I will be doing some work to my Keel which I have never done before but have an idea on how to start. When I bought the boat, the locking pin which keeps the keel in place had been removed and has about a pound of epoxy around it. Is the locking pin above the water line? If my repair is not 100%, I am worried about water leakage Thx.
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keel lock bolt
yes and no, water WILL come through the bolt while sailing or motoring, but not if just sitting. If your plan it to put the bolt back in then you will need to acquire the SS plate, this then is fiberglassed in place. Some use heavy grease on the bolt to keep it from leaking. But I have to ask, do you to think that half inch bolt screwed against the side of the 550 lb keel will keep it from moving? Most don't, myself included. Yep mine is removed and sealed over "no more leaks" and no more damage to the side of the epoxy covered keel. If you do decide you want to replace it the parts are available from Catalina Direct. good luck
yes and no, water WILL come through the bolt while sailing or motoring, but not if just sitting. If your plan it to put the bolt back in then you will need to acquire the SS plate, this then is fiberglassed in place. Some use heavy grease on the bolt to keep it from leaking. But I have to ask, do you to think that half inch bolt screwed against the side of the 550 lb keel will keep it from moving? Most don't, myself included. Yep mine is removed and sealed over "no more leaks" and no more damage to the side of the epoxy covered keel. If you do decide you want to replace it the parts are available from Catalina Direct. good luck
Re: keel lock bolt
Thanks for your response Ken. I recently moored the boat in a location that has lots of wave action. I can hear the keel banging around, so am going to take a look at the 'hangers'/keel pin. I figured since I was doing the repair, to fix the locking pin as well. I've had concerns that if the boat were ever to experience a blow down that the keel could slam into the hull.. I am not sure if this is warranted as I think there are a lot of people that simply remove the keel locking pin and epoxy the hole. Good question, could a half inch bolt really keep the keel from going back into the hull of the boat on a blow down?
Thanks for your response Ken. I recently moored the boat in a location that has lots of wave action. I can hear the keel banging around, so am going to take a look at the 'hangers'/keel pin. I figured since I was doing the repair, to fix the locking pin as well. I've had concerns that if the boat were ever to experience a blow down that the keel could slam into the hull.. I am not sure if this is warranted as I think there are a lot of people that simply remove the keel locking pin and epoxy the hole. Good question, could a half inch bolt really keep the keel from going back into the hull of the boat on a blow down?
shims
CD also sells a set of shims that when epoxied on the sides of the keel stop that side to side movement when the keel is lowered. If you have the older bronze keel pin brackets you might want to replace them with the newer wider ones as well. I have both the new brackets and the shims on the keel when lowered it its tight with no side to side movement.
CD also sells a set of shims that when epoxied on the sides of the keel stop that side to side movement when the keel is lowered. If you have the older bronze keel pin brackets you might want to replace them with the newer wider ones as well. I have both the new brackets and the shims on the keel when lowered it its tight with no side to side movement.
Locked or unlocked?
I just bought a 22' Catalina as my first sailboat and it doesn't have a trailer. I'm learning plenty. The last set of unknowns is the condition and operation of the swing keel. It is in the down position now because the cable is loose. I want to crank it up but can't even determine what position the locking bolt is in. I can't see any threads so I assume it is locked. Can anyone advise how hard to turn to loosen and how far out I should back it out? Do I need to do anything else before trying to back it out? Any other advice on how to determine the condition of the keel without a haul out? Thanks!
I just bought a 22' Catalina as my first sailboat and it doesn't have a trailer. I'm learning plenty. The last set of unknowns is the condition and operation of the swing keel. It is in the down position now because the cable is loose. I want to crank it up but can't even determine what position the locking bolt is in. I can't see any threads so I assume it is locked. Can anyone advise how hard to turn to loosen and how far out I should back it out? Do I need to do anything else before trying to back it out? Any other advice on how to determine the condition of the keel without a haul out? Thanks!
Locked or unlocked?
Bret, I have just bought a C22 as well. In the stock arrangement, the locking bolt just pushes against the side of the keel when tight. I don't think that it does much to stop the keel from moving. As a matter of fact, if you forget the bolt and winch up the keel it won't stop you. It will only dig into the side of the keel. I think that what it may be good for is if you are in heavy winds and waves, it prevents the keel from swinging when the boat is heeled over too far. If you loosen it up so that the bolt pulls out all the way, I believe that the hole will leak water into the boat. So be careful. In mine I can see the bolt when I stick my head in the settee access hole so I can see if there's any water comming in. I would ease it out until it's almost completely out for starters. The only thing that you can check on the keel if it's in the water is the side play which indicates if the hole for the main hinge pin has too much play. If you rock the boat you can hear a clunk as the keel hits underneath. There are some things about the keel you can't see even if it's on a trailer. If you are unsure about the condition of the keel assembly, I would haul out, drop the keel and check it over completely. From what I figure, you really don't want to loose the keel or have it swing down from the up position. These two failures are catastrophic to the boat. If it is an older boat, the main hinge pin and hole through the keel could be worn. The 4 relatively small bolts holding the keel should be replaced. If the pin or the bolts fail in the water, the keel will sink to the bottom. You really want the cable and winch working properly. If the keel is up all the way and the cable fails, the keel will swing down and damage the hull. There is a brass turning ball with a slot for the cable inside of the volcano / rubber hose that can get stuck and abrade the cable. If the rubber hose decides to leak, the boat will sink at anchor since the volcano is below the water line. At any rate, on my 1987, I have to assume that there has been no maintenance since it was bought and am going to play it safe. I'm going to replace the 4 keel hanger bolts, the main pivot pin, the turning ball, the cable, the fitting on the keel for fastening the cable, the rubber hose and it's two clamps and refinish the keel. At least....These things need to be done here while the boat is propped up on supports because the trailer won't let me lower the keel for removal. Since I will have access to the hull, I will also paint the hull with ablative paint. I have already had to tighten the winch bolts and many other fastenings around the boat as well. ~Bilbo
Bret, I have just bought a C22 as well. In the stock arrangement, the locking bolt just pushes against the side of the keel when tight. I don't think that it does much to stop the keel from moving. As a matter of fact, if you forget the bolt and winch up the keel it won't stop you. It will only dig into the side of the keel. I think that what it may be good for is if you are in heavy winds and waves, it prevents the keel from swinging when the boat is heeled over too far. If you loosen it up so that the bolt pulls out all the way, I believe that the hole will leak water into the boat. So be careful. In mine I can see the bolt when I stick my head in the settee access hole so I can see if there's any water comming in. I would ease it out until it's almost completely out for starters. The only thing that you can check on the keel if it's in the water is the side play which indicates if the hole for the main hinge pin has too much play. If you rock the boat you can hear a clunk as the keel hits underneath. There are some things about the keel you can't see even if it's on a trailer. If you are unsure about the condition of the keel assembly, I would haul out, drop the keel and check it over completely. From what I figure, you really don't want to loose the keel or have it swing down from the up position. These two failures are catastrophic to the boat. If it is an older boat, the main hinge pin and hole through the keel could be worn. The 4 relatively small bolts holding the keel should be replaced. If the pin or the bolts fail in the water, the keel will sink to the bottom. You really want the cable and winch working properly. If the keel is up all the way and the cable fails, the keel will swing down and damage the hull. There is a brass turning ball with a slot for the cable inside of the volcano / rubber hose that can get stuck and abrade the cable. If the rubber hose decides to leak, the boat will sink at anchor since the volcano is below the water line. At any rate, on my 1987, I have to assume that there has been no maintenance since it was bought and am going to play it safe. I'm going to replace the 4 keel hanger bolts, the main pivot pin, the turning ball, the cable, the fitting on the keel for fastening the cable, the rubber hose and it's two clamps and refinish the keel. At least....These things need to be done here while the boat is propped up on supports because the trailer won't let me lower the keel for removal. Since I will have access to the hull, I will also paint the hull with ablative paint. I have already had to tighten the winch bolts and many other fastenings around the boat as well. ~Bilbo
Thanks
Thanks Bilbo. A haul out is probably in order. As far as I know, this boat could have been in the water for 32 years! Bret
Thanks Bilbo. A haul out is probably in order. As far as I know, this boat could have been in the water for 32 years! Bret
Keel Locking Bolt
Bret: Soak the threads of the locking bolt with Penetrating Oil for several days, then tap it lightly with a small hammer as you are putting pressure to loosen it. If rusted, they are quite tough. At least in my 1975, this bolt can be removed while the boat is in the water as it is above the normal water line of calm water. When the boat is splashing around, water will enter that hole, even through the threads, so best to grease the threads with waterproof grease before putting it back in place. This also makes it easier to loosen and tighten when needed. Dick K.
Bret: Soak the threads of the locking bolt with Penetrating Oil for several days, then tap it lightly with a small hammer as you are putting pressure to loosen it. If rusted, they are quite tough. At least in my 1975, this bolt can be removed while the boat is in the water as it is above the normal water line of calm water. When the boat is splashing around, water will enter that hole, even through the threads, so best to grease the threads with waterproof grease before putting it back in place. This also makes it easier to loosen and tighten when needed. Dick K.
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