Water in keel

[norell1]

Good Morning fellow cruisers, I have a 1981 Defever 41T, I have salt water in the keel, how do I find leak, how do I fix, not sure if keel is wood or cement. So far I've heard suck out water with a shop vac or a vacuum pump, re glass bottom of boat, fill bilge with water see where the water comes out. Any more ideas

 

[CharlieO.]

Around the shafts, prop or rudder.

My concrete filled keel also has water in it. While on the hard it slowly drips from where the prop shaft exits the hull.

Next year I plan on adding a keel drain.

 

[norell1]

Thanks CO

Were you able to fix shaft rudder leak ? What did you do ?

 

[CharlieO.]

Thanks CO

Were you able to fix shaft rudder leak ? What did you do ?

Mines is just from the prop shaft. Maybe the shaft tube. I don't believe mine is a problem. I'll reevaluate at end of season haulout when I drill a hole in the bottom of the keel. Its not an uncommon problem.

 

[norell1]

water in keel

The keel drain you propose is that to drain the bilge or the water in the keel

 

[CharlieO.]

The keel drain you propose is that to drain the bilge or the water in the keel

Water in the keel. I do already have a bilge drain.

 

[jleonard]

Mines is just from the prop shaft. Maybe the shaft tube. I don't believe mine is a problem. I'll reevaluate at end of season haulout when I drill a hole in the bottom of the keel. Its not an uncommon problem.

If your boat is in a location that gets freeze - thaw cycles, it's a problem.
It will only get worse.

 

[CharlieO.]

If your boat is in a location that gets freeze - thaw cycles, it's a problem.
It will only get worse.

J.

Yes I’m repairing some bilge area from freezing cycles. Next time drilling hole to drain. Every haul.

 

[DNT99611]

First thing to know is the boat built as a dry or wet keel boat?

 

[norell1]

do you know of any Defevers wit a wet keel ? Not familiar with wet keel trawlers

 

[fgarriso]

Good Morning fellow cruisers, I have a 1981 Defever 41T, I have salt water in the keel, how do I find leak, how do I fix, not sure if keel is wood or cement. So far I've heard suck out water with a shop vac or a vacuum pump, re glass bottom of boat, fill bilge with water see where the water comes out. Any more ideas

Is the boat on the hard now?

If so go to lowest point of the keel and drill a 1/2" hole upwards. That will let you see what is behind the glass and the water will drain to the low point. If you do strike water let it drain for a few days if possible. It will drain very slowly if there is wood inside. If there is wood it needs to air out and dry as much as possible.

Then get a quart of layup epoxy and soak a 1/2 dowel rod cut off to the proper length. Be sure to drive the dowel in as much as you can then pull it out and cut then soak it in the epoxy. The dowel needs to fit very tight when you drive it back into the hole. After the epoxy sets up take a small patch of fine FRP cloth and work it over the area until fair. Then coat with gelcoat.

 

[jleonard]

The keel on my Albin was filled with cement. To drain it I drilled and tapped a 1/2 NPT (pipe) thread. I let it drain until it was launch time. I used a allen head plug into the fiberglass with lots of 5200, to seal it.
I then let it drain after fall haulout and plugged again at spring launch.
It took about 4 seasons to completely drain all the water out.

Yes I did find and stop the leak. In my case it was the original bilge pump and the mounting screws went thru the bilge area that covered the keel section. There was no caulk.
It was an easy fix. I was lucky.

 

[obthomas]

I have owned two trawlers and both had water in the keel. The first was single engine and had a propeller shaft tube through the center sealed at the propeller and at the shaft log. The propeller shaft tube was held in with concrete in the keel. The shaft tube was SS and corroded a pinhole leak into the concrete. The fix was to drain the keel and replace the propeller shaft.

The second trawler had a hollow keel and twin engines. The hollow keel was covered with fiberglas except for one hole in the engine room. All the bilges would eventually drain into the keel. A small automatic bilge pump would keep the keel near empty. I finally realized what I had after the belly fuel tank rusted out when the keel pump quit working.