I've had this boat for a few years and have been using the V berth for sleeping. Just started using the aft berth. Much better except for middle of the night nature calls demanding either a get up or crawl over. Anyway I noticed a padded cover over a teak box about 18 inches square or so emanating from the ceiling of the berth. The box is completely enclosed with no access. What the heck is that for? I see no purpose. Also on the port end there is a light next to a sliding opening out to the galley. I assume this is to serve guests their morning coffee etc. in bed. It's rather awkwardly placed. I did notice this initially just never thought to ask anyone about it. Mostly I'm curious about the teak padded box.
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
You can take it apart - but that is where the control cables from the binnacle are located both for the rudder and the engine control and shift gear. It is padded so that it does not cause an ouches on ones head!
Sail La Vie 1999 Catalina 36 MKII,(link is external) M35B-17031, Coyote Point, San Mateo, CA (link is external)
About Sail La Vie(link is external)
I think there are two boxes in the ceiling of the aft cabin. The large one centered aft is the cover for the binnacle cables, with easy access by removing about a dozen screws. You should remove that cover occasionally to check the condition of your steering cables and the condition of the quadrant. The other smaller box near the 'pass-through' is, if I recall correctly, a lower corner of the fridge. It has no access of course.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
I'm aware of the box with binnacle controls of course. This box is directly opposite of that. As one lies athwartship on the bed it's just to the right/center. Couldn't possibly be part of the refer. It's on the ceiling of the Aft berth. Oh well maybe it'll be one of those mysteries.
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
Just like Larry said. It is part of the galley fridge/ counter top. The pad is there to protect you from sharp edges of the galley countertop. I know as I replaced ours with corian.
Randy Sherwood
Mutualfun 1990 # 1057
T/R W/K M35a
Home. Charlotte, Mi.
Boat. St Augustine,Fl.
This "mystery" seems to come up every year or so.
See this thread: https://www.catalina36.org/forum/sailing-discussion/wood-box (link is external)
But assuming you're describing the same thing as we have, I think what you are describing is simply the projection of the aft end of galley counter into the aft cabin. See the picture in the above thread, at https://www.catalina36.org/comment/57892#comment-57892
The original layout/plan on the C36 aft berth contemplated that guests would sleep fore/aft (rather than atwartship) with their heads by the bulkhead -- thus the padding would have been there to keep people from bumping their heads (and the pass-through would perhaps slightly lower the clautrophobia quotient).
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
Thanks all. Mystery solved. I'll sleep soundly and won't bump my head. Ps I usually check the archives. Just didn't know how to phrase it.
Bill and Carla Reitz C-36 MK-2 1995 W/K Kind of Blue #1427 Sausalito Ca
I called it "Blunt Force Cranial Hematoma". I omitted the adjectives for this post.
Rob Kibler
s/v "Meander"
2003 C36 MKII #2124