Looking for opinions regarding cracks in keel

[Ross S]

I'm looking at a 1977 Pearson 28 for possible purchase. The boat is in fantastic shape and was just recently hauled for the season and I got my first look at the boat below the waterline. There are some issues with the keel that are making me think I should walk away. But I wanted some second opinions as to the severity of the issue before I walk away from a boat that is in otherwise fantastic condition.

The bilge is clean and leak free, the keel bolts look solid with no obvious evidence of corrosion. The bottom paint needs to be redone at this point.

I've attached a picture of the keel viewed from both sides and a detail of the bottom trailing edge.

Along the leading edge it appears that some epoxy has been applied to the keel hull joint, not something I super concerned about. This is obvious on the picture of the starboard side of the boat. The port side gets a little more interesting as it appears that epoxy has been applied over some hairline cracks that are not at the hull/keel joint. Additionally there appears to be a large crack at the bottom of the trailing edge of the keel.

I expect there to be some touch up along the seam of between the hull and the keel. These hairline cracks in other areas and the larger vertical crack at the trailing edge are what concerns me. What say the experts here on the forum?

 

[dlochner]

It looks like the keel has had a number of quick and dirty fairing repairs.

The horizontal cracks near the keel/hull joint are pretty common. It is caused by the joint flexing a little and by the differential expansion of fiberglass and lead. A common approach is to clean it up an and slap some epoxy on the joint which eventually fails.

The vertical crack on the aft end of the keel looks like failed fairing. Cast lead keels come from the foundry in pretty rough shape. The boat builder and subsequent owners often fair the keels. Depend on the product used, the fairing may last or not. There are folks who use Bondo to fair the keel, but that is by far the worst as it is not designed for underwater applications.

Take a hammer and tap the keel and the area around the joint, that should give you an indication of the hull's integrity. Also sound the hull immediately aft of the keel. If the boat has been run hard aground, this is an area that is frequently damaged, as the hull delaminates. Also check aft stringers and bulkhead tabbing to see they are still intact.

If you purchase the boat, expect to spend some quality time with a sander while squatting under the hull. Or find someone who can soda blast the hull.

 

[Terry Cox]

No expert here, but our boat has a lead keel that attaches to a fiber glass stub. Had the joint repaired in 2004 due to a broken stub joint seal. Joint seal is as strong and solid ever since with no leaks after thousands of cruising miles. If it were me I would seek out an expert marine surveyor's assessment as to whether the boat's keel stub seal has been compromised.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Have your surveyor closely examine. You are getting a survey, right?

 

[Ross S]

Have your surveyor closely examine. You are getting a survey, right?

Qualified sailboat surveyors are few and far between here in mid-upstate NY as far as I can tell. So I'd be paying some, perhaps significant, travel costs. (I'm open to recommendations on a reputable surveyor though!) So I guess I was wondering if it was even worth going through the expense or if the damage appeared questionable enough to simply pass on this boat and forego the cost of a survey. And to be clear, we'd be talking about a full structural survey and not simply an insurance survey.

 

[dlochner]

Qualified sailboat surveyors are few and far between here in mid-upstate NY as far as I can tell. So I'd be paying some, perhaps significant, travel costs. (I'm open to recommendations on a reputable surveyor though!) So I guess I was wondering if it was even worth going through the expense or if the damage appeared questionable enough to simply pass on this boat and forego the cost of a survey. And to be clear, we'd be talking about a full structural survey and not simply an insurance survey.

Yep, qualified surveyors in this part of the world are difficult to find. The last surveyor I used gave wrong advice and didn't notice things he should have.

Where's the boat located? What's the asking price?

 

[Terry Cox]

Qualified sailboat surveyors are few and far between here in mid-upstate NY as far as I can tell. So I'd be paying some, perhaps significant, travel costs.

Appears that you are between that proverbial rock and a hard place. Unless the seller is offering you a deal you cannot refuse, suggest that you move on to the next boat. Not that familiar with the Pearson, so...

 

[jrussnogle]

Not an expert by any means, but if that little bit of keel work keeps you from buying a boat that's nearly 50 years old, you may never buy another boat. It seems you've decided to buy a boat without a survey, which to me is no big deal. Ask the owner what happened in these areas, take a knowledgable sailor with you and go from there. If the rest of the boat is solid and meets your needs, you can always use this as a bargaining chip. Precision 21s are great little boats. Used to sail one.