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Old 15-01-2018, 16:13   #1
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Pearson 36 help!!

Hey all! I accidentally found a pretty nice looking Pearson 36 today. I was at a marina to see a totally different boat that fell FAR short of it's owners descriptions. Anyway... the Pearson looks to be in decent shape from the ground. (I didn't get to board her) BUT there is one glaring issue. The keel has a "crack" that runs the length of the keel stub. It looks as though the fairing had cracked away from flexing, but I cant be sure before asking the current owner. There is no damage to the stub, keel, or any surrounding areas that I could see. The crack is also the same front to back, side to side. I was already told by someone that Pearson used "J" bolt on the keel, meaning that, according to him, the "J" portion was in the hull. I cant imagine that being correct! Sure maybe the "J" portion would be in the lead.. that makes sense, but not as he describes.
I'm wondering if any other 36 owners have come across this? Am I just looking at a bolt and hardware replacement? Thanks!
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Old 15-01-2018, 16:17   #2
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

no comment on the overall condition picture, but "J" bolts are cast into the keel with the curved portion encased in the lead. Pretty difficult to replace!

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Old 15-01-2018, 16:26   #3
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Hi Jefjo,

I believe Jim is correct (he usually is ) about the keel bolts. The J send is cast into the keel and the straight, threaded end sticks up into the bilge.

The crack could be from one or more of several issues. Boat could have bumped bottom and/or the nuts need tightening. Worst case scenario the bolts need replacing. Not a simple job but doable.

There is a Pearson group on facebook and I know several P36 owners are active. If you don't get what you need here maybe give them a look.
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Old 15-01-2018, 16:41   #4
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

What concerns me as much as the crack is what's going on on the lower part of the keel. Hard to tell from the photos but it looks like the keel was covered with glass that has peeled off???

The keel on my Pearson 422 is encapsulated in glass and part of the hull, not bolted on. Not familiar with the construction of the 36 but if it was built the same way then the boat has much more serious problems than the crack.
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Old 15-01-2018, 16:48   #5
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Thanks Jim, I thought the "J" being in the stub made no sense at all.
Skip I'm 99% sure thats just fairing compound.
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Old 15-01-2018, 17:02   #6
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

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Originally Posted by jefjo View Post
Skip I'm 99% sure thats just fairing compound.
OK. That makes perfect sense. I'm 99% sure you're right. Didn't think about that since the only boat I owned with a bolt on, the keel was cast in the airfoil shape and had no fairing compound.

Since I have a sample of one boat I'm not sure what's normal but I had to fill and fair the joint between keel and stub every time I hauled it.
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Old 15-01-2018, 17:27   #7
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

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OK. That makes perfect sense. I'm 99% sure you're right. Didn't think about that since the only boat I owned with a bolt on, the keel was cast in the airfoil shape and had no fairing compound.

Since I have a sample of one boat I'm not sure what's normal but I had to fill and fair the joint between keel and stub every time I hauled it.
Re-bolting the keel is beyond my scope, so I'm going to call to see if I can manage some best guess quotes. The boat may be a good deal and in my budget range unless we're talking a couple thousand for the repair. Boat shopping has not been going well!!
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Old 15-01-2018, 17:34   #8
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

I wonder if anyone has tried the IKEA way of bolting? this just popped into my head... drill out the old bolt, drill in an access hole through the side of the keel, insert a washer and nut, thread onto a new bolt, jack the keel up connect new bolts. Am I over simplifying?
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Old 15-01-2018, 21:52   #9
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Be very careful with this one. Sailing Uma on Youtube had a keel issue with their Pearson 36 and it turned out that all the floors in that area had parted from the hull. They thought it might have been from a hard grounding but didn't know for sure. They could actually move the keel while the boat was hanging in the travel lift. They documented it in one of their early videos. Good luck!
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Old 16-01-2018, 03:15   #10
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

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Originally Posted by jefjo View Post
Re-bolting the keel is beyond my scope, so I'm going to call to see if I can manage some best guess quotes. The boat may be a good deal and in my budget range unless we're talking a couple thousand for the repair. Boat shopping has not been going well!!
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh figure a lot more than that.
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Old 16-01-2018, 05:00   #11
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jefjo View Post
I wonder if anyone has tried the IKEA way of bolting? this just popped into my head... drill out the old bolt, drill in an access hole through the side of the keel, insert a washer and nut, thread onto a new bolt, jack the keel up connect new bolts. Am I over simplifying?
First thing, you need to confirm what's causing the problem. It could be as easy as tightening the nuts in the bilge or as hard as rebuilding the hull.

Have you talked to the owner? He/she might be able to offer some info. Ask if the boat has ever been grounded hard. See any damage on the bottom or leading edge of the keel?

Even if there is no damage and tightening the nuts would draw up the keel I want to know what's going on inside the crack. Exposed like that the bolts would be at high risk for crevice corrosion and could be wasting away. It isn't an impossible job to brace the keel, take off the nuts and lift up the hull. That way you could see the keel and hull stub and get a better idea of what's going on.

Of course for all this to be worthwhile the boat would have to be a very good deal, otherwise in very good condition and you would need to have the time, skills and tools to do the work yourself. Ask a boatyard to do this and the bill will be over the value of the boat before they even get started.
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Old 16-01-2018, 06:32   #12
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jefjo View Post
Am I just looking at a bolt and hardware replacement? Thanks!
The word "just" does not belong in that sentence unless the idea of spending more on a repair than the value of the boat seems like a prudent financial decision to you.

Dropping a keel and replacing keel boats is a pricey affair. More than "a couple of thousand", or at least you should budget for significantly more.

Skipmac suggested it might just need tightening the keel bolts. If they need tightening, in a new to you old boat with a big open seam between the stub and the keel, you need to drop the keel to see what's going on in-between.

I agree that below the seam it looks like just fairing compound. It's the seam it self that bothers me. Can't tell from a picture how open or deteriorated it is. Do the bolts inside the boat where they come through the backing plates have any rust on them?

As for the seam between the stub and keel, refairing that every time you haul the boat, because brittle fairing compound *will* crack pretty reliably in short order, can be a fool's errand. Better to clean it out to a shallow depth and caulk it with 5200, fair and paint and be done with it.
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Old 16-01-2018, 06:55   #13
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pirate Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jefjo View Post
I wonder if anyone has tried the IKEA way of bolting? this just popped into my head... drill out the old bolt, drill in an access hole through the side of the keel, insert a washer and nut, thread onto a new bolt, jack the keel up connect new bolts. Am I over simplifying?
If your considering doing that I'd not touch the old bolts.. rather do the same just ahead or behind.. which ever gives the best room and line down to the keel and fit the new bolts as stated.. and tighten the old bolts while the keels jacked up.
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Old 16-01-2018, 06:57   #14
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Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by jefjo View Post
I wonder if anyone has tried the IKEA way of bolting? this just popped into my head... drill out the old bolt, drill in an access hole through the side of the keel, insert a washer and nut, thread onto a new bolt, jack the keel up connect new bolts. Am I over simplifying?
Actually it isn't that unusual to install a new, externally bolted keel in this way. Larry Pardey did this on his last boat, as documented in his book, Details of Classic Boat Construction. I installed 4 of the 12 keel bolts in my boat this way, the rest I cast in place.

If I were tackling the Pearson I would be tempted to leave the existing bolts in place, way too difficult to drill out and remove those, and just install new. Obviously, you have to make sure the floors are good though.

This is not a particularly difficult job to diy, and if you get the boat at the right price, worthwhile.
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Old 16-01-2018, 07:16   #15
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pirate Re: Pearson 36 help!!

Just make sure you dry and seal the holes drilled through the hull well before inserting the bolts.. last thing you want is moisture seeping in and wicking.
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