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mysterious crack

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monty0
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/15/2006 : 12:09:28

We just bought a '77 Catalina 25, but the marine surveyor didn't notice the crack under the dinette seat closest to the sink. This picture is taken from the port side, looking to the center of the boat.

It seems to be right above where the swing keel nestles into the hull when the keel is raised. Also note there is water in there, but previous owners noted water inside as well, which may be leaking from the water tank or getting in from above somehow.

Also note the patch job on the right. None of the previous owners I spoke with noticed it, so I don't know what's up with that.

Anybody seen this kind of damage before?

Any ideas on how to further diagnose it?

Thanks for any help!

Monty

Monty

1977 Catalina 25 #66 SRSK "Prana"

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 09/15/2006 : 12:15:11

Hi Monty, I am not 100% sure, but I think I have the same crack. I will look next week. It looks like a mating point between the hull and cabin insert. I have no idea about the patch. Cheers.

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ct95949
Captain

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Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 09/15/2006 : 23:01:15

Had the exact same crack in my '79. Put a grinder to it, layed some fabric and epoxy, then applied thickend epoxy to fill the nooks, crannies, ledges, etc.
I will be doing something similar to the keel trunk under the other dinnette seat this winter.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 09/15/2006 : 23:08:21

Looks like a crack in the 'tabbing' (fold of fiberglass) that attaches the liner to the hull.

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/15/2006 : 23:30:21

I'll add the guess that at some point somebody blocked the boat or loaded it on a trailer so the weight of the hull was supported by the swing keel, which I presume is a no-no. If it was on a trailer, any bump in the road could cause that if the hull isn't properly supported so the keel is only supporting its own weight. (It should be resting on something.) Is she in the water when this was taken? If so, she's obviously not leaking through that crack.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 09/15/2006 23:32:13

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 09/18/2006 : 16:12:30

Hi Monte,

Went to my '83 dinette model today and emptied the compartment.
Two statements here sum up what I saw in my boat. The hump across the back of your picture is the keel trunk and the shape rising from it is the dinette seat former. Across the top of the keel trunk is the tabbing that Clam mentioned. If it lost its purchase it will have to be re attached. You may be able to determine its attachment by attempting to flex the dinette wall. Easier said than done perhaps but worth the attempt. If it flexes the tabbing is a gonna.

Dave's suggestion to determine if water is coming in from under the tabbing (crack) is where you want to focus your attention now. Best to determine first if water is entering there. If it is it is an indication that the keel trunk has been breeched.

Let us know what you find.

Val on Calista # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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monty0
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 09/20/2006 : 12:51:26

Thanks for all the replies! According to previous owners, the water has always been a problem and has never been salt water. The boat was originally at Port Townsend. So that's good news. It's likely to be water from the water tank or from above.

None of the previous owners remembered the crack being there though, and the boat had been out of the water on a trailer for a year or so. We tried raising the keel, to see if it would raise a tiny bit to indicate that the boat was not resting upon it. However, it did not seem to raise at all, so maybe the trailer is set up incorrectly.

A friend of a friend is coming this afternoon to inspect it and the rest of the keel. He recently bought a C-25 that had damage to the housing that had been covered over and painted, just so they could sell the boat. Ouch.

I tend to agree that it looks like it is the mating surface. I figure that some time this winter we'll have to put the boat on a sling and replace the pin and hose and other hardware. At that point we can inspect the hull just above the keel.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 09/21/2006 : 07:36:48

Monte,

Have you inspected the forward dinette seat well? Quite a few trunk damages happen there. It generally happens to the curved portion where the shoe of the keel makes up to the hull. If the keel ever deploys too suddenly the the curved portion of the trunk absorbs all the force, and it seldom is up to the task. Mine wasn't.

Val on Calista # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

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jerryconway
Deckhand

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7 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2006 : 21:45:30

I have a 79 and both of my dinnete compartments have cracks. No water leakage accept what comes from topside. I just purchased mine in August and havent re-sealed windows and teak rails.

Jerry Conway

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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.