Looking for contact of a forum user - Bavaria 47 keel bolts issue

[Piitseps]

Hello,

In 2011, a forum user called "gillesroy209" started a thread on suspected leaking keel bolts of his Bavaria 47. Here is the original thread: Keel bolts problem
To my understanding, gillesroy209 did not follow up with a solution - if any - to his problem. In fact, the three posts he made in this thread are his only posts in this forum.

As I'm having a similar issue with my 2001 Bavaria 47, I would be very grateful if anyone knows the person behind this user and could link us up via email or similar. I would like to ask him for advice. All I know based on his three posts and profile is that he is likely from Montreal and the boat set sail from Port Antonio Jamaica to Willemstad, Curacao when the issue struck. Thanks!

PS - I did send gillesroy209 a PM, however I doubt he will read it.

 

[jssailem]

Your challenge may not be limited to Bavaria 47s. I just watched a YouTube video by James Evenson about his delivery experience on a Beneteau 47, where water entered the bilge in a similar way to what gillesroy209 reported.

Are you experiencing water leaking into the bilge?
Is it when the boat is sitting stagnant or under sail?
Do you have the boat out of the water?

The video above tries to identify the problem, which, in that case, is caused by the keel flexing and separating the keel joint and parts of the boat's internal structure.

 

[Piitseps]

Yeah, that'd be the worst case - a full grid delamination. However I think, by the looks of it, my 2001 Bavaria 47 Cruiser has at least part, if not all, of the grid glassed to the hull. My structural grid is made up of lateral frames, call them glass fiber boxes, that run 2/3 of the length of the boat. When looking into these boxes through limber holes, a bonded joint is seen. On the outside these boxes have been glassed to the hull. That is how it looks at least.

I'll make an effort and contact Bavaria about this. While the production yacht companies get flak for lots of things, Bavaria customer support has so far been quite helpful in looking up old drawings which predate company leadership changes. They could easily just flip me off (has happened to me with Lewmar, for example), but I've received exact technical drawings for my chainplates, tie rods etc from Bavaria. So I'd like to publicly thank them for this and encourage them to continue the practice.