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14-11-2022, 13:25
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 4
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Exposed fiberglass below waterline
I bumped a reef with my keel in my Catalina 30. I got lucky in that the damage appears minimal. My primary concern is the impact exposed the filler and/or glass in a few areas over about a foots distance on the edge of the keel, i.e. removed all the paint.
How worried should I be about water saturation into the keel? Any suggestions such as underwater epoxy to stem off a haulout for perhaps another year?
*please see attached photo
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14-11-2022, 20:06
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Noank, Ct. USA
Boat: Cape Dory 31
Posts: 3,280
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
If you haven’t broken through the gelcoat it’s not a big deal but it would be best to do a short haul to coat the area with barrier coat and antifouling. Perhaps you can dry out against a wall or careen between tides to get this done. You have not indicated your location.
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15-11-2022, 00:27
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#3
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,559
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Does not your Catalina 30 have either a cast iron or lead keel? If so, shouldn't be any glass on its outside... just filler, primer and paint.
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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15-11-2022, 00:55
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Back in Northern California working on the Ranch
Boat: Pearson 365 Sloop and 9' Fatty Knees.
Posts: 10,488
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Could be a cast keel with a few layers of cloth over. If you are concerned about it, you could slather a thin could of underwater epoxy on it.
P.S. ...welcome to the forum.
__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: Wow - what a ride!"
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15-11-2022, 00:58
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 4
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
I am located in Honolulu. There are no real options but a haulout unless I can do something in the water.
The boat is a 1979 Catalina 30 Mark 1. My understanding is it is a lead keel. Interesting that you think it is all filler from the lead to the paint. I guess that allows it to give easier in collision situations like this?
It has been over two years since I painted it last so I am inclined to go ahead and schedule a haulout. It typically takes three months to get pulled here.
Any thoughts on if this exposed filler is going to be a much bigger problem by then?
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15-11-2022, 01:34
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#6
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,559
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Ryan, IIRC there is nothing but (maybe) some filler to smooth out the casting and then primer and then paint. So, no worry at all about water intrusion, and a delay of a few months will not lead to perdition.
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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15-11-2022, 03:32
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2022
Location: Ontario Canada
Boat: Jeanneau SO 389
Posts: 1,969
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
You don’t have to be missing gel coat to cause decay. Lexel in a small tube dispenses and cures under water. Sticks to fibreglass underwater.
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15-11-2022, 07:06
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#8
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Port Credit, Ontario or Bahamas
Boat: Benford 38 Fantail Cruiser
Posts: 7,579
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
That boat has a lead keel. Unless somone added FRP and gelcoat for some strange reason ... there is none.
Lead cannot absorb water.
__________________
If you're not laughing, you're not doin' it right.
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15-11-2022, 09:18
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2018
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
Posts: 12,229
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Another vote for “don’t worry about it.”
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15-11-2022, 10:42
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 4
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Thanks all for the discussion and kind welcome to the forum. There does not seem to be a clear concensus on what to do in a situation like this. Although, say, lead does not absorb salt water wouldn't exposure cause corrossion and potentially other problems? I have heard 'dropped keel' stories that start with salt water seeping in around the keel bolts, hypethetically sourced from a salt water exposed balast below.
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15-11-2022, 10:54
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2018
Boat: 50ft Custom Fast Catamaran
Posts: 12,229
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan R.
Thanks all for the discussion and kind welcome to the forum. There does not seem to be a clear concensus on what to do in a situation like this. Although, say, lead does not absorb salt water wouldn't exposure cause corrossion and potentially other problems? I have heard 'dropped keel' stories that start with salt water seeping in around the keel bolts, hypethetically sourced from a salt water exposed balast below.
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Take it from me, a consensus on this forum? If a boat sank, I don’t think we would all agree that it sank or not. Some of us would think it was still floating. Ha ha ha.
You have to take all of the different opinions and make your own judgment from them. Which is really nice because you do get a lot of input from different directions. But it’s not always easy.
In any case, the keel bolt worry is nothing.
There is a big layer of 5200 goo between your lead keel and the boat, typically on a non-encapsulated keel.
That will be keeping the water out.
If you still want to worry a little, you could check to make sure that that seal is still good. You hit something with the front of the keel, so up in the front there, where the keel meets the hull, check to see if the seal has separated or not. Probably not.
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15-11-2022, 11:14
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Muskegon, Mi
Boat: Columbia 36
Posts: 1,298
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Bolt on keel failures happen when the seal between keel and hull fails, causing the bolts to corrode away. Unless you hit the bottom really hard, that probably didn't happen. It's just a little exposed lead. Lead doesn't really corrode so the worse thing that can happen is you'll get a little fouling where the paint scraped off. There shouldn't be any glass on the lead part, not to make anything easier, it's just not needed so they don't do it. We sometimes see glass laid around the keel/hull joint, done because it was leaking. That doesn't work.
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15-11-2022, 11:20
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#13
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Port Credit, Ontario or Bahamas
Boat: Benford 38 Fantail Cruiser
Posts: 7,579
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan R.
I have heard 'dropped keel' stories that start with salt water seeping in around the keel bolts, hypethetically sourced from a salt water exposed balast below.
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From a retired Certified Marine Corrosion Tech.... unless your keel/ hull joint is breached ... No.
__________________
If you're not laughing, you're not doin' it right.
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15-11-2022, 11:23
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#14
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 31,275
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Don't worry about it, when you get hauled you may need to do some filing and fairing before the AF but no way is your keel gonna fall off tomorrow.. or the next day..
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You can't oppress a people for so many decades and have them say.. "I Love You.. ".
"It is better to die standing proud, than to live a lifetime on ones knees.."
Self Defence is no excuse for Genocide...
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15-11-2022, 12:22
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 4
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Re: Exposed fiberglass below waterline
Great input! As a follow up regarding keel bolts. I have no signs that the keel bolts or hull/keel joint on this boat is compromised, before or after this reef bite but I am wondering about maintenance. These bolts are stainless and there is water drainage that makes it into the bilge on occasion.
Does it make sense to clean the threads, loosen the nut and retighten periodically? Should this be done while hauled or is one nut at a time ok in the water?
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