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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Keel Bolts

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fredhillmann
Deckhand

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USA
15 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/31/2004 : 21:40:57

My 1982 Catalina 25 is looking pretty good, but I'm getting nervous about the keel bolts. What I can see looks pretty corroded, and I just don't like to think about short choppy seas. How much of a job would it be to replace these bolts? Are there any alternatives, e.g., using epoxy in lieu of the (wasted) nuts?

Fred

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2004 : 21:45:50

Which keel configuration do you have? Dave

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 08/31/2004 : 23:38:47

A forum & archive search on 'keel bolts' should turn up some thread(s) on that topic. (no pun intended) I know that one or more of our members have done this.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2004 : 13:15:20

I had new keel bolts put into my 1978 fin keel. This is a cast iron keel. Its a job for a professional. The old bolts were rusted to the size of a #2 pencil. They removed the pop-top, set up a big portable drill press across the deck, and drilled 6 new holes through the keel well into the keel, threaded them, and inserted 6 new 3/4 inch stainless steel bolts 6 inches into the cast iron. Stainless nuts were then added. The old rusted bolts were treated with Carbolic acid. This transforms the rust into something very hard, then sealed with Bitumen (like asphalt+epoxy).

Cost $900. Done in the slip. Took 2 weeks (it takes a long time to bore a hole in cast iron). If your in Southern CA I can give you the name of the guy, keel bolt repairs is all he does.

I'm very happy with the job. The old bolts are still holding and the new ones, well, I don't have to worry about the keel for another 25 years.

This repair can not be done on lead keels.

Edited by - on

fredhillmann
Deckhand

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USA
15 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2004 : 13:23:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Laux
 Which keel configuration do you have? Dave
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm assuming lead, but it might be cast iron. Configuration: fin keel, fixed.

Edited by - on

dgabel
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2004 : 18:10:14

Check with Catalina customer service to see if you have a lead or fin keel. They told me that they sell lag bolts that you can screw into a lead keel. Frank Butler said, at the Atlantic City Boat Show, that my keel ('79) is cast iron, but that they switched to lead later, but I don't know how much later. I have not replaced the bolts. Just used Rustoleum Rust Reformer, primed and painted with bright yellow rustoleum. They haven't deteriorated further, at least not that I can see.

Dave Gabel
Walkure
'79 tall rig
fixed keel
hull # 1484

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2004 : 20:18:53

Fred. Its not rocket science to figure out which keel material you have. When the boat is out of the water take a file to it or look at where it has been recently scraped. If its iron you could either drop the ballast, put in new bolts in the old holes, sand blast and epoxy coat the keel, or go the route that Jim did. If its lead the same two options apply but you might not need the sandblasting. You can drill and tap lead or use lag screws but the other consideration you will have to look at is the condition of the stub fiberglass and the core material if any in your boat. Dave

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/01/2004 : 22:11:43

From what I've seen and heard, if you have mild steel (rusty) bolts and nuts in a C-25, you have a cast iron keel. If you see original stainless steel (shiny) nuts and bolts, you have the lead keel. Out of the water, the cast iron almost always has some obvious rust (except on a few boats where the owners have primed them and overcoated with epoxy), while the lead is completely encased in fairly thick fiberglass--that's what I have. I think Catalina switched to lead around 1984, maybe '83. Generally (although I can't vouch for the C-25), a lead keel is made by pouring the lead around a set of inverted stainless bolts, with the heads down inside the casting. They aren't pulling out, although you could worry about crevice corrosion. (Somebody let me know if your stainless keel bolts break and your fin keel drops off--if you live to tell!)

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 09/01/2004 22:13:39

oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 09/02/2004 : 02:13:13

If your boat has mild steel keel bolts it has a cast iron keel as well. The lead keels are fastened with stainless bolts and nuts and I believe my '83 is among the first of the lead keeled variants. The stainless bolts on my boat look as new as the day she was built. You can check your keel with a magnet to determin wwhat it's made of but I believe that 82s have cast iron keels.

Edited by - on

Dave Laux
Captain

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318 Posts

Response Posted - 09/02/2004 : 18:05:53

Fred, assuming the guys are right and you have a cast iron keel and mild steel bolts, if it was my boat I would wait til winter haul out time and remove the keel from the boat. The build up of corroision material betweeen the keel and the hull and the potential for damage to the keel stub is high and simple bolt addition does not deal with any of those problems. Also this is mostly a do it yourself project where drilling in place may not be. The problem may not be the bad nuts it may be the condition of the bolts down where you cannot see them inside the keel fiberglass. The other place to inspect carefully is the joint between the keel and the hull. If its showing an opening and rusty water is coming out I would be more worried, if its tight and clean I would be less worried. Dave

Edited by - on

fredhillmann
Deckhand

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USA
15 Posts

Response Posted - 09/05/2004 : 17:03:11

Thanks to all for your thoughtful and useful responses to my questions.

Edited by - on

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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.