Should I drop the keel on my 1969 Dufour Arpège?

[yno]

Hello,

I've recently purchased a 1969 Dufour Arpège and decided to peel the gelcoat to see what the hull and keel look like. Apart from a crack fore of the keel-hull joint there wasnt any negative signs ; no rust coming off the joint, no other significant crack, nuts look as good as new, etc. Nevertheless it is an old boat, and although a friend of mine suggested the keel rods and nuts were most likely replaced at some point, I somewhat doubt that. The nuts in the bilge were covered in resin which is an original design of this boat, and the resin looked as old and wore as the rest of the bildge. Most previous owners only seemed to have sailed it very occasionally, which would explain the state the boat is in, which I would consider pretty good considering its age. As you can see from the pictures, it would seem some parts of the joint were lacking this black goo (feels like some kind of resin), which I find quite odd. I am concerned about water getting in and compromising the rods. Otherwise most of the joint is perfectly sealed and doesnt show any sign of rust. The keel itself is cast iron and is of course pretty worn out although I reckon it probably still has quite a few years in it. It doesnt show any wear around where the rods go in so that's reassuring. The top of the keel seems to be protected by a few layers of laminate, however it is concave, so if any water was to get in there, it most likely would get stuck, and although the boat has been on the hard for 2 years, I have no way of knowing if it is wet for sure without dropping.

And so I am considering whether I want to drop this keel or not. The hull has a small indentation to embed the top of the keel, which I figure would make fitting some kind of chisel quite troublesome. Also the rods are at a slight angle, so I am guessing they'd have to be removed before the hull can be lifted off (I dont know if it adds any complexity or not).

You can find the full set of pictures in here :

https://imgur.com/a/be84oJU

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[Rappey]

Ive come across xrays being mentioned over the years..Not sure if its cost effective? they have huge mobile ones for xraying hgv,s at ferry ports.
A friend of mine took his corribee rudder to hospital and put it on the xray machine.. Results were superb. It showed cloudyness where the tangs joined the rudder stock, suggesting water penetration and corrosion.
would have thought in this day and age some device could look through the hull and bolts?
A discussion about xray 13 years ago Keel Bolt X-Ray
Hers a few articles that are talking about keel bolts
How to check keel bolts - Practical Boat Owner
How Secure is Your Keel?

 

[Catalina36]

If keels were constantly dropping off old yachts and people were getting drowned I think we'd probably have heard about it. Bear in mind that scare stories keep surveyors and boatyards in jobs. There's probably more chance of the wheels studs falling off your car, which is to say none at all. Enjoy your sailing.

 

[Rappey]

. There's probably more chance of the wheels studs falling off your car

Funny you say that as I've had a wheel nearly come off on a car and twice on an atv, but never had a keel issue.
I will say the wheel bolts were probably all of my own doing though ?

Your probably right Catalina36 ?
but there must also be an unknown amount of boats that may have noticed say some keel issue , hauled out, maybe replaced bolts, relaunched and it's just another job in a boat yard. How about a boat that has struck the bottom, hauled out, removed keel and found partially corroded bolts?
"If" it happens who would know a number ?
I would think Rudder failures is another that would be impossible to put a true figure or percentage on?
A good guide could be the amount of forum members here and the lack of keel or rudder losses?

 

[yno]

Ive come across xrays being mentioned over the years..Not sure if its cost effective?

Thanks for the idea, but I cant imagine Xraying through cast iron being any less dangerous or expensive than simply dropping the keel.

If keels were constantly dropping off old yachts and people were getting drowned I think we'd probably have heard about it. Bear in mind that scare stories keep surveyors and boatyards in jobs. There's probably more chance of the wheels studs falling off your car, which is to say none at all. Enjoy your sailing.

If you say so, I'll take your opinion into account, thanks.

A good guide could be the amount of forum members here and the lack of keel or rudder losses?

I'd call that a survivorship bias.

 

[lw395]

I can't see anything wrong with the OP's keel.
Obviously a few pictures on here is not a survey, but problems with keel bolts normally involve a lot of obvious rust stains.
Was there a survey at purchase? Do the insurers want a survey?