These cracks were visible to the surveyor when I bought the boat. He didn't seem to think they were all that big a deal. However, I have found myself wondering whether they might be more serious in nature. Plus, I found more under the wood floor, beneath a small wood plate, just outside the head. I'm assuming that they were created by a keel strike of some sort. I was hoping someone who is familiar with C36 contructon would comment on just what we are seeing re: the cracks in the pictures I am attaching. Thanks a bunch...JAS
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Joel Schwartz
s/v Get-A-Grip
1993 Catalina 36 Hull #1259
Newport Beach, California
A C36 I had surveyed during the late fall (which I haven't purchased yet) also had small hairline cracks in the bilge. Surveyor flagged them in the report. However, the hull & keel seemed fine when she was short hauled. No sign of striking or damage. I've since followed-up with a number of people who have much more experience with the Catalina than I have. Almost everyone I've contacted said It's quite common and should not be an issue.
Feeling now, it's not a buying deal breaker.
Tom Runiewicz
ObLaDi ObLaDa
Catalina 36 MkII, Wing Keel, Tall Rig
Hull #1998
North East, MD
Thanks for your reply, my boat looked fine on the haul out too. The cracks bothered me a bit, but I was slowly letting go of my concerns...that is until I pulled up the floor in the forward cabin and lifted up the wood plate just outside the forward cabin door to the head (see second picture). That crack has a gap of about a quarter of an inch, and you can see right through it. But whatever that structure is, it only has a thickness of a quarter of an inch, so I'm thinking it is not necessarily a load bearing structure. But who knows? I think I'm going to send the pictures to Catalina Yachts to see what they think. What I'd really like to know is if this is something I should fix, or if leaving as is = no big deal.
Joel Schwartz
s/v Get-A-Grip
1993 Catalina 36 Hull #1259
Newport Beach, California
What you are looking at is cracks in your fiberglassed mast step. Basically Catalina rigs are not exactly "keeled stepped" basically they "float" on a number of mediums that in essence "transfer" the weight of the mast to the keel while the rig is held up by the standing rigging. (I am no structural engineer so don't hold me please to exact lingo here...) The Mast sits on the step that "floats" on a plate that is bolted to a BOARD that is fiberglassed directly to the keel/bilge of the boat. That board the "mast step" is encased in layers of fiberglass and epoxy, which protects it from the water that gets into the bilge. However, water does travel into the mast from the running rigging as well just the holes in the mast for wirng etc. There is a tiny drain under the plate that is attached to the mast step however, it is obvisous this was a poor design and that any sort of just natural gunk it would not take time for that water seep into the original big piece of solid wood, mine looked like pure red oak. Which held up nice for 30 years.
While that is what caused my issues with the cracks, yours could be entirely different. However, it is a sign that the stress load on the rigging is transferring to other parts of the boat. So prudent would be do check for proper rig tune, continue to monitor the crack, drill into the crack and check for any potential degradation of the mast step. I noticed my crack for YEARS...and basically, to be honest, I got lucky, I was just one good gust from potentially losing the entire rig. However, you can see my the pictures I have attached that mine was much more pronounced crack.
Capt Nick