Keel Fell Off - NOT an Ericson

http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=109869&mode=linear#post640032 style=font-size:small

This is grimly interesting, especially the photos of the thin hull laminate in the stub.
We all, generally, try not to make too much fun of the boats built and sold into a low-price end of the market. After all, most of them function fine for decades and are perfectly suitable for light duty sailing in protected waters.
I still plan to be a tactful as possible, but seeing these photos is really an eye opener.

This narrative bothers me more than the situation of racing boats that are deliberately built as thin as possible to save every ounce of weight; at least those owners have (or should have) an understanding and acceptance of the risk involved competing at the the "cutting edge" of the search for speed.

If nothing else, this is a good example of why upgrading and restoring a higher quality boat like an Ericson (or Tartan or similar) is generally always a better use of your time and money. Safer, too.

(Big sigh.)

Loren

What amazes me the most is that that post too was by "our" Maine Sail ... he's all over the place



-Sven

Maine Sail is a good friend of mine. He is a moderator over at Sailboatowners.com. I also frequent that forum along with some other Ericson owners.

Good thing our Ericsons are not built like O'Days.

Keel Fell OFF !!

Ok ,But wait... I own a 1968 MkI and some of the keel bolt nuts when I look forward under the access panel into the bilge are very rusted and splitting. The others are still coated with fiber glass with minor cracks. Is this happening from water coming in from above through main cabin hatch and sitting in the bilge over time sitting neglected or from below the hull?

Hmmmm....
Somehow I always thought that smaller Ericsons of that era all had internal ballast. I know that rusted remnant(s) of the cast-in eye that was used to lower the lead into the keel cavity is often seen on the 25/27/29 hulls and thereby causes new owners to ask about those "bolts."

Anyone have the keel info on the 23's?

Loren

Hey Loren,

The E23 mk1 has an external iron keel, I think the mk2 does also, Sven?

Doug,

Can you get the rusted nuts off and look at the bolts? If the bolts look ok I would replace the nuts. This is what Coasters keel bolts looked like before I painted the bilge.

Mark,

Mark F said:

The E23 mk1 has an external iron keel, I think the mk2 does also, Sven?

Click to expand...

The mk-II is internal, that I know, at least it was on La Petite

Don't know about the mk-I ?



-Sven