Hydrodynamic Turbulence

Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Found this on the front of the keel bulb when we pulled the boat for her bottom job Tuesday. I’m using it as an excuse for any bad race finish this year.
15C56B83-FB71-45B7-A6AB-42A62AB43548.jpeg

Hopefully we’ll do better, now. Back in the water tomorrow, next race 12/1.
059C41A6-853D-4604-8CE9-E2A8251EE638.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Never really hit anything until this year. We struck submerged objects twice back in July and August. First time motoring at 2 knots in the dark, came to complete stop with 11 people on the boat. Had a diver check the boat a couple days later, he said everything was fine and he should have found that gouge if it was there. Second time, night racing at 5 or 6 knots did a double tap on something, but it didn't slow us down or rattle the boat a lot. As low on the keel as it is, I think it was the second time that did the damage, in the race, 4:55 in the video.

 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes: Will Gilmore
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Pretty sure they fixed it with a hammer and a little filler of some type. There was no extra charge on the bottom job to repair it.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Looks like one of your competitors was stealing lead to make their boat stiffer and yours more tender. :yikes:
This is why I don't race. It's too cut throat.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
That was clearly done by a Kraken's beak, my friend. You're lucky to be alive!
:eek: It looks like it fits exactly.
My God man, where are you sailing? Stay out of those waters.
There is nothing more dangerous than a giant squid with pica.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
  • Like
Likes: Bill19233
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Who knew sailing on Galveston Bay was such a perilous endeavor! Does the SBO store sell harpoons?
ac81e708ebefd5def517e1b9cfa08ef2.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes: Will Gilmore

RoyS

.
Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
In the first photo it looks like there is blue paint in the hole. How did that get there if it happened after launch?
 
  • Like
Likes: Will Gilmore
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
Top photo was taken the second day out of the water, they had already sprayed one coat of new bottom paint. Second photo was taken third day out of the water with the gouge repaired and last coat of paint on.
Here’s a photo taken when the boat was hauled on Tuesday.
8DE51F64-18DE-4917-9289-5C298620C1DE.jpeg

CE8B8C7B-8998-4C2F-94F2-2D1DA25DA995.jpeg

We will launch today.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Launch? November! How is this magic done? It's at least five more months before launching.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
A71216B7-4C31-401B-ACA6-B69175BAF3F9.jpeg

Back in her slip, practice race on Sunday, if I can find crew. Forecast 72, partly cloudy, 10 knots ESE.
 

RoyS

.
Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
That injury looks like it was put there with an acetylene torch. Hard to explain otherwise.
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
That injury looks like it was put there with an acetylene torch. Hard to explain otherwise.
Other boats in our club have had very similar damage this year after a change in one of the race courses. There are old submerged oil and gas production platforms in parts of the bay and shrimpers sometimes catch old flow lines and pull them up out of the bottom. This metal debris will do that type of damage to a lead keel if you hit it at 6 knots. One boat still had a piece of 2" pipe stuck in the keel when they hauled it.
We've convinced the club to move the race course again.
IMG_2708.JPG
 
  • Like
Likes: BlowMeAway
Nov 30, 2015
1,336
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
Other boats in our club have had very similar damage this year after a change in one of the race courses. There are old submerged oil and gas production platforms in parts of the bay and shrimpers sometimes catch old flow lines and pull them up out of the bottom. This metal debris will do that type of damage to a lead keel if you hit it at 6 knots. One boat still had a piece of 2" pipe stuck in the keel when they hauled it.
We've convinced the club to move the race course again.
View attachment 158544
Yep, wouldn’t see that at night. Love me some Seger, especially Night Moves. Nice post Bill. I have a buddy that does not regularly race but participates in the Port Aransas Harvest Moon Regata annually. Hoping to get an invite for 2019.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
What sort of knucklehead would paint over a gouge like that? Unbelievable.
that is what encapsulated lead keels look like. i believe. if that is what that vessel has. i've seen colored keels like that on other vessels
 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
that is what encapsulated lead keels look like. i believe. if that is what that vessel has. i've seen colored keels like that on other vessels
It isn't an encapsulated keel, it's a standard Hunter lead antimony keel. The inside of the keel is not blue. Excuse the confusion with the first photo. The gouge showed a lot more dramatic in the blue photo the next day after the bottom was cleaned and painted. I'm sure the first yard guy got a work order to paint the bottom of the boat blue and without asking questions, he painted everything on the bottom blue. The shop owner fixed the gouge later before the final coats.
Here's a photo of similar damage to a Catalina 30 from the same race series.
35247706_10212289212331008_2887658469043732480_n.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes: jon hansen