J133 keel/stub joint

[Wayne Cassady]

Here’s a photo of the joint. I have seen a lot of this in yards on various boats, just seemed like a lot of crack for the little time since the last repair.

[D. Scott Miller]

I used to have a J/122.  When I bought it, there was a band of fiberglass over that joint. As some point, due to normal flexion, very small cracks appeared and, when the boat was hauled, water would seep out. 

 

When we investigated, it turned out that, at least in the J/122, the keel is in three parts: the fiberglass stub, the lead bulb at the bottom, and a hollow steel fin connecting the two.  The fin was filled with water.  (I have a video of what happens when you open the weeping crack, showing water flushing out.)

 

Anyway, we replace that fiberglass band (after confirming the sump/fin attachment was in good shape); no problems thereafter.  Of course, putting fiberglass around the joint makes it more difficult to inspect or to drop the keel.

 

(I did have flexion cracks in the “turn” of the bilge/keel sump to the bottom of the boat. It’s a tight angle (as in your photo) and is where the bulk of the keel flex pressure is located. I kept a close eye on that minor cracking to confirm that it was just in the fairing compound—to be expected—and not in the fiberglass itself—a problem that, if present, would obviously need to be fixed.

 

Scott

[Wayne Cassady]

Thanks for the reply Scott. We have a J40 and have never dealt with anything but minor sealing and fairing. The info on the possible detail is helpful.

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 11, 2023, at 8:45 AM, 'D. Scott Miller' via J/4X Owner's Group <j4x-owne...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "J/4X Owner's Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to j4x-owners-gro...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/j4x-owners-group/IA0PR11MB775266470D17C56B963910FABF8FA%40IA0PR11MB7752.namprd11.prod.outlook.com.

[Robert Kowalski]

Yikes that don’t look to good. Might be a couple of things goin on there. Are you in a cold climate? If you get those little hair line cracks the protective epoxy (E2000 and the like) is compromised letting in water this water eats at the lead creating more space for water to gather, then winter comes the trapped water freezes expands making even more water to gather (see where I’m goin?). It’s very important when a repair is done that a good amount of the barrier coat is exposed and new coating applied. Thats what I think is goin on there especially how its stepping down to me would indicate water between the fairing and lead.

To fix that is a major thing and if you're on the east coast costly, to do it yourself and you're not a man of leisure like moi I’d find another boat.

Bob

Sailing a course less traveled
Delightfully typed on a full keyboard on a mac






> On Dec 11, 2023, at 8:32 AM, Wayne Cassady <wayne.c...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> <IMG_6268.jpg>

[Wayne Cassady]

Thanks again for the reply. Yes, east coast boat. Chesapeake area. I am working on being a man of leisure but am not successful at it yet.


Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 11, 2023, at 9:56 AM, Robert Kowalski <rc...@charter.net> wrote:
>
> Yikes that don’t look to good. Might be a couple of things goin on there. Are you in a cold climate? If you get those little hair line cracks the protective epoxy (E2000 and the like) is compromised letting in water this water eats at the lead creating more space for water to gather, then winter comes the trapped water freezes expands making even more water to gather (see where I’m goin?). It’s very important when a repair is done that a good amount of the barrier coat is exposed and new coating applied. Thats what I think is goin on there especially how its stepping down to me would indicate water between the fairing and lead.

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "J/4X Owner's Group" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to j4x-owners-gro...@googlegroups.com.

> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/j4x-owners-group/69D5AAE2-3FDF-4925-B071-5A74CFFBBD4F%40charter.net.