Question about fiberglass delamination from keel on Pearson 28-2

[aDemilich]

Hi all,

I've just had a surveyor look at a Pearson 28-2 in Darien, CT for me and he pointed out that there's a problem with the fiberglass on the keel having lost its bond to the keel- imgur link with pictures below:

https://imgur.com/a/p0djqiF

First, is it common for a bolt-on keel to also be encapsulated in fiberglass? The surveyor's exact words are 'The fiberglass encapsulated lead keel has some areas where the fiberglass has lost its bond to the keel. The sides of the hull maintain a shine with no signs of damage observed. No signs of separation at the keel joint.'

I thought keels were typically either encapsulated or bolted on, so I was a little surprised to hear that this one is apparently both.

Second, the current owner works on boats for a living and assures me he will do the necessary fiberglass repairs prior to putting it in the water for a sea trial, but should I be concerned that this is indicative of a bigger issue/likely to spread even after repairs? What would be the expected cause of sort of delamination?

Thanks for any knowledge you guys can provide, hopefully someday I'll be able to contribute more than just questions about my own projects on here.

[aDemilich]

Here's another picture from the surveyor, this one is making me think the problem is more serious: https://imgur.com/a/75kmflT

[marcjsmith]

if the Owner is going to make repairs himself if he's a capable person to do such a job, I would ask that he document the repair with photos, material list anticipated procedure and receipts.



the keel boats are whats tying the weight of the keel of the hull. My guess the encapsulation is doing more to protect the soft lead from being damaged.



when this happens in steel keels and is ignored, you end up with rust and likely a lot more problems as the rust, like a cancer spreads around and tends to want to expand and cause more de lamination.


Was the delam caused by a "freeze/thaw" Ie water got in, didn't get out, and then froze and popped?


if it was my repair. I'd remove the grp that is around the parts that had separated above and below the crack until I got back to areas of good adhesion of GRP and lead. dry it out. Then start rebuilding. The keel bolts are what holding the keel on. all you are looking at to my unpracticed eyes is a mostly cosmetic repair with proper glass work, fairing, gelcoat/barrier coat, prime, AF paint. maybe 10-15 hours worth of work depending on how large of an area.


the trailing edge crack is a bit odd but could be just someone tried to fair the keel at one point and the fairing didn't grab hold or they used the wrong materials and it cracked. surprised that there are not any crack showing near the keel/hull joint, as thats were most cracks will form on a bolt on keel as the keel and fiberglass "move around"



I am not a NA, nor did I sleep at a holiday last night.

[aDemilich]

I agree that this is more cosmetic than anything, if the delamination were on the hull it would be a different story IMO. Some new pics from the current owner after he grinded out the old fiberglass: https://imgur.com/a/LdzG6rQ

Looks like he's doing a pretty thorough job so far. He's only asking for 8k and the boat seems very clean other than this, so I'm hoping the sea trial/engine check goes well.

[psk125]

Should last another 20-30 years after it's been fixed. Sounds like you got a good deal.