Sun Odyssey keel attachment

[jake]

I am a relatively new owner, and this is the first season that I have been able to have a good look at my keel.
I have attached a photo, and I wondering if the appearance at the keel connection looks like a problem, or is it normal?
Thanks!

[bereboot]

Most of the keels from jeanneaù i've seen were bad finished against the hull. Mostly this is cosmetic. However of you have Anny doubts you better have this checked by a yard.

[Charlie-Bravo]

Used to be called a 'smile' , generally as the keel is bolted to the hull with a fair amount of sealant, over the years the sealant can crack a bit, plus when lifted the hull can flex a little, and from your photo doesn't look like the result of grounding.

Look inside at the front and rear of the keel areas, there shouldn't be any evidence of any leakage, or slightly splintered fibre glass from hull to the reinforcing 'ribs' , ( if there is, find a good yard)  and if this is so, dig out some of the old sealant ( a multitool is a handy weapon ) and insert some Sikaflex, smoothed with a gloved finger, and that should sort it out for a couple of years.
Idealy the boat would be hanging in the cradle with not much support for the keel whilst inserting the sealant ........ but often the opportunity doesn't arrive at some yards I have found.

Re check on the next lift out, if it gets worse then something is moving more than it should ! but I wouldn't panic just yet.

CB

[jake]

Apr 16, 2022 18:32:05 GMT Charlie-Bravo said:

Used to be called a 'smile' , generally as the keel is bolted to the hull with a fair amount of sealant, over the years the sealant can crack a bit, plus when lifted the hull can flex a little, and from your photo doesn't look like the result of grounding.

Look inside at the front and rear of the keel areas, there shouldn't be any evidence of any leakage, or slightly splintered fibre glass from hull to the reinforcing 'ribs' , ( if there is, find a good yard)  and if this is so, dig out some of the old sealant ( a multitool is a handy weapon ) and insert some Sikaflex, smoothed with a gloved finger, and that should sort it out for a couple of years.
Idealy the boat would be hanging in the cradle with not much support for the keel whilst inserting the sealant ........ but often the opportunity doesn't arrive at some yards I have found.

Re check on the next lift out, if it gets worse then something is moving more than it should ! but I wouldn't panic just yet.

CB

[jake]

Thanks for that response! I will take your advice.

[jdl01]

On these mass produced boats you seldom get a perfect fit - a small leading edge gap is seldom a problem and a good filler/glue like 3M's 5200 can be squeezed in and faired. On our old peterson one ton we could max out our hydraulic backstay to open up the smile even further.
Tightening the keel bolts is more of an issue. Unlike lead keels where the bolts are studs sunk in the keel with nut attachments the jeanneau iron keels use a conventional bolt tapped into the keel with the bolt heads visible in the bilge. When you tighten them, you break the sealant applied to the threads which prevents water ingress to the bolt holes in the keel. A proper fix involves extracting the bolt and recoating it [after cleaning] with sealant before resetting it with a torque wrench. This procedure reduces the onset of a rusting keel/hull joint.

[Charlie-Bravo]

The keel 'bolts' on my 35 are studs with washers and nuts over backing plates, I haven't ever seen a keel attached with an actual bolt as you describe ....... perhaps I just haven't seen enough keel bolts.

Replacing keel bolts, or attempting to tighten them is in my experience is something to be avoided unless conclusive evidence that it is required is found, a jolly long tommy bar seems to be required along with a fair amount of muscle power to shift them.
CB

[zaphod]

Apr 24, 2022 18:53:03 GMT Charlie-Bravo said:

The keel 'bolts' on my 35 are studs with washers and nuts over backing plates, I haven't ever seen a keel attached with an actual bolt as you describe ....... perhaps I just haven't seen enough keel bolts.

Replacing keel bolts, or attempting to tighten them is in my experience is something to be avoided unless conclusive evidence that it is required is found, a jolly long tommy bar seems to be required along with a fair amount of muscle power to shift them.
CB

These are the keel bolts on my 39i. (Technically they are actually cap screws). I guess some generations used studs and other generations used cap screws.

If I had a gap wouldn't hesitate to torque them up, but as you say it would be better to pull them and seal re-seal them, or perhaps even replace them.

[bratwurzt1]

Apr 16, 2022 12:40:13 GMT jake said:

I am a relatively new owner, and this is the first season that I have been able to have a good look at my keel.
I have attached a photo, and I wondering if the appearance at the keel connection looks like a problem, or is it normal?
Thanks!



We had the same exact thing on our 2003 S/O 35. Filled it a two part epoxy called splash zone and it's been good ever since. 

[jdl01]

There is a bit of science that needs to go with Charlie Bravo's muscle when tightening keel bolts. All bolts should be set to the same tension [ with a torque wrench] to equalize the load across the hull attachment area. Disproportionate torquing on one bolt can lead to eventual cracking around that bolt. So warns our local builder and shipyard owner who has repaired many hull/keel joint misadventures.

[so32foot]

The keel of my SO32 looks exactly the same and i do not have problems with leakage or whatever. If there has been a serious grounding you will see hair scratches on the inside at the back side of the keel.

[fimacca]

I have the same boat, and mine looked the same until I filled it with sikka. It drops out after a while, just replace it when you antifoul.. 

If the boat was grounded there would be evidence of damage to the bulb, keel, or bolts internally and the surrounding glass.