My Keel Joint

[gdwhiting87]

Hauled my Pearson 26 out and the keel joint doesn’t look great. How serious is this problem? Bolts under the bilge planks look fine. Thanks

[Fullbore]

Does the left side of the fifth photo align with the end of the keel that appears to be separating from the hull (seen in first two photos)?

[gdwhiting87]

Yes that’s the front of the keel the left side is the front bolt

[Fullbore]

I’m no expert, but there appears to be some corrosion there.

Let’s wait for others wilt more experience to comment…

[Rod Headlee]

Tha Catalina smile is pretty common. I guess that would be the Pearson smile. We jst ground it out a bit and filled it with 5200. You can check for leaks on the hard by putting water in your bilge. If it doesn't leak out and the bolts look good don't worry about it. During one haulout the yard glassed over it. We put about 20k miles on it after that, no problems.

[misssherry]

The forward keel bolt and nut show a lot of corrosion and should be inspected. It appears to have had some prior repair work done on it, perhaps to stop some leaking. I would remove the nut, which can be done while the boat is in the water. and check for signs of crevice corrosion.

[Manateeman]

I worked for Pearson. I would have the keel removed and repaired properly.
The “leak” test. This is a static test using a fluid which might be absorbed or evaporated before confirming a passageway exists between the interior and exterior of the hull. I don’t think this provides any definitive information.
We would never bother with this test.
If you had NO exterior cracks or openings and NO rust or corrosion on the bolts inside, pulling the bolts alone could give you more information about the condition of the bolts themselves but nothing about the female threads in the keel. You have two surfaces to examine, not one.

Wishful thinking to just keep sailing and advice to limit the scope of the repair? We feel this is very ill advised. We examined all the photos carefully. From what we see, it’s simply time to drop the keel and have it fully examined and properly repaired.

Captain Mark and his manatee crew of professional boatbuilders.

[Rol1964]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

I worked for Pearson. I would have the keel removed and repaired properly.
The “leak” test. This is a static test using a fluid which might be absorbed or evaporated before confirming a passageway exists between the interior and exterior of the hull. I don’t think this provides any definitive information.
We would never bother with this test.
If you had NO exterior cracks or openings and NO rust or corrosion on the bolts inside, pulling the bolts alone could give you more information about the condition of the bolts themselves but nothing about the female threads in the keel. You have two surfaces to examine, not one.

Wishful thinking to just keep sailing and advice to limit the scope of the repair? We feel this is very ill advised. We examined all the photos carefully. From what we see, it’s simply time to drop the keel and have it fully examined and properly repaired.

Captain Mark and his manatee crew of professional boatbuilders.

I could be mistaken but the P26 keel isn't threaded...those bolts are through bolts entered from beneath and washer nut then installed in the bilge. The bolts holes are then filled and faired over.
5/8" hex drive flat head screws...
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/127/3280
So you should be able to remove and inspect if desired.

[Manateeman]

You are probably right. ..long time ago. All the same, I’m not changing my recommendation. Drop it. Do it right. The thread area where the nuts are may look ok but bolts can thin out where they go through the hull...seen them stretch out from corrosion, bad material, collision, overtightening...I like to see the whole bolt, stud...whatever. Why take a chance.
You don’t have to have the keel fall off to have a problem. If it wiggles enough to let in seawater...that’s not a good day.
OK. I dislike bolt on keels. I’ve seen SO many issues with them. It’s an old boat.
You can see the rust on the surface. You cannot see the condition of the fiberglass under the paint and gel coat. Why risk anything which can have such a serious failure. To save money I guess. Let’s say nothing much is wrong. You save thousands. Let’s say something bad is there but hidden and it fails. You might find out how very little your insurance is worth. You posted your keel problem on line with photos. You took the less costly repair. Client X was injured as a result. You are responsible for medicals, attorneys, ...adds up quick.
If you have a professional yard look at your keel and repair it, you have some defense if things go bad. Again, not worth the risk .
Happy trails.
Mark and his crew.

[Rol1964]

Not to hijack the thread, but how difficult could removal of these (x 8) bolts be if they were re-installed with liberal amounts of 5200 squeezed in all around...about 10 years ago? Once the fairing material has been excavated and the nuts removed it should be a straight "hammer it out" exercise.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

I worked for Pearson. I would have the keel removed and repaired properly.
The “leak” test. This is a static test using a fluid which might be absorbed or evaporated before confirming a passageway exists between the interior and exterior of the hull. I don’t think this provides any definitive information.
We would never bother with this test.
If you had NO exterior cracks or openings and NO rust or corrosion on the bolts inside, pulling the bolts alone could give you more information about the condition of the bolts themselves but nothing about the female threads in the keel. You have two surfaces to examine, not one.

Wishful thinking to just keep sailing and advice to limit the scope of the repair? We feel this is very ill advised. We examined all the photos carefully. From what we see, it’s simply time to drop the keel and have it fully examined and properly repaired.

Captain Mark and his manatee crew of professional boatbuilders.

I don't see any keel bolts in those photos. I see nuts on threaded rods with no backing plates.

[Manateeman]

Well inside the nuts there is something...call it whatever you want...bolts, threaded rod, studs...what’s the difference...the keel isn’t held on by glue.
There are a number of other owners of this specific boat that have, in their own words, concerns about their keel / hull joint.
If you think nothing is wrong, or it’s a minor problem, then just post that...If you think my advice is bad, just say so.
I posted my opinion TO the original poster. I don’t care to discuss with anyone else. I don’t quote people. Post whatever you wish. Go for it.
I’ve got better things to do than debate everything under the sun.
Dear OP. Happy trails to you.
Captain Mark

[Sailor Sailor]

I owned a Pearson 26 as my first keelboat and had a great time sailing her. Your situation appears to be the result of a poorly repaired grounding. The aft end of the keel receives the highest pressure and stress from a grounding, especially with the shape of the iron P26 keel. There are 8 bolts in a plywood bed in the bilge of the fiberglass hull. You must drop the keel to repair properly. There is a similar situation depicted on Dan Pfeiffer's P26 page Pyxis by Tom Aston: Tom Aston's Keel Saga

Given the value of a P26, it may not be worthwhile. You might auction it on eBay or donate to a charity to avoid making any representations about its condition.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Manateeman

I posted my opinion TO the original poster. I don’t care to discuss with anyone else. Captain Mark

I see you have changed your tune after sending me that pm implying your were an SME and I was wrong about the Feeling yacht with rusty nuts on the keel studs

So Captain Mark, you can't have it both ways now can you.

Pete

[Manateeman]

I have no idea...completely lost. I don’t quote people.
I can’t keep track of what I said or why. I don’t care. LOL
Maybe I changed my mind, maybe I was kidding, maybe my manatee crew posted using face time and the computer crashed.
Who, what, when, why. WOW. It’s all...SO...serious.
I can’t tell if half the posts are just arguments for the sake of arguing over the most minor points, or the posts are serious...like ...do I have to stay after school?
Don’t know what a troll is and don’t care since they don’t eat aluminum rudders ...or do they?
I don’t drink alcohol but I’m beginning to see why the manatees are building an onboard brewery and pizza bazooka.
Well, Happy trails to all.
Captain Mark