G
greg
I have a 1979 Catalina 22 with a swing keel. One by one the 4 bolts that hold the keel hangers have been removed and inspected (keel blocked for safety). They came out easily and did not appear stripped and looked in mint condition. I reinstalled them with lubricant to keep them from seizing in the hangers. (not sure of torque specs, anyone know?) I have not dropped the keel to inspect the hinge pin and that will be a project for another time as it will involve raising the boat to get enough clearance to drop the forward part of the keel enough to inspect the hole and pin. The keel cable was just replaced. The iron keel is rusty to be sure! But it does not look badly pitted. I have read the interesting posts about grinding down the keel and wrapping it in fiberglass, etc. However, since I only day sail and do a through fresh water rinse of the trailer/boat after each use, I can't help but wonder if it is OK to just leave the iron keel bare becausing removing the entire keel appears to be a major undertaking to be sure. Presently, there are no zincs on the keel and probably that would be a good idea. Does anyone know of serious consequences of leaving the keel bare or at the most just painting it as needed! I don't race so maximum speed is not in my vocabulary.