Keel rebed or 5200 fix?

[davidkahn53]

Just hauled my new (to me) 1987 Pearson 33-2 for winter. On haulout, observed keel separation/crack of about 1/4 inch extending about 18" on both sides of the keel in the rear. I checked my survey and nothing called out on this; also checked survey from prior owner and it listed a slight keel separation observed and described as "normal".
Looks like flexible sealant in the space between keel and hull already, but paint and fairing putty cracked where the keel flexed. Keel bolts all appear in good condition; no rust.
Question- should I drop and rebed the keel to see if this issue can be permanently fixed, or wait a year and use 5200 or G-flex to fill the crack, paint and see what happens at next year's haulout?
I tend to be conservative where there is any potential safety issue. The boat is sailed in the Chesapeake Bay.

David

Pearson 33 "Dulcinea"

 

[CloudDiver]

If you are hauled out for the winter, and fresh bottom paint is in the near future anyway, I say get it while the getting is good. If the have the tools and heavy lifting equipment to pull it off there is nothing better than the peace of mind knowing that box is checked. When you do a major job like this, which for most is a 15 to 20 year cycle item, it is the process that matters which ensures confidence in the repair. If done right, you'll never have to do it again.

 

[dlochner]

Has the boat been run hard aground? Is there any hull damage, i.e., delamination, aft of the keel? Are all the bulkhead tabbing intact? If the answers are no, yes, yes, then it is good news.

First, loosen and then retorque all the keel bolts.

Do not use G-flex or 5200 unless you are willing to drop the keel, clean all the old sealant off, and then properly rebed the keel. The kind of crack you describe is pretty common. The keel and hull flex and crack the sealant. Assuming that there is no structural damage (see answers to questions above) it will be better to fill the gap with a sealant that is more flexible than 5200 or epoxy. A polysulfide would be a good choice. Or just live with it.

 

[Terry Cox]

Hi David, different model boat here, but we did a keel stub repair on our boat in 2004 because of a similar separation. Dropped the keel, cleaned the joint, re-bed with 3M5200 and splashed. The joint seal has been solid ever since after cruising several thousand miles.

Something compromised the stub seal on your boat. If it were mine I would lift the boat off of the keel, clean and re-bed the joint, then finish the outside however you want. Re-torquing the keel bolts and covering the area with epoxy does not repair the separation that you reference.

 

[CloudDiver]

Do you have the shoal keel or deep fin keel? One of the things that plagues boats that use a keel stub is the use of wood in the keel stub as deadwood. I'm not 100% sure but I've got my fingers crossed that by 87 most boat builders realized this folly and stopped that practice. Also, there can be too much flexing in the stub if the laminate isn't thick enough. If you drop the keel to repair the separation you can address all of these issues for around $300 to $500 in materials and some sweat equity. There are a few threads in this forum where this job was done on Catalinas that used plywood in the keel stub as deadwood which eventually rotted, so the keel bolts could never hold proper torque and there was flex which could lead to eventual catastrophic keel loss. The fix is to drop the keel, dig out all the old wood and replace with laminated G-10 board, and finally layer in several sheets of glass cloth all the way up the sides of the keel stub. The keel is usually left in place so the studs can be wrapped in tape or plastic tubes to keep the location of the holes while the G-10 board is laid into place with holes pre-drilled. Anyway, the result is a very solid keel stub with extra strength added by as many glass cloth laminations you can can swing before the additional material intrudes on the space required for the keel nuts and washers. A new bedding of 5200 and properly tourqed nuts will last the lifetime of the boat.
I've got my fingers crossed that you don't have any wood in the keel stub... either way, being hauled already puts you ahead of the game. Rather than a patch fix, if you execute the entire process of a correct bedding job it will add great value to the boat and you can be sure it will never be an issue again.

 

[davidkahn53]

Thanks to all for the advice. Heading to the boat this weekend with an expert to look at the keel separation and come up with the best plan for repair and reinforcement.

 

[NYSail]

There is no keel stub on this boat.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

The suggestion of using epoxy on the keel to hull joint should you decide based on inspection should never be used. Use 5200 if that is all you are going to do. This is what nearly all repair yards and dealers would suggest.

 

[Chris87]

Hey David, sorry I'm a little late. I'm experiencing the same exact issue with my 1986 Pearson 28. What was the fix and recommendation by your surveyor?