This Forum is supported by C&C 27 owners like you whose membership in the C&C 27 Association makes possible this Forum and the accompanying site. Thank you, members, for your continuing commitment.
You are not logged in.
There may be changes from tack to tack but these would be of no practical significance as the boom remains on centreline. From beating to reaching or running, the change might be greater, but that's again of no practical significance because you're changing the outhaul setting when you change heading anyway. Any change in tension that might be altered by the change in relative angles from one point of sail to another is mitigated by the 4:1 cascade, so any variation (which is probably measured in millimeters) is reduced to 1/4 of the original by the time you get to the outhaul.
Incidentally, when I got the boat, it had a totally jury-rigged external outhaul. When I pulled off the outboard casting, I found the central slot drilled for a sheave, but with no sheave fitted. The last time I had the inboard casting off, I realized that it is a mirror image of the outer casting, so a sheave could be fitted there as well. From there it would be a straight drop to the foot of the mast, which would avoid the bother of the external block. The whole assembly could be done with small blocks and small-diameter line (Amsteel or similar dinghy-size Spectra), so it would be light, and more importantly, free-running.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I had the engine out of Towser over one winter for a rebuild. As soon as she went back in the water, we almost hoisted the engine back in, to find that the engine beds had moved almost an inch in relation to one another. I assume that without the engine locking the beds into their relationship, and without the engine's weight, the hull was free to change shape fairly dramatically. We left her for a week with the engine in place but the mounting bolts loose, and at the end of it, everything was back where it was previously, including the cross-piece at the front of the engine box, which I'd not been able to secure previously.
We discussed torquing on shore and afloat some years back and my vote still lies with afloat, as the keel is free to make any adjustment in alignment required by the changed torque (though this should be very minor).
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Not necessarily. Torquing if necessary, but not necessarily torquing, to paraphrase Mackenzie King.
Sail the boat for a season and see there is water coming in via the bolt holes, and after haulout, look for signs that the keel is moving significantly when sailing. If either is happening, check the torque settings. If not, be like the rest of us and immediately find something else to fret about.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Check "Keelbolt torque values" in Black Arts. Don't go over "for good luck" or whatever. Someone a while back managed to break one of those things. Not happy.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
1. The Irish Embassy is on Yonge St., where almost anything goes. Bay and King is banks on all four corners, and no extraneous signage is allowed to intervene in the message that "We are in charge".
2. Toronto is home to a world-leading company that "makes" Irish Pubs in the form of CNC-carved and moulded beams, ready-stamped horse-brasses and all the other "ye anciente" guff that infests these places. Tell them the size of your rooms, they'll slice it and dice it, pop it in a container and ship it anywhere in the world. Do not look here for historical or cultural fidelity; the voice of Clio is drowned by the subtle swish of cards being swiped.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
The Norton on-line service works if you connect via Firefox or Safari, but I don't think it provides much more than a test of your firewall. The downloadable package is Windows-only.
Do not, however, despair. A long debate over the value of security software for Macs was played out on Macintouch.com recently and the consensus from the site's informed readership was that there is as yet no need for security software such as is marketed by Symantec and McAfee, assuming you use the firewall built into OS X. (Go to Macintouch and look for "Security and Privacy" under "Special Reports" - the latest discussion starts around here.) Depending on your point of view, these packages can also be more of a nuisance than a help, as they may quarantine cross-platform files that contain viruses aimed at PC's that will not affect a Mac (on the other hand, you can then avoid sending an infected file on to other PC's - but on the other-other hand, it helps you to identify infected files that you can "innocently" send to people who annoy you).
From my reading of the various reader comments, if I were interested in having more on-going security, I would look at Clam, which is donation-ware, or Intego Virusbarrier, which is commercial software. (Note that these, like PC security software, are only useful to the extent that they are kept scrupulously up to date.)
For myself, I rely on the firewall functions provided by my router, by my own machine (OS X 10.6.2) and by Little Snitch, which monitors outgoing connections to ensure that nothing that is legitimately on the machine makes an outgoing connection without my knowledge. I have run Clam on my machine (it can be run automatically, or you can do a "manual" one-shot scan) and it's clean.
Hope this helps.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Modification of the engine beds is less serious than it sounds (if required - there seems to be a continuum of fiddling involved in the term "drop-in") as the 27's engine beds are steel L-angles bolted to the glass - or at least mine were. Swapping in new steel covers most of the old/new accommodation issues.
My new engine also required a new fuel filter and (surprise) a larger diameter exhaust line. On the strong recommendation of the head mechanic, the hose was routed up under the transom with a siphon break at the top of the line.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
A GMT version of Newfoundland time?
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Seems to work
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
If you could find that rattlesnake, you could make a fortune down on Bay St., scaring away the bears.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
What a coincidence - that's what happened in Toronto this year, too.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Zebra mussels are an established fact of life on Lake Ontario, but in most instances they're more a problem when you're out of your boat than in. They're razor sharp, so everyone has stories of being cut by their shells while swimming or climbing a ladder from the water. They clear the water of suspended particulates, so they have changed the ecosystem in many parts of the lakes where existing life depended on murky water. In many places this means that sunlight gets down to the bottom, encouraging the growth of the vegetation. Some very nice corners of the Lake are now impassable because of weed, and our club has had to buy a weed-eater boat to keep the growth to manageable levels.
They haven't been much of an issue for our boats themselves because Lake Ontario boats are only in the water for six months or less - just when a nice colony gets started, bingo, it's haulout time and they're off for that Great Clambake in the Sky.
I'm surprised that Doug has seen any zebra mussels on boats at all - summer is so short up there that it's not uncommon to see a fellow taking the snow tires off the front of his car while his wife is busy putting them back on the rear, so as you can imagine their boats get less time out on the Bay than the ice fishing huts.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I couldn't swear as to the similarity of the Mk II and Mk III's companion boards, but my neighbour's Mk I boards have a rounded top, in keeping with his rounded companion slide, whereas my companion board is flat-topped, to match my Mk IV's flat slab of hatch lucite. I'm reasonably sure that the groove within which his boards fit is thicker, too.
I'd be very reluctant to make companion boards without the boat or a near-sister (at least the same Mark) to draw from.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Windyday's implicit suggestion that installation is a deciding factor accords with what I've heard. Also, I was told (independently, by a sailmaker) that a furler will find any defect in your headstay, and that you are well advised to replace it when fitting a furler. Mine cost $90, which seems reasonable insurance.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
The "b" brochure on the C&C Photo site shows a late-model Mk III and indicates a 13 US gallon (52 litre) waste tank. I suspect that C&C moved the tank under the berth for that refresh, because I can't imagine space for 52 litres behind the head.
I disagree about the sailing performance aspect. When cruising, full tanks offset the weight of the "crew" (loafers and idlers all) who insist on clogging the cockpit and making the boat stern-heavy. When racing, crews should understand that they are expected to be working hard enough to sweat it off and not need the head. An empty tank is no impediment to performance.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Later - I was wrong, at least for Mk III's in 1980, as Kat's-Paw has a tank behind the panelling.
To answer the specific questions, 'What kind of brush?' and 'Did you work alone or with help', I used a variety of relatively inexpensive bristle brushes, and it didn't seem to make much difference which type I used. I tipped with a very light touch and occasionally wiped accumulated Interprotect off the bristles to keep it from re-depositing.
I did this alone, once on the hull at the lower end of the material's working temperature range and once (rudder) in the basement at the middle of the range. The most critical element is correct mixing. I somehow contrived to get the proportions off (it could only have been slightly wrong) and the stuff was an absolute pig to handle, streaking and clumping. Most times it went on beautifully, giving more than adequate time to tip. If I recall correctly, I did sizes like the whole of one side of the bow, or one side of the rudder, which let me tip and still maintain a wet edge when I went back to the roller. I tipped every coat, no sanding until I was ready for bottom paint, and I think this made a major contribution to the end result, which is very slick.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Are you saying that he removes the lowers, then stores the boat with the stick up? That makes sense if you're putting up a tarp around a standing mast; I can't see the point at all with the mast down. But while this makes sense if you accept the notion of wintering with the mast up, I think mast-up wintering is a rotten idea.
Boats with masts up are much more likely to blow over; boats with masts down simply don't topple. This would have been a moot issue 20 years ago, but weather tends to be more extreme these days and three mast-up boats that I know of toppled in Toronto last winter. In addition, there is the open question of stressing the boat over six months of winter, as you've got the rig tensions acting on a hull that's already differently stressed by being unsupported by water. Does it make a difference? Don't know with certainty, but I don't feel it's the best option.
Take the lowers off, take the uppers off, pull the mast and tarp the boat. It's not that much work and it avoids a lot of obvious problems, plus potential issues that might not show up for years.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I don't think Martin Jubenvile was suggesting that the number on the sail is a rating. He was suggesting that it is a PHRF-assigned identification number. This is partly right. It is an identification number, but if it's a recognized number, it comes from the national authority (in our case, the Cdn Yachting Association and for US members, US Sailing). They are assigned sequentially (unless you want to pay for a "vanity number") which explains the congruence between the age of the boat and the numbers. See this CYA page on Offshore Sail Numbers.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Have you taken the old belt to an auto-parts shop and asked if they could provide something similar?
Also, if you Google "autohelm 3000 parts", the first page lists three eBay sellers of toothed belts for the device.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
A mast that bows aft (concave on the forward side) is referred to as having 'inverse' bend. This is bad, as on a very bendy mast it's often a prelude to failure. On the tree-trunks we have, this risk is minimal to non-existent, but it will make your main unreasonably full.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I think the Spartite is underperforming, but at this point I can't tell why. I'll have a look at it when the mast comes down at the end of October. If it has compressed or broken down, I'll look for the hose referred to by Ken Pole in a thread called 'Loose Spreader':
"After an extensive search, I found suitable heater hose for the inboard end of my Mark III's spreaders at a truck supply shop. It has an outside diameter of about 1-5/8" and a wall thickness of about 3/16". My spreaders are 1" aluminum pipe which has an O.D. of 1-5/16" so the hose is a snug fit. It costs $2 an inch up here and you'll need no more than 5" to do both sides."
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Teak isn't cheap, until you consider its longevity and relationship to the value of your boat. Don't buy lumber-store mahogany; it's rubbish and won't last. It is possible that your city (even a small city) has a lumber specialist who can sell you teak. Failing that, try Noah's (see the Links & Contacts page).
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
You are dancing around the reasons that our buying advice hammers on the point that you need a skilled surveyor - it's very difficult to evaluate the state of a laminate based on external signs. A crack could just be cosmetic - or it could be the outward sign of failed core. The wet fitting over the dinette could be a simple leak, or it could be water leaking from a sodden core. The cockpit sole could have been cracked by people jumping on it - or it could have been cracked because the balsa core has failed. Good surveyors have a variety of means of telling one from the other; they're not infallible but they're not groping in the dark quite the way the rest of us are.
Keep in mind that should you pay for a survey and decide not to proceed, the survey still belongs to you and you can sell it to someone else who is interested in the boat.
Our icebox takes about 15 seconds to start smelling awful if not kept scrupulously clean. That may be the only issue here. Many people forget to clean the underside of the box's top.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
See page 9 of the Edson material. It's limited, but it's there. As to 'fixing' rusted cables, it depends on what you mean by 'rusted'. For anything but the most superficial rust and certainly for a compromised cover, replacement is the safer option.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
We rather take this process for granted, so it's difficult to know what's obvious to you and what might be a revelation.
Our club Travellift picks up boats with the slings forward of the bow and stern areas where pads will be applied. When the boat settles into its cradle, the slings therefore are not trapped by the pads. Pads should be applied approximately on a line with the forward end of the cockpit and the forward end of the head windows, so the slings should go forward of these points. Make yourself a nice long wooden wedge to slip under the forward end of the keel so the weight is not all on the aft end. Since you are taking the boat inland, this is probably superfluous, but sailboats on land are happier with their rigs down particularly in storm country. Build yourself a nice high tarp frame that you can work under comfortably so you don't have to close up the boat and put everything away every time you stop work.
Are you going to strip the bottom? Factor this into your trailer/cradle economics - it may be cheaper to tow your boat to a sandblasting company than to have them come to you. If you decide to sand the bottom clean yourself, don't try to do this with some POS Black & Decker home-handyman toy. Invest in a powerful random-orbit sander with a dust removal system - your lungs will thank you (Bosch sanders are good and the dust removal hose, etc. is reasonably priced; an inexpensive ShopVac completes the system). Interprotect? Mix it carefully and then roll-and-tip it on for a smooth finish.
Rudder? It's probably full of water, but that doesn't mean it's toast (see my Black Arts entry on Towser's rudder). Alternatively, you may wish to build a second-generation style rudder. This will lighten the load on the helm.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV