keel bolt -Hull cracks!?

[jruvelson@hotmail.com]

I have a 1980 30 foot Hunter. Down in my bilge I have a crack that runs along side my keel bolts. It actually does leak a little almost none. But yikes. It looks like the stress from the bolts has caused this. It also looks old. Is this bad? One day when it's out of the water, I could probably loosen the bolts grind it out put on some more fiber glass tighten the bolts befor drying. hum?. Ps. Thanks to everyone's helpful response to my last article also this web sight is great it's really been handy!

 

[Mike]

Consult a pro

I am going to guess that if it leaks, it is probably just bilge seepage and not actually a through crack where seawater is entering directly into the hull through this crack. I would think that if the crack was through and through the hull there would be a lot more leakage. There seems to be a narrow void in between the pan of the boat and the actual hull bottom on my Hunter. So the crack might not be structural. However, I would not assume that.Crushing around the keel bolts can be a sign of really bad news. A few extra mats of fiberglass will not solve the underlying problem, which could be (worst case scenario) structural failure of the keel support. Repair for that would cost many thousands. I think an experienced pro should be able to tell if your crack is superficial/not of concern or something else. (If bad news is reported get more than one opinion)Also inspect the seam between the keel and the hull once the boat is out of the water. Is there a crack between the hull and the keel? Could be a sign the keel has shifted for any number of reasons (run hard aground recently?)Note that even if it's not structural, if a pro recommends dropping the keel to inspect the hull and keelbolts, that alone will be expensive. And in my opinion dropping the keel is not a do-it-yourself job. Mark the crack on both ends to monitor it for growth. Observe the crack while under sail preferably while the boat is heeling - does the crack shift noticably? If the crack grows or shifts under load, you should not wait till haul out to get some pro opinions on it. I hope it's nothingMike

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

gel coat?

Sometimes when you look in the bilge of older boats and sometimes new, you might see cracks in the gel and most of the time that is what it is. Yes it does not look good but if that is all, there the concern should be much less as it is cosmetic and fixable. To make sure there is no seepage coming through, then you need to clean the bilge of any water without using any systems for a day or two. If water is seeping through, then concern should be greater. The keels generally have bolts inserted into them which usally comes up through the hull into the bilge area and is secured to the boat by use of large washers and nuts. Between the keel and hull, you will find a variety of materials that act as a sealant to include 5200, epoxy and so forth. Some compaines glass over but agian that depends on the manufacturer. If that seal is broken, then you will need to haul the boat and have it checked out to make the determination for repairs.Crazy Dave Condon