The good folks at Catalina Yachts come through again.  Here's a drawing and some directions on how to fix it.

The Discovery:  As if sanding the bottom of a boat isn't fun enough; I find one of these hiding under the many layers of paint.  Thank God, no blisters to go along with it.

Well, a few beers and some research on the internet and I realized this wasn't nearly as tragic as I had initially thought.

The Fix:  As per the factory directions (above) I opened up the crack with my trusty dremmel tool, re-torqued the keel bolts to 105 ft lbs.  I got better than half a turn on all of the bolts.  On one bolt I got around a turn and a half, obviously this hadn't been done in a while; if ever.  I then filled and faired the crack.  I used Interlux Watertite filler to fill it. 

Good as new, that is, until the next time it's hauled.

There's no excuse not to check the torque of your keel bolts every time the boat is hauled.  In this boat they're more accessible than the bottom of the refrigerator.

The Cost:

12 Pack Busch Light: $7.50

Watertite Epoxy Filler: $30.00

Sand Paper: $2.50

Grand Total: $40.00

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