New Keel

[StevenJMorgan]

I have the opportunty to buy an insurance write off farr 40 at a good price.

Damage is to keel and rudder which have had a 'to do' with rocks. I've seen the rudder and this seems repariable - the guy who has the boat in his yard is also of the same opinion - damage just to bottom 12 inches.

The Keel however is a different story, is removed from the boat and I've not seen it. I understand however that it is a lead keel (bolt on) and that it is in a number of pieces. My question to the Forum is how much would one expect to pay for the recasting of a fin keel - assuming that a large proportion of the lead balast from the old keel can be recast?? I have a rough quote for new keel and rudder repair but I'm keen to see if the forum has any opinions.

I'm keen to look into this a bit more - hull is excellent and has no damage at all, lots of new electrical toys and new sails so would be a good boat - what does the forum think??

 

[Norman_E]

A far as I know the Farr 40 has a steel fin with a lead bulb, all coated with epoxy. You need to know if the steel part is undamaged. If so you need to find out if the lead bulb was bolted to the steel part or cast on to it. Your next problem will be to find a foundry prepared to cast the lead. Foundries prepared to work with lead now seem to be few and far between. You will incur a cost for pattern making and could even find it cheaper to buy a new keel and sell the scrap lead from the old one. Current lead price is around US$ 1200 per ton, though you will get less for scrap. This assumes that the lead bulb was not torn off and left behind on the rocks. If you are costing repairs the safest bet is to make an offer for the yacht based on buying and fitting new parts.

 

[Guest]

Doesn't it seem odd that something relatively solid like a lead/steel keel is smashed while the hull is untouched? I would have thought most of the strain would have been around where the keel meets the hull, no? And that destroying a metal keel itself would've been beyond the scope of any normal impact?

 

[StevenJMorgan]

Simon - there is no damage to the hull or keel to hull area. A guy who runs a fiberglass / boat building business here has had a good luck all over inside and out and also taken a core sample from the hull to check for delaminaion caused by torsional stress upon grounding - hull is solid.

Haven't seen the keel so can't comment but i think i remember a comment that the keel was formed in sections and it has seperated at sections - BTW - boat was self recovered off the rocks and made her own way back to port -some way I believe.

Rgds

 

[alienzdive]

There are some cheap Farr 40 boats around even without damage, if you get the boat for free, it could be a good project. But be prepared to pay as much in repairs or more as its finished retail value. The insurance company did not want to repair the boat because it thought the repair would be to costly.

 

[castaway]

Some years ago I cast a lead keel for my 29ft Pacesetter I was building, that was about 700kg with a stuctural pylon between the ballast and the hull.

I would think that a Farr 40 would use a pylon and this would be the part that would be most suspect having made a 'heavy landing'.

I cant help on that except to say I think I would want a new one of them please!

As far as casting for the ballast try Iron Bros in Wadebridge Cornwall... I eventually changed my lead/pylon keel for a solid cast iron job, cast by them. I was always worrying about all that stress on the pylon... felt much happier with an iron keel!

Nick

 

[savageseadog]

Might be worth considering a non class keel configuration. Turn it into a cruiser-racer. You will need a (or the) designer to do the drawings to make it insurable and sellable.

 

[StevenJMorgan]

alienzdive - there are not any other farr 40's within a couple of thousand miles of me. This one is the 136 IOR one ton model built in NZ in 1986 and seems to have a good history.

Idea is that the purchase price reflects the cost of new instrumentation and sails fitted weeks before accident ... so boat is free - ish!

Have thought of getting designer to do a different keel design ..

 

[moondancer]

Find out who cast the original keels - they will probably still be able to cast one for you. If not Iron Bros in Cornwall would be the best bet. You will need to get drawings and specs.

 

[Blueboatman]

Do it right if you are ever intending to resell the boat !

 

[charles_reed]

2.5m, 1345kg fabricated post and cast lead bulb.

Doubt you'll find anyone this side of the pond to fabricate you one for less than about £8.5K, excluding the material. If you have purchase the lead antimony keel material, you'll be paying a lot more than scrap lead price.

Try Carroll Marine, Bristol, Rhode Island - they're probably the most economic, safe, way to solving the problem and with $/£ rates the way they are you may have some change out of £15K.