Bent Wing

W

W.P. Smith

.
May 8, 2017
9
Hunter 410 Bonaire
Hello all,

The attached photo is of a bend wing on the keel of a Hunter 410 damaged during launch. Yard is willing to try and straighten it, at least partially, with us assuming liability Looking for opinions, not on the liability issue , but on the possibility of success in straightening the wing and / or sailing characteristics to be anticipated if left as is.

Thank you all in advance
F1B51B24-D9A5-43B9-AF29-3CD57A360DB5.jpeg
F1B51B24-D9A5-43B9-AF29-3CD57A360DB5.jpeg
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
12,225
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
How did they manage to do this? Which side is correct?

First read your contract. Second, call your insurance company. If the damage has been done due to their negligence, then they should pay to have it repaired properly.
 
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Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

.
Oct 26, 2008
6,214
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Which side is damaged? I'm assuming it is the stbd side bent down, no? I wonder if it makes any difference other than it changes your draft. If it is an iron keel, I worry about it being brittle if you bend it back. I agree with Dave to call insurance and get them involved with the fix.
 
FastOlson

FastOlson

.
Apr 8, 2010
2,036
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
The yard will repair it or replace it. Their nickel. That's why they have insurance. If they choose to self insure, they will repair it, anyway.
Get your insurance company involved. They can always get it repaired (probably somewhere else!) and they will recover their $$ from the yard that damaged it. Accidents happen, and that's what insurance is for.
 
BigEasy

BigEasy

.
Jun 21, 2004
2,658
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Maybe the angle of the photo; however, it looks like the entire keel is cantered to port; starboard wing is definitely bent. With regards to the keel, as others have stated, get your insurance co involved. They may want to hire a surveyor to inspect it, if so, you should ensure that the surveyor is knowledgeable & independent....no affiliation with yard. I would definitely want the keel repaired or replaced. Also check area around keel bolts, sump, liner, grid & keel stub for cracks / fractures in glass/gelcoat. That bend will affect performance, not to mention resale issues in future.
 
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JamesG161

JamesG161

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Feb 14, 2014
7,711
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Crazy Dave Condon said:
If your keel is lead,
Click to expand
My H430 is Lead/Antimony and my hydrodynamic fins were recently bent.
Jim...

PS: Your shoal keel looks just like mine.
PSS: That slight angle should not cause a Sailing issue
 
dLj

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,820
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
Starboard side bent down? Looks to me like it's the port side bent up... But what do I know, I've never seen one of these out of the water...

Anyway to know what the actual keel material is? If it's a lead alloy, just bend it back - if you want to.... The amount of difference between the two, I'm with @JamesG161 - not going to have a sailing issue...

If it's a ferrous based alloy, then it depends upon what exact alloy it is...

dj
 
FastOlson

FastOlson

.
Apr 8, 2010
2,036
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
Interesting and potentially useful comments in this thread about keel material and repair. The posters here know a lot about boats!

Basic fact remains that the owner may have to have his insurer repair it, and they will in turn recover from the yard, or more likely the yard will repair it.
It should not be that complicated. Mistakes happen, even in the best boat yards. Well-meaning strangers on the internet cannot remotely heal that wounded keel. A "laying on of hands" on our keyboards is not likely to remotely re-bend that metal. :(
Best of Luck, in any case.
 
dLj

dLj

.
Mar 23, 2017
3,820
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
JamesG161 said:
Try a magnet for iron metal. Lead is non-magnetic.
Jim...
Click to expand
Good first step. Won't tell you what the iron based metal is however, if that's what it turns out to be.

dj
 
dLj

dLj

.
Mar 23, 2017
3,820
Belliure 41 Back in the Chesapeake
FastOlson said:
Well-meaning strangers on the internet cannot remotely heal that wounded keel. A "laying on of hands" on our keyboards is not likely to remotely re-bend that metal. :(
Best of Luck, in any case.
Click to expand
Oh the image... "A "laying on of hands" on our keyboards" .... Love it!

dj
 
Ken13559

Ken13559

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Oct 29, 2005
2,359
Hunter Marine 326 303 Singapore
My h326 shoal draft Wing Keel was bent upwards both sides once when I drove over a submerged breakwater and another time hit an underwater outcrop. Yard tried heat and hammer but that didn't work and was afraid of breaking it. So we left it as is. I called it Mantra Ray Keel. Didn't affect sailing one bit.

Ken Y
 
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shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,372
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
The best thing about the wing keel on the H356 and other H models is that it gets weight down low on the keel. Any "Lift" the keel wings create is probably minimal or maybe imaginary. I think the only reason to re-bend it is for resale.
 
smokey73

smokey73

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Oct 26, 2010
2,015
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
Not related to fixing the keel - but for the life of me if its the starboard wing that is bent down I am having a very hard time in imaging how it coult get bent "down" during launch? The boat is lowered during launch so how is it bent down? Was it picked up with it still secured to something? What would be fixed enough in a typical blocking arrangement strong enough to bend the keel down when it was lifted? Was it picked up off a commercial shipping trailer while still secured to the trailer? In that case it would seem to be the responsiblilty of the shipping company who owns the trailer to make it ready to be lifted? I just can't understand the mechanical force that would bend it down on launching.
 
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