C&C 27 Association Forum

My boat (I'm the fourth owner) has been in fresh water all her life. Salt water sailing, especially with raw water cooling, is inherently harder on the block. So I'd be more aggressive about maintenance/repairs with a salt water boat. My A4's side plate was uncorroded but was fairly heavily junked-up with mineral deposits. Just remove the alternator to gain bolt access, pull the bolts and have a look. You'll know right away whether there's a problem. Hence the hot-tanking; it clears out the block's internal passages, etc. As for the user manual, the original was, um, basic. I believe the Moyer manual is well worth the money (your mechanic might appreciate having access to it) and wehther you or the mechanic uses it as a reference, you'll find that the procedures outlined will make for more efficient and, hence, cheaper service. The MMI Forum is worthwhile too. As for the gasoline engine horror stories, they're generally due to stupidity than to any fault of the engine. Besides, four cylinders are inherently smoother (and quieter) than one of Dr. Diesel's creations (no offence, guys!). Good luck.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

Sorry about the "Larry", Gary. As usual, haste makes waste. I'll make sure to spell it correctly when I mail you the manual. Cheers.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

I also opted for bronze. Thanks, however, for the advice.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

I pulled the malfunctioning A-4 from my 1975 Mark III last winter after haulout and did most of the rebuild myself. The only work I jobbed out was the stripped block to a local automotive shop which checked bearings, piston bores, etc. All were pronounced bang on factory spec. I let them do the block rebuild but did everthing else. I hadn't done anything like since I rebuilt my 1957 TR3 engine in the mid-60s but the A-4 turned out to be simpler due to the single carburettor, etc. I purchased a complete gasket set from Moyer. You can check out the results on Moyer's website; the engine is the April pinup. If you did go this route, I highly recommend Moyer's A-4 manual and would expect that you do the whole thing in a week if you can spare the time and find a cooperative shop.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa
[Ken has agreed to detail this experience for Black Arts. Look for this - with pics - mid-summer. - Admin]

You might want to consider having a couple of rounds of white quarter-inch ABS cut with a diameter about one inch larger than the diameter of your current mounting hole and with holes centred for the new display (you wind up with a doughnut-shapes). With one doughnut against on the outside gelcoal and one on the inside liner, drill four or six appropriately-spaced holes for aluminum Chicago bolts, which make for a nice clean appearance and are available at Home Hardware. Caulk and proceed with mounting of the new display.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

At the recommendation of a friend who has one, I bought the Indigo prop for my Mark III last summer. It significantly reduces (but does not eliminate) prop walk.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

Thanks for that feedback, Bruce. When you replaced the gate valves with the 1.5-inch Marelon units, did you have to replace the through-hulls too? Thanks.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

Have you checked out <A href="http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/">http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/</A>? It's a generic C&C site with some potentially useful links (click on the burgees at the bottom). Good luck.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

My Mark III has the original gate valves which will be replaced this spring. But with what? I'm also interested in the Marelon option but am not unwilling to consider bronze fittings. I'm well aware of the arguments (mostly specious in my opinion) about the supposed fragility (principally the handles) of the Forespar units but if they're good enough for major manufacturers they're good enough for me. That said, I'm simply interested in hearing from other owners about what they have done. As usual, thanks in advance.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa

For what it's worth, when I installed my dodger last season, I moved the bail back about 12 inches to give me additional clearance for my mainsheet (on a bridgedeck-mounted traveller) when the boom is winged out. It entailed drilling a quarter-inch hole horizontally through the boom and relocating the fastener that holds the bail. I closed off the original hole with one of those "Chicago bolts" that come in two halfs, one of which threads into the other and results in an almost flush surface at both ends; any good fastener supplier carries them. Many people shy away in horror from drilling holes in any part of their boats, but I think in this case the loads are such that there should be no problem.
Ken Pole
1975 Mark III Santiva
Ottawa