Checked on My Boat Today - Saw RUSTY Drips!

[CruiserHopeful]

specifically, where the keel meets the rest of the hull, that line. looks like there was some drippage coming from inside there.

Yes it is on the hard
Yes it is in Connecticut
Yes it gets freezing cold up here
Yes there was about 7 inches of water in the bilge (was away for work for 2 months straight)


am I screwed?



Im about to pay the yard guys to sand down the hull and ablative paint the bottom as well... quoted me $1000 for that job... but it might be more

[skipmac]

First to clarify a couple of details. I assume this is a glass boat with an external keel bolted onto the hull? Is the keel solid, cast lead or steel?

Are you sure the drips are rusty and not just bilge grunge? Based on the temps in CT the last couple of months you can assume the water in the bilge froze.

If yes to all the above it could just be bilge water leaking around the keel bolts and through the joint between the keel and hull. There may be little or no structural damage. Might be fixed by rebedding under the nuts holding in the keel bolts. Probably good idea to look around the bilge to see if the expansion of the ice damaged anything.

To find out if the drips are bilge water leaking from inside I guess you could pump the bilge really dry and refill it with water and some kind of dye or tracer to see if that drips out the same place.

[Joli]

What size and type of boat are we talking about? It's not a big deal to drop the keel. If it's leaking it may be worth looking at that option.

[r.furborough]

It would also help to know the Year/Make/Model of boat as construction techniques can indicate how much of a problem this could be.

Originally Posted by Joli

What size and type of boat are we talking about? It's not a big deal to drop the keel. If it's leaking it may be worth looking at that option.

[CruiserHopeful]

1975 Catalina 30

Dropping the keel sounds like a huge undertaking. I'm sitting here hoping it was just momentary expansion due to all the ice, and that everything will re-seat properly.

I don't even want to deal with re-bedding the bilge/keel bolts

[r.furborough]

Ah, the 'Catalina Smile'!! :-)

See these links

http://indigotime.com/wahoo_for_sale...ina_smile.html

[C38] The Catalina Smile on Discreet Charm

Just google 'Catalina Smile' snf you will find others that have had the problem and the different ways that repairs were undertaken

[Ocean Girl]

If I am not mistaken there are only two places rust can be coming from down there - your keel or the keel bolts. It is more likely coming from the keel (but definitely check the bolts too).
Are you saying you have some rust drips coming from the area where the keel meets the hull?(I think it is called a keel box) Have you removed the compound seam between the two to see? I have seen keels emit little "tears" of rust, usually when I am in the middle of a bottom job and have sanded the keel but before I have "Ospho'd" it. If it is keel "tears" then sand clean, metal prime, paint prime and bottom paint (there is more to it but that is the basics).

Well, I guess what I am trying to say is that rusty tears coming from the keel during haul out is not a surprise and does not automatically mean "project", your keel is a hunk of iron (or steel), it will rust.

Erika

PS I met a late 70's Catlina down in Belize, she was sailing around the world! Great boats.

[r.furborough]

From what has been written you only have water seeping from the joint, not rust stained water, that being the case I would not be too concerned, particularly knowing the boat is a Catalina 30 and that this is a known quirk. The bottom of the Catalaina 30's keel is not quite parallel to the ground and when blocked on the hard many yards do not account for this and this puts more weight on the back of the keel leading to the forward edge of the joint opening up. Water has probably getting into the joint for years, very very slowly and filling any void or cavity that may be withing the mating surfaces of the hull and keel. When hauled, this water will seep back out, very, very slowing making it appear there is more water there than there actually is.

This part of the boat is very strong, and although you should be concerned about freeze damage, many Catalina 30's have undergone the same and continue to be sailed without repairs or problems.

The water in the bilge is just fresh water, entering from above, I would pump the bilge dry, replace your propeller and rudder shaft packing, preferably with the teflon impregnated 'graphlex' type that can almost stop shaft drips, put the boat in the water, enjoy sailing it and monitor your bilge closely until the next haul out to determine if the water is leaking past the keel bolts or is fresh water from above. I think the Catalina 30 has a deck stepped mast, so water ingress down the mast should not be a problem.

Corrosion has also been mentioned in replies, if you see signs of corrosion it will be red/orange in color in the presence of oxygen, I would not be too concerned with this and address it as needed as the corrosion probably only occured while the boat was out of the water. If however you see evidence of black or dk gray colored water, then you have a problem with 'crevice corrosion', then I would be concerned and would seek professional advice, not from a yard, particularly if they ultimately be undertaking the repairs, but from a surveyor. This type of corrosion does affect keel bolts and in extreme cases and lead to a keel failure/loss, it also shows in iron keeled boats where the keel is encapulated in fiberglass.

Just my 2 cents, I hope it helps.....