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Mystery crack

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julie 50
Deckhand

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20 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/01/2013 : 18:46:09

Ok - we got the floor up (1994 C250 WB). Some naval engineer actually glued our table down, so it involved something like a combination of Twister and Chinese Mystery Box to get the plywood out without any damage.

Underneath we found a rather large crack, and a couple of screws right in the middle of the floor. Does anyone have a guess what might have caused this crack, (I will try to post the photos) and what the screws are for? I'm trying to imagine how you could have cracked the floor there at the edge of the ballast tank and if there might be other damage we should look out for. Been sailing the boat and no leaks, and the ballast tank holds ok. Kinda odd.

C-250 Editor: I've edited your photos so they display properly.

C250 WB

Edited by - C250 Editor on 07/01/2013 19:47:32

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/01/2013 : 19:52:24

Are you in a cold climate? It looks like at some point ice could have formed in the ballast tank and swelled? That's simply a guess.

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julie 50
Deckhand

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20 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 09:51:49

NO. We just towed the boat up from Texas. I wondered if maybe someone didn't pull the vent plug on the ballast tank when filling it and it pushed the floor up.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 10:13:26

Julie, I've left the vent plug in and alls that did was leave a very slow fillup, You here a very slow gurgling instead of the rush of water. What I think, maybe is somebody went to drain the ballast tank and didn't open the drain valve and used a pressurized source to empty the tank which I do. Why not contact Catalina Engineering and get there take on this?

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julie 50
Deckhand

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Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 10:51:20

OK, thank you.

So I have been trying to find more info on blowing or pumping out the ballast before you pull the boat. How do you do yours and what do you use? Are you doing it through the vent? Is there a page I should go to for more info on this?

Anyone else have screws in the middle of their floor?

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 11:20:01

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bear
 Julie, I've left the vent plug in and alls that did was leave a very slow fillup, You here a very slow gurgling instead of the rush of water. What I think, maybe is somebody went to drain the ballast tank and didn't open the drain valve and used a pressurized source to empty the tank which I do. Why not contact Catalina Engineering and get there take on this?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

This is a very good thought. It wouldn't take much pressure to cause that type of damage, only a few PSI, especially if the vent weren't open. The ballast tank would swell like a balloon, well as much as a fiberglass balloon might swell before cracking. I think others on here use low pressure blowers like you'd use on a camping mattress. If you used HP air (like from a gas station or portable tank), you could easily over pressurize the tank.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 11:47:32

OK, I have a low pressure portable vacumn cleaner and use the outlet hose from the vacumn cleaner holding it over the vent. The drain valve MUST be opened first. It takes about 10 minutes and you'll see the boat rising up a few inches. Others have used pumps used for inflating air mattresses. Sometimes you will see bubbles rising along side the boat which tells you most of the water is out. You will always let some water back in when closing the drain valve, which can be drained on shore. Never close drain valve with air pressure still going into ballast tank. You don't need a lot of air pressure here.

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julie 50
Deckhand

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Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 12:41:24

GREAT! Thank you. We will try that.

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2013 : 12:55:30

Julie, Why don't you contact an expert at Catalina, there maybe nothing that can be done with it except make it look cosmetically OK. JMTCW

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daz
Deckhand

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New Zealand
7 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2013 : 11:00:03

the early boats had a tank problem.the remedy was to cut out floor,repair tank,refit floor
not all were pretty repairs
the 2 bolts fasten the turning block for the centerboard cable that runs through the casing

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/09/2013 : 14:02:27

Julie,
in our 2005 C250WB the floor is not the top of the Water ballast tank!!!! There is about a 1" gap below the cabin floor.

So, assuming your boat has the same construct, the crack is not in the ballast tank, but just in the floor.

I would thus assume that at sometime, something too heavy was put or dropped on the floor and it cracked. I doubt it would have been water in the cabin as 2" and it would overflow into the aft berth and then down into the bilge, once the bilge was full, there would be no water pressure on the floor as it would be equalized.

I vote for someone inviting their pet horse into the cabin!

The screws around the edge of the floor would be my greatest concern!! If they were long enough, they could pierce the water ballast tank!

Keep horses out of the cabin!

I would guess those two screws are into a transverse wood piece that was inserted after the crack to take the pressure of the cabin floor when someone stepped into the cabin. They are not centered well enough to be part of the centerboard raising system.

Paul

Edited by - britinusa on 07/09/2013 14:06:36

julie 50
Deckhand

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20 Posts

Response Posted - 07/10/2013 : 10:43:47

Yeah - I was wondering about livestock as well. Good to know about the tank location. I really wish I could find a cross section diagram of this boat, or even better, a layered diagram showing exactly how they put the '94s together.

Interesting about the tank problem. I'll examine the rest of the floor for signs of repair.

Thanks!

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/10/2013 : 12:41:22

This is from the Manual

and here's the link to the [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/manbro/man250.asp"]Manual[/url]

HINT! If you see the word 'Picture' in the manual, click on it!

Paul

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