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I am thinking of buying a Cat 36 that was sunk with a 5X5 hole and apparently repaired by Catalina. It is a 1985 and the repair occurred 12 years ago. There appears to 5 be small cracks (5 inches or so) on the deck and by the portals above the repair on the starboard side midship.
My question is that if the repairs were done properly will the hull be as strong and are these cracks normal?
This is not a direct answer to your question, and I am not being critical but need to ask when I see posts such as these, a Catalina 36 is not what I would consider a "special" boat, there must be dozens for sale in the market, why would you just not buy one that had not been previously sunk?
With a 5 foot x 5 foot hole and sinking, I think your best answer came in post #2. A quick search on yachtworld turned up 12 1985 Catalina 36's price 40k - 69k. The one you are looking at would have to be one hell of deal for me to give it a second look.
There are plenty of C-36s on the market - the cracks most likely are from residual stress caused by the repair being stronger than the surrounding areas. If I was you - I would skip on this unless it is a deal that can not be beat. A good surveyor will probably answer your questions more directly on the actual probably causes of the stress fractures - but just the cursory info - a five inch crack is not "normal" (small less than an inch crazing yes).
It is impossible to give an opinion without pictures...but there is much more to worry about with a sunk hull than merely the hole repair. Done correctly, holes in hulls can be repaired to be even stronger than original unless there is structural damage beyond a simple hole.
Other possibilities that may result from a sinking...keel/hull joint damage, deck saturation with core rot, engine destruction, wiring destruction, bulkhead integrity compromised, etc. etc.
The price needs to be VERY attractive to even consider such a boat and then ONLY with the advice of a very competent surveyor. You can easily own a cheap boat that will cost you FAR more to repair than the same boat in good condition on the marketplace.
This Cat was given a new engine, upgraded rigging, and new interior which is very desireable in my price range. I wanted to get this group's opinion before I make an offer which will be followed by a marine survey.
The basic question again is since the repair was done by Catalina (which I assume was done properly) will the hull be as strong as before? Are these cracks (which may just be in the gel coat) be a concern?
"The basic question again is since the repair was done by Catalina (which I assume was done properly) will the hull be as strong as before? Are these cracks (which may just be in the gel coat) be a concern? "
Is the crack in the tree branch you are standing on only in the bark, or does it go all the way through?
Exactly, it's impossible to tell without looking isn't it?
When you say the hole was 5x5, is that 5 in. x 5 in., 5 in. x 5 ft..... ? Can you see the repair from the inside of the hull or do you have documentation on the damage/repair? Things like this tend to get minimized by owners when they go to sell.
The bigger question in my mind, isn't how strong the hull is after repairing a 5" x 5" hole (if that was the actual size). My concerns would focus on the known corrosive effects seawater has on everything else, such as the many electrical and mechanical systems onboard. In many cases a sunken boat needs a complete gut and replacement of these components.
The hole was 5 feet by 5 feet. I beleive the boat was put "back in the mold". The replacements (wiring, wood etc) were made by Catalina. The real question is the hull. Again guys just asking for a general opinion of the hull before I pay for the survey. If the answer is that a hull is never as good or there are always problems or the hull is done proerly will be as stongg as new.
New engine, new rig, new interior = complete salvage boat. No matter how much time and money you put into the boat it will always have a scary history. I’m not saying that Catalina is not capable of a fantastic repair job however one can never be sure what issues will develop over time.
Sorry, did not see your direct question before.....
The hull might be strong but it will never be as good as the day it came out of the factory the first time. Through-hulls were stressed during the sinking, the core might have been damaged, cracks under the gell, and countless other hidden flaws might appear with no warning. If the hull is your only concern you might end up with a very large bathtub or one massive repair bill trying to fix issues as they come up.
Boat's had a hole, it's been underwater...granted the price is right given the upgrades you mentioned, but you too will eventually sell this boat. The next owner may not be willing to consider the damage acceptable.
Granted that's a nice size of boat to get into, but maybe it's got some bad mojo too. That generally isn't disclosed in the listing.
The hull is solid glass and if they rebuilt a 5 foot by 5 foot hole it will be tough to avoid "point loading". The areas of concern beyond the hull have been mentioned and the biggest is the deck. The deck is cored with balsa & plywood and there is no possible way, after being submerged, that it did not have some serious moisture penetration.
#1) What is the asking price of this boat?
#2 Do they have pictures of the repair work or the before and after. If this was an insurance job there is an an insurance adjuster out there with photos.
#3 If they are asking any more than 15k walk away...
This will be my first after kids. Prior to kids had a Seidleman 25, and Ericson 29 (my favorite), an Island Trader 46 (liveaboard) and a Pacific Seacraft 25.
In Hawaii I met a group of Japanese sailors who had sailed a Catalina from Japan to Hawaii, and then to the west coast. The boat had previously been at the bottom of Tokyo Bay with a hole approximately the size of the galley range. I don't remember exactly how that happened (they were sharing their Saki at the time) but in any event if a boat like that can sail uphill across the Pacific it should serve as a testament to fiberglass durability, and appearantly Catalina.
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