As part of my boatyard projects I have tightened all my keel bolts. Not such a straightforward task. Getting the fuel tank out to get to the rearmost bolt required bending the right angle mounting brackets of the tank, which sit beside the hot water heater, to be flat. This barely (with force) allowed the tank to be removed. My boat is an 1984 model and it has clearly been a long time since the bolts were last tightened. The rearmost bolt took 2 full 360 turns of the nut to be tight. Most of the others also required at least 1 full rotation of the nut. When I thought about it, this has to be done out of the water with the keel supported to be an effective measure, and not just a fibreglass crunching exercise.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
I've owned my 1994 MK1.75 for three years and never tightened the keel bolts and I was thinking I need to do it. My boat is kept in a slip all year in Florida. Do I need to wait for a haul out to do this job? Can I not do it with the boat floating?
Capt. Sam Murphy
1994 Catalina 36, Hull 1327
Shoal draft, two cabin model.
Panama City, Florida
I too was wondering about doing it while in the water vs. on the hard. I reasoned that the moderately swept-back keel may act like a bit like a lever when on the hard, putting addition stress on the forward bolts, while reducing stress on the rear ones. While floating, the opposite might be true, and there would be less stress on the forward bolts. My reasoning seems to be flawed according to the info I can find in forums elsewhere, but it also appears that no two people offer the same advice on this subject. Since I'm hauling out for the winter in a few weeks, I can try it either way. Is there a Catalina recommendation that I've missed?
My 1983 has a smile, and has been a freshwater boat it's whole life. I'm hoping that the lack of salt will mean that the bolts are not likely to be dangerously corroded, and I can just torque everything down without major concern.
Rob Hahn
S/V Galahad
C36 #54, US31237
Lake Superior, out of Superior, WI
I tightened my keel bolts a couple years ago in the water. My boat is a 1993 1 1/2 and the bolts took 3/4 of a turn.
Not an easy job in the water or on the shore. I hurt myself trying to get enough leverage to torque them down. I hope I don't have to do that again.
Bill Matley
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan, Michigan
Lakes Huron, Michigan,
Canadian North Channel
"Spirit of Aloha" Hull #1252
Tightening keel bolts??? DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN.
Use a torque wrench! Overtightening can damage the block the bolts grip to hold that 6000 lb lead keel on.
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Slack keel bolts will encourage the formation of the infamous Catalina Smile. My thinking goes as follows:
If the keelbolts are tightened with the boat in the water all you are doing is compressing the fibreglass that is between the keelbolt washer and the keel. No way is tightening to 105llbs torque on the bolts going to lift the approx 6000lb keel up to the boat. The keel is being pulled down by gravity and I think the glass will just be compressed by this tightening process. If the boat is on the hard then the keel is not trying to pull down on the boat as a result of gravity as it is supported from below. Neither is the boat trying to float upwards away from the keel (as in the water) therefore it is highly likely that any gap between keel and boat will be closed by tightening the bolts as there are no strong forces trying to maintain the separation ie the 6000lb keel always pulling down on the bolts and opposed by the boyancy of the boat. A subtle point but I think valid. My bolts were somewhat slack and I had the smile. I tightened the bolts before repairing the smile.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
One other point. How do you get a calibrated torque wrench on the more inaccessible bolts ie the 2 starboard bolts nearest the bow. I had to use a universal joint on the wrench which accomodates for the lack of vertical access to the bolts. This angle would render any torque setting inaccurate.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands
SD,
I would think muscle memory from the previous bolts would get you close without over tightening. If you think you are going too hard, go back to an accessible bolt and feel how much the correct torque feels like.
Hummina
1987 Catalina 36 MKI
#741
Bayfield, WI. Usually.
Tightening the bolts should be routine maintenance. I am going to do it every 3 years when the boat is hauled for bottom painting.
Duncan McNeill
1984 Catalina 36 #178
standard rig fin keel M25
Channel Islands