What do you think of this one?

[geem]

 

[Sea Change]

Yup, affirms my opinion that I do not ever want to own a boat with a skinny keel like that.
You can argue that it was the boatyard's error, but a more robust keel would have been far more forgiving and likely to stand up without damage.

 

[fredrussell]

Bit light on the bikini shots, but yes - she’s very attractive.

 

[PCUK]

Steady Fred!

 

[dansaskip]

I am with Sea Change and wouldn't want to sail let along cross Atlantic with a keel like that. Wrong choice of boat in my humble opinion and not just for the keel design. Look at those glued in hull windows.

 

[doug748]

Who where those Youtubers who took on a similarly damaged 40 odd footer? Huge amount of work.

In their situation I think the boat is scrap, insurance may pay out and sell it to them if they want to take it on. Without dropping the thing, it should not be possible to damage a properly designed and constructed cruising boat in that manner.

.

 

[steveeasy]

Be interesting to see what a surveyor comes up with. Is this a design fault. I’d assume the boatyard will think so. May not be terminal but really needs a good surveyor to look at it. What design boat is it?. Must be upsetting for them.
Steveeasy

 

[Wansworth]

Well they are youtubingit….its content

 

[Daverw]

When you look at what sailing channel Evans had to do just to get at the keel grid, the work to repair is going to be extensive and took then nearly two years, you nearly have to take the whole interior out just to see what’s needed.

 

[Tranona]

I am with Sea Change and wouldn't want to sail let along cross Atlantic with a keel like that. Wrong choice of boat in my humble opinion and not just for the keel design. Look at those glued in hull windows.

Agree not a suitable boat - although nothing wrong with the glued in windows. Many thousands of those in use without problems. However those skinny T shaped keels are just not appropriate, although if properly built to the current standard it should not fail under normal sailing loads. It is a 2010 Grand Soleil 46

Loads of videos on their site which I haven,t watched but by the looks of them do cover what happened next. Might have a skim though later

 

[Graham376]

Who where those Youtubers who took on a similarly damaged 40 odd footer? Huge amount of work.

In their situation I think the boat is scrap, insurance may pay out and sell it to them if they want to take it on. Without dropping the thing, it should not be possible to damage a properly designed and constructed cruising boat in that manner.

.

Expedition Evans, Beneteau keel.

 

[Wansworth]

Interesting to know their des is ion to buy that boat with that type of keel I am sure if they had visited the forum they would have made a more informed opinion

 

[Daydream believer]

Interesting to know their des is ion to buy that boat with that type of keel I am sure if they had visited the forum they would have made a more informed opinion

If they had read this forum, they would have bought a banged up Westerly & still be varnishing the wood bits 3 years later

 

[boomerangben]

I’m not a blue water sailor and if I was, it’s not the sort of boat I would choose. But a competent naval architect would have designed that boat, ensuring it met with appropriate regulations for presumably a Class A Ocean RCD or equivalent. So I wonder why it is deemed an inappropriate type of keel? How many other boats with that sort of keel safely manage to circumnavigate etc? I imagine the insurance company would be taking a careful look at the instruction manual before pointing any fingers to make sure that the boat yard and skipper were following the right procedure for lifting. There is nothing wrong with (and a lot right with) a well designed high aspect ratio keel as long as it’s looked after. But if you are going to clatter around bumping off the bottom and using inexperienced boat yards then I agree it’s perhaps not the best choice. Heartbreaking for them and I would hate to be in their shoes

 

[geem]

A Belgium friend owned a Grand Soleil. He took it across the Atlantic and back a few years ago. He came to the conclusion it wasn't up to the job and sold it when he returned. Very lightly built, but he didn't know any better at the time. Once he had the experience he changed to a more suitable boat. He now has a Contest 48. He said that whilst he was sailing the Grand Soleil in rough weather, he could smell polyester resin. Lots of creaks and groans. It turned out that the inner hull liner was rubbing on the hull constantly whilst he sailing. The polyester smell was grp rubbing on grp

 

[Wansworth]

If they had read this forum, they would have bought a banged up Westerly & still be varnishing the wood bits 3 years later

Don’t besonegative!

 

[srm]

But a competent naval architect would have designed that boat, ensuring it met with appropriate regulations for presumably a Class A Ocean RCD or equivalent.

Have not looked at the regulations for Class A, but having looked at the companionway washboard fittings on two large class A boats. As a result of these details I have doubts as to how much the regs can be trusted to produce a safe ocean going boat. Both boats had transparent washboards around 5mm thick, which are probably up to the job. My concern was the fastenings, a very light and shallow alloy channel that looked as if it was held in by four self tapping screws on each side. Even if machine screws with nuts on the other side the whole arrangement was flimsy. The sides of the campanionway were parallel smooth fibreglass. It would have been possible at the design stage to make a step in the side mouldings to support the washboards in the event of them being pushed forward by water pressure or an intruder. Left me wondering what was the rest of the boat like.

 

[Bristolfashion]

If they had read this forum, they would have bought a banged up Westerly & still be varnishing the wood bits 3 years later

And still be arguing about the best anchor set up!

 

[noelex]

Have not looked at the regulations for Class A, but having looked at the companionway washboard fittings on two large class A boats. As a result of these details I have doubts as to how much the regs can be trusted to produce a safe ocean going boat.

I agree the CE class A certification is largely worthless. Its main effect is increasing the cost of vessels for little benefit. Some of the rules are counterproductive. Unfortunately, some other marine standards such as those that certify anchors are drafted in the same poor way. I think it is time for a revamp.

That is not to say that class A certified vessels are poor, just that the standard itself does little to ensure a seaworthy vessel. Unfortunately, when prospective buyers notice deficiencies (such as the washboards mentioned above) their concerns are dismissed with the rather meaningless, but often effective, platitude that the vessel is independently certified to class A standard.

 

[Caer Urfa]

Who where those Youtubers who took on a similarly damaged 40 odd footer? Huge amount of work.

In their situation I think the boat is scrap, insurance may pay out and sell it to them if they want to take it on. Without dropping the thing, it should not be possible to damage a properly designed and constructed cruising boat in that manner.

.

Hi Doug the youtube site was 'expedition evans' https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=expedition+evans+1
They had a very similar boat and had almost the same problem and two of them took nearly a year to repair the boat and both worked their socks off doing it