[C320-list] Keel crack question. Try this second time. Smaller pic

[Jack Brennan]

Hi Scott:

Hit anything lately? That might be a cause for concern.

Otherwise, it is what's known as a Catalina Smile (or a C&C Smile, a 
Beneteau Smile, etc.) Every sailboat with an attached keel has the potential 
to develop one of these smiles. Mostly, whatever was used as a filler is 
failing.

Generally, people clean out the crack, fill it (West System now has flexible 
epoxy designed just for this), fair it and go on their way. The big thing is 
to keep saltwater from reaching the keel bolts. Some people make a big deal 
of it and lower the keel before filling the crack.

If you go to the C&C Photo Album web site, there is a ton of info on doing 
this correctly because it is more common with C&Cs. (I used to own one back 
in the day.) The archives on the message board has lots of posts.

If you're concerned about keel bolt tightness, Catalina should be able to 
give you torque specs. Ask them about tech details for this. There's a 
certain procedure I don't know remember for measuring the torque correctly.

Jack Brennan
Sonas, 1998 Catalina 320
Tierra Verde, Fl.
Dolphin Cruising Club of Tampa Bay


-----Original Message----- 
From: Scott Westwood
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2018 4:06 PM
To: Catalina List
Subject: [C320-list] Keel crack question. Try this second time. Smaller pic

Does this look familiar to anybody?  If this pic doesn't make it to emails I 
will post on my album on the forum.  Can't remember if attachments go 
through posts?
Slight crack on leading edge of keel.  About a foot below bottom of hull. 
Same length on both sides of keel.  I will get down in the next couple of 
days with wrenches enough to see if keel bolts are loose?
Need for concern?  Patch and go?
Let me guess....depends....
Thanks,
Scott Westwood scottwestwood at bellsouth.net H (919)-362-8538    C 
(919)-618-7185 


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