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Finally, does anyone know what the keel bedding is on a 2000? It would at least be nice to know what was used that could essentially rot!

Ask Warren Pandy at the factory.


Some have installed a pvc pipe tower at each nut to keep the nut inside dry from water in the bilge. I used 5200 to seal around the bolts and under the washers before nutting down.

Seems that it would be worthwhile to track down the source of in the bilge and eliminate the coolant?

The coolant in the bilge is there in the spring after winter.  None in the bilge during the season.  I've asked around and apparently its a known issue.  I guess over the hard winters the hoses/engine contract, and you get a small drip.  Over 6 months, and it being non freezing fluid it accumulates.

I go over the engine every spring and make sure the hose clamps are snug. Never an issue during the season.  It's about 2 cups.

Many years ago when my wife and I started sailing, we purchased a pair of wireless headsets at a boat show called "Marrige Savers".

We used them a few times then just started using hand signals and repeating what the other says in docking or anchoring situations. Problem solved. We gave the headsets away as a gag.

Makes sense.  But, as I said, I have both hands full, and she can't see me.

We've both been trained on and used hand signals for anchoring....with a boat that was all chain and a gypsy so you can stand up, use one hand to signal and use your foot, or hand remote to control the windlass.

In windy conditions, you need the boat to help retrieve, which means hand signals, which means standing up, in swell with no way to hang on, hands are full with rode/chain, then let go with one hand to signal, and try to hold on to the full weight of anchor/chain/rode, plus a sh!t ton of weeds in many cases.

Been there, done that, have the brusies to show for it! 

Calm conidtions I can manage by pulling the boat myself which eliminates the need for communications with the helm, so no problem.

[There is NO substitute for arm and hand signals!!!!]

pby : There is NO substitute for arm and hand signals!!!! 

That includes Voice Activated Walkie Talkies!!

A few thoughts

True but I would need 3 arms. I figure the radio is better than experimental surgery.

Looking for opinions or options for my wife and I for headsets, to help with anchoring.

I have to anchor by hand, as we don't have a gypsy, and have mixed rode and chain.

We've tried the usual hand signals etc, but I find I need both hands on the rode/chain and be sitting down in the locker.  Both of these things mean she can't see me, and I can't signal in rougher weather as I'm managing the rode/chain.

We've settled getting something to help us go hands free so I can direct her where to drive the boat and keep my hands safely on the rode/chain.

I've looked at the usual 'marriage savers' and they are pretty pricey, and I've looked at VOX enable walkies, wihch seem more reasonable in price.

Any thoughts on what equipment is a good buy? 

I will cavet this, I'm not looking for better technique.  For us we've settled on some kind of comms.  Not that I don't appreciate all the usual wisdow on here as I do!

@pbyrne

I think you are looking at the result of freeze-thaw. 
A little water gets behind the fairing (typically from wicking down the keel bolt threads and attacking the polyester "mung" keel bedding.) 
Then it only gets worse and worse, year after year.  That's what happened on my C30, except about 1/3 of the bedding was "gone."  Not gone as in missing, but "gone" as in turned into wet mush (like wet drywall) from water leaking down the bolts to the bedding and attacking it.

I doubt you tightened the keel by torquing the nuts.  More likely you were compressing the nuts into the fiberglass bilge. 

IIWMB here what I would do to first investigate/confirm what's going on.

1) Use your angle grinder ("cheap" at Harbor Freight if you don't have one) with a 1/4" thick wheel https://www.lowes.com/pd/DEWALT-Silicon-Carbide-4-5-in-Grinding-Wheel/1207179 (buy several!) 
Using a Dremel as some typically suggest (or any other child's tool) is just wasting your time.  It's an adult job, use an adult tool.

2) At the most forward and aft points, grind away ONLY enough fairing covering the joint to expose the joint/bedding material.  It should be whiteish-gray (or grayish-white?), about 1/4" to 3/8" thick, polyester mung between the keel and stub. 

3) Snap a chalk line to mark the precise location of the joint along the keel.

4) Use the wheel sideways -- such that you grind a slot into the fairing/bedding.  NOT flatways grinding away a 4" or 5" swath of fairing.)  Lightly grind a shallow groove then keep going back over it to deepen it until you get to the bedding. Grind just below the edge of the bedding, not deep into it.

5) Probe the condition of the bedding (ice pick, thin screwdriver, etc.) to see if it is competent or if spots have deteriorated.

6) Obviously while grinding you can determine what's going on, how extensive the "peeling" fairing is, if the bond is broken and is loose, and if it needs to be ground away as well.   

7) What you discover will determine the fix -- simply filling the ground-out slot with G-Flex, or grinding off more fairing (wider swath) to wrap the joint (I used 4" biaxial glass tape/epoxy resin, but I would use carbon fiber if I did it again today.)

I can't say for sure whether or not the nuts went into the fibreglass or not, but they didn't appear too.  I can see how using 500lbs of torque or something nuts would do that, but 105 which I believe is the recommened torque shouldn't do that should it; unless there is something wrong with the fibreglass?

Also, while I ensure the bilge is dry during the sailing season, winter layout always results in engine coolant in the bildge over the winter.  100% guaranteed.

What's the approach to ensure that the keel bolts can't 'wick'?

Finally, does anyone know what the keel bedding is on a 2000? It would at least be nice to know what was used that could essentially rot!

Sticking my nose in here simply because I do have a bit of experience with Catalina 34 keel attachment.
In going back and forth with Catalina recently I know that Catalina covers the joint with fiberglass and then a fairing compound over the glass to smooth it out. I found evidence of this during recent work on my C34.
Based on this picture, I see no evidence of the glass, only a clear line at the keel joint itself. Perhaps this boat had its keel removed sometime in its past but the joint wasn't glassed over when reattached? Or the joint was exposed for some reason and not glassed back over?
I'm definitely of the mind to remove the bottom paint and fair and putty the joint as needed. If the flaking recurs then you can consider grinding the area back and glassing the joint, but with no weeping it's definitely a cosmetic repair.
As is often said around these parts, YBYC.

Interesting.

I'm the second owner and for the 4 years I've owned it the keel hasn't been touched other than to tighten the keel bolts, and for the other 20 years, most of that it spent on a tame, fresh water river, in Ontario Canada.

I'm 100% confident the keel has never been removed, ever, for any reason.

Unless there's a layer of fiberglass hiding somewhere the picture doesn't show, Catalina did not use fiberglass on this keel.

I can also say that there were 3-4 other C34 MKII of around the same age, where the boat used to be, and they all looked identical at the keel to hull joint to my eye.  I looked around the yard the first year this started to happen.

How so you cut the bands...?

Big scissors or slip a thin piece of wood under the bands and use a knife. They cut easy enough if they are plastic as mine were.
Jim

Good point. I assumed they were metal.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.  Did you attach the straps themselves to the tray or where they wrapped around the tray and the tank and then cinched down?

They wrapped around the tray, same as the original banding straps.  That's the reason for pulling a tracer line with the old banding straps then used the tracer to pull the hold-down strap thru.
Jim

Got it.

So how do you cut the bands...?

Ok.. I think I get it.  How did you secure the ends of the straps?

Rolled them up, sort of more liked folded, then secured with cable ties.
Jim

Sorry, I should have been more specific.  Did you attach the straps themselves to the tray or where they wrapped around the tray and the tank and then cinched down?

dan : Disagree with you on the cause of the smile.  I talked to the factory many years ago and they recommend that the boat be blocked with 75% of the weight on the jack stands/cradle and 25% of the weight on the nose of the keel.  Also VERY important to get the jack stand pads on the bulkhead!!

A few thoughts

Ron, do you think this could be the cause of the fairing flaking off in my other thread?  Sorry to hijack a bit... hopefully you know what I'm referring to Ron!

pby : I'd call EDSON (508) 995-9711 and send them your picture and pose your problem to them. I've talked to them in the past and they have been VERY helpfull !!

A thought

I read somewhere that it's 30 weight oil an teflon for the bushings, which I'm assuming is in the pedestal itself. 

Is it relatively easy to get to the chain in the pedestal?

It looks pretty cosmetic to me so I would NOT recommend 3M 5200 for this.  You don't need adhesive strength in your case and it is hard to make it smooth and fair. I would just use a good epoxy fairing/filler—-that you can sand smooth and paint. If the crack was "open" and weeping or you were rebedding the keel, then 5200 is a good choice.

No weeping, it's just slowing been getting worse over the last 3 years or so.  I didn't think it was anything serious, but I thought I'd ask the experts!  I looked around at other C34's in the yard and they didn't seem to be doing this.

I only tightened the keel bolts last year to 105ft/lbs (I think that's the number). I don't think it's been done in 23 years.  They weren't that bad.  One or two needed a half turn, most needed a touch to a 1/4 turn.

pby : Look like the faring material is flaking off now that you tightened up the keel bolts!!

I'd take a "V" type can opener and scrape out the old material and use 3M 5200 and far-in the crack.

A thought

Are you talking about one of those to open one of these?  LOL

How did you attach the rachet straps?

When I pulled the old banding straps I taped a tracer line and pulled it through.  I didn't use rachet straps, used cam lock straps and pulled tight.  The strap had the cam lock on one side and only one strap that followed the path of the original banding straps the cam lock was on top and the extra length of the strap was secured.  Was simpler to do then explain. 
Jim

Ok.. I think I get it.  How did you secure the ends of the straps?

[different lengths]

pby : Yes, that's the correct video. What happens over time is that the threads in the cable lay closer together giving the impression of the cable stretching.

I was able to tighten up my tension by just removing that "Dog House" screwed into the ceiling of the aft cabin and use extensions and a deep well socket. REMINDER those "Dog House" screws are two different lengths!! So when you reassemble the longer screws go into the overhead(UP)and the shorter screws the part that is on the outside of the water tank (aft panel)!! Yes, you can puncture the water tank if you mix up the longer screws!!!

You want to take up the tension equally on both sides. You want the tension to be just tight with no sag - NOT super taught !! 

A few thoughts

OH! you can reach the quadrant from in the aft cabin?!  Huh.  And here I laid off the cheetos to fit into the lazarette!