If only I had checked her out better!

Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
I'm finding it difficult to get perspective on what I'm seeing. Is this where the cast iron meets the fiberglass?
That section of the hull is a recessed area where a cast bronze keel hanger mounts into the hull.
The hangers bolt into metal "weldments" which are encapsulated into the fibreglass hull on either side of the keel trunk.

C22 New design versions have much easier access to this from inside the hull, due to a removable wood panel already being in the hull liner.


Reference:
C22keelhanger.jpg



FYI: When searching for this drawing, I found a website where someone fixed and rebuilt a C22 keel. It has a great photo of the keel hangers and weldments at the bottom of this page :
https://capnrehab.wordpress.com/category/catalina-22/page/2/
 
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Jul 18, 2017
23
Catalina 22 Guntersville AL
Thanks again for the advice all. I pulled out the dremel tool and started digging in. Now I am waiting on some 404 to come from West marine, otherwise it would have been done already. I will post some pics in a few days. I am going to be out of commission for a couple of days but will be back soon with pics of the progress. Fair winds.
 
Last edited:
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
Thanks LW-Rail. That makes more sense now. I wonder if taking a pressure washer to the hole, just to make sure you get all the crap out of it, so the epoxy can stick. I do think vacuum bagging it would help make sure the epoxy really gets in as deep as it can with no air pockets. That will make sure the epoxy really gets into the grooves of the surface - especially since gravity is going to make the epoxy want to run out of the hole, rather than into it.

You know the discussion of a survey comes up in the context of buying old boats all too often. I firmly believe that when buying a boat the is less than 3 or 4 grand, if you are not enough of a DIYer to do your own survey you have no business buying a boat that old or cheap. In otherwords, an old boat requires work. You don't buy an cheap old boat, unless you can work on it yourself, otherwise you will go broke really fast. Since you can do the work yourself, you should be able to recognize most issues if they are going to be serious. Even if not, then you should be able to fix whatever you missed on inspection. Sure its a bummer for the OP, but he'll be able to fix it, and its not the end of the world. Its always a bit of a gamble, just don't gamble your life savings. The OP is not going to go broke fixing this.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Thanks LW-Rail. That makes more sense now. I wonder if taking a pressure washer to the hole, just to make sure you get all the crap out of it, so the epoxy can stick. I do think vacuum bagging it would help make sure the epoxy really gets in as deep as it can with no air pockets. That will make sure the epoxy really gets into the grooves of the surface - especially since gravity is going to make the epoxy want to run out of the hole, rather than into it.
The way I personally would do this repair, gravity would not be a factor. The epoxy would be thickened with West 404 to the consistency of peanut butter, and smushed up into the void where the crack had been ground out. It would not run out.

Once the grinding part was done, I'd clean the void thoroughly with acetone, put a square of masking tape over the bolt hole to keep the epoxy out, and apply a generous coat of car wax to the bronze hanger. I'd "paint" the ground-out void with unthickened epoxy first, then fill with thickened. Once the epoxy-smushing was done, I'd immediately bolt the hanger snugly in place (wax the bolt threads first!) until the epoxy was cured. Then remove the hanger once more to inspect the repair and do any touchup sanding/smoothing. Then, hopefully, bolt the keel back in place and go sailing.

Hopefully that makes sense. I'm no expert though, and there are probably several other ways to skin this cat - some or all of which might be better than mine. Any corrections to my method are welcome!
 
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JRT

.
Feb 14, 2017
2,039
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
The crack looked a lot less major. Looks very shallow too.

What about using blue painters tape to keep it flush and not glued to the hanger?
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
That's what the car wax is for, it keeps the epoxy from becoming "glued" to the hanger. You just apply it heavily and don't buff it off. Same with the bolt threads.
 
Jul 18, 2017
23
Catalina 22 Guntersville AL
Gene, thanks for the input, I had not thought about car wax. I got most of it cleaned out with a dremel tool. It was deeper than I would have liked and if the crack spread much more it would compromise the the whole corner. My idea about proceeding was very much what you were suggesting, except without the wax which I will now add. The whole project is on hold right now, because I just had my shoulder scoped and repaired - dang getting older sucks. I will provide pics as soon as I can. Till I can get back under her I think I will start wiring my mast one handed. Fair Winds.
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Sounds like a "so far so good" situation. I will look forward to your pics. At first glance, I thought the whole corner including weldment was going to have to be rebuilt. So if grinding and filling will do the trick, you're actually in luck ... sort of. :)

Sorry about the shoulder. Is it a rotator cuff issue? Mine has been acting up also, but Advil is keeping it manageable for now. I'm going to put it off til next year if possible.
 
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Dec 5, 2011
550
Catalina Catalina 22 13632 Phenix City
I just hit the big 5-0. My glass is still half full. :yeah:
52+ here with a gimpy left shoulder too but, hey.....I hear 50 is the new 30 and 50 isn't old if you're a tree........I must love trees then because I'm sporting a clear cut on the back of my head. (Its a forestry joke)
 
Jul 18, 2017
23
Catalina 22 Guntersville AL
Rotator cleaning, no tears, bone spur, and some tendon fraying. I am moving it and plan on being back fully in a week or two. 54 here and my glass is full with a bottle in reserve. My body may feel it a little but old is a state of mind.

I will have several other projects to accomplish that are more doable with a bum wing. Will post pics when possible. Till then fair winds.
 

T_Cat

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Aug 8, 2014
333
Catalina 22 1987 New Design. 14133 "LadyHawke" Modesto CA
Turning 50 in November. Everything is taking longer, I'm grumpy all the time and everything hurts. LOL
 
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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I'm sure this all has SOMEHNG to do with the OP, but it evades me. How about starting another thread guys, moderators??
 
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pateco

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Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
I consider myself to be in my mid twenties. I went from being twenty nine to twenty ten, and then twenty eleven. Now I am twenty thirty two years old. It is all in how you look at it.