Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

The crew of the 45-ft catamaran Catalpa entered El Salvador by crossing a bar with a two-meter swell, following a pilot boat into a marina for customs clearance. After checking in, they relocated to a mooring field in a river to reduce costs. While in El Salvador, the crew hired a car to visit La Libertad, shopped for groceries, and played pickleball.

During the passage from Mexico, water leaked into the boat, soaking a mattress. The crew identified the source as failed sealant around the chain plates, which had shifted after a recent rig tuning. To repair the leaks, they replaced the previous adhesive with a combination of butyl tape to act as a flexible gasket and 3M Fast Cure 4200 sealant around the edges to contain the tape and prevent it from oozing in the tropical heat. The repair utilizes custom Schaefer cover plates and Hammer Marine hardware.

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