1983 catalina 27 keel issues

[fido]

hello to all
I,m frusted with the internet, to much information

i,m enterested in a 1983 catalina 27 mark 111, I have been reading about issues reguarding the keels, do these boats have wood under the fiberglass, between the hull and the keel, and if so does this present a problem, the boat I.m looking at is perfect, should I allow all this negative info steer me away from these boats, can someone help me to sort out this issue before I spend $$$$ on the survery

 

[Joe]

You need to purge your mind of conflicting information. Give the guys at Catalina Yachts customer service a call and ask them your question. 727 544-6681

The Catalina 27/270 series of sailboats was in production for over 30 years.... with thousands sold.... don't be afraid of them. They are terrific boats. FYI, the keel bolts directly to the hull. The wood is NOT between the keel and hull.... that would b stupi.... No... The plywood spacer was epoxied to the top of the joint to allow better contact for keel bolt washers.... kind of like through-hull mounts. If water intrudes into the wood it may need to be cut out and replaced. The surveyor will check this for you.... but it is not an exensive fix.... Good luck.

 

[fido]

Thanks joe for the info, I have asked the broker to bring in a surveyor to check this issue

 

[stevec22206]

FYI: We have an 87' and I just completed this repair prior to launching. It wasn't a big deal to fix. The issue was a result of the prior owner(s) neglect sealing the fasteners used to secure the bilge pump and float switch. Water migrated into the area over the course of years and I believe the freeze/thaw cycle through many season utlimately created cracks in the bilge pan, thus allowing more moisture in. The filler material in our boat is a solid piece of wood, not plywood. Perhaps a change made by Catalina during the years they made 27's. Seeing no evidence of a grounding also leads me to believe the keel smile is related to the wet wood. The wood in our boat was wet, but not rotten. After removing the fiberglass pan material completely, it dried for 5 weeks. We reglassed the pan and reinforced the bolt areas with G10, then glassed it in as well. Allowed this to cure and eventually were able to retorque the bolts properly. Hope this will end the keel smile issue as well. Time will tell. A legitimate survey should reveal this issue, if it exists. Catalina issued a fix for the wood if it is too far gone.

 

[shipwreck66]

I have an 84 model with no difficulties, yours is built the same way. If it looks in good shape and sold around the keel bolts, all is probably well. A little water is in the bilge is normal, nothing to fear. And in case you are curious, I just posted a bunnch of pics of mine on the cradle if you want to see what everything below the waterline looks like, and mine currently has no bottompaint so you can easily see all through-hulls, sea-water intake, etc.

 

[fido]

thanks to all,I have requested a survey, if all goes well I will be the new owner, big step from the mac 25 can.t wait, thanks again for all the responce, this site is great