Cracks on bilge keels

bobdoughty

bobdoughty

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Hi. I've discovered some cracks in the gelcoat on the outter surfaces, fore and aft, where the bilge keels join the hull on my Hurley 22. They extend about a foot and a little experimental sanding off of the the gelcoat down to the laminate indicates that the cracks go deeper and have a brown stain around them possibly indicating rust from the encapsulated keel (?). Presumably the permanent answer to this is to grind everything back to the keel, treat the corrosion and repair the glass fibre? Does anyone have any suggestions about repair techniques and the degree of urgency with which I should treat this problem which has probably been on the boat for quite some time? As ever, thanks in advance for all your help and advice.
 
Do you dry out in mud fairly frequently?

Some bilge keelers can suffer from a hydraulic spreading of te bilge keel in te mud when drying out, and if their keels are not stringly enough attached, this could lead eventually to failure/sinking. IIRC a small Westerly had this problem some years ago.

Get a survey! - I would be reading the small print on my insurance
 
Not good news, particularly if there isa brownrust stain appearing. The last one I heard of like this, the keel moulding had been filled with boiler punchings as ballast, which had rusted and were cracking the keel mouldings apart. It all had to be dug out from inside (with a mini pneumatic drill!), the mouldings repaired, and new rust proof ballast installed. Major operation I am afraid.

Grinding back is no good because there is not a solid casting inside!

Mud splaying was not generally a fault the H22 suffered being strongly built.
 
I've got Nick's contact thanks and will be in touch with him but thought I'd get a general view on keel repairs and how urgently they need to be done first (in other words could it wait until the end of next season?)
 
We've had 2 bilge keel boats sink on their moorings at our club because of the sort of problem you describe. Nothing that cant be mended, but you should sort the problem before putting the boat back in the water
 
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Are the cracks near the keel bolts? Not sure what difference it might make, but may help expert to understand possible cause.

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Steve,

I think they are encapsulated keels.

Andy
 
Does anyone have any suggestions about repair techniques and the degree of urgency with which I should treat this problem which has probably been on the boat for quite some time? As ever, thanks in advance for all your help and advice.
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As one other has said....Speak to the Hurley owners unless a Hurley owner pops up here.....So far you will notice the respondents have not understood the meaning of encapsilated keels and also suffer from Westerlyitus re splayed keels and leaky keel bolts and this does NOT relate to your problem.

All the Hurleys in our marina are ashore and the owners hibernating but I shall keep my eyes open as one is owned by an ex boat surveyor.

See Old Harry's reply lower down which is something that has appeared here before and a possibility.
 
What sort of boat were they. Centaurs?
No axe to grind. Just interested as I understand a Centaur sank by leaving a keel on the mud here is North Devon. Instow I think it was.
Nicki
 
Tricky problem. Really strong boats Hurley 22s, some of which were all lead ballast (lead shot and resin slurry) and some of which may not have been. Try a magnet on the keels. Sounds obvious, but a magnet is a powerful tool in the ferrous/non-ferrous analysis of whether your hull is busting apart or you have rusty keel bolts. Any water coming in?
Nicki
 
Good idea! No water coming in right now because shes on the hard but also no signs of having taken water when she was on her mooring. Via the HOA I've found a diagram of the keel structure for long keel versions but haven't yet found much info on the bilge keelers which would be a big help.
 
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