Catalina Smile Repair
- Thread starter Rick D
- Start date
- Status
Many boats (read: nearly all) with bolted on lead keels will have to deal with this problem eventually - it's not limited to Catalina's. First let me describe what's happening. The keel bolts to a keel boss, which is a short extension of the hull (usually 8" - 10")molded in during the building of the hull. The intension is to transfer or spread the stress loads into the hull, but as many of us know it doesn't work like it should and the result is a crack that often starts at the front of the keel/keel boss joint and extends back. On my '81 Pearson Flyer it also cracks along the back edge. In my case it doesn't cause any leaking, but it may with certain models. The cause is due to the relative flexibility of the hull compared to the stiff keel. There are important points to consider in deciding how to repair the crack. Does the crack cause leaking? How much work or money are you prepared to spend? do you want to make a repair that will be (hopefully) permanent? To repair it permanently requires adding sufficient fiberglass to make the transfer of stress loading into the hull as intended. This involves grinding the gelcoat off the hull a couple feet out from the keel boss and down the keel a couple feet past the keel/keel boss joint. We recommend using a biaxial glass of at least 15 oz. (like our Episize® 737 or 738). Consider the 0° direction to be a line running straight down the centerline and the beam extending down the keel. The glass is applied so that it maintains the +/- 45° fiber orientation relative to the 0° direction. The first layer of glass spans the entire ground out area - from 2 ft. beyond the flair to 2 ft. below the joint. A second layer is then applied that is about 8" shorter on both ends, then a third that is similarly about 8" shorter than the second. Once this is cured, it gets sanded, faired, and barrier coated. This stepped method of laminations should provide adequate stiffness and distribute the load over a larger area without inducing stress point at the end of the lamination. I expect this is what the $1500 estimate involves. If it's not leaking into the bilge, as in my situation, it isn't really necessary to make the repair outlined above. What I have done is simply grind out a trough along the joint about 5" wide centered over the joint, laminate some 4" biaxial tape in the trough then apply the fairing etc. sand it and call it good. I have seen the crack reappear but still get no leaking, so I have just ground the small cracks out a bit and filled it with epoxy filled with a high density filler (our 406 silica or 403 microfibers). The main point here is to understand the issues involved in a full structural repair so you can make an informed decision how you want to proceed.
How about a crack aft of the keel?
Bruce, I have a crack in my Hunter 27 aft of my keel, from flexing, that is about 3" long through all laminates, starting at the keel. Additionaly, the stiffener above is cracked. My plan was to drop the keel, cut out the sole for access and grind away. I assume the procedure above would finish the job. Am I on the right track? It would be great if you told me I didn't have to drop the keel. Randy
Bruce, I have a crack in my Hunter 27 aft of my keel, from flexing, that is about 3" long through all laminates, starting at the keel. Additionaly, the stiffener above is cracked. My plan was to drop the keel, cut out the sole for access and grind away. I assume the procedure above would finish the job. Am I on the right track? It would be great if you told me I didn't have to drop the keel. Randy
Catalina Smile
When I purchased my 1978 Catalina 30 in 1987, it had the 'smile'. The folks at the yard suggested that I dig out any loose stuff with a beer can opener, let it dry, fill it with Bondo, smooth it, and apply bottom paint. They said that I could expect this to be an annual chore because sailing would cause just enough flexing to break the seal and permit some of the Bondo to wash out. Sure enough, when the boat was hauled at the end of the season, the smile was back. I never bothered to fill it again. During the ensuing years, it remained, with no changes. It was still there, same as before, when the boat was hauled a month ago for a pre-sale survey. The surveyor explained to the buyer that it was a cosmetic situation and compared it to the filletting of automobile panels after they are assembled. The fiberglass hull molding and the lead keel molding being individually formed, and of dissimilar materials will never achieve a precise face to face fit. They are bolted together with a layer of a sealant compound to prevent the intrusion of water through the bolt holes. Any separation at the edges of the joint is filled, smoothed, and painted. Nothing structural involved, just cosmetics. The key, he said, was to ensure that water was not entering the bilge through the bolt holes. His suggestion was, with the boat afloat, if you suspect a leak at a keelbolt, empty the bilge and towel it dry. If there is a leak, you'll see it immediately. If there is no leakage, there is no problem. If your friend is handy, perhaps he can find a waterproof filler that is somewhat flexible and may stay put. I'm sure he could find a better use for the $1,500.
When I purchased my 1978 Catalina 30 in 1987, it had the 'smile'. The folks at the yard suggested that I dig out any loose stuff with a beer can opener, let it dry, fill it with Bondo, smooth it, and apply bottom paint. They said that I could expect this to be an annual chore because sailing would cause just enough flexing to break the seal and permit some of the Bondo to wash out. Sure enough, when the boat was hauled at the end of the season, the smile was back. I never bothered to fill it again. During the ensuing years, it remained, with no changes. It was still there, same as before, when the boat was hauled a month ago for a pre-sale survey. The surveyor explained to the buyer that it was a cosmetic situation and compared it to the filletting of automobile panels after they are assembled. The fiberglass hull molding and the lead keel molding being individually formed, and of dissimilar materials will never achieve a precise face to face fit. They are bolted together with a layer of a sealant compound to prevent the intrusion of water through the bolt holes. Any separation at the edges of the joint is filled, smoothed, and painted. Nothing structural involved, just cosmetics. The key, he said, was to ensure that water was not entering the bilge through the bolt holes. His suggestion was, with the boat afloat, if you suspect a leak at a keelbolt, empty the bilge and towel it dry. If there is a leak, you'll see it immediately. If there is no leakage, there is no problem. If your friend is handy, perhaps he can find a waterproof filler that is somewhat flexible and may stay put. I'm sure he could find a better use for the $1,500.
Hunter keel
It would be hard for me to say conclusively whether you need to drop the keel or not without inspecting the damage closely, but from your description the damage sounds structural and so it may be best to drop the keel to get the best access possible to fully define the repair. I know it's a real pain to have to do it - especially if it turns out that it may have been unnecessary, but I think it's better to take a conservative approach here.
It would be hard for me to say conclusively whether you need to drop the keel or not without inspecting the damage closely, but from your description the damage sounds structural and so it may be best to drop the keel to get the best access possible to fully define the repair. I know it's a real pain to have to do it - especially if it turns out that it may have been unnecessary, but I think it's better to take a conservative approach here.
- Status