Sorry,
But I received this on my private list - NOT the C27 list. Please
correct your respond feature. I prefer to receive these on the C27
listserve.
Thanx,
Gary
Jon,
First off, you should go after the hauler if you can document the damage.
On the failed repairs, it sound to me from the information you've
given (and a few assumptions) that you've done the repairs while
there is considerable compression pressure on the (blocked) keel.
When the compression is relieved, the repair cannot deal with the
keel springing back into its uncompressed shape. You may want to
try it without so much weight bearing on the keel. It could be that
in sustaining the damage, some material was lost in the cracked
area. By compressing the crack with the weight of the boat, rather
than trying to fill it while 'unstressed', you are asking too much
of the glass/resin repair.
This is only a guess without having some more information.
Chris
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
-----Original Message-----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2007 22:56:29
To:<[email protected]>
Subject: catalina27-talk: Perplexing keel problem after long distance hauling
Listees:
Ý
I have a serious but perplexing problem resulting fromÝthe
long-distance haul of my 1975 C-27. I need your advice.
Ý
The boat was hauled from North Carolina to Boston in mid-July,
essentially a return home for the boat and for us. Somewhere along
the way the boat was damaged. When the boat arrived it was lifted
off theÝflatbed and put in the water. It immediately began to
takeÝon water--lots of it. After taking itÝout ofÝthe water, we
discovered a crack at the extreme aft end of the keel at the hull
(at the point where the hullÝbegins toÝcurve down to shape the
narrow end of the keel--perhaps an inch or two down that curve). The
crack was only several inches long around that aft end, perhaps four
inches long in all, sort of shaped like a "u". The leak showed at
the inside at the extreme aft end of the bilge in the passage (under
the interior deck) between it and the engine compartment (boat has
an A-4). While the pump kept on top of the leak, it did so only
barely.
Ý
A few words about the delivery: The boat had been located on the
extreme aft end of the trailer. A power boat was placed on the
front. The inside of the boat was an absolute mess. ThingsÝthat I
hadÝcarefully stowed were strewn about the boat.ÝItems stowed deep
in the after quarter berth were all over the salon floor in the
forward part of the boat. It was an amazing sight that got worse
when the water seeped up from the bilge. Clearly the boat had a very
rough trip.
Ý
When the boat was first on stands, I was able to ply out some resin
from the hull crack and thought maybe I could make a temporary patch
to get it across Dorchester Bay to my yacht club. I used Marine Tex.
The fix looked good, but as soon as the hydraulic trailer begin to
lift it from the stands and blocks, it cracked with a "snap." It had
returned. After a short haul on a hydraulic trailer to the club, I
removed the broken Marine Tex, openedÝthe crackÝup as best I could,
and we used West (resin, filler)Ýand some cloth and fashioned a
repair. When it was sealed on the outside, using a flashlight, I was
able to locate what seemed to be a crack of sorts in the bilge in
that passage leading to the engine compartment, where it seemed the
water had come in. I poured resin into it, hoping it would seep down.
Ý
Today, when we lifted the boat off the stands to put it in the
water, the same thing happened, a snap, and then a 1/8 in wide,
several inch long crack appeared. This work was done by someone with
a great deal of experience using West resins.
Ý
What is going on? The bilge looks fine. Four years ago, I employed
the Catalina Direct keel bolt upgrade and installed ss lags. I did
this only as a precaution because the original bolts looked, well,
rusted, but no worse than other Catalinas. My bilge has always been
clean and dry. I see nothing amiss there now. There is no Catalina
smile on this boat an no other external indications of a problem
anywhere along the keel.
Ý
Jon
C-27 1858
Ý
Ý
