Keel J bolt replacement in lead keel

[Matt Johnson]

Need some help.

We are on the hard in St Augustine FL after a grounding coming in the inlet. We took the keel off to rebed, but now see that 6 of the 8 keel bolts have corrosion, with one being half eaten through. We need to replace these, but unfortunately, nobody around here knows of anyone that does this type of repair. I have found a guy from California that does the repair and will travel here to do it, but just like anything, I would like to get a second quote on getting this done as I'm paying for this part of the repair.

Anyone here know of someone that does this repair? Or anyone to call that may know of where it can be done. I'm trying to avoid sending the keel to Mars in Toronto.

Thanks,

Matt

[perchance]

You will probably have to bite the bullet on this on.

[Matt Johnson]

Here are some photos of the damage:

[RabidRabbit]

Just out of curiosity how much roughly to ship it off and have it fixed at mars? What does a proper fix consist of? How big of a keel is it? weight, lenght,height?

[lifeofreilly57]

The company that probably made the keel for your boat is I Broomfield & Sons in Providence RI. It might be a good idea to talk to them and see what they recommend.
14 Lehigh ST, Providence, RI 02905 401-941-7361, "lehighmet@verizon.net". You can also look up their website for information. I know they've made keels for Sabre and many other OEM's as well as custom keels to the owners design. They might be able to point you in the right direction.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by RabidRabbit

Just out of curiosity how much roughly to ship it off and have it fixed at mars? What does a proper fix consist of? How big of a keel is it? weight, lenght,height?

It's stamped 5050#.... surprising since the listed ballast is 4800#. Its about 5 feet long and stands 3.5' tall. It's a shoal draft boat.

Haven't looked into shipping yet as that is going to be pricey too. The guy from California will be about $3000 all said and done, but I haven't seen anyone report they used him.

[RabidRabbit]

I wouldnt know how to procede until I had a good estimate on total cost. I'm a big time do-it-your-selfer/tradesman and if things cant be done by me, I start to look for other options. If this looks like it could cost 8K-10K or more, I might think about epoxying in on like a encapsulated keel. Many boats have all the lead encased in 1/2 or more of glass. If you covered your entire keel in 3/8" of glass/epoxy, bolted it back on, and then did a 36" lap joint fairing it into the hull (18"on keel,18" on hull), then do a final couple of layers to bring to 1/2" thickness overall. At this point the bolts would not even be needed, but give you piece of mind. Best yet if you start tomorrow you could splash in 10 days, pay no labor, and spend only $1500ish on cloth and epoxy. Get your epoxy from RAKA in FL. No doubt people here will slander this idea and tell you ask enginers. Conformist sheep they are.

[RabidRabbit]

I basicly did what i explained last summer. That keel is smallish and would be a quick one. But 3k isnt that much if it does not ballon for whatever reason. I also prefer encapsulated over bolts, so I'm biasd. EPoxy is great stuff and I have massive faith in its ability to fix stuff. Everyone I talked to was bothered buy my unwillingness to use any mechanical fasteners.

[RabidRabbit]

I had a 3800# shoal with centerboard 4' now I have 4900# 5' no centerboard. Last summers fun on the hard project. This upcoming summer I want to cut the transom off and add 3', not a sugar scoop, just more space. Way cheaper than getting a slightly larger boat. The year before the keel i did a pilothouse. I am not scared of his stuff.

[Matt Johnson]

Encapsulated would have been really nice to have before. Unfortunately, this isn't a "life time" boat for us and resale will be important. I knew I should have bought that Shannon I looked at instead of the Sabre

[RabidRabbit]

Is that a cored hull?

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by RabidRabbit

Is that a cored hull?

Sort of. Sold fiberglass around the keel stub. There is core upfront, but none for a few feet around the keel.

[Charlie]

I forget where I read this but the way to replace Keel bolts is to set the boat back on the keel and bed it. From there drill new bolts. Identify where the new bolts are and cut out a hollow in the keel so that you can add a plate and a nut to the end of the keel bolt. I think it was in practical sailor but am not sure.

This may be the guy from California that you are talking about:

On 11/30/00 19:51:49 you wrote:
I have a small business called Keel Bolt REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR. I had a company called Keelco and made many of the Islander keels. I have a method were I take the keel of the boat and take out the old keel bolts and replace them with new 304 stainless steel j shaped althread material. I weld them back into position with a special lead alloy that make the new keel bolt 2 to three times stronger than the new old keel bolt. I can travel to anywhere and repair the keel at the boat yard. I charge about $150 per keel bolt to replace it plus traveling expenses. Give me a call at 310 547 4604 at night or Email me at huseman@mindspring.com.

Don Huseman

[CeesH]

On Internet I found the company MarsKeel who is offering keel bolt replacement.

Keel Bolt Replacement

If your keel bolts have deteriorated to the point where they are unsafe, or have failed entirely, we can replace them. MarsKeel™ can offer you replacement technology and techniques that return your keel to new condition.

CeesH

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Charlie

On 11/30/00 19:51:49 you wrote:
I have a small business called Keel Bolt REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR. I had a company called Keelco and made many of the Islander keels. I have a method were I take the keel of the boat and take out the old keel bolts and replace them with new 304 stainless steel j shaped althread material. I weld them back into position with a special lead alloy that make the new keel bolt 2 to three times stronger than the new old keel bolt. I can travel to anywhere and repair the keel at the boat yard. I charge about $150 per keel bolt to replace it plus traveling expenses. Give me a call at 310 547 4604 at night or Email me at huseman@mindspring.com.

Don Huseman

That is the guy that does the keel repair, but the price has gone up from $150 to $340...ouch! Seems like nice guy, but would love a review of the work.