Unusual leak

[Bill O'Donovan]

When I hauled last fall I noticed some weeping on the hull where the front of the keel met the fiberglass. It eventually dried up and I forgot about it. Now I'm back in the water and getting an apparent leak at the front of the bilge, suggesting a cause-and-effect relationship. The water is brackish, so I know it's not rainwater. Any thoughts? I'm pulling in about a quart a week that I know of, not to mention whatever the bilge pump is automatically pumping out. Yikes!

 

[Bob Todd]

OOH! OOH! I KNOW! I KNOW!

I just happened to have dealt with the same problem with my O'day 272LE. I was getting seepage in the same place you are, here's what I did:1. Backed off and re-torqued keel bolts (160 foot pounds for my boat) while the boat was on the hard2. Sanded the leading edge of keel/hull joint down to the gelcoat and lead going approximately 3 inches back both sides3. Using a spin cutter (like a fiber cutting disk for a Dremel only a little bigger) I cleaned the 5200 out of the joint to approximately 1/4 inch deep on the leading edge and going back 3 inches on both sides4. Used a bronze wire brush with acetone to create a clean bonding surface5. Re-sealed with 5200 using a stiff plastic applicator to ensure I pressed all the air bubbles out and blended the joint6. Allowed to cure and applied bottom paint7. Crossed fingers and launchedNo leak!Maybe someone else has a better way, but this one worked.As a last resort, I was ready to drop the keel altogether if needed.Hope this helps.Cheers,Bob

 

[Peter]

keel

sounds to me like Bob's solution is the right one for you. The keel bolts have likely loosened and need to be tightened. My understanding is that this should be done on the hard....just in case. You may have rusted out nuts on the keel bolts, easy enough to check, or you may have rusty keel bolts. They might need replacing or just add some lag bolts, easier said than done. I agree that the joint should be filled with 5200. Very secure, very waterproof and allows for flexing in the future, unlike epoxy.

 

[Doug T.]

Torque

Before you tighten the bolts, you should check with the boat manufacturer for the correct torque specifications. 160 ft-lbs might be right for an O'Day, but it's 90 ft-lbs for our Sabre. The last thing you want to do is torque it down too hard and break the bolt or the nut!!!