Keel crack

[fredrickwarner]

Anyone else dealing with a hairline crack where the keel meets the hull? This spring, I noticed one on the leading edge where the keel meets the hull. I dremmeled it out and filled the gap with 3M 400 adhesive. The advisor at West Marine told me Catalinas develop this type of cracks. Called it the Catalina smile. Am I going to be dealing with this going forward?

On a related topic, the West Marine lady recommended I get the keel bolts tightened. Anybody else done this?

 

[Chief RA]

I would not classify that as a crack. Since you have a bolt on keel the hull and keel meet and seal here. These are 2 separate pieces and the bottom paint only may crack along there. One reason for the paint to do so is the fact that your keel bolts are likely not torqued to specifications. I torque mine at least once a year.
Chief

 

[Bob 04 H260]

I don't think it is anything to worry about. Some boats had plywood in the keel stub, as it deteriorated it smiled but the owner didn't :cry: These Hunters have a Kevlar reinforced crash zone from the bow stem to the keel stub so should not be an issue.

I have re-torqued my keel bolts as a maintenance practice. If you want to do it yourself you will need a 3/4" drive torque wrench, long 3/4" extension, 1.5" deep socket and a 4:1 torque multiplier to get up to 325 ft. lbs.
The socket can be hard to find, I think mine came from Grangers.

good luck, Bob

 

[Scituated]

Fredrick

I have a 74 C22 and a small Catalina Smile. I recently had it inspected and discovered the forward two keel bolts are completely rusted out. These bolts I am told are casted into the cast iron, so the only way to add strength to the keel is to drill sister bolts (rods), one next to each bolt. Catalina Direct has the Keel Bolt Retrofit Kit which runs about 289.00. This kind of repair is out of my comfort zone to do it myself. I am waiting to see how much the boat yard will charge. I dont want to take the boat out until that has been repaired.

 

[splax]

common issue

there have been many posts about this issue along with suitable repair methods
search "hunter smile" and you should get a in depth understanding from reading these posts, especially on models 34 & 356
for example - http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=162681

 

[dehler25]

Be careful taking that little crack too lightly. If your keel has loosened at all it is allowing water into the void and that can set up a serious type of corrosion on the stainless threaded rods. Stainless is corrosion proof in the presence of oxygen. I had my boat surveyed two months ago and the surveyor said the joint was good, it was hauled yesterday for bottom paint and the yard detected the slightest movement and the emergence of water from the joint. The keel is lead, so they are removing one corroded rod at the surface and connecting it it with a coupling. I was aware of a very small ingress of bilge water and was trying to determine it source. It really sucks having just bought the boat, but it is better than having it turtle somewhere. The big difference in the symptom was that the survey had the boat in the slings and the yard was setting it down on blocks which squeezed out the slightest trickle. It has less to do with the crack than it does that the bedding is compromised. If the keel is moving at all, the outside band aid will do nothing.

 

[PGIJon]

Splax pointed you to the link for my Smile and we used Pettits FlexPoxy since it is elastic and will expand and compress as the keel moves up and down.....

I also had one of the local mechanics check my bolts.... He tried to tighten but he was barely able to turn it at all. He didn't want anything for the effort but I gave him a 6-pack of beer. Made a friend for life... FYI my bolts needed a 2" socket.