In my survey: "a hull to keel joint has a 6" seperation on the aft end. This is supposively a common occurence to the catalina line due to the non-flexible putty used to fair the hull to keel joint." "This separation is a cosmetic failure to the fairing putty ans should not caouse any leakage through the keel bolts." I sailed the 320 all summer of 2007 without any noticeable leakage. I pulled it for winter and told the yard of the "keel seperation" issue and asked that the keel be faired before spring putting in. When the yard put the boat in the lift sling they saw the "seperation" and are saying this is not "normal" and now want to take the keel off, (and of couse the mast) and clean away the hull paint to look for structural cracks to the hull! I certainly did not hit anything during 2007 and am now disturbed to hear of possible hull cracks/damage. HAS ANYONE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS CATALINA SMILE? ARE THERE ANY OTHER INDICATORS I SHOULD LOOK FOR BEFORE ALLOWING (OR NOT) THE YARD TO PROCEED?
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I don't think that c-320's are afflicted.
I have not heard of the 'smile' occurring on the aft end of a Catalina keel, it is usually descibed as being at the front. While, as the name implies, Catalina has had a problem with joint separation at a point in time on certain hulls, they have only been building the C-320 since 1994. I have been a C-320 owner since 2002 and have been a participant on the the Catalina 320 International Association email list since then. The only time that I recall the subject coming up there, it was the consensus of our group that it was most likely structural damage from a grounding that needed to be repaired. The following is the most that I could find in those archives as the result of a similar query. It occurred after a long time list member noted that he couldn't recall an incident of a Catalina smile on a C-320. "I haven't either. The "Catalina Smile" is at least partly due to the fairly large rake angle in the other boat's keels (C-27 - C-36) leaving a lot of strain on the front of the keel. The keel on the C-320 is much more up and down, reducing the strain on the front of the keel, and reducing the chance for the "Catalina Smile". IMHO, if a C-320 has a "Catalina Smile", it was more likely due to an unusual event than to normal stresses of sailing." In the FWIW category, Commitment, our C320 was grounded in a cypress swamp when her mooring attachment broke in hurricane Ophelia. When they dragged her out over logs and stumps, they bent the rudder and gashed the glass on the keel all the way through to the lead, yet...no smile. We are in a shallow slip and when the wind blows out of the North or West hard enough and long enough, she is often sitting hard on her keel and again we've had no issues beyond lots of barnacles where the AF paint gets rubbed off of the wing and the bottom of the rudder. While this is not nearly enough data to derive any reliable conclusions it does suggest that contact with Catalina is called for and that further examination concerning damage may be warranted.
I have not heard of the 'smile' occurring on the aft end of a Catalina keel, it is usually descibed as being at the front. While, as the name implies, Catalina has had a problem with joint separation at a point in time on certain hulls, they have only been building the C-320 since 1994. I have been a C-320 owner since 2002 and have been a participant on the the Catalina 320 International Association email list since then. The only time that I recall the subject coming up there, it was the consensus of our group that it was most likely structural damage from a grounding that needed to be repaired. The following is the most that I could find in those archives as the result of a similar query. It occurred after a long time list member noted that he couldn't recall an incident of a Catalina smile on a C-320. "I haven't either. The "Catalina Smile" is at least partly due to the fairly large rake angle in the other boat's keels (C-27 - C-36) leaving a lot of strain on the front of the keel. The keel on the C-320 is much more up and down, reducing the strain on the front of the keel, and reducing the chance for the "Catalina Smile". IMHO, if a C-320 has a "Catalina Smile", it was more likely due to an unusual event than to normal stresses of sailing." In the FWIW category, Commitment, our C320 was grounded in a cypress swamp when her mooring attachment broke in hurricane Ophelia. When they dragged her out over logs and stumps, they bent the rudder and gashed the glass on the keel all the way through to the lead, yet...no smile. We are in a shallow slip and when the wind blows out of the North or West hard enough and long enough, she is often sitting hard on her keel and again we've had no issues beyond lots of barnacles where the AF paint gets rubbed off of the wing and the bottom of the rudder. While this is not nearly enough data to derive any reliable conclusions it does suggest that contact with Catalina is called for and that further examination concerning damage may be warranted.
C320
C320s are very tough boats...I suggest you call Catalina and ask their opinion: 818-884-7700.
C320s are very tough boats...I suggest you call Catalina and ask their opinion: 818-884-7700.
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