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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Hull Crack Inside Near Toilet Tank

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rcordaro
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/27/2013 : 18:20:33

I have a 1987 Catalina 25. Recently I noticed a crack in the hull inside the space where the toilet tank is located. It is right up against the swing keel. I am afraid the boat may not be seaworthy. Does anyone know if this can be repaired? The boat is currently in the water and is not leaking. I am not sure how long this crack has been there - I have not inspected inside this space in quite some time.

Photos can be found at http://www.rickcordaro.com/sailboat

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2013 : 18:35:30

Others who have owned that interior configuration will respond. If you can post a good shot of the crack it will really help with the quality of the replies. Some have had cracks in the region of the mast support inside that seat area and some have had issues at the head of the swing keel trunk. Most boats that age are in great shape but a poorly maintained swing keel boat that age can have serious issues. Tell us more about the boat, how long you have had it, what history you know of the boat's maintenance. Basically if the boat is floating and the swing keel is still there then the boat is worth repairing. Many cracks mean nothing. Most swing keel trunk damage is a result of an "event" where the lifting cable has failed causing a high momentum impact in the trunk area you are concerned about. These are usually cataclysmic events that anyone onboard would be terrified by experiencing.

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jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2013 : 18:46:28

That's quite the crack. I'll be curious to see how deep it goes. Sorry but no advice at the moment. If it was me, I would want to know how deep it is.

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rcordaro
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2013 : 19:05:11

Thanks for the posts! The pictures of the crack are at http://www.rickcordaro.com/sailboat. I was afraid of clogging the forum by posting the pictures inline. I have not measured the crack depth but will do that the next time I am at the lake.

I know the swing keel has been poorly maintained because I've been responsible for maintenance for the last five years and haven't done anything to it. I can't think of a recent event (in the last 5 years) which would have been severe enough to cause that damage. Right now, I'm inclined to leave the boat in the water until the end of the season (October) and then do a full maintenance work-up of the swing keel. Is a specialized skill-set required to tackle repairs like that or would any boat/fiberglass place be able to handle it? I also think I need to install the Keel Hanger Casting kit from Catalina Direct (http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=567) because I do experience the "keel clunk" issue.

Edited by - on

blanik
Navigator

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Canada
210 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2013 : 20:06:28

the whole hull flexes while sailing, if no water is coming in i would think it's the inner liner that cracked (mine delaminated underneath the quarterberth where the inner liner is glassed to the hull's mid-rear "bulkhead", i filled it with epoxy and it hasn't moved since

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4303 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2013 : 20:22:20

To me the main crack looks old. Looks dirty inside the crack. I don't think it has happened recently.

It appears to me the area to the left is a newer repair because it looks different. It also looks to me like when the repair was done the glass cloth didn't adhere properly to the old glass. Probably the result of not enough resin when laid up.

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jduck00
Captain

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USA
313 Posts

Response Posted - 08/27/2013 : 20:23:31

I've worked a decent amount of fiberglass over the years, but I'm no expert. Its not that hard when you get the hang of it. It looks like the crack is more than just gelcoat.

As far as the castings go... be prepared to grind them to fit or have a mill handy. I just installed a set and they are well built, but not an easy install. You will have to get them milled, or ground, to the right thickness and then get 1500 lbs of cast iron just right to hit 4 x 3/8 bolt holes. Fun times, but well worth it.

If you drop the keel it would be a good time to check the outside of the hull in that spot.

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pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2013 : 16:16:01

Check our archives for tips on swing keel maintenance. The crack looks like part of it is just lifted cloth like Gary says.

And welcome to the forum.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9075 Posts

Response Posted - 08/28/2013 : 20:14:07

The position of that crack does not suggest to me the kind of damage people have had from a "free fall" due to a cable failure or a submerged object lifting the keel and letting it drop. It looks more to me like something pushed or impacted the lowered keel <i>sideways</i>, probably from the port side, so the head of the keel above the pivot pushed hard against the side of the trunk.

It also looks like something was smeared around the compression post and is now separating--maybe a related issue, or maybe not. (I vaguely recall my post looking a little like that, so it might be a factory thing.)

Have you had any water in that area or the bilge in general--especially after sailing?

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/28/2013 20:17:07

capted
1st Mate

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39 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2013 : 11:05:37

It definitely is in the area where the head of the keel fits when it is down. The aft part of the seat is where the keel hits if dropped, and there seems to be no sign of damage there, although it could have been repaired. I don't think the crack is in an interior fiberglass partition- I think that surface is one piece to the cavity for the head of the keel(the crack may be where the interior seat fiberglass is bonded to the keel trunk). Not sure if it's above the water line though.
If you drop the keel, you can inspect that cavity for any exterior cracks, but I would be inclined to get the crack fixed, just to be sure. I just had a crack in the trunk fixed (probably left over from prior damage) and it wasn't terribly expensive.
Ed

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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.