Catalina 27 keel joint question

[fourknots2freedom]

I recently got my hands on a Catalina 27 that had been sitting in a yard for quite a while. Overall, it looks pretty good, but there's a gap at the keel-to-hull joint that's hard to ignore. The bolts are secure, and the keel feels sturdy, but the old sealant is definitely cracked and flaking. Has anyone faced a similar situation?

 

[chappell.r0an]

That's pretty common on older Catalinas, people even call it the "Catalina smile." If the bolts are tight, you can grind out the old sealant and rebed it without much drama.