Tazzy Devil 18 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hi all, I've got a tracker 7.7 that has a damp front keel bolt (bolts are arranged in a 1,2,2,1 configuration). So my thinking is to pull the boat in Autumn and replace all the bolts (for piece of mind) and rebel the keel. I'll also reinforce the bilge and stub with a few layers of cloth as it's an old boat and I might as well while it's out. I can do the glass work on the interior but was thinking of getting a boatbuilder to do the rebed and replace the bolts so it's done right Just wondering if anyone could suggest a price guide on this work, just a rough idea from experience. I figure get it done right and the boat should be good for a long time, so want a proper job done. Any thoughts or alternatives to ensure the keel stays attached? Off course then it's a vinyl wrap of the hull, new sails.... the great big hole in the water that swallows $$$$... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ketchup Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 My advice is to employe a expert ( boat builder) to inspect and recommend a repair/remedy. Pay him for his time and info. I suspect you will not need to do as much work as you think and throwing more glass around the bilge may not add any strength or value if the only issues you have is a leaky / loose bolt. Glass trackers are fairly good so get good advice and save money and time. From my experience throwing extra glass randomly around the keel area does not always fix the real issues and adhesion is always an issue if prep is poorly done. Look for movement/ cracks / etc. Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I'm still fairly new to boats and FEEL (perhaps wrongly) I've been ripped off twice already within six months, having just bought a second-hand Easterly 30. Maybe I'm just paranoid. So here's how I'm going to proceed in future: tell the suppliers they are the experts and ask for a firm price. In deciding who should take the risk of unforeseen complications, the risk should generally fall on the expert I think. If the job is one in which unforeseen issues can definitely arise (and I understand this), I'll be asking them to halt work while I come and have a look and get their briefing to the best of my limited understanding. I'll be telling them that I'll take detailed notes of conversations in case of further "misunderstandings". I'll be doing this on commissioning the job too. If they are honest operators they shouldn't have a problem with this approach. My view is that of course you have to have trust in experts who know more than you, but the way to build trust is with openness and honesty. Just to be clear, I'm not saying I WAS ripped off, but I'm certainly saying I wasn't happy and it felt like I was being ripped off. Meantime, is there any industry body which can review invoices? Link to post Share on other sites
khayyam 68 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I'm following this one with interest. We did the keel bolts ourselves on a 727 a couple of years ago, and in the end it wasn't that big a job -- the hardest part was sourcing the replacement bolts. I have no idea what it would have cost to have it done professionally, but we assumed it was too big! As far as getting ripped off/reviewing invoices, I imagine that every situation is so different that there's almost no way to make valid comparisons. In my experience with boats there are almost always unforeseen complications, and it's just a question of how bad they are! Link to post Share on other sites
Black Panther 1,581 Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 The customer's perception is the reality, if he is feeling ripped off, or even just a little uncomfortable , then the company/professional he is working with has a problem. The problem may or may not be with their work, it may be with their communication skills. Link to post Share on other sites
Dom 0 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 I have just recently bought a 28 foot keeler and was considering to re-bed the keel as there was a crack at the keel joint. If my memory serves me right the boat builder estimated minimum 3-4k for the job. In the end, I got away with a bolt inspection by checking if the bolts show movement and opening the pockets to check for corrosion. The keel joint was stripped all the way round and reglassed properly. Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Thanks Dom How did you check for movement? What does "opening the pockets" mean? Link to post Share on other sites
Tazzy Devil 18 Posted January 8, 2015 Author Share Posted January 8, 2015 I have just recently bought a 28 foot keeler and was considering to re-bed the keel as there was a crack at the keel joint. If my memory serves me right the boat builder estimated minimum 3-4k for the job. In the end, I got away with a bolt inspection by checking if the bolts show movement and opening the pockets to check for corrosion. The keel joint was stripped all the way round and reglassed properly. cheers, I'll pull the boat in couple of months and get the pros to look at it. May be no big deal at all. Link to post Share on other sites
Tazzy Devil 18 Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 So just an update, my keel is sweet as. The weepy bolt was just a front guide bolt, tiny bit of torque and leak fixed the 5 much bigger proper keelboats are solid as. The front bolt is only 12mm compared to the 20mm main bolts and apparently is only a tiny way back from the leading edge- a bit of fairing compound at the join on haulout and she'll be sweet for years to come. The boatbuilder said they over engineered the keels so nothing to worry about. Saved me getting a full on keel job and cost me a 2 boxes of steinlager. Dusty bilges now. Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin McCready 83 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Found this while duckduckgoing ["keel bolts" pockets] Best site I've seen on keel bolts: http://www.sailmagazine.com/boatworks/why-do-fin-keels-fail Link to post Share on other sites
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