Catalina Smile

[lazybone]

Crescent 1/2" Drive 6 Point Deep SAE Socket 1-1/8" - CDDS66N https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079TL1DP2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_jRPiEb0D4QVN9

[Jim Hardesty]

with the main weight of the boat on the nose of the keel

I just want to expand on Ron's comments.  When setting a boat to a cradle I have seen a lot of yards not adjust the pads down before setting the boat, they just use the way it was adjusted the previous year.  That just isn't right.  They won't get the boat exactly in the same position as before and the cradle will flex and change with uneven ground not to mention what happens when they store it.  Same as Ron states don't have the forward pads tight, snug is good, keep the boats weight on the keel.
FWIW.  See that the pads on your stands or cradle will easily adjust.
Jim

[Breakin Away]

Crescent 1/2" Drive 6 Point Deep SAE Socket 1-1/8" - CDDS66N https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079TL1DP2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_jRPiEb0D4QVN9

I have that one too, but it's not deep enough to reach the nuts without "bottoming out" on my keel bolts. Use whatever works for you...

[lazybone]

Crescent 1/2" Drive 6 Point Deep SAE Socket 1-1/8" - CDDS66N https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079TL1DP2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_jRPiEb0D4QVN9

I have that one too, but it's not deep enough to reach the nuts without "bottoming out" on my keel bolts. Use whatever works for you...

Worked on mine?

[Jon W]

The length of the stud in the bilge varies (at least on my boat). You need to measure them before buying a socket.

[Bill Shreeves]

On a separate but related subject, I re-torque my keel bolts while on the hard every year. 107 ft-lb, free loaner torque wrench from AutoZone, and a 1-1/8" extra deep socket bit with extension and pivot attachment for the hard-to-reach nuts. It's so easy to do that there's no reason not to have it on annual PM:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ALXYOE/

I've found all the keel bolts generally easy to get to except for the aft-most bolt.  To make access to that much easier and fairly accurately torque, I removed the sole section and drilled a hole above the bolt just big enough to put an extension through it.  I attach the socket from underneath to torque the replace the sole.

[Ron Hill]

Bill & Guys : To get at an aft keel bolt I use a 1/2" swivel on the extension.

A thought

[Bill Shreeves]

Bill & Guys : To get at an aft keel bolt I use a 1/2" swivel on the extension.

A thought

Really difficult to get a good torque and reading with a swivel.  I found the hole under the sole to be very helpful.

[Ron Hill]

Guys : I wrote this 25 years ago in the Mainsheet Tech Notes : Snap-On -Tools makes a 6 inch deep, 1 1/8" - 1/2" SD socket.  You really need to check your keel bolts once when you are on the hard.   

A thought

[Jim Hardesty]

I made my extra-deep socket.  See my post here

https://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=7356.0

BTW I do check them every spring and since the original retorquing don't get any retightening.

Jim

[Ron Hill]

Guys : I believe that the factory used much more than one tube of 5200 between the hull and the keel.  As Gerry Douglas commented to me once, "You never heard of a keel falling off of a Catalina!!".

There is so much weight (thousands of pounds) pulling on those 8 keel nuts when the boat is in the water, it's nearly impossible for those nuts to back off.

A few thoughts

[eisjeff]

I would grind it out a little so you have a clean surface to bond to and then use West System GFlex epoxy to fill it in. I have repaired several CAtalina smiles that way and it almost never returns.