Keel Pin Gone

[Tim Pinkham]

Hi,I finally got my keel off and much to my dismay discovered the keel pin was worn half way throughand the hole in the keel was quite a bit larger than the pin. Any thoughts as to how to best repair the keel?Thanks,Tim Pinkham

 

[john renfro]

pin

hello tim, the pin can be bough from CATALINA DIRECT with instructions. phone # 1-800-959-7245. you will have to take it to a machine shop. if the pin is worn, the bronz hangers are worn also. check them against the new pin.john

 

[Rich]

keel

Catalina direct recommends drilling out the hole in the keel itself and inserting a bushing for the pin to ride on.Let me tell you I did not take this route, to my dismay. I have the good fortune of knowing a titanium machinist who made me a pin and hangers from titanium. We made the pin as large (circumfrence) as the new hole in the keel, and put it in. After two years (and dropping the hull for the third time), I noticed the keel hole "wallowing" again. I am now scratching my head.Did you order your catalina direct handbook yet?

 

[Aldo]

Did you have Zincs on the keel?

Tim: In order to help the rest of us sleep a little better at night, did you have zincs on the keel? Also, was the boat in fresh, salt, or slightly salty water? I always have 2 sets of zincs on my keel, one new and one one season old. I'm rather sure that what you have experienced is galvanic corrosion between the silicon bronze pin and the cast iron of the keel. Galvanic corrosion forces the lesser metal, the cast iron, to corrode. Zincs are sacrificial, that is, they become the lesser metal, and corrode, and save the other metals, the cast iron and the silicon bronze. Thanks for your answer. Aldo

 

[Tim]

Aldo, sweet dreams.....

Aldo,The boat is a '73 and seems to have spent most of it's life in saltwater.I only paid $1000 for it so I don't feel too bad.I ordered zincs as there were not any on the keel. Hadn't thought of that asbeing the problem.As it turns out I bought a 1981 Catalina25 this weekend so the 22 is going upfor sale as soon as I get the keel fixed.Thanks for your help, one and all.Tim PinkhamDover, NH~June E II~