Hi, don't forget to use the Search tool. There have been previous discussions about keel bolts.
On my boat there are no "hidden" keel bolts aft of the bilge but there are some forward of the bilge around the mast step that can not be reached without taking up the cabin sole.
- nick
—
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
Thanks everyone, much appreciated. I've found a total of 9. One fore of the mast, two aft and the other 6 visible in the bilge but I heard a rumour there is one under the fuel tank aft of the bilge. I've decided to purchase a flexible camera and take a look before going further.
Brian, good for you for buying SusieQ. She's a well outfitted C36 that was top of our list before finding a better priced '91 that we trucked to TO from Wisconsin. We passed you anchored off the S-W tip of the island last year.
There are 10 keel bolts in total on Firefly and the hull is supposed to be identical to the '85. 4 pairs and one single in the narrow space fore of the mast step and another signle one in the center behind the aft-most perpendicular rib below the floorboards. I can see this aft-most single bolt because the rib was cut down in a V-shape and glassed over by the factory.
See photo attached. That's the bolt dead center, the V-cutaway at the bottom and the fuel tank on a plywood shelf above. If you have no cut-away, versus removing the fuel tank and potentially having to cut a hole in the plywood to torque it, I don't think there would be any structural problem with using a reciprocating saw to cut a V as the factory did, then glass or epoxy it over, as long as the angle of your wrench could work in that tight space.
—
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada
Kevin, thank you for all the details, this is very helpful. I found the bolt with my camera so I now know it exists. I will reinvestigate my options and see if it is possible to do what Firefly has. I’ll look for you on the water, next year, we come out tomorrow.
We've got another 4 weeks till the last weekend in Oct. before we come out at CBYC, not that we'll be doing any 'frostbite' sailing!
As the biggest issue with the '80s Catalinas was the 'smile' at the leading edge of the keel, which was repaired on SusieQ as I recall, I suspect that snugging up the 8 exposed bolts while on the hard is all you need do to be on the safe side.
All the best Brian.
—
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada
I didn’t find one there when torquing mine. I still have the toolkit. Don’t know who is managing that program now tho
Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor.
Commodore
[quote=LeslieTroyer]I still have the toolkit. Don’t know who is managing that program now tho
[/quote]
See: Members' Tool Loan Program
and: List of Association Officers
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
Hi, don't forget to use the Search tool. There have been previous discussions about keel bolts.
On my boat there are no "hidden" keel bolts aft of the bilge but there are some forward of the bilge around the mast step that can not be reached without taking up the cabin sole.
- nick
Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA
Thanks everyone, much appreciated. I've found a total of 9. One fore of the mast, two aft and the other 6 visible in the bilge but I heard a rumour there is one under the fuel tank aft of the bilge. I've decided to purchase a flexible camera and take a look before going further.
Thanks
Brian
Brian
SusieQ- 36
1985
Brian, good for you for buying SusieQ. She's a well outfitted C36 that was top of our list before finding a better priced '91 that we trucked to TO from Wisconsin. We passed you anchored off the S-W tip of the island last year.
There are 10 keel bolts in total on Firefly and the hull is supposed to be identical to the '85. 4 pairs and one single in the narrow space fore of the mast step and another signle one in the center behind the aft-most perpendicular rib below the floorboards. I can see this aft-most single bolt because the rib was cut down in a V-shape and glassed over by the factory.
See photo attached. That's the bolt dead center, the V-cutaway at the bottom and the fuel tank on a plywood shelf above. If you have no cut-away, versus removing the fuel tank and potentially having to cut a hole in the plywood to torque it, I don't think there would be any structural problem with using a reciprocating saw to cut a V as the factory did, then glass or epoxy it over, as long as the angle of your wrench could work in that tight space.
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada
Kevin, thank you for all the details, this is very helpful. I found the bolt with my camera so I now know it exists. I will reinvestigate my options and see if it is possible to do what Firefly has. I’ll look for you on the water, next year, we come out tomorrow.
Brian
Brian
SusieQ- 36
1985
We've got another 4 weeks till the last weekend in Oct. before we come out at CBYC, not that we'll be doing any 'frostbite' sailing!
As the biggest issue with the '80s Catalinas was the 'smile' at the leading edge of the keel, which was repaired on SusieQ as I recall, I suspect that snugging up the 8 exposed bolts while on the hard is all you need do to be on the safe side.
All the best Brian.
Kevin Lenard
"Firefly"
'91 C-36 Mk. "1.5" Tall Rig, Fin Keel, Hull #1120, Universal M-35 original (not "A" or "B")
CBYC, Scarborough, Lake Ontario, Canada