WELCOME ABOARD
Sail La Vie
Sail La Vie is an all new design Catalina 350,
incorporating many desired features found only in larger vessels. With an on deck length of 35’ 3”, an overall
length of 36’ 5”, and a beam of 13’, the 350 is a bigger boat and a true 35
footer.
Deep,
secure coamings, and seats long enough for sleeping
highlight the cockpit. A folding cockpit
table enhances your dining pleasure. Wide weather decks, tall life lines and
inboard shrouds make for secure movement.
A divided anchor locker has double rollers and an electric
windlass. All sail controls are led aft
on the cabin top to large winches within easy reach of the helmsman.
Accommodations
for up to five people include settees that will serve as sea berths. Comfortable cabins fore and aft with inner
spring mattresses provide privacy for two couples. Separate shower stall, generous tankage,
large battery banks, and big lockers above and below deck give the 350 the
capacity and range necessary for comfortable cruising.
Auxiliary power
comes from a smooth, four cylinder 35 HP diesel engine. A dependable power system
providing reduced sound at cruising speed and more than enough power for all
conditions.
This
abbreviated manual contains most information for all normal operations. For all systems, there is detailed information
in a technical data book provided.
Welcome
aboard and enjoy your trip! Please make
notes of any items that may need repair/replaced and feel free to make
suggestions for future cruising enjoyment aboard Sail La Vie!
Owners,
Carl
and Cindy Bender
Pre-Departure Checklist:
Shore
Power:
Turn AC
main breaker above Nav station to OFF.
Turn AC
main breaker on dock to OFF.
Disconnect
power cord and stow in lazaret.
Reverse
procedure when hooking up to shore power.
Turn
charger breaker, above Nav station to OFF.
Confirm raw
water thru-hull is open (follow hose downward from sea
strainer located at port rear of engine).
Check that
sea strainer is clean.
Check oil
level (starboard side of engine block).
Check
coolant level located on starboard side of engine compartment
Check
battery selector switch, located under the chart table along with the windlass
breaker, is on “1”. Note: You should save one
battery bank for starting, and one for operating lights while not hooked up to
AC. The only critical rule for the
battery selector switch is NEVER MOVE THE SELECTOR SWITCH TO OFF WHILE
THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. If this happens,
the engine will not start.
Starting the Engine:
Place shift
lever in the neutral position
Engine stop
“T” handle must be in the down position
Insert
ignition key through rubber cover on port side of steering station.
If engine
is cold, rotating and holding key past the on position will activate the glow
plugs (usually about 30 seconds is fine).
After
engine starts, look/listen to make sure water is coming out of thru-hull on the
starboard rear side of hull.
This ensures the raw water thru-hull located in the engine compartment
is open.
There is a
rubber button located at the base of the throttle/shift selector to disengage the shift selector. This function allows you to increase the
engine rpm without going into forward gear.
Return shifter to neutral to engage fwd/rev functions.
Warm up
engine at 800-1000 RPM.
Turn on all
necessary instruments at Nav station (VHF, knot meter, depth sounder, GPS, wind
indicator, etc).
ENGINE OPERATING SPEED:
Normal
operating water temperature is 165-170 degrees.
If temperature climbs there is a problem that needs immediate
attention. Check sea strainer first to
see if it is clogged.
Normal
cruising RPM for the most efficient operation is 2500 RPM. This RPM will move the boat through the water
at 7.4 knots and burn approximately 1.0 gallon per hour. Fuel tank capacity is 39 gallons. Fuel fill is aft on the starboard side. Fuel key is in the Nav desk.
Shifting/Engine
speed is controlled by a single lever. IMPORTANT! Always pause for a few seconds in neutral
before going into either forward or reverse to allow the drive shaft to stop. This single lever is simple to operate, but
some boaters are used to separate fwd/rev and throttle levers.
TO STOP ENGINE:
Shift to
neutral.
Pull engine
stop “T” handle up until engine stops and alarm sounds.
Push engine
stop “T” handle down and turn off key. Be
careful not to stop engine by turning off key first.
While sailing, please place shift lever into reverse to avoid
transmission damage.
ANCHORING SYSTEM
SETTING THE ANCHOR
Turn on
windlass breaker under chart table. Use
“DOWN” button or remove chain from the gypsy on anchor winch and lower by
hand. A 3:1 to 7:1 scope is usually
adequate. Once anchor is on the bottom,
back up at idle speed to the chosen scope.
To set the anchor, tie off rode to bow cleat, then increase RPM to 1500
to insure the anchor is set. Transfer
the rode to the anchor locker cleat so you can close the anchor locker hatch
without interference. Turn off windlass
breaker.
HOISTING THE ANCHOR
Turn on
windlass breaker under chart table. When
raising the anchor, use the main engine to position the boat over the
anchor. Do not attempt to use the anchor
windlass to pull the boat up to the anchor because this may overheat the
windlass. Once all the slack is out of
the anchor line, wrap the windlass with three turns, press the “UP” button, and
try to break the anchor free. If it does
not come free EASILY…secure the line with 1:1 scope and use the boat motor to
drive forward slowly to free the anchor from the bottom. When the chain starts to come aboard,
transfer the chain to the gypsy to complete the hoist. As the chain is retrieved, use short bursts
from the windlass to help pile the chain evenly in the chain locker AFTER
the chain clears the windlass (this will keep five fingers on each
hand). If the anchor is dirty, bounce it
in the water. The anchor should clean
itself. Secure the anchor and cleat off
chain on cleat in anchor locker. The
bucket in the anchor locker is to use sea water to rinse chain/rode. The anchor locker is self draining.
NOTE:
There is a clutch on top of the windlass that can be released using the
bar in anchor locker. Be VERY CAREFULL with this function, as it
can cause the windlass to free-spool very fast with a load on. Also, if this clutch is loose, it will not
haul up the anchor line.
When
anchoring is completed, remember to turn off the anchor windlass breaker
located under the chart table.
The main AC
shore power breaker is located on the electrical panel. There is a secondary breaker located in the
port rear locker, but normally this does not need to be checked.
The battery
charger is under the Nav station and is used to charge the batteries while
using shore power.
CLEANING
Cleaning
supplies are located in the lazarette.
Please avoid using Windex, oils or insect repellant sprays. All will ruin the plexi-glass and fiberglass.
Use
bathroom foam cleaner or liquid cleaner for head and use shower sprayer to wash
down the entire toilet area.
Use the
holding tank odor treatment provided for the holding tanks. Use soft rags or sponges for inside
cleaning.
When
refrigerator is cleaned out, water is drained by activating the foot pump
located under the galley sink. The
thru-hull valve for the refrigerator is located just under the foot pump lever
beneath the removable covers and needs to be open in order to pump out the
refrigerator. Be sure to close the
thru-hull valve for the refrigerator drain when done.
DOCKING
Head boat
into the wind or current, whichever is stronger. The stern of the boat pulls to port when
operating in reverse. A docking line at
mid-ship is a great help because of the width of the vessel. Try using the Easy-Docker
to pull you close to the dock to simplify docking.
ELECTRICAL
The boat is
supplied with 110 volts of AC through all plug outlets via shore power. Shore power charges the batteries through the
Charger. When not on shore power, turn
the Charger switch to off. The
refrigeration works on 12 volts.
Operate the
microwave on shore power.
FRESH WATER SYSTEM
The forward
tank capacity is 55 gallons. The aft
tank capacity is 22.5 gallons. The
valves for switching from forward to aft tank are located under the galley sink.
FURNACE
The furnace
is a Wabasto diesel-fired furnace. There
are vents located in the main cabin, both staterooms, and the head. To activate the furnace, turn the switch to
“on” and set the thermostat control.
Hot water
is created while the motor is running, or when on
shore power. The tank capacity is 11
gallons. The breaker is located on the
electrical panel.
GALLEY OPERATION
STOVE AND
OVEN
Verify that
all stove/oven knobs are in the “off” position.
Start by opening the valve on the propane tank located in the starboard
aft propane locker. Activate “LPG
solenoid” circuit-breaker located on the electrical panel. A red light will glow.
Turn on top
burner knob and light. Sometimes top
burners need a second or two to evacuate air in lines.
To Light
the Oven:
Turn the
thermostat to “light” position. Push in
the safety button located next to the thermostat knob. Light the pilot light using the electronic
lighter. Hold the safety button pushed
in for approximately 10-15 seconds and slowly release button. The flame should remain. If not, repeat the procedure. Complete
instructions are located on the inside of the oven door.
Microwave:
Microwave
uses shore power.
Refrigeration:
The
refrigeration is controlled by a switch on the main electrical panel, and by
thermostat inside the refrigerator and freezer.
The thermostat should be set just cold enough to keep ice frozen. Colder settings drain the batteries faster
than necessary.
Sink
Operation:
The
thru-hull valve is located directly underneath the sink. To drain sink simply open thru-hull. When underway, close valve. Be careful to keep sink drains free of all
food debris to avoid clogging.
Bilge
Pumps:
The switch
for this pump should be left on “AUTOMATIC” rather than set on “ON”. If you activate manually, return the switch
to the “AUTOMATIC” setting after use.
There is a manual bilge pump located in the starboard cockpit with a
handle located in the lazarette.
HEAD
Make sure thru-hull valve for head is
open. Pump a small amount of water into
toilet bowl before using. After use, flush with more sea water and then move
lever to “dry bowl” and pump bowl dry.
Waste stores in holding tank located in locker behind toilet. ALL
MARINE HEADS WILL CLOG EASILY IF ANYTHING OTHER THAN “ORGANIC” MATERIAL IS
FLUSHED. Please place all paper
products/sanitary napkins in zip-locked bag and dispose in trash
container.
SHOWER SUMP
Thru-hull
drain for sink and shower is inside storage area under sink. The valve is tagged for easy identification.
SECURING THE BOAT TO LEAVE
Connect
shore power and activate power at the main breaker on the electrical
panel.
Turn the
battery charger to “on” and turn off all accessory switches.
BIMINI TOP
The full
cover works great to keep the sun off your head at dock and keeps you dry
during rain. When sailing, you can
easily unzip and remove the center portion to allow full view of the main and
head sail. Note: The removable center portion of the bimini is
narrower forward and wider towards the aft. If you have difficulty zipping it back
together, it is probably backwards .
The rear
section of the bimini can also be easily collapsed. Simply release the web sections forward and
aft of the framework, and bring both sections towards the middle and zip on
cover. Reverse the procedure before
zipping the center section of the bimini back in.
BAR-B-QUE
Uncoil hose
from propane locker and attach blue regulator to bottom of bar-b-que
and slip cover over connection. Note:
This stove gets more than hot enough.
You will find that when the flame level set on low and the lid on, it is
more than adequate to cook. Also, the
small washer on the inside of the lid is designed to hook over the edge of the
bar-b-que, blocking the wind or securing it so the
hot lid does not have to dangle freely.
HATCHWAY BOARD STORAGE
Place the
four boards inside large cockpit locker in the brown pouch just inside, and
secure with Velcro straps.
SAILING INFORMATION
All control
lines are led to the cockpit and are labeled for easy reference.
Normally
keeping the jib car aft is the best overall position. Avoid snagging the
Refer to
supplied reference books when questions arise on sailing subjects, rules of the
road, navigation, etc.
FEEL FREE TO CONTACT