Keel split from GRP Hull

[surfp]

We had an Elysian 27 GRP cruiser hauled out of the water today (planning to make the inside nice) and have a couple of problems underneath - beyond cleaning down and antifouling!

The first is that the keel seems to have split from the hull - I've included a couple of photos below. It looks to me like it's started to rot out and possible the bolts have dropped, a comment was made that it looks quite shallow though so thinking there might be more too it?

I have no boat maintenance experience so after some help with options (will be asking the boat yard too of course)... anything I can check or do to gauge how much work will be involved? Anything 'DIY' that could be done? Or is it best just handing it over to someone to sort out.

 

[Alan de Enfield]

 

You can see the bolts have dropped, it may be that water has penetrated the hull and is rotting from the inside.

It may fing it is a bit worse than just the keel when you get it cleaned and cut-back.

 

Have you had the floor up and looked into the bilges and along the keel ?

Is there any sign of water and rot ?

 

Unless you are skilled with wood and GRP repairs I'd be tempted to say leave it to those that can. If it leaks afterwards you at least have somone to 'come back on'.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[surfp]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

You can see the bolts have dropped, it may be that water has penetrated the hull and is rotting from the inside.

It may fing it is a bit worse than just the keel when you get it cleaned and cut-back.

 

Have you had the floor up and looked into the bilges and along the keel ?

Is there any sign of water and rot ?

 

Unless you are skilled with wood and GRP repairs I'd be tempted to say leave it to those that can. If it leaks afterwards you at least have somone to 'come back on'.

Lifted some of the floor up whilst it was in the water a few weeks ago and was all dry, no sign of water. Will lift them up again when I go back to it this weekend and have a proper look for any signs of rot etc.

Working with wood I can deal with... GRP is new. Although definitely value in having someone to go back to if is repaired and leaks!

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by surfp

[Tony Brooks]

OK I will put my oar in, but others may have other ideas.

 

Typically, those bolts go right through the hull, head upwards and once the keel is fitted the heads are glassed over. I am confident that if you look inside the boat you will see the GRP "domes" covering the bolt heads. Although with a bit of luck the glass will secure the bolt head I would not do it that way.

 

The keel itself is drilled and then the bottom is counter bored to fit the nuts inside the keel. In some cases the bottom then had steel D section screwed over it to minimise wear but I would not bother.

 

You may have to remove the engine, then with the boat out of the water and properly secured/chocked high enough to drop the keel off.

 

Using an old plane iron or old wide chisel  cut all the GRP domes off the inside of the hull and clean and abrade all around the arae ready to take new GRP.

 

Undo the nuts and drop the keel off. Use the keel as a pattern to cut a new one. Typically, they seemed to be soft wood.

 

Jack the new keel into position and drill down through the bolt holes in the hull and the remove the keel and counter bore the bottom.

 

At this stage you may wish to prime and paint the new keel.

 

If you wish to apply sealer to the top of the keel, jack back up using a couple of bolts dropped through widely spaced holes as guides.

 

Fit NEW keel boats and nuts and tighten. Bronze of brass might be a good idea but I am sure iron or steel would do for this application.

 

Degrease the inside of the hull using acetone and the re-glass over the nuts taking care to pack the GRP close to  bolt heads to maximise your chances of undoing the nuts in the future.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bee]

And that is about as comprehensive a reply as could be wished. I would only add that if there is no cracks or splits on the inside and you are not wanting to cross the Atlantic you can relax.

[Tony Brooks]

I should have said use at least three random layers of chopped strand mat and may be some scrim as a finishing layer.

[surfp]

On 06/05/2021 at 20:37, Tony Brooks said:

OK I will put my oar in, but others may have other ideas.

 

Typically, those bolts go right through the hull, head upwards and once the keel is fitted the heads are glassed over. I am confident that if you look inside the boat you will see the GRP "domes" covering the bolt heads. Although with a bit of luck the glass will secure the bolt head I would not do it that way.

 

The keel itself is drilled and then the bottom is counter bored to fit the nuts inside the keel. In some cases the bottom then had steel D section screwed over it to minimise wear but I would not bother.

 

You may have to remove the engine, then with the boat out of the water and properly secured/chocked high enough to drop the keel off.

 

Using an old plane iron or old wide chisel  cut all the GRP domes off the inside of the hull and clean and abrade all around the arae ready to take new GRP.

 

Undo the nuts and drop the keel off. Use the keel as a pattern to cut a new one. Typically, they seemed to be soft wood.

 

Jack the new keel into position and drill down through the bolt holes in the hull and the remove the keel and counter bore the bottom.

 

At this stage you may wish to prime and paint the new keel.

 

If you wish to apply sealer to the top of the keel, jack back up using a couple of bolts dropped through widely spaced holes as guides.

 

Fit NEW keel boats and nuts and tighten. Bronze of brass might be a good idea but I am sure iron or steel would do for this application.

 

Degrease the inside of the hull using acetone and the re-glass over the nuts taking care to pack the GRP close to  bolt heads to maximise your chances of undoing the nuts in the future.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the really comprehensive reply Tony! Gives me loads to go off and look into this weekend, hoping it gives me a better idea of the problem/what's involved.
The only bit I've got no comparative experience with is the GRP/glassing over. Will get the boat yard to give their view and make a call from that.

 

 

On 06/05/2021 at 21:27, Bee said:

And that is about as comprehensive a reply as could be wished. I would only add that if there is no cracks or splits on the inside and you are not wanting to cross the Atlantic you can relax.

Thank you, this is genuinely reassuring! It's an old boat so was hoping ("expecting") it to would become a hobby... it's clearly going to be a little more than that to start but some encouragement is what people need.

 

[Tony Brooks]

8 hours ago, surfp said:

Thank you for the really comprehensive reply Tony! Gives me loads to go off and look into this weekend, hoping it gives me a better idea of the problem/what's involved.
The only bit I've got no comparative experience with is the GRP/glassing over. Will get the boat yard to give their view and make a call from that.

 

 

It is probably more difficult to get the materials in retail quantities and cleaning yourself and tools up afterwards than actually doing that particular job because gravity is helping you.

 

Once you get the hull really grease free and abraded the rest is easy. You will need some disposable gloves, old or cheap throw away paint brushes, disposable mixing post, a method of measuring the resin and hardener quantities and ideally a "mashing" tool that looks like a row of washers on a spindle with a small gap between each washer, all mounted on a handle and 90 degrees to the spindle.

 

Mix the resin and hardener. Paint  a layer on the hull, lay a strip of chopped strand mat over the resin. Apply more on top and mash it down by stippling with an old brush and rolling the masher over it. Apply more resin if needed. When you can't see any dry glass mat apply another layer and so on. As I said I would want three layers but more won't hurt.

 

[Quattrodave]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

It is probably more difficult to get the materials in retail quantities

 

 

I have a trade account with a UK supplier (resins, matting, tools, cleaning, paint, mixing pots etc), if you want me to purchase any materials on your behalf let me know...

Edited May 8, 2021 by Quattrodave
typo

[Tony Brooks]

5 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

 

I have a trade account with a UK supplier (resins, matting, tools, cleaning, paint, mixing pots etc), if you want me to purchase any materials on your behalf let me know...

 

That's a kind offer - won't help much with cleaning his wrists etc. though.