swing keel woes

A

Allegro WI

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Jun 27, 2017
1
Catalina 22 Lake Geneva, WI
For many years I kept my 1975 swing keel in a slip in quiet waters, but for two seasons it has been jostled around on a mooring in all kinds of weather, teaching me new lessons in wear and tear. My swing keel components were worn, so I ordered replacement parts and removed the keel for a refit in early spring.

The unexpected problem was that a bolt holding one of the old bronze hangers in the bottom had sheared off. Ok--I’m not afraid to replace that weldment, working from the inside. BUT the weight of the keel on the other bolt cracked the fiberglass all the way around the weldment, leaving the keel in danger of dropping off the bottom of the boat. That repair will have to be done from the bottom.

I consulted two boat yards. One told me to give the boat to charity. The other quoted a price for the repair work that probably exceeds the value of the boat. Now she’s in her winter home, and I have to choose between buying a new boat and salvaging what I can from this one, or doing the repair work myself.

I’ve done fiberglass work, but only above the waterline and never anything of such structural importance. If I do it wrong and the keel falls off under sail, it could mean fatalities. Any advice?
 
JRT

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,046
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I'd buy a new boat, there are a lot of C22 out there.
 
greg_m

greg_m

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May 23, 2017
692
Catalina Jaguar 22 Simons Town
JohnVTX said:
The pros don't want to fix it for good reason
Click to expand
The "pros" don't want to fix it because to them it's not worth their time and effort and the cost they will charge exceeds what most customers would consider excessive! They want quick jobs that make money... not time consuming jobs that don't make profits.

The boats made of plastic materials, easily worked on once out the water. I have learned so much via youtube and internet resources to tackle what was considered a scrap heap boat. It's taken nearly a year so far but it is now showing progress and I am well happy with even my "amateur" results.

The only deciding factor for me would be considering the boat as a whole, your interest in repairing the boat and your secret desires for a new "gal" in your life :dancing:
 
Leeward Rail

Leeward Rail

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Mar 20, 2015
3,095
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
greg_m said:
The "pros" don't want to fix it because to them it's not worth their time and effort and the cost they will charge exceeds what most customers would consider excessive! They want quick jobs that make money... not time consuming jobs that don't make profits.
Click to expand
Amen to that. I work in the automotive field and we routinely see vehicles that are beyond the point of economical professional repair. OTOH they could be repaired economically if you aren't paying someone for labour.

Like most of this stuff you have to decide based on your abilities, and your preference to be sailing vs repairing a boat.

FWIW I'd personally go find another C22 hull that is solid but needs rigging etc. and transfer the good stuff from your existing boat. I'd then sell the damaged hull to someone more inclined to spend their time repairing vs sailing.
 
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