An '84 Beneteau First 38 fell over in a strom when dry docked, broke it's mast. The "bolt on" keel stayed attached to the hull, but there is a visible separation of approx 1/4" between the top face of the keel and the hull bottom at the forward end. The keel bolts have been sitting in water for quite some time and are visibly rusted. 1.) Is this just a matter of replacing keel bolts and bolting them up tight? 2.) Is there supposed to be a physical bond between the keel and hull bottom? 3.) What type of material should the keel bolts be made of? 4.) I have a bid from Charleston Spar for a new mast, getting a price from Seco South for the standing rigging, is there an "O.E.M." for Beneteau sails or should I go to a local sail maker? Thanks for any input! Dan Bottjen
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Keel and Hull Separation..Beneteau First 38
Dan: I had a similar problem as a result of a hard grounding. The hull was fractured in three areas where the keel bolts were attached. The first thing I would do would be to have a surveyor inspect the damage to see if the hull is damaged. If your keel bolt tops are glassed in as mine were you can contact Beneteau, they will provide a diagram of the keel bolt arrangement and spacing. The keel bolts were stainless steel. I had to drop the keel, repair the hull damage and replace the keel. The keel was bonded to the hull with a generous amount of 5200 before the keel bolts were tightened down. For your sake, I hope there's no hull damage and just a tightening of the keel bolts will do the job. Have the surveyor pay particular attention to the horizontal stringers in the area where the keel bolts are. There were three cracked on my boat. Good luck. Ron Simon
Dan: I had a similar problem as a result of a hard grounding. The hull was fractured in three areas where the keel bolts were attached. The first thing I would do would be to have a surveyor inspect the damage to see if the hull is damaged. If your keel bolt tops are glassed in as mine were you can contact Beneteau, they will provide a diagram of the keel bolt arrangement and spacing. The keel bolts were stainless steel. I had to drop the keel, repair the hull damage and replace the keel. The keel was bonded to the hull with a generous amount of 5200 before the keel bolts were tightened down. For your sake, I hope there's no hull damage and just a tightening of the keel bolts will do the job. Have the surveyor pay particular attention to the horizontal stringers in the area where the keel bolts are. There were three cracked on my boat. Good luck. Ron Simon
Ideas for your Project
Dan, good luck with your project. PYacht.com is a good source for running rigging. They had the best price two years ago for my rerig. One mistake, I did not specify the shackle size and they install one to big. Some keel separation is normal; to aft. seems beneteau forgot to down size the keel bolt to aft to draw it up; some wasn't thinking! Use black "BOAT LIFE CAULKING" to fill the joint between. Your 1/4 sound too wide for me. I'd play it safew and have the yard remove the keel and rebed it. Spray the rusted bolts with lots of WD-40 to help aid in the removal. I used Vasoline on mine to help spot excessive rust. With your new mast, take advantage of the new type of mast lights that are low voltage fibor optic, see West Marine. With sails, any sail loft can help. Nose around, get at least three quotes. I used the UK loft in Annapolis. My new main is a tape drive sail, loose footed, two full battons on top, two partical, one reef. My genoa is a RF 150 tape drive. Don't forget a deck light on your new mast. Also on a 38, consider a ridged vang. that can help hold up the boom. A topping lift can also be used as a spair Main halyard in a pinch. Think about lazy jacks, I use them on my boat and we race it. If your mast height is high, conside the Harken batt car to help raising the main. Any other quesions, call.......my boat was some what of a project two years ago.
Dan, good luck with your project. PYacht.com is a good source for running rigging. They had the best price two years ago for my rerig. One mistake, I did not specify the shackle size and they install one to big. Some keel separation is normal; to aft. seems beneteau forgot to down size the keel bolt to aft to draw it up; some wasn't thinking! Use black "BOAT LIFE CAULKING" to fill the joint between. Your 1/4 sound too wide for me. I'd play it safew and have the yard remove the keel and rebed it. Spray the rusted bolts with lots of WD-40 to help aid in the removal. I used Vasoline on mine to help spot excessive rust. With your new mast, take advantage of the new type of mast lights that are low voltage fibor optic, see West Marine. With sails, any sail loft can help. Nose around, get at least three quotes. I used the UK loft in Annapolis. My new main is a tape drive sail, loose footed, two full battons on top, two partical, one reef. My genoa is a RF 150 tape drive. Don't forget a deck light on your new mast. Also on a 38, consider a ridged vang. that can help hold up the boom. A topping lift can also be used as a spair Main halyard in a pinch. Think about lazy jacks, I use them on my boat and we race it. If your mast height is high, conside the Harken batt car to help raising the main. Any other quesions, call.......my boat was some what of a project two years ago.
More Thoughts on Sails
With a 38 you're talking a lot of main to hoist and what makes it difficult is the weight of the sail cloth and the friction of the slugs. Sail cloth weight: If you're going to have the boat a long time and you're border line with the cloth weight then consider opting for the heavier weight. The heavier weight will not stretch as readily but the downside is it's heavier to hoist. Slugs: Some work better than others when it comes to reduced friction. Discuss the options with the sailmaker especially if going with heavier fabric. Other mainsail considerations: spreader chafe protection, type of leach adjusters (cam cleat or eyes). On the jib, if you're more of a cruiser than a racer, consider a slightly higher foot for visibility. The marginal speed with a deck sweeper won't make up for safety when you're out there by yourself and have to look for traffic. Boats that race will have a crew to be on the lookout. UV protection: If the jib is a furler type, check how the sailmaker does the UV cover to ensure the sail, head and tack, is fully protected when the sail is in the furlerd position. This means having some of the cover on the inside of the sail as well as the outside. Teltails, draft stripes, reef points, foam luff on jib for reefing? The advantage of going with a sailmaker is you can make sure all the details are covered and they should help. If the communication is'nt very good then either avoid that firm/person or make absolutely sure there is no misunderstanding. Get everything you want in writing; none of this "we'll take care of it", no matter how nice they are. It makes for better relationships later. New sails are absolutely great! Keel: if the yard does all the work ask them what happens if the crack reappears in a year? two years? Will they take care of it and how? Get it in writing.
With a 38 you're talking a lot of main to hoist and what makes it difficult is the weight of the sail cloth and the friction of the slugs. Sail cloth weight: If you're going to have the boat a long time and you're border line with the cloth weight then consider opting for the heavier weight. The heavier weight will not stretch as readily but the downside is it's heavier to hoist. Slugs: Some work better than others when it comes to reduced friction. Discuss the options with the sailmaker especially if going with heavier fabric. Other mainsail considerations: spreader chafe protection, type of leach adjusters (cam cleat or eyes). On the jib, if you're more of a cruiser than a racer, consider a slightly higher foot for visibility. The marginal speed with a deck sweeper won't make up for safety when you're out there by yourself and have to look for traffic. Boats that race will have a crew to be on the lookout. UV protection: If the jib is a furler type, check how the sailmaker does the UV cover to ensure the sail, head and tack, is fully protected when the sail is in the furlerd position. This means having some of the cover on the inside of the sail as well as the outside. Teltails, draft stripes, reef points, foam luff on jib for reefing? The advantage of going with a sailmaker is you can make sure all the details are covered and they should help. If the communication is'nt very good then either avoid that firm/person or make absolutely sure there is no misunderstanding. Get everything you want in writing; none of this "we'll take care of it", no matter how nice they are. It makes for better relationships later. New sails are absolutely great! Keel: if the yard does all the work ask them what happens if the crack reappears in a year? two years? Will they take care of it and how? Get it in writing.
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