I found the leak...

[burgundyben]

I had always had a bit of water in the cabin bilge, fresh water from the leaky windows.

Recently there was more water in the cabin bilge and it was salty, I noted last weekend after a run that some had come in, a couple of miles had brough forth about a mugfull.

So today I sponged them dry and we set off up and down Southampton water at 20 knots to find the leak.

It didnt take long!

Between the keelson and the hull shell on the stbd side, in the vacinity of a keel bolt. I note that there is an orangy ness to the water, I suspect the keel bolt has failed.

I noted the hull shell panting against the keelson too so its obviously detached.

I'm not quite sure how I'm going to fit it yet.

 

[joliette]

Keel bolts in a Fairey Huntsman ... I wonder what it is holding together or onto the boat? I've seen some Huntsman fitted with a long iron keelband, so maybe it would a fastening for that, or perhaps a fastening to join sections of the keelson together?

Eitherway, as long as you can get at the nut then I would've thought that it would be a straightforward job to cut the nut off (if it will not undo!) and knock the bolt out with a suitably sized drift.

Sounds like it was probably galvanised steel from the orangy colour that you've found, so probably best to replace it with the same, to avoid any electrolysis due to contact with disimiliar metals.

 

[burgundyben]

I understand the construction very well, on the 28 the keelson was laid into a groove in the mould and the strips of Agba veneer go from gunwhale to gunwhale.

The keelbolts hold this assembley, the stiffback on top and the keel on the underside in a big sandwich.

Should be resonable straight forward......

 

[BlueLancer]

Should be resonable straight forward......

Now where have I heard that before