Cheeki Rafiki

[joemac4sail]

Looking at the photos of the upturned hull again, I noticed how jagged and large the bolt holes had become, it looks like the washers and nuts chewed their way through the hull. Perhaps the failure is not with the keel boits but the light construction ad the narrowness of the keel foil working against the hull. The last call from the crew was that they were hull taking on water. Looking again at the keel bolt holes in the hull, the rear bolt hole shows evidence of water ingress . So my worry if owning a lightly constructed race boat would not necessarily be the bolt itself, but if there is rust, is water getting into the hull laminate and structure.
Joe

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[Cheechako]

Good article on Sail Online entitled: "why do fin keels fail?"
Keep Your Keel On | Sail Magazine

[robert sailor]

Yes it is a good article and points to the inherent weakness in many high aspect racer/cruiser keel structures. It is also quite balanced and suggests the different ways that bolted on keels can/have failed. It also suggests that moderate designed bolt on keels are stronger. The article would suggest prudence when deciding what type of boat you want to be taking offshore. A good read for those sailors making the decision to sail offshore.