I-28 Keel stub construction?

[Downeast450]

I need help evaluating what I see in this photograph of the inside, top of my keel.



The fg stub has a thick "sealant" layer above a 1/2" steel plate (I drilled a 3/8" hole to check this) then 3/4" of something on top of the lead. I am guessing that Islander built the stub down and added a 1/2" steel "shoe" that was sealed in place with something (it is now hard and tough, 5200?) and glassed over to finish the stub. If that is correct it is the strongest keel stub in a small fin keel boat I have ever seen.

Can anyone help me determine if that is what I am looking at?

Thanks,

Down

[ABoatGuy]

Your looking down at the top of a steel washer plate that went into the FRP hull. Between the washer plate and the top of the lead keel is the FRP hull. With lots of sealant gouped all over.

[Downeast450]

ABoatGuy,

Thanks for the reply. Are you saying that this "washer" is glassed into the base of the stub with 3/4" of fg below it? The outside skin is continuous down to the lead and the steel plate is inside the fg hull? That makes sense since thee is no trace of rust anywhere outside the stub. What is the copious "sealant" that seems to be oozing out from around the edges of the "washer"? Was it bedded in 5200 before the glass was added below it?

How do you know about this boat's construction?

Thanks,

Down

[michael pierzga]

The steel plate appears to be a backing plate.

Keel bolts look bad. You should split the nuts and drop the keel for inspection

[Downeast450]

Thanks, Michael.

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[ABoatGuy]

Michael is correct - it is a washer plate. The hull was lifted, holes drilled through the bottom of the FRP stub, and the hull was lowered onto the lead keel with j-bolts molded into place. Now with the studs sticking through the bottom the washer plate was placed over them and the nuts tightened down. The sealant isn't 5200, but I don't recall what it is.

I worked there and owned a 28 too.

[Downeast450]

You guys built a solid boat. This one is a 1977. I have replaced a few things and re tabbed bulkheads in a few spots. I came into the boat by accident and am enjoying playing with it. It sails very nicely. It is a very well balanced boat. I was / am concerned about the way the exposed ends of the keel bolts look. Since I have had the boat the bilge has been dry. It obviously wasn't always the case. The reason I was inquiring about the keel's construction was my concern about the condition of the bolts. As I looked into keel issues and repairs it seemed to me that the bolts could still be sound. They "sound" solid. There are no other signs of any loosening or weakening of the hull keel joint. Since I had drilled a hole in the steel plate to inspect the stub I decided to try a simple integrity test by pulling a vacuum at the hole. I used a simple hand vacuum pump with a gauge that I use to bleed the brakes on my car. I tapped the hole and threaded in a fitting for the vacuum hose. It held a vacuum! I was thinking I would pull some "sealant" perhaps Awlgrip into any spaces that existed. There was nothing moving from outside the keel into the space under the plate.

I am thinking that a catastrophic failure of all the bolts resulting in the loss of the keel is not likely. I am also thinking that I will wait for signs of separation at the keel hull joint before I drop the keel. By signs I mean a seam that weeps or some leaking into the bilge. Is that a reasonable conclusion? The bolts could still be fine.

I am not adverse to having the keel worked on when it shows signs of weakness at the joint.

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