I need to get some opinions on the keel. I was told to look for a boat with a lead bolt-on keel. I see a lot of boats have glass filled keels. Is there anything really bad with that design? Thanks, Don
What type of keel
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Don K
Glad I did not
Have a bolt on keel when I hit a rock the size of a two car garage when I was in the Bahamas. My boat would still be there.
Have a bolt on keel when I hit a rock the size of a two car garage when I was in the Bahamas. My boat would still be there.
For the most part there is no bad boats
there are bad owners,but if a boat has been around for ten years or more,it's a good bet it a ok boat design. Even the best design fall pray to bad owners,poor up keep & dum stuff. I like any keel that will go in to low water my self,swing, or lift. Lead is ok,cast iron is ok,there are all fine if sealed up. What shape the boats in is key. Not what some fool,who dose not design boats said.
there are bad owners,but if a boat has been around for ten years or more,it's a good bet it a ok boat design. Even the best design fall pray to bad owners,poor up keep & dum stuff. I like any keel that will go in to low water my self,swing, or lift. Lead is ok,cast iron is ok,there are all fine if sealed up. What shape the boats in is key. Not what some fool,who dose not design boats said.
Many Cals used lead in fglass
It seems to be one of the most problem-free solutions, and some are old enough to indicate its success. I suppose their drawback is with hard collisions, where the glass case is badly damaged. With 'fender-benders' the fglass is simply repaired. Haven't heard accounts of extreme collisions, but even those may have the same implications as other keels. No bolts to corrode, break or replace; no steel to deteriorate, no exposed lead to pound back into shape, no hunk of a metal lever to wrench the hull on impact(?). But I think I would haul the boat to inspect any serious contact to ensure its integrity. With a lead bolt-on keel, the bolts are not lead so they must be inspected for problems. The keels are not as strong as iron, will deform easier, and still impart forces to the hull. There is a discussion going on in the Cal-list about whether fiberglass flexes, how much and is it a long-term problem. That much weight hung in fiberglass does produce some small hull flexing, as observed by several owners. All I can say is, my 1973 Cal 29 keel looks to be absolutely unaffected by time, unlike so many other vintage keels.
It seems to be one of the most problem-free solutions, and some are old enough to indicate its success. I suppose their drawback is with hard collisions, where the glass case is badly damaged. With 'fender-benders' the fglass is simply repaired. Haven't heard accounts of extreme collisions, but even those may have the same implications as other keels. No bolts to corrode, break or replace; no steel to deteriorate, no exposed lead to pound back into shape, no hunk of a metal lever to wrench the hull on impact(?). But I think I would haul the boat to inspect any serious contact to ensure its integrity. With a lead bolt-on keel, the bolts are not lead so they must be inspected for problems. The keels are not as strong as iron, will deform easier, and still impart forces to the hull. There is a discussion going on in the Cal-list about whether fiberglass flexes, how much and is it a long-term problem. That much weight hung in fiberglass does produce some small hull flexing, as observed by several owners. All I can say is, my 1973 Cal 29 keel looks to be absolutely unaffected by time, unlike so many other vintage keels.
Design quality
Keel attachment strength is a key design issue. I'm willing to bet that both glassed in and bolted on designs have been carefully designed to survice the worst case scenario of a solid strike at hull speed against a hard, immovable object. The only argument for a bolted on lead keel is that it seems to be the most common design, so engineers have more experience to go on in making their calculations. Keel loss is a very uncommon problem for production boats as far as I know. David Lady Lillie
Keel attachment strength is a key design issue. I'm willing to bet that both glassed in and bolted on designs have been carefully designed to survice the worst case scenario of a solid strike at hull speed against a hard, immovable object. The only argument for a bolted on lead keel is that it seems to be the most common design, so engineers have more experience to go on in making their calculations. Keel loss is a very uncommon problem for production boats as far as I know. David Lady Lillie
Bolts can leak
A friends boat sank at the dock from leaky keel bolts. My pearson 323 has lead inside fiberglass. I've read of some boats with concrete and iron. Lead is the best because it doesn't corrode like iron and it is denser. The biggest problem with iron corrosion is that it expands when it corrodes. Reading about the expense of replacing keel bolts made me look for lead inside fiberglass. Even if my keel's fiberglass is punctured it should be alright in that the top is sealed. Of course nothing is indestructable. The weight of a keel is an issue regardless of type. Making a structure to bolt 4500#s (P323) to securely that will last for 30-40 years must be difficult and with a bolt on keel the stress would be more concentrated in a smaller area. Tom
A friends boat sank at the dock from leaky keel bolts. My pearson 323 has lead inside fiberglass. I've read of some boats with concrete and iron. Lead is the best because it doesn't corrode like iron and it is denser. The biggest problem with iron corrosion is that it expands when it corrodes. Reading about the expense of replacing keel bolts made me look for lead inside fiberglass. Even if my keel's fiberglass is punctured it should be alright in that the top is sealed. Of course nothing is indestructable. The weight of a keel is an issue regardless of type. Making a structure to bolt 4500#s (P323) to securely that will last for 30-40 years must be difficult and with a bolt on keel the stress would be more concentrated in a smaller area. Tom
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