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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Fairing Keel and Bottom Work

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Kip C
Navigator

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USA
243 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/22/2006 : 15:20:17

I uncovered my boat a few weeks ago to prep it for splashing. To keep the story short, I tried my luck stripping the bottom with the pressure-washer. BAD IDEA, it made quite a mess of my (not so bad after all) bottom paint. In general , the paint wasn't fazed. Well, not totally a bad idea, I'd planned on stripping the bottom this year or next anyway and with taking the boat to Nationals next month, I guess it's this year.

I stripped the bottom using Klean Strip fiberglass paint stripper. The bottom is beautiful, except for some cracks at the aft end of the keel and what looks like someone or thing punched the hull on both sides of the bow, about the size of a large grapefruit. These are not blisters, so I'm not sure how to go about the repairs. Do I remove all the cracked gelcoat in the area or just dremmel out the cracks, and then seal, fill and fair? Also, my keel is fair, except the bottom or foot. Should I try to remove the paint in the low spots and fair it?

Also, I talked to Kent Nelson at Catalina, he said the late model 25's do not have vinylester as a barrier, that it was a product by Glidden that was called Blister Guard. Glidden sold off their marine coatings division yrs ago. I called Glidden to try and track the Blister Guard down for repairs, but no luck. Blister Guard may be called something else now.

Another thing, I have an inboard, the hull had been altered for the shaft and propeller. I thought it was interesting that the alterations had been done in regular gelcoat and the Blister Guard barrier coat was sanded and where they faired the alterations, since sanding is not recommended.

Thanks,

Kip Casada

Quietude
C25 #6021
SR/WK/Inboard

Edited by - Kip C on 05/22/2006 15:36:29

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2006 : 16:00:43

It looks to me that this area has allot of stress around the keel area re: the cracks, or Catalina might have gotten the Gelcoat too thick and this has caused the spidering in this area. The fix is really simple to do and does not take a long time to get it done right. Fist I would leave the Drimel tool in the tol box, and get one of the old Can openers with the pointed end. Open up the cracks so that you have a nice (v) Then you can fix it a couple of different ways.

1. Epoxy and Microballons, Mix the two together and fill the (v) groves up at least over the top of the gelcoat, Let it kick and dry. Then get a long board about 2ft. long and fair the repair back flush, apply bottom paint or leave it as is.

2. Gelcoat it back, Get some gelcoat (which is colored polyester resin) and fill the cracks like stated above, then sand back fair with hull. It really looks like the gelcoat is just thick in this area. This would be the repair guidlines for any Spidering on the boat. You can sand this area glass smooth with 600 wet and dry, then buff w/ compound then paint, or wax the bottom.

3. Marine-Tex I personally have not used this product, but I have read many members using this for cracks in the bottom of the boat.

4. If it is do to stress (maybee the boat was grounded out, or hit a rock) I would still do one of the repairs listed above, but check to see that the keelbolts are torqued correctly. There are a hundred things that could have caused the damage in this area. I am looking at the photo and it looks like one of the pads on the trailer is lowered, The boat could have shifted on the trailer, the Keel could have hit the keel guide, You could have hit a large pot hole and there was too much weight on the keel, not on the pads.

I am just taking a guess at all of these.

Edited by - Ericson33 on 05/22/2006 16:04:06

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2006 : 16:03:56

If it were me... I would overlay glass cloth on top of the keel cracks or anything else underwater and fair in the edges and call it good. That Marine-tex stuff is great for voids, chunks, and other places that need filler. The front edge of my keel has a Marine-tex repair and I just paint over it like any other surface. You can get way too anal here and it will not buy you anything.
Thanks for the info on the gray stuff, it is nice to know the facts.

Edited by - on

Kip C
Navigator

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USA
243 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2006 : 17:54:30

Thanks for the replies. Your right it is easy to get carried away. This is my first bottom job and I want to do the best job possible after coming this far.
Chris, your right about the stress in the picture. When I took it, the boat was on just the stands and no support under the keel. I had just finished stripping the keel.
Thanks again.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2006 : 19:22:14

I'd put CS's repair into play. No need to retype what he said.

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Kip C
Navigator

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USA
243 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2006 : 19:27:43

Anyone know what the torque should be on the keel bolts?

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

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1608 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2006 : 22:51:16

FWIW - I used Marine-Tex for my bottom job.
This was the first time I've used it, I found it easy to work with and it did an excellent job. If you do buy it, make sure you are getting white. The color is not indicated prominently on the packaging.
Good luck with the project.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

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USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 05/23/2006 : 02:33:20

Kip, the bottom of the boat looks great from the photos, I am just gussing that there has been some stress at some point on the front section of the keel. Don Casey's book on fiberglass repair is a good read, but for the most part you are looking at spidered Gelcoat and that is aboout it. Really there is ne real damage to the core of the structure, but the gelcoat or fairing material has failed at the joint. My 2 cents would to just sail the boat and enjoy another season with her. If you are really wanting a smooth bottom invest some time into fixing the hair line cracks. Catalina can give you the specs on the bolts, but for the most of us, the cracks are just from sitting the boat up on the trailer, or a light grounding at some point. I wish the bottom of our racing boat looked as good as yours. Good luck at Nationals

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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.