"Grounding striations in keel" in survey, should I run?

[JimsCAL]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I saw an iron keel that had suffered salt water penetration being worked on. It was an awful job. The iron expanded with the rust, and eventually burst the surrounding fiberglass.

The keel had been "opened" for about 7/8 of the area on one side, and effort being made to remove all the rusted material. Then new iron would have to be put in, it re-glassed, and of course, new bolts, dropped, re-sealed, etc.

The owner who was working on it was not having a good time, and had already been one week on the hard doing it, when I saw it.

Having seen that, I suggest you try to find a Hunter without those problems.

Ann

You just explained why encapsulated iron keels are scary. I would far prefer a bolt-on iron keel any day over an encapsulated one. Yes it is a bit of a maintenance headache, but it's easy to see what you've got.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Opened on one side??? That is bad. You drop a keel so its all standing, all around. Dropping one side risks deforming the other side of the hull/keel joint. Probably already has delaminated the inside of the hull/keel joint. Walk, walk very quickly away.

This was an encapsulated keel with iron inside as ballast, not a bolt-on casting. Not sure that this was properly expressed in Ann's post.

Jim

[capngeo]

On the West Coast of Florida, we have two types of boats; those that have run aground, and those that never leave the slip

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by capngeo

On the West Coast of Florida, we have two types of boats; those that have run aground, and those that never leave the slip

Shucks, Geo, in marinas with a large tidal range, many boats go aground whilst still in their berths!

Jim

[Symphony]

striking the keel will pull some parts of the hull and compress other parts. Tears and delam in front of the keel, compression and crushing behind the keel. bulkheads may have become un-tabbed near the bottom.

Check that all the doors, drawers, lockers, ports, hatches, and cupboard closers open and close straight.

[Tingum]

Originally Posted by danstanford

Thanks Guys for the feedback. The survey was one done for the current owners when they bought the boat so I cannot talk to the previous owners. When I have her hauled, I will certainly be looking for cracks, and to find out if striations are scratches or gouges!
I haven't heard anyone yelling walk away yet...

Does this mean you have not had your own survey? As rocky as your area is Gouges on the keel should not be that unusual.

[bsurvey]

does the boat have a stubby keel or is it attached to the hull only.


keels are essentially parallelogram's. in a forward striking the back of the keel tries to go up through the bottom of the boat


the boat should be hanging in the straps when the area of the hull is sounded by a surveyor. once on the hard and compressed by the boats own weight you may not find any damage in the usual way

[danstanford]

Thanks Everybody for the feedback. We had her hauled last night and the bottom, the keel to hull joint, and the keel all look great. I looked at the hull in all lights looking for continuity of shape and any cracks with no concern at all. Tapping showed differing thicknesses but no different sounds indicating soft spots or damage.
Now to get a couple of weeks of sailing before she comes out!
Thanks again,

Dan