Where should the waterline be on a Catalina 27?

Jun 22, 2014
5
Catalina 27 Manahawkin
I have had my 1984 Catalina 27 for a year now. I think it is sitting low in the water. It is not full of fuel or water or sewage, none of the tanks are full. This model/year has a bootstripe in the gelcoat, its a double stripe, a wider stripe with a separate narrow stripe above that. Last year the marina bottom-painted it just to the bottom of the gelcoat bootstripe. But as it sits in the water the waterline, the actual line of the water, is 1 to 2 inches up into the bootstripe, so it gets weeds and barnacles in a one to two inch strip on the gelcoat blue bootstripe. I have owned several boats, all of them had the bottom paint come up an inch or two over the actual line of the water, and the bootstripe was above that. Is this a sign of the hull fiberglass being saturated with water?
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
You probably have everything INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK IN HER! Chief
Exactly. Spend a day and take EVERYTHING that is not factory off the boat. Everything. You be shocked how much it all weighs.
 
Nov 26, 2012
2,315
Catalina 250 Bodega Bay CA
When you re-stock don't let anyone put anything onboard that you don't approve. Expecially glass items as they are heavy and very dangerous on a sailboat! Admirals have a tendancy to put anything they want onboard unless you intervene. Your the Skipper!
Chief

PS: I only have a Commodore on mine as it isn't big enough for an Admiral!
 
Jan 12, 2013
114
Catalina C27 - Tall Rig Door County, Wis
I am sure as others said more stuff on board how many coats of bottom paint? that will add up over time too,
 
Jun 22, 2014
5
Catalina 27 Manahawkin
Thanks for the answers, but. . .

Its not that its overloaded, I have almost nothing aboard, half a tank of fuel, half a tank of water, no gear at all. Not even the sails. She floats 2 to 3 inches lower than the boat in the picture above.
 
Dec 11, 2008
1,338
catalina C27 stillwater
I have found it usually the best bet to just apply the bottom paint right over the gelcoat boot stripe, and then a new boot stripe is simply optional. As a 3x Catalina owner, I have never owned one that didnt submerge the boot stripe, either from loading of gear, or just sitting empty.

I have a very hard time believing that you could saturate any portion of the huill enough to get it to sit 2-3 inches lower... On the next bottom job, just cover the boot and reapply a new one if you want
 
Jun 22, 2014
5
Catalina 27 Manahawkin
That is a great relief to hear. I would say that as she is sitting now, with next to no gear and half filled tanks, when the water is perfectly still, the water is maybe an inch over the bottom of the bootstripe. In the picture posted above, the water seems to be an inch beneath the bootstripe, which would be where I expected a nearly empty boat to sit. I was worried because I do have some blisters, on the hull well above the waterline, oddly.
 

weinie

.
Sep 6, 2010
1,297
Jeanneau 349 port washington, ny
Are you in fresh water? I know Phil is! My boat in the pic above is in salt.

Looks like manahawkin is salt.
 
Jun 22, 2014
5
Catalina 27 Manahawkin
Manahawkin is salt, but you just made me think of a great solution, I could move it to the Great Salt Lake, or better yet, the Dead Sea. I bet it would be almost tippy there.
 

weinie

.
Sep 6, 2010
1,297
Jeanneau 349 port washington, ny
Dead hooker(s) in the lazarette maybe? Just spitballin' here...

What does your transom look like? Is the water level still below the exhaust port at rest?
 
Jun 22, 2014
5
Catalina 27 Manahawkin
No hookers, living or dead; they are all in the crawlspace. Anyway, the water just touches the lowest point of the transom, the exhaust is above water.
 

weinie

.
Sep 6, 2010
1,297
Jeanneau 349 port washington, ny
Then I think you are ok. Maybe they just painted the bottom high on hull?
 

Kopite

.
Mar 11, 2015
110
Catalina 27 Monroe MI
I see the post is a little old, but can add that my 27 sits low in the rear too. I'm in fresh water. My boat has the inboard diesel - maybe that's the cause.