Moody 30 Moody 30 keel question

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David Allabush

Registered Guest
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I am looking at a moody 30 and had the chance to view her out of the water whilst she was having some work done. I noticed the where the keel joins the hull there was a small gap on the port side towards the bow (see photo). Can anyone offer any advise on whether this isa problem and therefore should be avoided. Or is it not a major problem with a simple fix? Thanks in advance.
 
Hi David,

In all probability, it can be repaired with a bit of Sikaflex, but it's likely that you will have to repeat the repair every year or two.

This is one of the symptoms of a deteriorating keel / hull joint which ultimately will require the keel to be dropped and the joint remade, but that may be in many years' time.

Another place to look is the tops of the keel studs in the bilge - they are carbon steel originally so don't worry too much if they are rusty, provided there is still a decent amount of metal to the studs and nuts.

The key signs of the joint needing attention now are leeks up any of the studs and, probably a bit earlier in the deterioration, when the boat is put down on her keel after lift out, water oozing out of the joint. Of course, to see this you must be there when she is lifted out.

Peter.
 
Hi Peter,
Thanks for the response, makes a lot of sense. I will be sure to check the bilge at the earliest opportunity and ask for the gap to be filled.
 
I had this on my M30 - the keel was tight, and the bilge dry. As Peter says some water may ooze out when she is hauled out. My keep bolts were encapsulated, fully covered lumps in the bilge. Every time I hauled out I would dig out the sealant and refill the groove with fresh sikaflex.
 
You can see in the photo the two rows of keel bolts, and how they are encapsulated. The only one that had been disturbed was covered in a black sealant.

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