My soon to be new/old boat is a C&C 30 sloop rigged sailboat. The boat was
built in 1974, or 73. Anyway,, it is OLD.

Everything looks pretty sweet but after reading your posts and learning ;;;
I have concerns.

The keel; the C&C 30 of that era has a fin type keel, and the keel is
attached to the hull. From what I can figure the keel is lead. The forward
lower part of the keel shows signs of groundings. Looks like the keel
bumped into a few things .. can't say what. There are dents, or gouges.
The paint covering the keel is flaking. I was able to remove lots of paint
with my swiss arny knife. It looks like the seam at the hull is tight but
the line where the keel and hull meet is evident.

What covering should go on this type of keel? From the flakes of paint, it
looks like a build up of old paint and something under the paint, maybe
gelcoat.
It is not just paint...

My plan is to sand, scrape, peel, sand, fill, sand, ,,, but what about then.

Should I cover the keel with some type of epoxy? Then paint?

What about the keel joint?

The hull, the fiberglass part, looks really good. No blister, etc. There
is one very thin layer of bottom paint.

The boat didn't go in the water last summer, what does that do to the bottom
paints, etc

Any C&C 30 owners out there;;;; please email. I will call you.

Lester ,,, the future sailor.

On Sun, 23 Apr 2006 18:42:17 GMT, Mys Terry
wrote:



Where in the world are you and the boat located? You need to have the boat
professionally surveyed by someone familiar with C&C's before you proceed. The
hull/keel joint may or may not be a problem. If it is not leaking at all, you
may just need to properly torque the keelbolts and cosmetically fair the joint.
Is the boat barrier coated? If not, you should strip the bottom and keel
completely and barrier coat it. That will also let you know what is hiding under
that bottom paint. The deck on that boat is all balsa cored and needs to be
carefully inspected for moisture and softness.

How is the engine? The sails? The rigging? These are all very big ticket items
that you haven't even mentioned.

Go to this website and sign up for their email list where you can get expert
opinions from the large community of C&C owners.

http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/

C&C's are great boats, but like all boats, there are things that only other
owners can guide you about.

Very good advice. The C&C 30 is an excellent small coastal cruiser and
club racer, but 33 years is getting on. I know...I have 1973 C&C
design myself.

Aside from what you've noticed with the keel, you'll want to examine
the cutless bearing and rudder shaft bearings for play, and check to
make sure the rudder itself isn't full of water. This is simply done
out of the water...drill 1/8" holes in the bottom edge. If they drip,
there's an issue. If not, plug 'em with epoxy filler and fair and
bottom paint..or underwater caulk if you're in a rush.

The biggest issue on C&Cs of that vintage is deck leaks and balsa core
rot, particularly under the deck fittings. Check under the lining to
see if the "fender washers" (flat and wide and thin) are "dished",
indicating strain and a likely spot for water ingress. Check the
condition of the chain plates...another trouble zone. Use the findings
of the surveyor to knock the price down, because fixing core issues is
messy and potentially expensive...but it MUST be done. I speak as
someone who's had their genoa track pull out of the deck in 30
knots...not pretty or pleasant. Lots of encapsulating marine ply and
hole filling later, all is well, as are all deck fittings now backed
with 1/4" aluminum plates and epoxied, dried out through-bolt holes.

Good luck, but odds are very good there are a few major issues with
it, particularly if it's been kept without a tarp in freezing weather
like many C&Cs.

R.

Hi Lester,

Others have given you good advice, but don't be too alarmed. I owned a
1971 C&C and can attest to the fact that they are well made and
generally hold up well. You will want to evaluate the deck for signs of
rot or water intrusion in the balsa core, and you may want to double
check the backing of all deck hardware, as mentioned in other replies.

I found the lead keel to be virtually trouble-free. The lead is quite
soft so even gentle "bumps" will leave gouges and marks. After 30 years
almost any boat will have touched bottom while pulling up to a shallow
fuel dock, slip etc. It may not indicate may more extensive damage or
hard groundings. The lead can be coated with a barrier coat (I used VC
Tar)and painted. It wasn't gelcoated from the factory, just painted I
believe. Any older sailboat, and most new ones too, will have a visible
line where the keel meets the hull. Check out some other sailboats in
your yard and see how yours compares. You can fair it with thickened
epoxy but it will return within no time! Do inspect the keel bolts.

You may want to apply a barrier coat to the hull, but this is a big job
if you have to remove the old bottom paint. If this is your first
season with the boat you may instead opt to simply apply a fresh coat of
paint and get in the water. Be sure whatever paint you use is
compatible with the old paint and suitable for your area. I'd ask
around at the local marina or club. Stripping old paint is NOT fun and
your boat has survived 30 years without blisters, one more won't hurt.

Have fun!
Jason




Lester Evans wrote:
My soon to be new/old boat is a C&C 30 sloop rigged sailboat. The boat was
built in 1974, or 73. Anyway,, it is OLD.

Everything looks pretty sweet but after reading your posts and learning ;;;
I have concerns.

The keel; the C&C 30 of that era has a fin type keel, and the keel is
attached to the hull. From what I can figure the keel is lead. The forward
lower part of the keel shows signs of groundings. Looks like the keel
bumped into a few things .. can't say what. There are dents, or gouges.
The paint covering the keel is flaking. I was able to remove lots of paint
with my swiss arny knife. It looks like the seam at the hull is tight but
the line where the keel and hull meet is evident.

What covering should go on this type of keel? From the flakes of paint, it
looks like a build up of old paint and something under the paint, maybe
gelcoat.
It is not just paint...

My plan is to sand, scrape, peel, sand, fill, sand, ,,, but what about then.

Should I cover the keel with some type of epoxy? Then paint?

What about the keel joint?

The hull, the fiberglass part, looks really good. No blister, etc. There
is one very thin layer of bottom paint.

The boat didn't go in the water last summer, what does that do to the bottom
paints, etc

Any C&C 30 owners out there;;;; please email. I will call you.

Lester ,,, the future sailor.

"Lester Evans" wrote in message
news:VEO2g.2473$Qe.2144@trndny09...
My soon to be new/old boat is a C&C 30 sloop rigged sailboat. The boat
was
built in 1974, or 73. Anyway,, it is OLD.

Everything looks pretty sweet but after reading your posts and learning
;;;
I have concerns.

The keel; the C&C 30 of that era has a fin type keel, and the keel is
attached to the hull. From what I can figure the keel is lead. The
forward
lower part of the keel shows signs of groundings. Looks like the keel
bumped into a few things .. can't say what. There are dents, or gouges.
The paint covering the keel is flaking. I was able to remove lots of
paint
with my swiss arny knife. It looks like the seam at the hull is tight but
the line where the keel and hull meet is evident.

What covering should go on this type of keel? From the flakes of paint,
it
looks like a build up of old paint and something under the paint, maybe
gelcoat.
It is not just paint...

My plan is to sand, scrape, peel, sand, fill, sand, ,,, but what about
then.

Should I cover the keel with some type of epoxy? Then paint?

What about the keel joint?

The hull, the fiberglass part, looks really good. No blister, etc. There
is one very thin layer of bottom paint.

The boat didn't go in the water last summer, what does that do to the
bottom
paints, etc

Any C&C 30 owners out there;;;; please email. I will call you.

Lester ,,, the future sailor.



All you need to do to the keel is strip off the old paint and reapply
anti-fouling. What is currently on there may not look like anti-fouling but
after 30 years you can build up so much anti-fouling of different types that
it can look like anything.

The keel-to-hull joint is always visible on these boats. If the filler is
intact and you don't have water seeping out everything is fine. I doubt you
can tighten the keel bolts, couldn't on my boats, but you can try.

Why anyone would want to put epoxy on a lead keel I can't imagine?? Is it
going to blister or corrode?? I don't think so.

Same goes for the hull. If it has no blisters after 30 years it is not
going to blister. Waste of time, effort and money.

Your biggest headaches are likely to be leaky portlights, gunk in the fuel
tank and minimal/outdated electrical systems.

Its a good old boat though and you will have just as much fun sailing as
anyone else.
Check out the C&C Photo Album
www.cncphotoalbum.com/

On Mon, 24 Apr 2006 08:20:15 -0400, Jason wrote:

You can fair it with thickened
epoxy but it will return within no time! Do inspect the keel bolts.

Good advice. A job I didn't do this year (because it is strictly
cosmetic) is to shallowly chisel out the keel/hull "C&C smile" and to
use faired down caulking instead of thickened epoxy. Certain
underwater caulks will have the necessary flex that epoxy doesn't, and
can take the bottom paint well.

A few friends have done this and it works well. Obviously, you chisel
out the lead side, rather than the glass side, just enough to take a
narrow bead. In many boats, the "crack" is already big enough.

R.