Keel Hull Joint... rust?

WindyT · May 21, 2019, 08:47:47 PM

Hey folks!

Pulled the boat out (1990 Wing keel) today to find a thin crack most of the way around the front of the keel. But a fairly prominent spot was on the port side (pictured). Called Catalina who thinks <50% chance rust. It's a lead keel... so if it is rust, gotta be keel bolts. They think it may be fairing compound but who knows. I'm planning to:
A) collect sample and get analyzed for iron content
B) fill the bilge with hot pink food color water to see if any leaks out
C) Torque the keel bolts to recommended spec

Zero of these tests are perfect for rusty keel bolts but there was a substantial amount of this orange stuff and I feel that if it were rust, those bolts would be in awful shape and frankly, they look just fine when I look at them in the bilge. Would love to hear any thoughts or if anyone has had similar experience!

KWKloeber · May 21, 2019, 10:03:00 PM

If it were a fin I'd say it's possibly deteriorated fire brick mixing w/ water and leaking out. I don't believe FB was cast into the wing.
If it's bolts, then it's probably not what you would see in the bilge -- the corrosion would be below that level.
Water leaks down around each bolt thread unless they are really well sealed.

Grind a little off the keel, taking off the paint down to the fairing. I can't think that it is that color but who knows, could be I suppose? The bedding (keel onto the keel buss) was not that color.

-ken

scgunner · May 22, 2019, 07:39:27 AM

Wow, that's officially the nastiest looking bottom on a C34 I've ever seen. If it was my boat the first thing I'd do is drop the keel. While the tops of the keel bolts in the bilge look fine, there's no way to know what's going on below the bilge and from the look of those pictures I'd say nothing good. The only way to be sure is to drop the keel so the bolts can be thoroughly inspected and if necessary replaced. Sorry to rain on your parade but there's no way I'd retorque, cleanup, refair and drop it in the water. Also what's up with that bottom paint, it looks like someone rollered some Henry's roof patch on the bottom and called it bottom paint.

DaveBMusik · May 22, 2019, 09:25:42 AM

If my memory is correct, I believe there is a recessed iron lifting ring in the keel which could be the source.

I lowered my keel and had the bolts checked (they were fine). Cleaned out all of the hard putty, slathered on 5200, a couple layers of glass over the seam. No more issues, no worries.

Stu Jackson · May 22, 2019, 10:24:51 AM

from the 101 Topics:

Rebedding a Keel Stub 101 The Catalina Smile with Pictures

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6842.0.html

Rick Roberts · July 01, 2019, 02:00:53 PM

We had a similar problem with our keel and ended dropping it. The were some serious fiberglass delamination and minor rust streak coming out of it. We documented our work during the process, here's the video if you are interested; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdQ03nGi8Sg&t=3s

Hope that helps a little bit.

Eric

KWKloeber · July 01, 2019, 02:53:25 PM

Eric

Wondering what you rebed with? 5200?

-ken

britinusa · July 02, 2019, 05:31:38 AM

Quote from: Rick Roberts on July 01, 2019, 02:00:53 PM
We had a similar problem with our keel and ended dropping it. The were some serious fiberglass delamination and minor rust streak coming out of it. We documented our work during the process, here's the video if you are interested; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdQ03nGi8Sg&t=3s

Eric, watched the video - nicely done. did you replace any of the bolts?