CAL 2-25 keel lateral flex

Hi Everyone, I know this subject has been covered by other posts on similar model than my boat a CAL 2-25 or Mk II, but i wanted to see if any one has more specific details on the construction and characteristic of the keel of the 2-25. So I hauled the boat out today for bottom painting and noticed a slight less than 1" lateral flex of the keel while applying moderate pressure at the very bottom end, i started looking for cracks but found none (Il recheck tomorrow after I complete the sanding though) Question number one Is this (flexing/movement) normal? And number two One of the boatyard worker suggested I'd locate the keel bolts and tighten them...but in the inspection holes of the bilge no bolts are found unless they are glassed over, so are there any keel bolts? (the cal 27-3 according to posts I read does not...so I could assume the 25-2 doesn't either) So is this movement due to the relative thin skin of the" floor " of the hull and therefore normal? Reassuring and conforting responses are greatly appreciated 😊 Marco Proud owner of Dragon Lady

I guess the question is "is it ok?" More then likely yes. You nailed it when you mentioned thin skin. As theses boats get older and the laminents are exposed to water and flexing, they get weaker. No one knows when a particular boat is in trouble, but my guess is you are ok for many more years. My cal 29 keel flops all over the place. Do I intend to fix it?.... Yes. Am I going to do it this year ?.... No > On Jul 29, 2016, at 11:31 PM, mu… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > Hi Everyone, > > > > I know this subject has been covered by other posts on similar model than my boat a CAL 2-25 or Mk II, but i wanted to see if any one has more specific details on the construction and characteristic of the keel of the 2-25. > > So I hauled the boat out today for bottom painting and noticed a slight less than 1" lateral flex of the keel while applying moderate pressure at the very bottom end, i started looking for cracks but found none (Il recheck tomorrow after I complete the sanding though) > > Question number one > > Is this (flexing/movement) normal? > > And number two > > One of the boatyard worker suggested I'd locate the keel bolts and tighten them...but in the inspection holes of the bilge no bolts are found unless they are glassed over, so are there any keel bolts? (the cal 27-3 according to posts I read does not...so I could assume the 25-2 doesn't either) > > So is this movement due to the relative thin skin of the" floor " of the hull and therefore normal? > > > > Reassuring and conforting responses are greatly appreciated 😊 > > > > Marco > > Proud owner of Dragon Lady > > > > > >

In June while my Cal 27 Mark III hung in the haul out sling, we found that its keel flexed about three inches. I queried the list and learned that many Cal's have this characteristic. I also had a surveyor go over it and he was satisfied that it's structure is sound. I'm guessing it could be a common characteristic that most Cal owners wouldn't know about because it doesn't flex when the weight of the boat is on the keel such as when it's in the cradle or on jack stands.David Field On Saturday, July 30, 2016 12:51 AM, "Jim Englert sa… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: I guess the question is "is it ok?" More then likely yes. You nailed it when you mentioned thin skin. As theses boats get older and the laminents are exposed to water and flexing, they get weaker. No one knows when a particular boat is in trouble, but my guess is you are ok for many more years. My cal 29 keel flops all over the place. Do I intend to fix it?.... Yes. Am I going to do it this year ?.... No On Jul 29, 2016, at 11:31 PM, mu… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: Hi Everyone, I know this subject has been covered by other posts on similar model than my boat a CAL 2-25 or Mk II, but i wanted to see if any one has more specific details on the construction and characteristic of the keel of the 2-25.So I hauled the boat out today for bottom painting and noticed a slight less than 1" lateral flex of the keel while applying moderate pressure at the very bottom end, i started looking for cracks but found none (Il recheck tomorrow after I complete the sanding though)Question number oneIs this (flexing/movement) normal?And number twoOne of the boatyard worker suggested I'd locate the keel bolts and tighten them...but in the inspection holes of the bilge no bolts are found unless they are glassed over, so are there any keel bolts? (the cal 27-3 according to posts I read does not...so I could assume the 25-2 doesn't either)So is this movement due to the relative thin skin of the" floor " of the hull and therefore normal? Reassuring and conforting responses are greatly appreciated 😊 MarcoProud owner of Dragon Lady

I first heard about keel flexing in 1980 relative to the Cal 25. In this case it referred to a local marine dealer that was worried about it when he first noticed it on a new boat when it was in the slings. He contacted the factory and they told him it was normal, his contact occurred when the boat was first on the market in the 1960's. John B Cal 227 3 650 On Jul 30, 2016 10:45 AM, "David Field fi… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats]" < Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > In June while my Cal 27 Mark III hung in the haul out sling, we found that > its keel flexed about three inches. I queried the list and learned that > many Cal's have this characteristic. I also had a surveyor go over it and > he was satisfied that it's structure is sound. I'm guessing it could be a > common characteristic that most Cal owners wouldn't know about because it > doesn't flex when the weight of the boat is on the keel such as when it's > in the cradle or on jack stands. > David Field > > > On Saturday, July 30, 2016 12:51 AM, "Jim Englert sa… [at] gmail.com > [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > > I guess the question is "is it ok?" > More then likely yes. You nailed it when you mentioned thin skin. As > theses boats get older and the laminents are exposed to water and flexing, > they get weaker. No one knows when a particular boat is in trouble, but my > guess is you are ok for many more years. My cal 29 keel flops all over the > place. Do I intend to fix it?.... Yes. Am I going to do it this year > ?.... No > > > On Jul 29, 2016, at 11:31 PM, mu… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] < > Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > Hi Everyone, > > I know this subject has been covered by other posts on similar model than > my boat a CAL 2-25 or Mk II, but i wanted to see if any one has more > specific details on the construction and characteristic of the keel of the > 2-25. > So I hauled the boat out today for bottom painting and noticed a slight > less than 1" lateral flex of the keel while applying moderate pressure at > the very bottom end, i started looking for cracks but found none (Il > recheck tomorrow after I complete the sanding though) > Question number one > Is this (flexing/movement) normal? > And number two > One of the boatyard worker suggested I'd locate the keel bolts and tighten > them...but in the inspection holes of the bilge no bolts are found unless > they are glassed over, so are there any keel bolts? (the cal 27-3 according > to posts I read does not...so I could assume the 25-2 doesn't either) > So is this movement due to the relative thin skin of the" floor " of the > hull and therefore normal? > > Reassuring and conforting responses are greatly appreciated 😊 > > Marco > Proud owner of Dragon Lady > > > > > >

In response to your question, "Is this flexing/movement normal?" No, it is not. My Cal 25-2 is rock solid. The lead ballast is encapsulated within the fiberglass skin--there are no keel bolts. Where is it flexing? The turn of the bilge is gradual, so no obvious point for flexing. It is my opinion, for your specific model, (and for your request for reassuring and comforting responses-sorry), that your condition is a disaster waiting to happen. The fiberglass will fracture over time. Imagine the lateral forces applied to your keel while sailing, as compared to your own effort to flex the keel. The bond between the lead and fiberglass has broken, allowing the lead to swing back and forth within the skin. If you look inside the bilge access cover closest to the mast support, you can see the top of the lead ballast covered in a layer of fiberglass. Are there cracks around the edge? If so, any bilge water that accumulates will find its way into the space around the ballast, further exacerbating the issue. I am not a professional. I am a long term owner of a Cal 25-2, who does all of his own maintenance, so take my comments as only one man's opinion. You should have a professional, familiar with your model, examine the condition and offer his own opinion. I love my Cal 25-2 and I hope you can get the appropriate answer to your question--good luck!Since I started writing this post, other Cal owners have responded. I cannot comment on issues other than related to a Cal 25-2. If keel flex is a normal issue for some Cal models, it does not mean it is OK for yours. Just sayin'... From: "mu… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 29, 2016 11:31 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] CAL 2-25 keel lateral flex Hi Everyone, I know this subject has been covered by other posts on similar model than my boat a CAL 2-25 or Mk II, but i wanted to see if any one has more specific details on the construction and characteristic of the keel of the 2-25.So I hauled the boat out today for bottom painting and noticed a slight less than 1" lateral flex of the keel while applying moderate pressure at the very bottom end, i started looking for cracks but found none (Il recheck tomorrow after I complete the sanding though)Question number oneIs this (flexing/movement) normal?And number twoOne of the boatyard worker suggested I'd locate the keel bolts and tighten them...but in the inspection holes of the bilge no bolts are found unless they are glassed over, so are there any keel bolts? (the cal 27-3 according to posts I read does not...so I could assume the 25-2 doesn't either)So is this movement due to the relative thin skin of the" floor " of the hull and therefore normal? Reassuring and conforting responses are greatly appreciated 😊 MarcoProud owner of Dragon Lady

All right Amen to the last post I sure would have been totally oblivious of all this if I hadn't switched to a boatyard that uses a travel lift. I conclude that unless a major reinforcement of the keel to hull area up to the turn of the bilge the Keel will be always be wiggling....as it as been for 38 years. Thank you again for your responses Marco