Cracks aft of the keel
Fiberglass if very susceptible to cumulative damage. So when we had Lady Lillie (our shoal draft '77 h27) surveyed after a hard keel strike three years ago, the surveyor found old cracks aft of the keel where he expected damage after such a strike. (Because the strike on the nose of the keel pushes it back and up.) He said that the more recent strike undoubtably made the earlier cracks deeper. Our insurance paid for the repair, which meant dropping the keel, grinding out a dishshaped space until the cracks were gone (they did not go all the way through the 7/8's inch layup), buidling the glass back up to the original thickness while tapering it onto the surrounding glass in the dish ground out, reseating the keel, and then coating the keel with bottom paint. The whole job cost $1,100 at a good yard in Cleveland, OH. You could probably manage the repair yourself, but you would need advice from someone else on dropping the keel on your own. I do have some questions: Can you see the cracks looking down at the bilge? If not, they may not be all the way through. (Although if the move stressed the keel, it probably made the cracks deeper.) Are you sure that the water comes from the cracks? There are lots of different sources of water in the bilge of a good old boat! Good luck fixing her up. You will have a great cruising boat when you are done! David Lady Lillie
