Hit a Rock!

[michaelmrc]

well i knew it had to happen. family and i were out for the weekend we were leaving this little cove that we found and as we were pulling out i hit a shoal doing between 3.-3.5 kn. quick bump stopped us dead in our tracks was able to quickly recover and get off the rock. now my concern is should i have any concerns about keel damage. i have checked around the hull inside and out best i could no water coming in still sails fine motors fine so what should i do. thanks.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Michael,
There are those who have gone aground and those that will go aground. I think we've all done it to varying degrees at one time or another. I did it with my old fin keel Catalina 22 going about the same speed you were. If your Catalina is much like my old Catalina 22 fin keeler, the keel bolts on to the hull. If there is a little seepage you can take up a couple turns on the keel bolts. Since you know already that you are not taking on water then it is time to jump overboard with a mask and fins to see what damage to the gelcoat or fiberglass and paint has been done. If there is just scraped paint you can wait to the end of the season to haul out. If there is damage to the layers of fiberglass then it is time to haul out, make a repair, paint it and pop back in the water. Check the scrapes to see if the gelcoat has been penetrated and if you can see fibers of the glass. If water can get past the gelcoat then its time to haul out and do a proper repair.
Good luck and I hope it is just scraped paint but moving that fast and hitting rock indicates there might be some glass damage.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[speedoo]

Many years ago I was cruising with my family in Columbia 26 Mk II, which might be a bit more heavily built than your Catalina. I hit a rock in an unfamiliar harbor and it scared us all half to death... the noise and shock were nasty! It was a long time ago, but I think I was at 4 - 5 knots at least.

Looked around inside, found no leaks or evidence of damage. Went over the side and had a look at the cast iron keel, found minimal damage that waited until fall haul out for simple repair... some filler and paint.

My guess is you'll find a similar situation.

On edit... but I know very well how cold your water is there in BC, so you can't just go over the side without some precautions! Maybe you can find one of the spots where the water temp. is more tolerable?

[michaelmrc]

water is still a little cold here to be going over the side without a wetsuit must be some kind of underwater camera one could rent to lower under the boat to look for any damage

[cdennyb]

Wish I was closer, I have a Videoray ROV with 300 feet of umbilical... well at least it's the thought that counts. Maybe someone closer has a unit you could borrow or maybe invite over for dinner and ask how they operate and of course maybe take a look at the bottom...

[Cheechako]

Look inside the boat just forward and just aft of the keel for evidence of cracking... usually will be a smile shape running athwartships...

[jackdale]

Been there, done that.

I was moving at about 1-2 knots. The depth sounder read 14.9 feet. Hit the rock bounced ip and came down on it.

Ran below to check the bilge - no ingress of water.

Diver found superficial damage to the lead keel. The hull partially delaminated - that was discovered by a surveyor. $4500 damage.

Charter companies haul their boats after any contact with the bottom.

Get the boat hauled and get it surveyed. At the very least, pull up your sole and check the stringers for separation. Also check for damage to cabinetry and woodwork aft of the keel.

Jack

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by jackdale

<snip>
Ran below to check the bilge - no egress of water.
<snip>

No egress, Jack - or no ingress?

TaoJones

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

No egress, Jack - or no ingress?

TaoJones

Duh - fixed.

[speedoo]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Been there, done that.

I was moving at about 1-2 knots. The depth sounder read 14.9 feet. Hit the rock bounced ip and came down on it.

Ran below to check the bilge - no egress of water.

Diver found superficial damage to the lead keel. The hull partially delaminated - that was discovered by a surveyor. $4500 damage.

Charter companies haul their boats after any contact with the bottom.

Get the boat hauled and get it surveyed. At the very least, pull up your sole and check the stringers for separation. Also check for damage to cabinetry and woodwork aft of the keel.

Jack

Without having seen the hull delamination, my guess would be that you suffered more damage than I did because you "came down it" after the initial impact. In my case, even though my speed was higher than yours, there was no hull damage because the stress from single impact was dampened by the boat's ability to "rotate" around the keel in the water, the bow going down and the stern up.

But with a keel going down on a solid body, the hull has to absorb the full stress of the boat's weight on the keel attachment and very few hulls are built to withstand that. Unfortunately, I have had to deal with that same situation with a J-24.... it was a total loss.

[gonesail]

3.5 knots around rocks? think I would go a little slower and pray a little more. man I bet you didn't want to hear this stuff. good luck.

[Sailabel]

Hi Michael- just for peace of mind... I'd sure consider a haul-out. Could be as easy as inspecting the area while the boat hangs in the slings; or take the opportunity to put on a fresh coat of bottom paint (after repairing any damage- if there is any).

I gotta say that your Canadian rocks do a polite and efficient job of stopping the boat, as you also found out. At least we were able to step off without getting our feet wet.... and our boat suffered very minor damage. In our case, we lost our prop while sounding for a place to anchor in Desolation Sound. We had the boat hauled in Lund to check for damage... and to install a new prop (Vic Props....yea!!).

[Cheechako]

Actually, I would guess that bashing a rock is worse than coming down on it. Analytically thinking: coming down on a solid object radiates the stress through the keel and diffusing out into the hull. Bashing up against a rock will bend the keel aft at the bottom making the hull buckle up behind the keel and down forward of the keel... also necessitating that the hull flare out wider at the maximum beam....

[Cheechako]

Great picture of the Tayana (in B. C. no doubt) .... shhhh.... dont let them know it's not raining......!

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by michaelmrc

water is still a little cold here to be going over the side without a wetsuit must be some kind of underwater camera one could rent to lower under the boat to look for any damage

A vital piece of safety gear in cold water areas. What do you plan to do if you get tangled in a net and find yourself adrift? Someone is in the water an needs help? Drop something expensive? It is a good investment.