need temporary solution to this....

[landonshaw]

I am not a metallurgist, so if bad choice of words sorry. SS will crystallize on the inside where you will not see it. The outside looks good. Iron rusts generally from the outside. My bolts looked good when I inspected them, but there was no strength left. Each one that broke, 8 of 10, had crystallized internally.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Pete7

No.

What might surprise you is my keel bolts on both keels are mild steel.

The join between the keel and the GRP is a 'mare' and water gets in behind what ever sealant you stick in there eventually. Treating cast iron keels is an on going job each year. The good news is its all low tech, scrape off the worst, paint some rust killer on and give it a few coats of good paint followed by the antifoul. Occasionally you have to take the hole side of the keel back to metal but its not every year. The worst spot is the bottom of the keels. Using a sandy beach a couple of times a year when the tide goes out normally keeps that bit clean.

Pete

[appick]

I'd be a little more worried than some of the others. Why not just do a proper keel job now? It's on the hard, and you can always live to sail some more after the jobs done. If the worst comes the same can't be said if you don't do the keel now. What's the water temp of the rivers this time of year? How long for hypothermia to set in if you manage to avoid getting hit on the head as the boat capsizes? We've lost 2 sailors out of my port alone this year and plenty more nearby to the cold waters and going overboard. I'm a little less cavalier than I would've been in my response years past.

I don't know about you but my boat is sure worth a weeks hard work, let alone my life.

How old is the boat? How long have you owned it? How long has this been an issue?

As many say if you don't have the time to do the job right the first time, what makes your think you'll have the time to do the job again and do it right the second time?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

I am not a metallurgist, so if bad choice of words sorry. SS will crystallize on the inside where you will not see it. The outside looks good. Iron rusts generally from the outside. My bolts looked good when I inspected them, but there was no strength left. Each one that broke, 8 of 10, had crystallized internally.

Sounds like what you had is what is called work hardening and not rusting. This happens when certain metals are subjected to repeated stresses which cause the metal to "crystallize", and become very brittle and break easily. The common example is repeatedly bending an old metal clothes hanger back and forth until it breaks.

SS can also rust especially in a spot where it is constantly wet but also stagnant. In this situation the water around the stainless can become oxygen depleted and cause rusting called crevice corrosion. A bolt head could look perfectly good but the length of the bolt where it is hidden and wet could be rusted through.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Scrape any old sealant out of the join. Sand smooth the worst of the rust. Apply rust killer and allow to dry. Fill gap with sealant and smooth with wet finger or wet paint brush.

Coat keel with 4-6 coats of Primocon International paint. Paint hull and keel with antifoul paint.

Go sailing and don't worry about something you can't see.

This is all we do each year, well occasionally a bit more of a sanding but the same idea.

Pete

This is why bolt on keels get a bad rap, POOR MAINTENANCE!

You have all of the indications that this keel, and yours from the description, needs some additional investigation and possibly repair. But instead you cover it up. I feel bad for the poor person that buys your boat. You have hidden a real potential problem and some poor uneducated, first time boater will buy the boat thinking its in good shape. Then the keel gets stressed by a grounding, sailing hard or a wave and the keel comes off. But that will just start the "bolt on keels are unsafe for offshore" rants again when all along it was poor maintenance that caused the problem.

And the "[I just sail in] rivers always within a short distance to shore" attitude is equally irresponsible. What about the people that will put themselves at risk to come and save you when your keel falls off? Don't you have any respect for them?

I am not saying you have to have your boat in Bristol condition, god knows mine isn't. But there are certain safety related maintenance items that are just plain irresponsible to ignore. Covering them up is more then irresponsible, it should be criminally negligent.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

there are certain safety related maintenance items that are just plain irresponsible to ignore. Covering them up is more then irresponsible, it should be criminally negligent.

Need a hug?