Frozen Bilge Water

[Delancey]

I'm looking at buying a nice older fiberglass boat, the kind that has the ballast encapsulated inside the keel. I will be getting a survey before I buy.

In the meantime, I noticed there was water in the bilges and the boat has been out of the water more than a year. I imagine this is not uncommon. I wonder about what kind of damage could have resulted from this water freezing in the winter.

From the outside the keel has a fair shape and without pumping the bilge dry it is not obvious this is an issue. Is this an area of concern?

[Vasco]

Yes it's a concern. Especially if the water has gotten to the bottom of the encapsulated keel. You have to check very carefully to see if there's any damage.