Keel cracks

[Steve Franklin]

Haul out revealed what I've heard called the "Catalina Smile" on my keel. Cracks fore and aft on the sides of the keel 6-12 inches below the hull. Bolts are torqued to spec. How do I permanently get rid of these cracks? Thanks, in advance, for any help!!!Steve

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina]

You don't

I don't know of anyone who has found the way to "permanently" rid their boat of the smile. There are fixes but who knows how permanent they are! You could sand the areas down, fill & fair the cracks & layer some wetted fiberglass over them & that should take care of it for a good long time but do you really want to go to that much hassle for something that isn't a structural problem? Bottom jobs are bad enough without that kind of garbage!!! LaDonna

 

[Rick Lyons]

Catalina Smile

Last year I purchased a 1980 30' and did a fair amount of research on how to get rid of the "smile." The only solution seems to be to keep the boat in the water so you don't see it!! I became assured that it is not a structural problem, and while one could fix the cosmetics, the smile will likely return. The previous owner of my boat did, however, check the torque on the keel bolts to be sure that things were merely cosmetic.