Invicta 26 again

[Fascadale]

Many thanks to forumites for your information and advice

Donald, the hull colour is white.

What should one be looking for to check the good health or otherwise of a keel filled with steel punchings
( what are steel punchings?)

I am told by by the person selling the boat that there is a small brass drain plug near the bottom of the keel. Can anyone throw any light on this fitting ?

1972 boat, sail number 239, is this a Tyler hull ?

Many thanks, Paul

 

[serendib50]

Paul

I am no expert , so I would advise speaking to a recommended surveyor, but as far as I know Steel punchings are simply waste material. In the seventies when UK still had a manufactuing base things like the bits discarded when industrial stamping machines made washers etc and were surplus were recycled for a variety of purposes.

I do not recollect a brass drain plug (hopefully it would be bronze not brass) but if fitted I suspect it would be to allow drainage when the yacht was out of the water. Some water - from leakeage or condensation may inevitably find its way into the keel area. so I would guess this might be to let it out again. If you can remove it see if any rusty water emerges - if it does I would be suspisious of the condition of the steel ballast. - but would reiterate - best to speak to a suitable surveyor

Hope this helps

Malcolm

 

[Spuddy]

Mine's got encapsulated keel. Quite often used boiler punchings - discs from holes for big rivets. I wondered whether to worry about it - permiability of polyester resin, expansion caused by rust bursting the hull etc. Well, there weren't any rust stains down there and I reckon any problem would show itself gradually and be spotted when antifouling. Pro is no risk of keel falling off cos bolts are dodgy. So far so good.

 

[graham]

The problem with steel encapsulated ballast is that if moisture gets in and causes the steel to rust it expands and can push out the side of the keel or even cause cracks.

I wouldnt worry too much about it as the Invicta has a reputation as a strongly built boat .Any water draining out of the keel will almost certainly be rust coloured but I wouldnt worry unless bulges or cracks in the grp keel are apparent .