What are these pipes?

[imimi]

Originally Posted by PaulZeeders

Hi
We have a steel yacht that has a pipe that appears to link the rear of the keel to the rudder sked. The red pipe in the attached photos links the keel to the rudder sked but goes nowhere else. What are these pipes for?

Many thanks Paul

Simple, take it off and see what happens; and see what's inside, air, oil, fuel

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by PaulZeeders

Hi

We have a steel yacht that has a pipe that appears to link the rear of the keel to the rudder sked. The red pipe in the attached photos links the keel to the rudder sked but goes nowhere else. What are these pipes for?



Many thanks Paul

Keel cooler..maybe the skeg is used as a cooler?
I used to do that on one of my steel yachts...

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by PaulZeeders

Hi
The photos are of each end of the red pipe. The engine has a heat exchanger with sea water discharging into the exhaust bend. The steel pipe fitting going into the sked has been specially made as though there is an inner and outer pipe going down into the skeg. I am struggling to understand why you would have this set up. There is a nut welded at the top which I beleive is for screwing the fitting down.

Maybe originally the yacht had a different engine without a heat exchanger, and the skeg was used to circulate the fresh water/engine coolant , closed loop.
Maybe a seawater pump was used to inject water into the exhaust?.

[oldfordcrap]

What boat what size what year????

[hpeer]

It is a custom steel boat built in Hawaii. Long fin keel with big skeg. Very nicely done, shows signs if high quality professional work. He attached a picture early in.

[PaulZeeders]

I wont be back on the yacht for another week, but I know there has been an engine change so maybe a water cooler for a past engine. Thanks for all the replies so far

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Icarus

Keel cooler..maybe the skeg is used as a cooler?
I used to do that on one of my steel yachts...

How can the skeg act as a cooler?
Keel coolers usually run lines outside the keel for water flow.
How would a skeg cooler work?
What removes the heat, not in theory, but reality?
Boatyarddog

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by oldfordcrap

What boat what size what year????

Ganley stratos 15m.
Boatyarddog

[MicHughV]

I was hoping to read a solution to this problem by now...but alas....I see head scratching still going on....

How can you own a boat and not know what stuff is.....or why it's there.....etc..etc..

I still think the threaded pipe may have been the original fill point for the tank in the keel...but since closed up and used as a location for the fuel return line...and a new fill location is located elsewhere....

But will readily admit my guesses are as good...or as bad....as anyone else's..

[hpeer]

Yes, following with interest.

[PaulZeeders]

Well today I removed the pipes at the rear of the keel and put an endoscope down to find residual oil. It appears that oil is used to fill voids in steel keels to prevent condensation. I intend to remove the threaded fitting from the rudder skeg this weekend to see what is so special about this fitting. I will then be in a position to look at pressure testing these voids before filling with oil.

Paul