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The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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.
Would it be a good idea to support a FK Catalina 25 on pads alone? I currently have the boat on a trailer that has 6 regular square pads and one small V pad under the bow, and am in the middle of a bottom job. Most of the sanding is complete and I'm getting ready to paint but have a couple problems with what I believe to be a simple solution, but I'm not sure. #1: I want to be able to get at the areas under the pads. I plan on lowering the pads one at a time, but the boat sits pretty low on the trailer and there isn't enough room to lower them enough. #2 I really want to get at the bottom of the keel.
My plan: I want to slowly lift the boat with the pads (It would be supported on the 6 pads alone while I raise it) to put blocks under the keel so that I can work on about half of it, move the blocks, and then finish the job.
My concern: Is this a safe thing to do? Whats the risk of putting that much weight on the pads and letting the keel dangle freely? I've gotten it lifted so that the bow came about half an inch off its pad, but the keel is still on the trailer-is that just normal flexing? I kind of assume that the keel can hag since that's how it sits in slings, but I'm not sure the pads can handle the weight. This is only going to be temporary though, just to give the opportunity to block it higher.
Sorry this is so wordy.
"Old Yeller" 1978 Catalina 25 FK Corpus Christi, TX
My trailer was an EZ Loader. The boat rested on rollers instead of pads. It had an adjustable steel support bar that carried the weight of the fin keel. Every Spring during the 23 years that I owned it, I lowered the support bar so that all the weight of the boat was resting on the rollers and the keel was unsupported, and I left it that way for 2-3 days until I applied 1-2 coats of paint and let them dry. Then I raised the support bar and never experienced any damage.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind" previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22 Past Commodore
I also did as you were thinking. I used a small jack under the keel and lifted the pads at the same rate. I was also nervous about the amount of lift with the keel still toutching. I figured out it was the trailer flexing and not the boat. I did what I needed to do to prep and paint the keel bottom and set it back down as soon as possible. Maybe a day or so and then dropped a couple pads at a time to finish painting. Seemed scarry, but I think it was totally fine.
I went for it and it worked pretty well. I started off just going around and turning each pad at a half thread at a time, but by the end was turning about 2 threads at a time. Took some time and some elbow grease in the 95 degree weather, but it worked. I'd probably do it again if I needed to and recommend it as an option to others. It felt pretty safe and now I'll be able to sand and paint every sq in of the bottom one way or another. Now I just need to figure out the most efficient way to paint under the pads without losing too much support.
"Old Yeller" 1978 Catalina 25 FK Corpus Christi, TX
How many pads on each side? If more than two and the keel is supported, I think you're safe to lower one at a time.
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
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. 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.