S2 8.0B question

[EGillespie]

I have a question about a recent survey of a S2 8.0B I've been interested in.

The surveyor was not able to look at the bolts located underneath the floor of the cabin holding the keel. This is because there was no port or opening in the hardwood at the floor of the cabin.

I owned a shoal keel S2 for years...never noticed any keel bolts, or a way to view them. My boat had a carpet, but I never pulled the carpet up. The boat I am currently interested in is a 4' draft fixed keel.

The surveyor said without looking at these bolts he can't determine the structural condition of the S2. He said it is important to check these bolts every year.

I've looked at cabin pictures online of S2's and I don't see an area where these bolts can be checked.

Anyone have any comments? I'm stumped.

 

[BobM]

It doesn't have any. Surveyor shouldn't take money to survey sailboats if he couldn't figure that one out. I'd take his survey with a grain of salt or two.

Most of the larger cruising S2's (including the 8.0B and my 9.2A) have an integral keel cast as a part of the hull with ballast placed in the keel and encapsulated with epoxy. Pluses and minuses to this approach. No joint/bolts to worry about, but can get water into that area if there is keel damage. Just would need to drain it out and seal the hole/fix appropriately, but if you ground hard you should pull the boat to check the integrity of the keel.

 

[BobM]

http://web.mac.com/overholtzer/impliedconsent/Documents_files/S2 8 B Brochure.pdf is a link to a brochure for the 8.0B so you can verify my info.

 

[Scup]

The 7.3 does not have any keelbolts either, because it has an encapsulated keel. The S2 cruising line tends to be engineered that way. Your surveyor should know that, I would think...my advise is to get a new surveyor who knows something about sailboat construction techniques...:naughty:

(my S2 27 DOES have keel bolts, however...)

 

[BobM]

Is the 27's keel a bolt on? Or did they just use the bolts to lower a casting into the hull rather then just dump a bunch of metal scrap into the hull and chase it with some epoxy, as usual?

 

[BobT]

Yes the S2 27 has a bolt on keel. Scraped mine last year, to the metal primer in some spots. No glass around that hunk of lead that I could see.