Hi guys:
anybody with the "Catalina Smile" problem?, what appeared to be a crack in the leading edge of the keel about 8-10 inches below the hull.
When I bought the boat (5 years ago) it already had it. Never did anything about it, and still it looks the same, but I wonder if I should anything. In addition, the port side of the keel seems to have a crack too. The boat is on the hard and I can see that there is a small trace of water coming out right from the middle of the keel (not from the hull). Odd, normal?
Somebody told me to check the keel bolts and replace them if necessary...what?, are you serious?, I said..
Thanks for the insights.
Juan
Juan,
Some pictures would be worth a thousand words. This would help with any responses. Just a thought...
Juan : The cause of the Catalina Smile is simply improper blocking while the boat is on the hard. You need to put the majority of the keel/hull weight on the nose of the keel.
Catalina recommends that 25% of the weight be on the jack stands and 75% on the keel. If the weight of the stern rotates down(while the keel remains stationary) the keel to hull separation in the front WILL occur!
There have been numerous posts and how to repair the crack between the hull and keel. good luck
No.. you cannot replace your keel bolts... and I would NOT talk to that person anymore. They are cast into the lead and are permanent. You may want to check your torque for 105ft/lbs with a special socket you'll need to make, have made or borrow,(I'll send you mine if you want). I rebedded my keel stub joint see the below link.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6842.msg45567.html#msg45567
I'm pretty happy with the results so far. No more water up the keelbolt holes and no more crack. I do block the keel so the tail cannot touch during winter storage.