I have a 1987 Catalina 27 which has a minor case of the catalina smile. The hull keel joint is perfect all the way around except for about a 5 inch strech around the front of the keel hull joint where there is a minor crack (the catalina smile). The boat has marine plywood built into the keel stub and im not sure of its condition the wood is in. My main concern in that in the foward section of the bottom of the bilge there is a crack about a foot long. The crack dosent begin or end at any of the keel bolts. I believe if the plywood is rotten that could cause the flexing which caused the crack. I have have read several times that the best fix is to rip the plywood out of the bilge and rebuild it with solid glass. I would appericate any opinions on this matter and if anyone has ever made a similar repair, how difficult is, it how much labor is required, and what price could i expect to pay a professional to do it. Personally my experiance with fiberglass is very limited and I wouldent try to attempt a major structural repair myself.
Thanks for any help.
-Eric
Thanks for any help.
-Eric
