Hello!
I currently live aboard my Ranger 33 and have been looking at trawlers as my next liveaboard. After I looked at my dozenth trawler, I decided to check out some sailboats and I really liked this 36 MKI. It's a "if I had bought this boat instead of the Ranger, I wouldn't be shopping for another boat" boat.
Really, the only serious concern I have is some cracking i found in the keel area. I saw no "smile" on the outside. The broker is a Catalina dealer, and is going to get me in touch with a designer over there next week. In the mean time, I'm hoping someone has seen something like this. . .
I was actually dissapointed, the rest of the boat is so. . .new. COnsidering most of the boats I'm looking at are 60's-70's vintage!
Thanks!
Can't help with the cracks. But that sure looks like a lot fuel in the bilge?
Chuck Lennox
97 MKii Ventura Ca
Island Girl Hull #1611
Looking at your pictures and our keel ribs. The cracks are very similar in what we have. I will take a guess at why they have cracks. The 3rd picture of yous I am guessing that is anti freeze for the winter in the bilge. The ribs are made from 2x6 or 2x8 I believe. Our boat use to be in Michigan and we did the same during the winter because of the water coming down the mast. Over the years I feel water has worked its way into the ribs and in the winter months the water in the wood
and froze and cracked the covering of the ribs.
Randy Sherwood
Mutualfun 1990 # 1057
T/R W/K M35a
Home. Charlotte, Mi.
Boat. St Augustine,Fl.
Being a So Cal guy, I thought of that. Good call.
Chuck Lennox
97 MKii Ventura Ca
Island Girl Hull #1611
Hey Cool Beans,
Looks like surface cracks to me. I say clean it up, seal the cracks and paint it.
Don't sweat it, just enjoy the boat.
Bill Matley
Duncan Bay Boat Club
Cheboygan, Michigan
Lakes Huron, Michigan,
Canadian North Channel
"Spirit of Aloha" Hull #1252
Apparently the ribs are not structural. Apparently we could cut them out altogether and it wouldn't matter (but check with Catalina first of course). See discussion on this from long ago:
https://www.catalina36.org/forum/technical-discussion/keel-bolts-underwater-no-no
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
The red fluid is anti-freeze. The boat has been winterized.
I skimmed thru that entire thread and didn't see where it was mentioned the ribs weren't structural?
Thanks!
Posts #29-32, which read:
Ben, the wood in the keel attach section isn't there for structural reasons, according to conversations I have had with Catalina. The wood is there to form the fiberglass box section, which is what bears the force of that 6,000 pound chunk of lead.
—
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
Wed, 01/30/2013 - 20:37
#30
benethridge
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?? Sounds pretty "structural" to me, Larry. I mean, what happens to that 6000 lb chunk of lead if you just cut them out with a sawz-all?
—
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
Wed, 01/30/2013 - 21:21
#31
LCBrandt
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Posts: 1181
Ben, as I understand what Catalina was saying is that it isn't the wood that's holding that 6000 lbs on the boat...it's the fiberglass box section that's keeping it attached to your hull. The wood is placed there during layup to allow the box section to be manufactured around it. The wood isn't the structural bearer of the keel; the glass box section is.
—
Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
#32
BudStreet
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I have to back up what Larry is saying. Our 28 had a deeper bilge section than the 36 does, the stringers just had holes through them at the bottom with nothing to isolate the wood from bilge water at all. I thought they would rot out eventually, but of bigger concern was that there were some small stress cracks in the glass where the stringers and the hull met in two places. I called Catalina and they essentially told me what Larry is saying, the wood is mostly just a mold to hang glass on.
Knowing that all the strength was intended to be in the glass I figured a little overkill wouldn't hurt and I epoxied 4 layers of 16 oz biaxial glass over all of them with 4 additional layers in the stress areas where they met the hull. I figured that way if they ever did rot out there was about 4 times as much glass in there as Catalina had put in so it would never cause an issue. I sealed off the wood in the limber holes anyway with glass to try to prevent water ingress. It was Hull #25 and I think the layup was a little light in there being an early boat.
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Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263
My 2 cents would be to closely inspect the keel and keel joint area on the outside of the hull for any damage/signs of repair. A survey might also serve you well. Sounds like it's probably nothing more than normal wear and tear from the previous threads but for peace of mind it may be worth it.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Ben, I must be blind. . .I can't believe I missed that!
On the outside, there is no indication of "catalina smile" if that's what you are talking about?
The "smile" can be a sign of impact, but more often than not I believe it's a sign loosened keel bolts.
What I was referring to was is there any sign of impact on the keel itself....dents or signs of repairs on the leading edges. Some stress crazing in the hull or signs of repair around the root (where the keel is attached to the hull) at the rear of the keel can also be an indicator impact- when the keel hits a rock, the back side can be driven into the hull.
Again, if no evidence of impact- its sounds like the issue is just cosmetic. On our 2005 boat, we have some minor flaking of the bilge coating. Some of the areas flaking are where the "ribs" are attached to the hull and it gives the appearance of cracks.
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
Yes, Cool Beans, that's what I'm talking about.
Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263