Freedom 32 bilge crack

[hommey]

Hi,

I’m new owner of a Freedom 32 1983.

The boat is in Saint-John New Brunswick, lake side. She was there for many years and sails each year on fresh water before we buy her.

We had launched the boat few weeks ago and last day while approching my mooring, we hit something at around 2 knots, the boat had lifted a bit but did not stop.

So I decided to dry the bilge, to check for a leak, which where always remains 1-2 inches of gross water. There where water in it while on land too because of minors leaks on the deck.

After cleaning everythnig, I notice a small crack and water weeping from there and maybe from the third keel bolt from bow, the is also too delamination of fiber on the starbord side, but I thought it was only sheets of fiberglass between the bilge side and the floor plate. wate is weeping from the bottom of delamination of the back one.

And there was another crack near the bottom of the back floor plate too, but no leak there.

I filled all cracks with under water epoxy paste and weeping is now very slow but still there, I know this was not the best idea, but was worried to stop the leak immediately …

I dived to check from the outside and everything looks finem no cracks, no scratches where it hit, i saw lot of log of wood at the bottom around the mooring, and I gues we hit ome of them.

I’m thinking the leak was there before we hit, I’ve checked pictures of the bilge before we buy she and I can see delamination was already there in the bilge sides. I know made an error to not clean this stuff and check before buying, but we had a two years old survey already made before and not mentionned any issue in this area.

I’m questionning myself about what happened, and maybe this was because of water into the bilge while the very cold winter we have in NB.

Anyway, my plan is now to remove the keel and repair all that stuff before going into Altantic coast to the south with this boat next year of after.

What do you think, is keel removal needed or maybe is just the keel joint ?

Thanks

[F32Circle]

Sorry about your incident.
Do not attempt to remove the keel It is bonded onto the keel stub, and trying to remove it would do lots of damage.
Look carefully for any cracks at the aft end of the keel area where the nearly vertical aft edge of the keel stub meets the nearly horizontal hull. Unfortunately that area can’t be seen inside the bilge because it is under the pan under the engine, so repair needs to be done on the outside.
You might be able to determine where there is a leak or leaks by filling the bilge with water when the boat is propped up on the hard. Look for any water emerging or areas on the outside of the keel sump that don’t dry out. They could be ground out and repaired with fiberglass.

[hommey]

Thanks for your reply,

Do you know what is the keel design exactly ? is there a wood plate or metal plate between the bolts and the keel, bonded into the bilge ?

What do you thin about the two delaminate sheets on the starboard ?

I saw nothing wrong around the keel from the outside before launching her in water, as I think weeping was there before I hit near my mooring, is that possible that water is coming from the outside only because of pression, and I will not be able to find the leak by filling the bilge and waiting for or leak with gravity when on hard ?

Thanks