Association Forum - "Hump" in Cabin Floor? (Do You Have One?)

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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

"Hump" in Cabin Floor? (Do You Have One?)

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Bruce Cutting
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/29/2006 : 16:57:57

Hi all -

I am on the brink of purchasing a 1982 Catalina 25. I do intend to have a marine survey done (scheduled for next week), but today when I was looking the boat over I noticed something that really puzzled me.

The main cabin floor seems to have a hump. Let me explain... imagine the cabin floor on either side of the long opening to the bilge. The port side of the bilge slit, the cabin floor appears to be about 1 inch higher than the floor on the other side of the bilge access. In other words, the starboard cabin floor is about 1" lower than it is on the port side!

In addition to that, the floor seems to be lowest right in front of the galley sink and stove, if you were to spill something in port side of the cabin, it would most likely pool in this low spot in front of the sink, rather flowing under bilge access board or something.

The question I have for all of you is... do you have a humped cabin floor? And does your cabin floor seem to be higher on the port side, compared to the Starboard side?

The very odd thing about this, is that the fiberglass adjacent to the area, such as the lower part of the settees, or the galley area, all the "vertical" fiberglass meets the cabin floor smoothly, no stress fractures or cracks.

Has anyone heard of this? Is this what your boat is like? Is this something I should be concerned about?

As I said before, I do have marine survey scheduled, but if this cabin floor thing is unique to this particular vessel (again, it is a 1982 Catalina 25), I'm afraid it will be a waste of time to proceed even with the survey, if the boat appears to have some significant problem to begin with.

Other than the cabin floor hump, the boat appears to be in perfect condition.

I would very much appreciate hearing any thoughts from anyone on this, and I would especially like to hear from folks who own (or previously owned) the 1982 model of the Catalina 25, to learn if they had this same hump or not.

Thanks very much in advance. It was a gorgeous day on the water here in Massachusetts (sailing on a friend's boat in Boston harbor, out past the islands and back).

Hope you all had a great day too, and thanks in advance for any insight you can shed on this situation!

Bruce Cutting

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 17:20:59

What keel does the boat have? Fixed (fin) or Lifting (Swing)?

From your description it sounds very much like the typical cabin floor configuration in a swing keel boat.

Edited by - on

Bruce Cutting
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 17:29:42

Hi Clam Beach, thanks for asking...

She has a full keel, not swing.

Are saying that you've seen this "raised port side", "lower starboard side" cabin floor in other older Catalinas?

It just seems odd, somehow. Almost as though as if at some point the boat was on land, and the boat jacks failed, and the keel ended up holding up all the weight of the boat.

Or if the boat had been lifted out of the water with a sling crane, and then dropped on the keel. (Actually, that would explain some things I noticed about the keel, too.) The rear-most corner of the keel looks sort of slightly "bashed in", and feathering. It is a small area, 2 or 3 inches at most.

What do you think?

Edited by - on

Fantasy II
1st Mate

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USA
80 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 18:22:57

When the boat is out of the water, the keel NORMALLY takes the entire weight of the boat! Jackstands are mainly for stabilization, not suport. My '81 is a fixed keel also, and the floor is definitely NOT level, although I never measured the difference port to starboard.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 18:35:08

I'm confused about your "port" and "starboard"... Here's how my '85 fin (fixed) keel boat looks: The galley (as in all C-25s) is to port, and in mine it is a low point of the cabin sole (floor). There is a gentle curve in the sole up to the companionway and then is it flat going forward (slightly off-center to starboard in the dinette model). In the dinette, you get to the bilge through access boards on top of either of the dinette seats (on the port side). Forward of the main cabin, there is a step down to a slightly rounded sole for the head area.

Long story short, the sole is not flat. It wasn't till about 1989, with the elimination of the swing keel, that Calatlina lowered and flattened the floor throughout the fin and new wing models.

So, I suspect that curvy sole is not indicating a problem--most of us have them.

Good luck with in your quest--we hope you join our group!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 07/29/2006 18:36:42

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 19:34:12

Port side is lower on ours (swing) but only so that you can stand in the galley a bit easier. I believe all were likt that in the earlier years (pre 85)

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Bruce Cutting
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 20:07:33

Thank you, everyone!

I am glad to hear that the non-level floor isn't unusual for the older Catalina's.

I really appreciate everyone's feedback on this, I feel much more confident about this potential purchase.

And I look forward sharing sailing stories and knowledge gained with everyone here on the site and forum.

Thanks,

Bruce Cutting

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2006 : 20:34:40

Bruce -

Have had an '82 swing keel and an '87 wing keel - both of them with the cabin sole lower on the starboard side than port side and both with the "dip" at the galley corner. Not to worry.

Good for you for electing to have a survey done.... it tends to minimize surprises.

Steve

Edited by - Lightnup on 07/29/2006 20:37:29

DaveC25
Navigator

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USA
152 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2006 : 15:36:20

My '79 also has a low floor in front of the galley and on the port side. She was a swing keel converted into a wing.

I think the low in front of the galley is to allow anything you spill there to stay there (unless you're heeled to starboard pretty good.) Also the low floor in the cabin I believe allows stuff to flow forward and pool in front of the head. At least this is what I have noticed on my boat.

-DaveC25

Edited by - DaveC25 on 08/07/2006 11:52:03

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2006 : 17:47:16

Gentlemen, I had a vision and the vision was that the floor is designed for the dinette interior. It has nothing to do with the swing keel what so ever. It levels the floor for the people sitting at the dinette. Those of us without dinettes simply have to live with it. And to Bruce, welcome... ain't those floors weird?

Edited by - on

ColinR
1st Mate

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Canada
28 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2006 : 18:23:51

My 1981 has the same hump. So as they say, your in the same boat as me... I think that is normal.

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Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2006 : 23:30:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 Gentlemen, I had a vision and the vision was that the floor is designed for the dinette interior. It has nothing to do with the swing keel what so ever. It levels the floor for the people sitting at the dinette. Those of us without dinettes simply have to live with it. And to Bruce, welcome... ain't those floors weird?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Frank ... I think you nailed it! That makes perfect sense.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2006 : 00:23:26

In ours (a 1985 Standard Rig)the galley floor has 4 small holes against the aft part of the bulkhead. I thought the factory had put them in, but after reading this, someone may have added them later. It means that if I spill something, or get a lot of liquid there, it can drain into the bilge. I also have the small holes in the head area.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2006 : 07:26:41

Added later, I hope they don't compromise the strength. I would rather wipe up water from the sole than from the bilge.

Edited by - on

Justin
Admiral

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502 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2006 : 07:44:15

Mike, sounds like a previous owner did what I once thought about doing, drilling some holes to allow water on the sole to drain into the bilge, but I decided not to. I fixed my window leaks and that cured the problem, but before that I would come to my boat and almost always have water on the floor. The time I thought about drilling holes was when I came to my boat and found several inches of water in the cabin. This was after a week with several huge storms and lots of rain. I thought that if I drilled holes, then my automatic bilge pump could pump it out. Now that I resealed my windows, my cabin has been dry. Like Frank says, I'd rather mop up the floor, much easier than the bilge. You could probably patch the holes, but that may be more trouble than it's worth.

Edited by - on

cat1951
Admiral

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USA
636 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2006 : 08:04:10

Actually they are quite small. Maybe done with a 1/8" drill. The boat itself is as dry and tight as the day it was built. No leaks and the window seals are solid. Since they are so small I don't think the structural integrity is compromised, so I will probably leave well enough alone. I already have a list of projects to keep me busy. We are installing a harken furler next week, curtains for the ports, and we are modifying the table in the main cabin to accommodate a queen size aerobed. The v berth is just not big enough for two. Although we have slept there several times.

Edited by - on

jm
Captain

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Canada
290 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2006 : 13:10:37

it's normal.. and after a heavy downpour, when your cockpit hatch or top rails have leaked into the galley, you only have to sponge/soak it up from one location - right in front of the sink. Out she goes.

It's by design.. Right Frank ?

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2006 : 13:59:52

the galley gulley and the starboard path are to maximize headroom where possible.

I think.

Edited by - on

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