keel change!!!

[manish]

hi guys i was wondering, i have seen a nice boat that has had its keel changed form a lifting to a cast iron. any ideas if this would cause a problem or if cast iron keels are a thing to keep away from due to rusting. many thanks /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PeteCooper]

Most fixed keels are cast iron.

 

[Seagreen]

Cast iron keels are fine. The rusting is all surface and can be countered with a decent coat of paint. Its the keelbolts that give the real headaches.

 

[manish]

any tips on keel bolts too. oh and shes made of pitch pine. do any of you folks know if thats a good wood in terms of time taken to expand after drying??

 

[Seagreen]

Depend on the type of keel, and the type of bolt. Some bolts like Cleone's are relatively simple threaded plugs, which are easier to remove and examine. Others can be threaded into the keel itself, which makes them more difficult to remove and examine - you have to crane the boat in the air to let the keel drop off the boat- but any cast iron keel will give you better stability than a lifting keel, and more space inside, unless you like ditch-crawling and plan to dry out a lot.

 

[oldharry]

Pitch pine is one of the best timbers - but it is virtually impossible to get nowadays, which makes it sky high expensive as a rule.

 

[Seagreen]

Pitch pine is god's own boatbuilding timber. Most of the planking on Cleo is original as are the keel and main timbers, and all of it is as good as the day she was built... in 1860!

But I need a few pieces for casual scarphing. Where can I get any?