Outer Keel Leak Repair - Screws

gts · Post by **gts** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:48 am

Andreas, I know from reading the forums that I should use silicon bronze screws and Boat Life caulk (not an adhesive like 3M 5200) when removing and re-sealing the out keel / keelson / garboard strake junction to stop leaks. What size screws do I order for a '68 Peshtigo 20' Offshore? Someplace I read 1 1/8 #6 with the advice to go to #8 if driving into the same hole. That keel must look like swiss cheese by now given four decades of leaking and repairs. Use the CPES injected with a syringe in the old holes and original size #6 in a new pilot-drill spot?

George

PS I checked on my boat - still in storage - with the Wade Strong method hull jacks left in place over the winter. Wade, you're a genius! I've been living with a mis-shaped hull and bizarre handling for more than a decade and you have done what my wooden boat professional guy couldn't. I'm ecstatic to report the hull shape is good as new! Three cheers for Wade Strong!

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:02 am

Go at least as long as the old screws. 1 1/8" is way too short. Probably more like 2" or maybe even longer.

Andreas

txcaptdan · Post by **txcaptdan** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 4:30 am

George,

If you are removing old keel cap then have a new one made and drill new holes. It is just a stick of oak, any good wood shop could cut you a new stick if like me you don't own the equipment or stock. You can redrill through existing holes. When I removed mine the bolt heads had a couple of turns of cotton twine wrapped around heads to create a seal. You can order bolts nuts and washers from Jamestown.

gts · Post by **gts** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:20 am

I was kinda hopin' to get the parts ordered and delivered in advance since I'm running out of summer.

I know the hull is bolted to the ribs; is the keel screwed or bolted?

BTW On one of the posts with lots of pictures of the hull planks pulling out of the keel - nails exposed and light shining between the two - one of the replies (you Capt Dan?) mentioned water in the bow bilge expanding and pushing the pieces apart. Is that why I'm redoing this repair every two or three years? I'm sitting bow low with water in the bilge over the winter?

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:03 am

Most likely there are two carriage bolts at the junction of the outer keel and outer stem. The rest of the keel is screwed thru the planking plywood into the inner keelson.

Something is wrong if you have to make repairs every few years.

Andreas

gts · Post by **gts** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:50 am

Andreas, this boat used to be operated on a lake with sandy beaches and, since someone else was paying the maintenance bills, we used to run the bow up on the sand. That accounted for continually wearing down the outer keel cap at the bow. The past decade the boat's been moored on a ball and operated off a dock. So I'm guessing the only way leaks at the bow outer keel can start would be by water freezing in the bow during the winter and pushing the garboard planks away from the keel.

I removed the protective metal strip on the outer keel to get a closer look. One of the bungs for the keel cap screws was completely missing. When I backed out the screw it had broken off - only the first inch or so came out. It looks like a 2 1/4 #12 but I can't promise that's original and not a replacement due to earlier repairs in that area.

I sprayed a little water in the bow. It came pouring back out that open broken-screw bung hole like an open faucet and also out all the small holes where I had removed the screws for the protective metal strip. There were also a couple of places on the outer keel (cracks?) with slower drips. That outer keel is not "structural" right? It's not supposed to be the sole item sealing the bottom, right?

My professional boat repair guy retired / left town (which is why I'm under the boat) and I notice he slathered West System epoxy the length of the out keel as a filet. So now I appreciate why you always recommend using a soft caulk like "Boat Life" so you can remove the out keel. It's a real pain cutting through that epoxy. But I take it that's what's necessary at this point: 1) remove the out keel 2) repair / reattach the garboard planks to the keel 3) replace the keel cap.

While removing several more of the keel cap screws, of eight or so I've gotten to only two were intact. All the rest were broken off. Is something even more serious happening down there? Or is that just indicative of ice damage - snapping the screws on the out keel and pushing the nails of the garboard planks?

George

txcaptdan · Post by **txcaptdan** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:35 am

George,

When I began restoration of my 20' Seacamper the keel which is 3 pieces of oak bolted together horizontally with carriage bolts were separated and all bolts broken. It had silicon bronze carriage bolts run vertically through keel cap and center board of inner keel, they were also all broken. I can only come up will ice damage as to the cause of this kind of damage as I knew hull was left exposed in Wisconsin several winters.

I cleaned up inner keel and replaced horizontal bolts with new silicon bronze the had new keel cap made and replaced vertical bolts with same. I added additional fasteners to garboard sheets where they attached to inner keel while I had keel cap off.

This seems to have worked great and have had no leaks in this area.

Good Luck