Tartan 33 - Pre-survey

[Geardunkin]

I looked at a Tartan 33 yesterday (Scheel Keel, Fractional). It's been on the hard for at least a full season. There appears to be some damage on the trailing edge of the keel and one of the stands has compressed the hull (see photos). My instinct is to run for the hills, but perhaps it's not as bad as it looks. What do y'all think?

 

[JoeWhite]

Can you provide a photo from a little farther away? Why is there a horizontal Crack on the keel?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

The hull compression is likely temporary. Not knowing how the keel is attached to the stub limits guessing the significance of the crack.

 

[Tally Ho]

Yeah, need to see more of the keel. I assume the horizontal line is the stub/keel joint. That other crack is puzzling and maybe worrisome.

It would be worth lifting the boat and see if that “dent” in the hull pops out or if it is permanently dented. I would also want to know what is on the inside.

What year is the boat?

Greg

 

[Geardunkin]

Wow, you guys are quick! I wasn't sure how much traffic this subsection got.

I'll have to collect some more pics. Yes, the horizontal line is the stub/keel joint, so the damage is on the part molded into the hull. I didn't see anything worrisome in the bilge.

The 33 has a cored hull, so I'm worried about compression.

Trying to decide if it's worth the cost of a surveyor or if I should move on. Maybe the half measure is to see if the broker will lift up the boat. If the dent persists or the keel moves, well that's game over.

 

[Geardunkin]

Oh, and Greg, it's an '81.

 

[Hollyberry]

That dent with a cored hull worries me more than it would with a solid layup...

 

[Scott T-Bird]

That doesn't look good. Since you are asking, I'm going to assume that you don't know how to handle that damage. Unless you already know how to make a keel repair, I think the best advise is to RUN. There has got to be more boats to look at. That looks like an expensive mistake to me, even if you do know how to make the repair.

 

[Tally Ho]

Wow, you guys are quick! I wasn't sure how much traffic this subsection got.

I'll have to collect some more pics. Yes, the horizontal line is the stub/keel joint, so the damage is on the part molded into the hull. I didn't see anything worrisome in the bilge.

The 33 has a cored hull, so I'm worried about compression.

Trying to decide if it's worth the cost of a surveyor or if I should move on. Maybe the half measure is to see if the broker will lift up the boat. If the dent persists or the keel moves, well that's game over.

We are bored….still winter in my sailing grounds

yes, a cored hull would be more of a concern. Have you been inside to see what is on the inside and what it looks like?

More photos of the keel would be helpful to see more of the keel joint and that crack…

Greg

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

That dent with a cored hull worries me more than it would with a solid layup...

The fact it has a cored hull would worry me more. I could tell you horror stories about cored hulls but this isn’t the place

 

[Davidasailor26]

I think the best case for that dent is just that the boat is blocked with too much weight on that stand and it will come back to normal when lifted, although the fact that it’s cored does make that less likely. Worst case would probably be if that through-hull is leaking into the core and has rotted part of it, causing the soft spot.

Under that crack looks more like metal to me than fiberglass. Is it possible the keel is made in two parts, with iron on top and lead on the bottom? I know Dehler made some like that. If so that crack could just be the iron rusting and letting the paint chip away. That would be an easy fix if it were the case.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome to the Forum @Geardunkin.

The Keel cracks look to be fiberglass cracks on an iron keel. Can only guess at the cause. Your info says you live in Wisconsin. A boat with water in the keel (Iron keel showing rust) is placed on the hard over winter, freezing and thawing might be a cause of the cracks. If the underlying structure is sound then the keel issue might be just a strip and resurface challenge. Unless you have boat knowledge to access the structural condition, I would get a survey opinion.

I would look at the overall image of the keel and the hull. Do you see signs of a grounding that might be the reason for the cracks? This would lead you to inspect the hull/keel structure for signs of damage to the hull.

I do not like the image of the blocking. Looks like they missed the stringer when placing the support. I do not know much about the hull structure of the Tartan. Is there a history of the boats reporting "oil Canning" when in rough water. Basically the hull lacks support/stiffness and the hull flexes more than normal when going over chop. The original Cal 40 had that issue. The boats that were being raced often added stiffeners to address this issue.

 

[shemandr]

The Tartan 33 is a strong hull. It should not oil can.
This one was blocked incorrectly. Before involving a surveyor couldn't you ask the yard to block it differently (Correctly) and see what happens?
Are you sure the boat is cored below the waterline?
I can't tell about the keel. To me it looks like damage to the keel stump which would be a walk away situation. Too bad. It is a very good boat.

 

[Dave]

I'm wondering if the boat was run hard aground. Check the interior tabbing at the bulkheads and the fit of the doors and drawers. Also, look under the floorboards to see what the inside of the bilge looks like. Again, look. for evidence of damage.

This article may be helpful:

Tartan 33: Scheel Keel Pioneer - Practical Sailor

Since 1974, Practical Sailor’s independent testing has taken the guesswork out of boat and gear buying.

www.practical-sailor.com

 

[Geardunkin]

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

This one was blocked incorrectly. Before involving a surveyor couldn't you ask the yard to block it differently (Correctly) and see what happens?
Are you sure the boat is cored below the waterline?
I can't tell about the keel. To me it looks like damage to the keel stump which would be a walk away situation. Too bad. It is a very good boat.

I did contact the broker about reblocking the boat. It sounds like that should be possible.

According to this article by John Kretschmer, the hull is solid glass in the forward section only below the waterline. The keel stub is surely solid glass too. Right?!?!?! Tartan 33

I'm wondering if the boat was run hard aground. Check the interior tabbing at the bulkheads and the fit of the doors and drawers. Also, look under the floorboards to see what the inside of the bilge looks like. Again, look. for evidence of damage.

Once the boat is reblocked I'll go take another look. The doors and cabinets did seem to fit properly and I did not see any delamination of the tabbing.