Quote:
Originally Posted by langar27
2010 Beneteau 43
Inspecting my Keel and noticed the hairline cracks at Keel/hull joint. Cracks are only along first 1/3 of Keel.
Inspected Keel bolts and surrounding area. No cracks, deformation or damage of any sort.
Would be great to get some advice on this. Is it just years of paint build up or am I staring at a serious issue.
Cheers
J
|
That looks like more than a "hairline" crack to me. I am betting the gap on the forward end there is at least 1/16" maybe even 1/8". That might be a
photo issue and I am seeing a problem that is not there. If you can feel the crack with your fingernail, that's more than "hairline."
A couple things worry me about what I see. The fact that it is only on the front of the keel suggests that it was caused by a grounding. That means SOMETHING must have moved, even if it is not obvious to your eyes.
A serious concern is that I see rust weeping from the crack. I am guessing that the keel on this
boat is lead... if it is, the only possible source of rust is the keel bolts themselves. That would be bad. It means seawater is reaching the bolts. In an oxygen poor
environment like the keel joint, the
stainless steel (I assume...) bolts will corrode and lose diameter and strength.
If the keel is cast iron, of course the rust could be from that, or from the bolts, or both. I don't know how to tell looking from the outside.
I would definitely have this looked at by a local professional. I don't see this as something to write off as obviously "no problem." It might be... but it also might be serious. You should have a conversation with the factory. If this model has a
history of this, they might be able to help you with a fix, or just tell you "no problem."
If you decide to re-torque the keel bolts, take a marker and put an orientation mark on both the nut and the bolt. If the nut turns when you torque it, that's a potential issue. I wouldn't sleep well without knowing why that happened. If the BOLT moves, even a teeny, tiny, little bit, when you torque the nut, that bolt is compromised and that's a BIG problem.