Skeg damage

[Albesaurus]

I found some pretty extensive damage to the bottom of the Skeg just forward of the rudder mount arm. I saw it when i bought the boat but the surveyer didn’t find any issues when sounding the area. I looked at 5 other boats before this one and i saw similar damage or repair work in the same spot.

Today I cleaned the bilge. Was the first water in there all winter. Now i see the damaged area is wet to the touch. Very slow drip. Now i’m a bit more concerned. If bilge water can leak out then seawater can get in no? I smeared some life caulk in the spot where the drip is coming from because I don’t have time to address this before launch. Has anyone had this damage and what was the extent of repair. I have no choice ( Hauler schedule) to go in this weekend but i can haul out at the marina for repair if it’s something that can’t wait till end if season.

[Pitou]

I'd pull the plug on this weekend's launch and address the damage.

Over the years, I've postponed a launch a time or two. It's disappointing, but the right thing to do in order to keep the hull dry in case you have some fiberglass work ahead of you.

Post some pictures so that we can see "exactly" what and where the damage is. That's the only way we can specifically help.

[Albesaurus]

Photos are difficult because the skeg is right at ground level but here they are. You can see the life caulk ( white) I smeared where the drip was coming from. The hole you see to the left of the caulk is not wet.

Thanks for your opinions

[Pitou]

The damage is consistent with a bump against a hard object .. rock, mooring block etc.. It's too bad that when your transport truck set the boat that they did not set the skeg bar on top of a block and get that keel off of the ground. Repair or no repair, that is how it should be done. In this manner you can do annual maintenance / scraping and painting as necessary and in this case though with that mirror picture it still looks possible to complete a fiberglass repair as you sit .. fiberglass repair, gelcoat then barrier coat and bottom paint of the damaged area.

You mention that now the cover is off you now have some accumulating water in your bilge that this is when the bottom of your keel started to drip water .. is this correct or are you just now noticing it because you are around the boat more because it is spring commissioning time? My guess is the later. Also sounds like your surveyor saw the damage and the boat sat in the water for another season allowing the damaged fiberglass to soak and absorb.

At this point you've been out of the water quite a bit of time letting the keel drip dry, I'd continue the drying even if it brought me into June and maybe put some controlled heat to hit in order to accelerate the process and not begin another season long soak.

Again, if it were me I would postpone the hauler, get the keel dried out and make the fiberglass repair.

[Norseman]

. Again, if it were me I would postpone the hauler, get the keel dried out and make the fiberglass repair.

Yes, me too..
Do it right but seems relatively minor: Lift the boat to get better access, grind , rinse and dry,
Then epoxy and fiber glass
Rinse and repeat.

Did the same on a sailboat keel, added several layers of fiber glass as a “sacrificial shoe”,
(Kept kissing the bottom in the Bahamas)

[Albesaurus]

Pitou, It could very well have been wet all winter and i just didn’t notice it until now. I filled the bilge with water and citrus cleaner in order to clean it. There is no rain water coming in because i still have a top cover over the boat. The bilge was bone dry all winter for sure. I don’t think its bilge water. I think your right it’s moisture for soaking in last season.

I don’t think i can make the repair in the current position. Best case is i have the hauler bring the boat to the marina and have them block it up higher and do the repair. Problem is they are swamped as all are this time of year. I would be lucky to get on their list in a month from now.

Its a tough call so i will have to think about it. I know its wishful thinking but i suspect this damage has been like this from the season before I bought it which means its at least two seasons soaking up moisture. Since the keel still sounds solid i am thinking it’s localized to just the lower section of keel. What is the construction of the keel anyway?? A member once mentioned that Albin stopped using wood in the stringers in 2001.

The surveyor did me a disservice for sure. This is the 3rd major issue he either missed or brushed off as nothing to worry about. There was a reason for this but thats another story. I actually arrived before him on Survey day and pointed out this damage to him. I have a faint recollection of it being wet then but i may be wrong. Anyway. I wont be recommending him again.

One other thing. I have seen earlier model 28’s with a drain plug in the keel. Does anyone know the reason they stopped installing a plug? Maybe the move away from wood stringers??

[Pitou]

The keel is solid fiberglass.
As far as the drain plug in older 28's: in the bilge where the shaft log runs through the keel there use to be a keel pocket which could accumulate water. The drain plug provided a convenient way to drain it.
In later 28's, as my 2002, Albin filled the keel pocket with fiberglass leaving a nice level bilge .. therefore no keel pocket and no need for a keel pocket drain.

Get the boat to the yard, block it and make the repair. You'll be glad that you did.

[Nancy]

An alternative to blocking the boat now and waiting for the yard to repair would be to get on the yard's schedule, launch now, and haul when they're ready to repair. Yes, there's some risk to this, but you can weigh it.

[jleonard]

I dug a hole one time to fix a leak that was to close to the ground to work on. Only took a few minutes to dig.
Filled it back when I was done.
I've seen several boaters do that.

[Norseman]

I dug a hole one time to fix a leak that was to close to the ground to work on. Only took a few minutes to dig.
Filled it back when I was done.
I've seen several boaters do that.

Did the same on my first sailboat: Hauled out in St. Thomas and had to repair or replace the centerboard trunk inside the keel.
Tight on money back in 1985 so I started digging a ditch under the boat rather than having the yard lift and re-block the boat.
I probably dug for weeks to get several feet into the ground and have enough space to work.
28 years old, young dumb and strong.
(Wish I was that again)