Exposed fiberglass below waterline

[Ryan R.]

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

[Orion Jim]

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.

[Jim Cate]

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

[Celestialsailor]

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.

[Ryan R.]

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?

[Jim Cate]

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

[Rumrace]

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.

[boatpoker]

That boat has a lead keel. Unless somone added FRP and gelcoat for some strange reason ... there is none.

Lead cannot absorb water.

[Chotu]

Another vote for “don’t worry about it.”

[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.

[Chotu]

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.

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.

[capt jgw]

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.

[boatpoker]

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.

From a retired Certified Marine Corrosion Tech.... unless your keel/ hull joint is breached ... No.

[boatman61]

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..

[Ryan R.]

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?