a cradle for the middle that keeps the spar straight. That's it.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
It's really not that difficult. I've done it twice with no issues (once because I had to, twice because I was putting in a Shaft Seal and it seemed silly to pull the shaft and not do the cutless bearing at the same time). The only awkward bit is removing the old bearing, but it comes out relatively easily if sawn through carefully, then levered out.
There is a good article on the process at http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/replacing_a_cutlass
I do recommend putting in a Shaft Seal at the same time, but that's $200, plus you may feel the need to replace a $500 shaft depending on how worn the present one is.
The club mechanics can probably tell you which bearing is required, based on shaft diameter. Order through the Chandlery and you'll have it in a couple of days.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Rudder destroyed, or skins trashed and stock bent? Could you get a machine shop to straighten the stock then you or someone else builds a new foil around that?
http://www.cc27association.com/fixes/newrudder/newrudder.html
Remember, we have a pattern for a Mk III style rudder on the site, which improves control.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Things that WILL NOT BUDGE when cutting oil and force are applied usually have some demonic "safety feature" carefully hidden somewhere. If you're trying to push the motor down, try the other way and pull it up a bit. Watch carefully - anything that moves is likely the actuator of the dreaded idiot-proofing device.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Get a number three, a deep or 2nd reef and some really heavy friends. Lowell North brought a new boat to SORC (which tells you how long ago this was) that quickly showed itself to be terribly tender. North found a guy who weighed over 300 lb who thought he'd like to try sailing and put him on the rail. The only remaining problem was tacking this monstrous whale.
Seriously, I don't think you're missing anything. When the wind gets up there, the one Mk I in our fleet does a serious horizon job on the rest of the fleet (III's and IV's). Even the boats with heavy-guy crews on the rail get left in the spray.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
If I were you, I'd ring Moyer Marine and ask them; they know A4's like no one else on earth. You'll get the right part, as quickly as a delivery service can send it.
BTW, if you have a sight glass on your filter, replace it. Even a small fire (something you could put out with a hand extinguisher) could rupture the bowl and turn a nasty problem into an inferno. The US Coast Guard doesn't permit them, with good reason. Don't know how our CG feels, but I'd go with the US rules here and get a metal sediment bowl.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Crikey, and I thought locking down from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario was a lot of work... you went through 20-25 locks? And didn't you love sharing a lock with a heavily laden, totally un-manoeuvrable vessel that's ten times your length and a hundred times your weight?
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Sails are race-quality; all are used, but not heavily and serviced at the source loft annually during usage. All are "a little draft-aft" (Bay Sails' opinion) but are still club-competitive and excellent for cruising. Prices are firm; any shipping is extra.
Main - Bay Sails Haarstick (CAD-CAM cut from durability-tested cloth by Haarstick Rochester, assembled and finished by Bay Sails Hamilton) race-grade dacron, loose foot, 1 set reef points, 1 full batten with the rest being partial-length, draft stripes, bag. SOLD
Genoa - Triton Sails 153% #1 Pentex, luff tape, draft stripes, an exact copy of a sail cut by the late Joe Fernandes. This sail has a slightly shorter luff length than normal and may fit your furler. SOLD
Genoa - Bay Sails Haarstick (CAD-CAM cut from durability-tested cloth by Haarstick Rochester, assembled and finished by Bay Sails Hamilton) 155% #1 Smoke colour FLX laminate, full-length luff, luff tape, draft stripes. SOLD
Bear in mind that there are service areas on both sides of the engine (longer term on the starboard than the port, but you still need access). Make sure your new panel is easy to remove when you need to, or things will get skipped because it's too much of a hassle to get in.
On another note, you should monitor the amount of soot that is deposited in the next year (or months). Noticeable amounts of soot indicate either a malfunction or a leaking exhaust.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Normally, there has been a substantial flow of water from my exhaust, but this season, there didn't seem to be as much splashing and spluttering as usual. No temperature warning, but the flow seemed off the pace. Looked at the impeller - no problem there. No leaks, either. Fortunately I remembered that the engine seemed to take a long time during its first start after launch to begin expelling water. That was the clue; the engine wasn't sucking water from the lake with its usual thirst. I took the cover off the water strainer and found that the gasket had semi-perished and compressed to the thickness of a sheet of airmail paper. No longer doing its job, it was allowing a small amount of air into the strainer, compromising suction of water into the strainer and then to the engine.
The solution was to buy a small sheet of rubber (about 1.5mm thick), trace then cut out the shapes of the strainer cap and its retaining nut/washer. With installation, problem solved.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
One thing to consider about Tacktick is the issue of batteries. The batteries in my first Tacktick Racemaster were not readily replaceable; it could be done if you were skilled at opening plastic cases and then resealing them, but I don't have those skills. Several people in England and North America advertised that they could do it for you, but they seemed to go in and out of business regularly (or they just didn't answer email).
Fortunately, when my first Racemaster died, the distributor agreed this was unreasonable and replaced the unit at about 2/3 of retail - so about $350.
The current FAQ from Raymarine says the batteries will last the life of the instrument in which it's installed. That strikes me as a bit vague. The Tacktick instruments are a great concept, but I wonder about the execution. I'd do some research about battery longevity and replaceability in the current generation of equipment before jumping on board.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV