Association Forum - Cat 25 Swing Keel Cable Failure

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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Cat 25 Swing Keel Cable Failure

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bbarstow
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/25/2016 : 08:53:14

My 1972 Cat 25 started taking on water sometime last week, while in the slip.The cable had parted. The leak is rather slow, and I need to move the boat to a marina that's about a half mile away (over water) for repairs. I'd like to do this under power (Honda 15). Is this doable (or advisable) with the keel hanging down. -Bruce

Bruce
C25 1979 SR SK #1223 'Fluid Drive'

bbarstow
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2016 : 08:55:51

Correction: 1979 C25...

Bruce
C25 1979 SR SK #1223 'Fluid Drive'

RickR
1st Mate

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USA
25 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2016 : 12:10:03

Just my 2 cents but I don't see any other option. As long as you won't bottom out at the marina. Mine is shallow at the crane.

RickR
Jamestown, NY
81 C25/SK/SR/Trad #2668
"Vind Dansor"

oldengineer1949
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2016 : 12:20:19

Bruce,

if the marina approach to the haul-out is deep enough (5ft and some change) you should be ok motoring in. I would make sure you have a hefty auxiliary bilge pump on hand with a fully-charged battery (or 2 batteries in parallel). If the water gets too skinny at the marina or on the way there, you may need to rig a "truss" or "girdle" for your boat, a line underneath port to starboard, cleat to winch, or winch to winch, near the aft end of the keel, and pull the keel back up into its trunk as much as possible. If you are hauling out with a trailer, the truss line will be mandatory.

Disclaimer: I am a new owner of a Cat 25 (with a swing keel), and I have not experienced a keel drop (yet). I defer to the much more experienced mariners here, please pipe up.

Hope all comes out well for you and your boat,

Al Corson

Al and Bernadette, "Pualani Nui", '82 C25 SR/SK, homeport MCB Quantico

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2016 : 12:57:35

You need something over 5' depth. You know the rate of the leak--it shouldn't change much, although I would try for calm water to minimize stress on the damaged area. And I think I'd look for an escort. Best of luck!

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 04/25/2016 12:59:09

bbarstow
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2016 : 20:42:13

Thank you all. The marina will provide a tow boat, and the marina is deep enough. I have a shore-power pump on board now, and will do the move later this week. I'll post pictures of the damage after the haul-out. Thanks again.

Bruce
C25 1979 SR SK #1223 'Fluid Drive'

bbarstow
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2016 : 15:43:24

The boat is out of the water at the marina. There is a transverse crack in the recess where the retracted keel fits (think of an inverted 'U' looking toward the bow (or stern)).This crack is very narrow, and is visible because of water leaking back out of the cabin.I imagine the tensile/shear load when the keel slammed against the aft part of the trunk is responsible.I'd send pictures, but the Forum does not permit including files. The cable failed right at the swaged fitting (bottom of the cable). All in all, it could have been much worse, right? The marina can repair (resin/fiber glass) the crack.They will also obtain a SS cable and swage on the necessary fittings.Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Bruce
C25 1979 SR SK #1223 'Fluid Drive'

offshoreaccount
1st Mate

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USA
71 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2016 : 15:45:30

upload photos to an image host and then post them here.

Offshore Account, 1977 Hull #243. SR, SK

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3754 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2016 : 19:15:36

You can upload photos. If you don't already have it, change to the CD fitting to attach the cable to the keel, It will relieve stress at the concentration point at the swage.

Dave B. aboard Pearl
1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399
Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle

capted
1st Mate

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39 Posts

Response Posted - 04/29/2016 : 19:59:05

Make sure you and the marina do a thorough inspection of the fiberglass. I had a similar problem and found a small transverse crack which the marina repaired from the outside. A year later it had opened up again and was leaking badly. I demanded that they open up the floor so we could see what the actual damage was. It had cracked all the way through the trunk and apparently the surface patch was not strong enough to handle the flexing of the hull. I had it ground down inside and out, then reglassed on both sides. It has held up well so far, but I had to pay for an extra expensive repair jobs.

Most failures I've had have occurred when over-tightening the cable- pulling the keel tight against the hull. I've now put a visible paint mark on the cable when the keel is just touching the hull, so I don't ever put extra stress on the cable.

Ed

jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 04/30/2016 : 17:32:51

I had damage from a free falling keel after hitting some rocks. Mine actually leaked less with the keel up. When I let the keel down it put pressure on the trunk and force the crack open.

Jeremy Duck
The Lucky Duck
1980 SKSR Hull # 1850

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2016 : 21:15:49

Catalina 25s are plentiful and affordable. I had a swing keel just long enough to realize I was going to get a fixed keel as soon as I could; which I did.

Frank Hopper

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 05/05/2016 : 15:56:07

I suffered a minor keel drop going around a channel marker we used for club racing - caught the keel on the buoy cable, resulting in a crack in the aft part of the keel trunk. Mine was a traditional interior, so access to the keel trunk was easy, just remove the wood box covering it. The shop was able to fix it from the inside with 3 layers of glass cloth properly applied to the area and then painted the trunk white. I figure the keel trunk was stronger after the repair than before and it never leaked after the repair until I sold the boat.

DavidP
1975 C-22 SK #5459 "Shadowfax" Fleet 52
PO of 1984 C-25 SK/TR #4142 "Recess"
Percy Priest Yacht Club, Hamilton Creek Marina, Nashville, TN

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.