Water in keel voids

[Guest]

I'm in the process of buying a very nice 12 year old Colvic Watson motor sailer, all surveyed up well.
However, the surveyor has found free water in the keel ballast voids - when he drilled a couple of holes from outside, clear water drained out (so he thinks the steel ballast is not yet rusting). This has saturated the laminate just low down along the keel so he gets high meter readings, but no blisters and no signs of any other damage - yet.
He doesnt know if these voids are individual or one big void interconnected. So he thinks it means taking the ballast capping off from inside, possibly all along the keel, to first dry it and then re-glass and thus seal and repair it.
Other than this the boat's a cracker.

Anybody heard of or had any experience of dealing with this?

 

[Strathglass]

I have heard of a Sea Witch which after several years on a drying mooring suffered some damage to the bottom of one of the keels.
When it was brought ashore for repairs a lot of the shot in the keel fell out as it was not bonded in place.
When the keel was dried it was repaired from outside using epoxy.
Perhaps you should look at repairing it this way before removing the ballast, and was the clear water fresh or salt ie did it get into the keel from inside or outside the boat?
Iain

 

[Trevor_swfyc]

How much water ? how is it getting in, how much damage has it done ?
I think I would look for another boat why buy into a problem.
A boat in our yard has got water in the keels the rust formation has completly blown open the keel, we lifted the boat and all the ballast fell out. This boat is by no means a cracker poor boat is unloved and looks a sorry state.
Something to think about!
Make your choice carefully there are plenty of boats for sale, but beware of cheap good boats apart from " ".
All the best
Trevor