Hi, I sail a 1990 Pacific Seacraft, Crealock 31. She’s in great shape and the only thing about her that gives me pause are the keel bolts. While I haven’t noticed any problems, the mystery of their condition after 30 years bothers me.

On visual inspection from the bilge there appears to be some superficial rust around the nuts but nothing major. When I pull her out of the water, there is an 8-inch “smile” on the leading edge of the keel where the fiberglass hull and lead keel meet. That area dries fairly quickly after she’s blocked.

Any thoughts on how much I should be thinking about some kind of inspection? I’m thinking of a transatlantic sail with her next year and want to make sure she’s sound.

Hailing port is Pompano Beach, FL, just north of Ft. Lauderdale. Thanks so much.

Thanks all. I have a parallel thread on SailNet if anyone is interested in seeing those thoughts...

https://www.sailnet.com/forums/pacific-seacraft/333384-pacific-seacraft-keel-bolts.html

More to follow after I talk to Pacific Seacraft and get a yard lined up for the work.

+x

 

Dan Coate - 4/21/2020

Thanks all. I have a parallel thread on SailNet if anyone is interested in seeing those thoughts...https://www.sailnet.com/forums/pacific-seacraft/333384-pacific-seacraft-keel-bolts.htmlMore to follow after I talk to Pacific Seacraft and get a yard lined up for the work.

Hi Dan,
There is a deep dive into keels, their inspection, the levels of concern warranted for keel bolts in older boats, and the various ways keel bolts can be examined going on now in Attainable Adventures Cruising's web site .
Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Dick: Thanks. I will check out AAC. I subscribe to them and John has great content. Meanwhile I’ve contacted “Thumper” at Pacific Seacraft and he said the boats are way over-engineered and he’d never heard of problems. He suggested (and what they’d do at the shop) is to pull the fuel tank, chip away the epoxy slurry that covers the bolts and nuts and inspect from the bilge. I did that and pictures of some of the 10 bolts attached. I also shared with Thumper and he thought they looked fine.

He added that on the Pacific Seacraft the keel is also epoxied to the hull and just removing the nuts will not “drop” the keel. “You’d need a chainsaw to get the keel off and you’d ruin the hull in the process.”

Bottom-line, I feel good AND saved a whole lot of money and learned a whole lot doing it myself.

Thanks for all your help.

+x

 

Dan Coate - 6/8/2020

Dick: Thanks. I will check out AAC. I subscribe to them and John has great content. Meanwhile I’ve contacted “Thumper” at Pacific Seacraft and he said the boats are way over-engineered and he’d never heard of problems. He suggested (and what they’d do at the shop) is to pull the fuel tank, chip away the epoxy slurry that covers the bolts and nuts and inspect from the bilge. I did that and pictures of some of the 10 bolts attached. I also shared with Thumper and he thought they looked fine.

He added that on the Pacific Seacraft the keel is also epoxied to the hull and just removing the nuts will not “drop” the keel. “You’d need a chainsaw to get the keel off and you’d ruin the hull in the process.”

Bottom-line, I feel good AND saved a whole lot of money and learned a whole lot doing it myself.

Thanks for all your help.

Dan, Looks good, sounds good. Not sure it is good judgement to epoxy the keel to the hull if a chainsaw and hull damage is necessary to drop the keel: It is not common, but there are reasons where dropping the keel becomes necessary. Good luck, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy