C-30 keel trouble

[CW]

The bolt-on fin keel on my 1982 C-30 has a very thin seperation at the front where the keel meets the hull. This is a result of running aground hard. The professionals want thousands of dollars to remove the keel and rebed it. I think I can fix it by opening up the seem, filling the space between the keel and hull(bottom of bilge) with epoxy, 5200, etc., then tightening the keel bolts. I have also considered making larger stainless steel backing plates for the nuts on the keel bolts. Can I do this without dropping the keel? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ron2533]

Keel trouble

Do you have just the "smile" or a real seperation? have you checked the archives, there is a lot of information about this condition. I recently hauled my 88 C30 and found exactly what you describe. I reamed out the seam and filled it with 5200 and so far it seems OK. I did have a slight leak around a forward keel bolt, and tightened the nut about a half turn, and it is now dry. What do you have to loose by doing what you suggest and treat it as I did. If the problem percists, then turn to the $$$$ and the pros? Back in the days of wood boats, all keels were external and bolted on. Just about all had a "seam" at the joint that had to be reamed and resealed every haulout. No big deal. When the iron bolts rusted and the keel went south, that was a big deal. Good luck Ron B

 

[Allen]

Not 5200

Hey Guys,If you really have a separation, then 5200 is not the repair material you should be using. Your best bet is to grind out the crack to create a "V" shaped groove. Once that's done, you should fill ALL of the void with an injection of regular epoxy to coat all of the surfaces and then follow up (before it dries) with epoxy thickened with some high strength bonding additive. Once that's dried, then sand it to fair it as best as you can. Then fill voids with with fairing compound, sand it smooth & let dry.Once the repair has had a chance to dry THEN tighten the keel bolt & you should have a strong, permanent repair. Paint with bottom paint & you're all set. If the crack is more than a "hairline" crack (perhaps more than 1/16 to 1/8", then you may want to consider beefing up the repair area with some epoxy soaked cloth.5200, in this case, is not the way to go. It will be, at best, a topical coating that may temporarily keep some water out, but won't add to the structural integrity of the keel/hull joint.Check out the West System book @ West Marine. It's about $10 and it will give you step-by-step instructions. It sounds a lot harder than it really is. Look into it.Good luck!Allen Schweitzers/v FalstaffC-30 Hull# 632

 

[Big Windy]

Keel Trouble

Your trouble sounds serious. I'd call Catalina, they are the experts and are usually very helpful.