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I remember that something like 15 or more years ago we had a guest speaker for our sailors' night at Bronte Harbour Yacht Club who had indeed sailed his C&C 27 Mk V down the St. Lawrence and across the Atlantic to Europe and England. I recall that he reported having total faith in the boat all the way across. However, he did ship it back to Canada as deck cargo, rather than coming back on its own bottom. I really wish that I could remember his name . . .
I also recall hearing, I believe from Fiona McCall, who wrote "All in the Same Boat", that most people who drop out and adopt the cruising lifestyle do so on boats which are 30 feet or less in length, since that makes the economics so much more feasible.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hey Windy,
Your needs should be met by "Shields 200 Softwall Exhaust Hose", which is available with a 1-5/8 inch inner diameter. Their website is supposed to be at www.shieldshose.com, but I have not been able to get any response at that address. Here in Canada, the Western Marine Company (NOT the other West company) is a distributor for Shields hoses and they do have it in stock. Your local chandler can order it from them. A quick search via Google reveals all sorts of vendors for Shields Hose products, so somebody should be able to help you get it. Have you hired a contortionist to work in the lockers? Replaced my water pump impeller yesterday and I don't think that my back and hips will forgive me for at least a week.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
P.S. Just checked the 2009 Holland Marine Products catalog and they carry 1-5/8 " softwall exhaust hose. The distinction between "softwall" and "hardwall" is a matter of whether or not there is wire reinforcement embedded in the rubber layers.
Sounds like a sensible approach. However, if you do eventually decide to go with roller furling, the conversion from hanks to a luff rope and luff tape is no big deal. Just ask any sailmaker.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
That is correct. While racing, we leave the spinner at the bottom of the luff extrusion, sitting on top of the drum. This is the practice of most of the racers at our club.
If you already have a furling sail set up on your headfoil, then downsizing is usually just a matter of rolling up part of the sail, although that does do horrible things to the sail shape. For racing, where optimum shape and size are key, most racers bypass the furling functions entirely. The double-groove headstay is one of the reasons that Harken gear became the favourite choice of racers around the world, since it allows for easier headsail changes without having to power down in between. Still, it sucks to have to keep popping off the feeder casting in order to remove your spinner from use or bring it back into use, as you alternate between racing and pleasure sailing. Always have a spare screw!
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hey Allan,
Congratulations! How does it feel to be Commodore of your own little fleet? Nerve-wracking, ain't it?
I have raced both with and without roller furling. My current 27 is equipped with Harken roller furling and I would not part with it. As pointed out elsewhere in this thread, the dual-groove luff extrusions are really no different in size and performance than using a Tuff-Luff foil over the headstay. The benefit of having a luff extrusion is that it gives you a much cleaner and smoother edge than using hanks. I still have full control over my luff tension and I still use my backstay adjuster to control headstay sag. I run two genoas: one for cruising/pleasure sailing and another for racing. The cruising genoa is pure dacron (no laminates), has a protective UV strip along the foot and leech, and runs from the drum to almost the top of the luff extrusion (as high as the spinner can go). The drum itself is positioned about 6 or 7 inches off of the deck, which helps keep the cruising sale clear of the water when heeled and allows me to peek beneath it for a view to leeward.
My racing genoa is another story. It is a deck-sweeper, reaching from the tack fitting at the very bottom of the forestay to the very top of the luff extrusion, which means that we do not give up any sail size to any of our competitors. The luff of the sail does have to fit around the drum, but the distortion is so minimal that it has no discernible impact (my unit is too old to have a split drum). Now that I have inboard tracks, I point better than most of my fleet going to windward (even the other guys with inboard tracks). However, the racing genoa is a laminated sail and I would never try to furl it. Indeed, we cannot furl it, as the luff is too long for us to use the spinner for hoisting the sail. This means that in order to downsize the headsail, someone has to go forward and literally pull down the genoa. The plus side is that the dual-groove headstay, and dual halyards, means that we can haul up the number 2 before taking down the number 1.
I have been racing with my wife, daughters and mother as crew for more than two decades now. From the time they were about 10 (currently 17 and 19), my daughters have had no problem about going forward to pull down the headsail and snap bungee cords over it. My wife has never had a problem doing it, even in the worst squalls. After a season or two of practice all of them, including my mother (currently 86), have always been able to hold head to wind while I worked on the foredeck. Teach them, trust them, and keep your cool is my motto.
From my time running a retail chandlery, I can attest that the two top brands for furlers are Harken and Selden Furlex, with both brands having first-rate quality and performance. The Harken units are possibly more racing-oriented, but the Furlex package comes with literally everything you need for installation. Harken forces you to pick and choose among bits and pieces, which can run up the bill.
Anyhow, I would not want to go back to living without furling. Maybe this could be an opportunity to have the old genoa recut for furling and have a new, dedicated, racing genoa made up. It all depends on how important racing performance is to you. Best of luck!
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hey Windy,
I use the Spinlock Stainless Bulls-eye fairleads on my stanchions to handle the furling line. Although these fairleads are moulded for 1-inch stanchions, they are supplied with moulded plastic liner sleeves which allow them to fit properly onto 7/8-inch stanchions. My forward fairlead is a proper rolling sheave, also from Spinlock, which allows me to adjust the angle of the block leading into the furling drum. It too came with the plastic sleeves. As a solution, these may be worth looking into.
Alternatively, I wrote in another posting in this forum about using 1-inch stainless tube with a 7/8-inch inner diameter to sleeve the bottom 4 inches of my stanchions back when I was retrofitting my C&C 25. The bonus in that approach was that the additional 1-inch diameter tubing extended more than 2 inches above the stanchion bases, not only reinforcing the stanchions at their weakest point but also providing a 1-inch diameter anchoring point for fairleads, pole mounts, etc.
At any rate, that's how I have dealt with this issue in the past. Hope it helps.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Look into the Marelon seacocks and through-hulls made by Forespar. I replaced all of the seacocks on Carriden and the new ones are all flush-fitting. The shape and size of the outside flange is different from the original bronze through-hulls, but you can still achieve a perfect flush bottom. As a bonus, the Marelon seacocks do not suffer from electrolysis and they have proper ball valves, which are visibly open or closed and shut with a quarter-turn. Do not confuse Marelon with cheaper nylon or other plastic fittings, they are much stronger.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Anyone who is familiar with it never wants to do it again.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
This may be something worth discussing and clearing up on this thread. Interprotect is NOT a paint. It is an epoxy barrier. In order for Interprotect to provide adequate resistance to water penetration, the coating must be sufficiently thick. Quoting from the product datasheet: "Apply enough Interprotect 2000E to reach a final Dry Film Thickness of 10 mils. This usually takes 4-5 coats but the amount of paint is more important than the number of coats." We all want to be economical in applying bottom paint (especially with the price of VC17!), but with Interprotect it is the final volume of epoxy used that matters, not how many thick or thin coats you managed to put on.
If the below water-line surface of a C&C 27 were changed into a flat, rectangular shape, it would measure about 23 ft by 6-1/2 ft, for a total of about 150 square feet. Add in about 25 square feet for the keel surface, if you want to cover that as well, for a total surface of 175 square feet. If each coat is rolled on at exactly the thickness recommended by Interlux, it takes a minimum of 4 coats to achieve exactly 10 mil. Let's say we should apply five coats to be safe, to allow for variations in the final DFT (Dry Film Thickness) of each coat. Since Interlux projects that one gallon, applied by brush, can theoretically cover 240 square feet at the required DFT of 2.5 mil, it should take 3/4 of a gallon for each bottom coat on a C&C 27. If a coat takes less than that, then the layer is not thick enough. It is not unusual for a layer to be too thin if you start applying the mixed epoxy before it has had adequate "set-up" time.
The end result of these numbers is that if you haven't applied at least 3 to 3-1/2 gallons of Interprotect to the bottom of a 27, then you do not have enough of it in place to provide an adequate barrier to water penetration. It doesn't matter if that amount is applied in 2 thick coats (very unlikely) or 8 thin coats. All that matters is that you get enough of the stuff onto the bottom to build up a final thickness of over 10 mil. Remember to apply extra layers if you are going to be sanding it smooth for a racing finish.
I'm a bit sensitive about this because I have done this job on 5 boat bottoms now. With my 27, I first had to spend countless hours of drudgery sanding off a coating of Interprotect that had been poorly applied and wasn't adequately thick. Someone had tried to both economize and do the job without fully understanding the instructions before-hand, leaving me with a messy situation to clean up and make right.
Okay, that's my rant for this week. May you now be blessed with calm seas and a following wind.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
I have noticed in the past that there can be considerable variation in the castings for the stanchion bases. Some shops adhere very closely to the original specs and some apparently just want to do it their own way. I have even experienced variations in bases from a single vendor because the vendor had changed the foundry that did the castings. In your situation, I would not hesitate to "finesse" the new bases a bit in order to make them fit better.
On my C&C 25, I changed over from the original type "A" bases to the type "C". The 25 uses the exact same toerail extrusion as the 27. For that boat, I aligned one of the bolt-holes for the new stanchion base with the hole for an existing toe-rail bolt and then simply ran a longer bolt (technically a machine screw) through the two of them. So, for that installation, the hole in the stanchion base would actually line up with the hole in the toerail (with a very slight amount of finessing). For the second bolt in the new stanchion base, I just drilled right through the hole in the base and into the toerail, keeping the drill bit perpendicular to the base of the toerail. This lined the new bolt up right in line with the existing toerail bolts on the inside of the boat. I do remember that I had to trim back the "lip" on the outboard side of the stanchion bases because they were slightly too long and pressed on the rubrail, preventing the bases from sitting tight against the bottom surface of the toerail.
On Carriden, I changed most of the stanchion bases from the type "B" (with the inside leg) to the type "C". Since the type "B" bases already had holes through the toerail extrusion, I simply bolted through the already existing holes. However, the vendor of the bases advertised that they would be an exact fit to the existing holes and I found that this was not really true. I had to do a certain amount of reaming of the holes in the stanchion bases to get them to properly align with the existing holes in the toerail. However, once I had finessed the holes in the bases, it was a simple matter to bolt them down. If you are using butyl caulking under the bases (that gummy grey stuff), then you need to make sure that it is warm enough outside that the caulking will indeed squeeze down and seal. I tried putting some down on a cold, dark night and ultimately they had to be re-bedded because the caulking had been too stiff to actually create a seal.
Here's an interesting observation: there was much easier access to the nuts of the toerail bolts, under the deck, on my 25 than there is on my 27. For some reason, the nuts on the 27 seem to be much closer to the inside of the hull, to the extent that I cannot get a socket wrench on many of them. Are yours also that tight to the side of the boat?
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Mike, when I was acting as a sales rep for Dufour yachts, I found that they had an interesting solution to this issue. All of the Dufour boats had deck-stepped masts, at least up to the 40-ft level, which were the largest boats I ever represented. At any rate, the tabernacles on the Dufours each had a stainless pipe, about 1 inch in diameter, which emerged from the tabernacle in front of the mast. It came up about 4 to 6 inches, curving over in a semi-circle with the open end of the pipe facing down. Mast wiring came out of an opening in the front of the mast and was fed into the pipe, which opened into the interior of the boat. After the wires had been fed through the pipe, you could plug the remaining open portion of the mouth of the pipe with a cloth or some other sort of non-permanent sealing material.
I always thought that this was an elegant and simple solution, and it seems to have worked well for Dufour yachts. I haven't adopted it for Carriden yet, but maybe one of these days . . .
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
[An idea with a good pedigree – Sparkman & Stephens used it in the 30's. There was a drawing of this and other examples of the way they approached details in a book on the firm. - Admin]
I am running a Martec Folding that is 13 x 8, which is the size and pitch recommended by C&C in the owners' manual. This has led to some interesting performance issues: in relatively flat water, Carriden cruises at 5.5 to 6 knots while only turning 1440 RPM. Great power and excellent range from only sipping gas. Also, I have never felt that I needed to worry about my power in reverse. There is no lugging or other problems from the engine, but the oil pressure never gets very high (usually about 20 to 25 PSI). The down side to all that thrust is that when coming into harbour, I throttle down to 800 RPM and the boat is still doing 3-1/2 to 4 knots. Parading into harbour after a race involves a lot of slipping into and out of gear.
Still, the setup has worked well for years and I am fairly happy with it. If I were replacing the prop today, I might consider a lesser pitch, if only to allow for higher RPMs and finer control on the speed.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hello Bob,
The later Marks II and III of the 27 had specially shaped rigid polyethylene holding tanks mounted directly behind (outboard of) the head itself. They were enclosed in an area below the shelf and behind the longitudinal teak bulkhead. In the Mark IV, C&C mounted a rigid polyethylene tank up forward, beneath the V-berth.
In your situation, the simplest thing may be to get a Vetus (a Dutch company) collapsible bladder tank and mount it forward under the V-berth. I used one of these tanks in my C&C 25 for 19 years, with no trouble and no odours. You will need to fiberglass down some anchor points to the inside of the hull, to keep the bladder from shifting and abrading. Alternatively, you could glass in a support shelf and mount a rigid tank under the V-berth.
I hope that this helps clear things up for you. Keep the stick up and the keel down!
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hey Windy,
It sounds like you are planning to install Spinlock organizers. If that is the case, then remember that the endpieces are not load-bearing and do not really need to be through-bolted. I put Spinlocks down on Carriden's cabin-top, 5 sheaves on one side and 4 sheaves on the other. These required 1/4-inch bolts through the centre of each sheave. I opened up the headliner underneath the organizers using a spade drill-bit and then a sanding drum on a rotary tool to enlarge the openings to quasi-rectangles and smooth out the edges. I made the openings large enough that I could fit large "fender" washers to the underside of the cabin-top under the nylock nuts. If you use a single backing plate, then you have to worry about dealing with the cabintop curvature. There should be enough space between the headliner and the underside of the cabintop that the fasteners will not protrude past the headliner. Once the organizers were fastened down, I used pieces of 1/8-inch white plexiglas (acrylic sheet) to cover the holes in the headliner. These were screwed to the headliner with #4 stainless screws and there are two of them, one on each side of the cabin. I found that 1/8-inch sheet is flexible enough that I did not have to pre-shape it with heat, as David did for Towser. I found that I needed to spray-paint the back of the acrylic pieces in order to prevent the "shadow" of the holes showing through.
Remember to use the "drill and fill" technique to protect the balsa core in the cabintop where the bolts are going to go through. For the endpieces on the organizers, I just created "pots" of epoxy within the cabintop balsa core, which then received screws, instead of being through-bolted. I also used some pieces of Starboard to create pads under the organziers which conformed to the shape of the cabin-top, thus providing a flat surface for the organizer itself to mount onto. In the past I have used strips of teak for this purpose, but Starboard is lower maintenance and continues to look good without attention.
The headliner does not provide any appreciable structural integrity for the boat, so don't worry about creating holes in it. Just be careful and measure 3 times before cutting, because none of us want unnecessary holes in our boats.
Good luck and drill carefully!
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
There is an Origo 4000 up for sale on E-bay. Hurry, sale ends tomorrow (February 5th, 2009)!
The link is http://cgi.ebay.ca/Origo-4000-marine-boat-Alcohol-Stove-cooktop_W0QQitemZ200304474008QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBoat_Parts_Accessories_Gear?hash=item200304474008&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hey there Stephane,
The down-side to non-pressurized Alcohol stoves is that they are not particularly quick to actually heat things. This is acceptable when you are resting at anchor or in a slip, but is a real drawback when pounding through a swell, heeled over at 15 degrees.
My solution to this problem has been to install a mounting for a Forespar Mini-Galley 2000 (page 34 in their sailing gear catalog: http://www.forespar.com/onlineCatalog/2008/Sailboat/2008SailingCatalog.pdf) on the partial bulkhead immediately in front of the companion-way steps. This is a fully gimballed stove which runs off of the same propane tanks that are used for my Force 10 Barbecue on the stern pushpit. These are also the same tanks which you use for a plumbing torch or Coleman camping stoves. Since the tanks screw directly into the bottom of the stove, there is no issue of solenoids or running gas hoses through the interior.
The propane stove works quickly and, since it is gimballed in all directions, can even cope with a certain amount of pitch as well as heel. Because of the mounting location, I can monitor my coffeepot, or stewpot, from the cockpit while sailing. When not in use, the gimbal mount on the stove slips out of the mounting bracket, leaving only a flat plate on the bulkhead. The stove stores in the locker underneath the galley drawer. Since I have a more recent-model 27 (1980), I have a forward anchor locker which is vented externally and this is where I store my propane tanks.
I love my Origo 4100 for cooking at rest and my family and I have prepared many nice meals on it. But for cooking under way, nothing beats the Mini-Galley. Of course, it is limited to a single smaller pot or pan, but then who wants to get too ambitious while under way?
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
I agree completely with David's recommendation, with two added provisos: at the top of the loop behind the cockpit, install an anti-siphon valve and at the bilge end of the hose install a Whale bilge strainer with non-return valve. Forespar makes an excellent Marelon anti-siphon valve which can be situated in a hole through the gusset inside the stern, which is where C&C fastened the original single backstay.
Prior to installation of an anti-siphon valve, I have experienced backflow through my bilge hose even though it was looped up behind the cockpit. It involves a combination of the thru-hull location, whether the stern is squatting as a result of forward speed and whether the hose is freshly full from some pumping out. Although my bilge-pump thru-hull is above the waterline when the boat is at rest, when we are moving the stern squats and the thru-hull is then below the waterline. At one point, this made for some very interesting moments aboard.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
I have had no problem overpainting with VC17. Can't make any claims about other bottom paint, though. In this particular location and usage, you are unlikely to encounter major elongation of the 4200. We aren't counting on it stretching, just accepting vibration.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
My understanding of the move away from vinyl-coated lifelines is that it has less to do with the inherent strength of different diameters of line and more to do with the potential for crevice corrosion. For those to whom this term is new, crevice corrosion refers to the tendency for stainless to corrode in covered, or closed-in, areas where moisture is held against the metal for prolonged periods. Once the vinyl covering cracks from UV exposure, water will penetrate the cracks and begin the process, greatly weakening a line which, as David has already pointed out, is not that thick to begin with. Add in the potential for hiding the frayed strands and you begin to appreciate the potential hidden dangers.
Incidentally, the potential for crevice corrosion is one reason that I do NOT put cable covers on my shrouds anymore. Have you ever peeled one off to find all of that dirt and algae collecting under there? Turnbuckle boots are OK because they are loose-fitting and allow the covered fittings to dry out, as well as protecting the sails.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
[I wouldn't worry too much about crevice corrosion in your terminals (I assume that's the main concern, not the wire) on the lakes. On the Wikipedia page linked above, there's a further link on corrosion in stainless that emphasizes the role of sodium in salt water in pitting of the metal. For those for whom salt water is a reality, Don Street (of Iolaire fame) suggested putting anhydrous lanolin around the tops of terminals to keep salt water out (but don't ask me where to get it). Also - and this is from memory, always fallible - one of the conditions for crevice corrosion is a corrosive liquid that has been there long enough to become concentrated and de-oxygenated. A little splashing, a little rain and your problem is gone. - Admin
A valid point David and I do not worry overmuch about crevice corrosion here on the lakes, which is why I still have vinyl-covered lifelines, but this marvellous forum has a world-wide audience. I am not convinced about relying on fresh rain to wash out old, de-oxygenated moisture. I suspect that moisture would only penetrate in the first place when the cracks are new and the core is dry. Once there is existing moisture buried under the vinyl, I would not expect that fresh rain or spray would easily flush it out again, as so much of the original penetration would be based on a form of capillary action drawing the moisture into a currently dry area. - Marcus
I would think that the most time- and cost-effective approach would be to dig out a deep V all around the perimeter of the top base of the support strut, then fill that with the 4200. Before you start filling, experiment with the smoothing technique on some scrap material. I cannot remember if I used plain water, soapy water or vinegar for moistening my finger. I would worry about the drawbacks of growing older, except that I keep forgetting them ... I do remember that I had a LOT of paper towels handy. As an aside, vinegar is an excellent, non-toxic way to clean up uncured polyester or epoxy resin, as well as cleaning up a host of other things. I always keep some on board.
I would make sure that the rest of the filler which is still bedded onto the top of the support strut is solid and securely attached, and that the V which you are filling is clear back to the gelcoat of the bottom.
Have fun, and remember: There is nothing so worth doing as simply messing about it boats.
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Oakville, Ontario
Hi Dana,
It sounds like you are discussing two different issues here: the cutless bearing and the support strut for the prop shaft. Replacement of the cutless bearing is necessary once it is worn down enough to allow the prop shaft to wiggle about loosely within the support strut. Grasp the prop shaft right in front of, or right behind, the support strut and try to wiggle it around. If the movement is less than 1/16 of an inch, you are probably OK. DIY magazine has suggested that up to 3/16 of an inch is allowable, but I think that is excessive and other sources insist that 1/16 of an inch is the limit. I'd love to hear some more feedback on how much wiggle room is acceptable. The owner's manual is silent on the subject.
The other issue which you raise is "stress cracking" where the support strut is bedded into the hull. The support strut is cast bronze, in the shape of a "T". The top of the support strut is actually bolted into a moulded-in recess in the bottom of the hull. C&C bedded it with the same butyl rubber compound which they used for the hull-deck joint and for bedding the through-hulls. The base of the strut was then faired into the hull using a fairing compound, similar to the bondo used in autobody work (but marine-grade). The vibration of the engine running and the shaft turning, especially if the cutless bearing is worn or the shaft is out of alignment, can cause the fairing compound to crack. So, the burning question is: are the cracks in the fairing compound or in the gelcoat and fiberglass of the hull? If they are just in the fairing compound, then you can dig out the old compound and replace it with new stuff. I like the 3M Premium Filler because it cures quickly and is relatively easy to sand.
Alternatively, you can do what I did with my support strut. I filled in the gap around the base of the strut with 3M 4200 and then smoothed it out with a wet finger. This does not give as perfectly smooth a finish as a sanded filler would but you can come close. Its virtue is that the 4200 is able to absorb vibration without cracking. After 4 seasons, it is still perfectly sealed and unblemished.
If the cracks are actually into the gelcoat and fiberglass, you can open them up and repair them with epoxy, so long as they are not too deep, but you may want to seek a professional opinion first. I would like to point out that C&C's approach to the support strut is much more robust and maintainable than some of the currently manufactured boats, which actually embed the top of the support strut into the fiberglass of the hull at lay-up time. While this reduces manufacturing cost and presents a very smooth bottom when the boat is new, it presents a long-term nightmare in terms of allowing water into the actual fiberglass of the hull and rendering replacement or repair of the strut very difficult.
So, check your wiggle room and find out which material is actually cracking on your hull, then decide what needs to be fixed or replaced. Good luck!Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
Hi Dean,
I am tempted to say that it is a straight drop-in, but I cannot claim to know for sure. My boat came with the 2-burner Origo already installed. However, the metal boxing which surrounds the stove under the counter appears to be original and untouched. This leads me to believe that it was a straight drop-in, but perhaps this particular metal boxing actually came with the Origo.
Sorry that I cannot be of more help with this. Good luck with the ladder and watch your step!
Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
P.S. If there was cutting involved at the time of stove installation, it would only have been to enlarge the hole in the counter. There is no problem with clearances underneath.
Let me add my voice to David's. Old-style pressurized stoves, such as the Homestrands and Kenyons, are disasters waiting to happen. I pitched my first one off of my C&C 25 when it ran amok and could not be shut off. I had to pitch it overboard in order to put out the fire (it was on a removable mounting tray). I replaced it with one of the Origo stoves and was happy ever after. One of the factors in choosing my particular 27 was that it came already equipped with a two-burner Origo 4100 that burns alcohol without pressurizing it.
Go with the Origo. Keep checking e-bay to see if any good used ones come up at a cheaper price. Last year I almost managed to get one of the combination alcohol-electric versions. Missed it by that much...Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
In the past I have converted both my old C&C 25 and now my 27 to the Type "C" bases, a conversion which I heartily recommend. However, in converting the bases for my 25, I also had to accomodate 7/8" stanchions in a 1-inch hole. What I found to be a preferable solution, which greatly increased the strength and rigidity of the stanchion, was to sleeve the bottom 4 inches of the stanchion in 1-inch stainless tubing.
In order to do this, you need to get a sufficient length of stainless tubing with a 7/8-inch inner diameter and a 1-inch outer diameter. Cut this tubing into 4-inch lengths and use a file to bevel both ends. Then liberally coat the bottom 4 inches of the stanchion in caulking, like 3M 4200 and insert it into the 4-inch long piece. The caulking is to seal up the gap, so as to minimize the possibility of crevice corrosion. Once the caulking has cured, you can drill the hole for the through-bolt which anchors the stanchion into the base. I recommend setting up a jig, using one of the stanchion bases, so that you can do this job on a drill press. Otherwise, the task of drilling through all of that stainless is going to be tiresome and frustrating. Remember also to use some cutting oil, such as plumbers use when cutting threads on iron pipes. This will help cool the stainless and carry the shards of metal away.
When putting the stanchions into the mounted bases, coat the bottoms of the stanchions with something like Lanocote from Forespar, as this will reduce the electrolysis and make it easier to remove them in the future. The advantage of the stainless sleeve is that it reinforces the stanchion at its weakest point, the point of greatest leverage. It also does not degrade from UV the way the usual nylon bushings do.
Hope that you find these suggestions useful. Good luck!Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847
A buddy of mine refinished the deck of his C&C 27 with Interdeck last year. So far it looks good and is working well. Of course, it's only been for one season now, so the jury is still out. Good luck!Marcus from Carriden
Mk III, Hull #847