Hit a Rock, possible damage?

[sona1111]

Good Morning Folks,

I had an embarrassing time coming into the Barnegat bay inlet at night recently. Our boat (Bayfield 29 Full keel) hit the edge of one of the rock Jettys at about 4kn, and was stuck there for about 10 seconds. Luckily, there were fairly large swells out, and we got lifted off of the rocks and were able to reverse out. I have since completed the rest that journey which took a few more days. All systems have performed the same as before and there has been no water ingress. I have been able to inspect the rudder and a small distance below the waterline from the dock and I can not see anything except a few scratches in the paint.

I recently called up a marina nearby and described what occurred. He stated that likely we only hit on the Keel, and this was made of mainly steel and lead, so the damage would not be critical. This sounds reasonable, but the only thing I am worried about is if water can get to any part above the keel where it would be an issue. I am wondering what is the worst that can happen if there was a hit to the keel and it is not repaired immediately?

Thank you for reading and I appreciate your advice.

[Dockhead]

First of all, relax. It happens to all of us sooner or later.

This is the time when it is appropriate very, very glad that you have an old-fashioned slow boat built like a brickhouse. Something like this could rip the keel off a rapier-keeled racing boat, or many a modern cruising boat.

I would say that it is very unlikely that there is any significant damage at all, but you should have the boat lifted out and carefully inspected. I presume you don't have a bolt-on keel -- that it's fully encapsulated, right? So in this case you need to check the integrity of the glass around the keel. If you have no water ingress then the damage is likely to be superficial and you can most likely repair it yourself.

For anyone who does this with a bolt-on keel, you need to tighten the keel bolts and carefully check the joint between the keel and the hull.

Obviously you need to check the rudder and generally give a good look-over to everything under the waterline. Take pictures and post on here if you see anything you don't understand.

If everything is working ok, steering is smooth, and no water is coming in -- I mean not a drop -- then you can probably wait to finish your cruise before you haul out and do all of this.

[goat]

https://youtu.be/rvxhQO4pw2E

This might make you feel a little better. The Bayfields have similar strength.

[Terra Nova]

I should think you'd be curious enough to dive the boat and inspect it.

[RSB333]

I had a similar experience. Was advised that my BoatUS insurance would pay for a haul to assess the damage, if any. Mine was a Whitby 42 with encapsulated full keel. Fiberglass repair was done to prevent water incursion into the keel section, which I was glad to have documented when it came time to sell the boat.

RSB

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by goat

https://youtu.be/rvxhQO4pw2E

This might make you feel a little better. The Bayfields have similar strength.

Wow, das ist ganz der test. Es is ein starkes Boot! Sorry, it was a German test.



That was quite the test, adn one strong boat! I'll bet they had a lot of fun testing those collisions. Thanks for sharing that.

[Ed S.]

Any one have any idea how a 1981 O'Day 34' would compare to the Dehler 31 in the crash tests? Not that I'm planning to compare, just curious...

[jmschmidt]

Big difference between hitting solid rock and empty oil drum or floating debris.

[jmschmidt]

Mein Gott, Mein Herr, there is a big difference between hitting solid rock and empty oil drums or floating debris.

[meirriba]

Basically what Dockhead wrote.
If you have integral keel, just dive and look around. Probably nothing wrong except scratches.
If keel is bolted on (unusual for full length) you need to check keelbolts and the area where keel top connects to bottom.
You may consider telling your insurance company and ask for financing of a haulout for inspection.

[Peregrine1983]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Mein Gott, Mein Herr, there is a big difference between hitting solid rock and empty oil drums or floating debris.

4:28 my friend.

Is the bayfield an encapsulated keel or a bolt on?

[Ed S.]

Yes. Rocks are not nearly as forgiving. Bolt on keel.
But I wonder if the Oday would stand up as well as the Dehler 31 in similar circumstances.

[bil56]

inspect the hull reinforcements just in front of and behind the keel, that of the rear tends to rise, that of the front to go down, that is where the constraints are maximum ...
cracks or splinters of paint or gelcoat prove these abnormal efforts.

[Jim Cate]

If you are not willling or able to dive on the boat yourself, hiring a pro diver to do an underwater inspection would be much cheaper than slipping the boat.

There will likely be some damage to the glass in the impact area, but unlikely that there is structural damage to t he keel. Looking at the plan form shape of the forefoot, the boat probably rode up over the rock some distance, and this may have abraded the glass along that path.

If so, and if time or budget constraints mean hauling is denied, a diver could use underwater epoxy to seal the abraded areas until a proper repair is possible. This is not the best solution, but will keep you going until the winter haulout (if you are from an area where that awful practice is needed!).

Good luck with it all.

Jim

[Sunsetrider]

I’ve done that twice, once at full tilt under sail to with a Mirage 29, No damage as it turned out except a ding in the lead in the leading edge of the keel. Once in an Albin 25, fibreglass keel at 4 kts, could not find the spot it hit.