James;
If you look back into the list archives you would probably find that the C&C Smile and keel bolt torques are among the most frequently discussed topics. I’ve had personal experience with it on both of my C&Cs and also on the C&C designed Newport that I owned for a few years. My 25 had a smile when I bought it in 94. I cleaned out the crack a bit, filled it with 4200, and re-torqued the bolts during one of my first haul outs. I also replaced the iron washers under the keel bolt nuts with stainless backing plates. And I’ve been fairly religious about keeping the torque up to spec since then. When the boat was hauled last November for a bottom job, there was a hairline crack but no “smile”. I would agree with Dennis C that keeping the torque correct is key to eliminating the smile. On my 38, the keel had a considerable smile when I bought her in 2004 – maybe ½ to ¾ inch at the front of the keel stub. She wasn’t leaking, but I was not comfortable with the situation. I had the boat lifted off the keel 3 or 4 inches, the mating surfaces cleaned and filled with 5200, re-torque the bolts, and put a layer of glass around the front half of the joint to fair it. (I had it done at Deaton’s in Oriental , as a matter of fact.) On a 38 like yours and mine, the biggest problem with doing this is the need to pull the mast to get at the keel bolt under the mast step. My smile reappeared when the boat was hauled a couple of years ago. The yard blocked the back of the swept back keel, and the weight of the boat opened up a small crack at the front. I suppose a hard grounding would have the same result. When the boat was out for an engine repair in July, I watched them block the boat and made sure there was a proper support under the front of the keel. I re-faired the small crack with West System, and as long as I keep the bolts tight and don’t hit anything too hard I don’t expect any problems. Rick Brass Imzadi -1976 C&C 38 mk1 la Belle Aurore -1975 C&C 25 mk1 Washington, NC From: CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of jtsails Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 9:38 PM To: Dennis C.; cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Re: Stus-List C&C 115 new keel joint video Dennis, Since mine is not leaking into the bilge and freezing is not an issue here, I think that I'll go with your approach even though my crack is much more extensive. I have to wonder if they didn't overdo the prep work when the barrier coat was applied 6 or 8 years ago. Wally, you dropped your keel and redid the joint, an input? James Delaney 38 Mk11 Oriental, NC
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