Numbers said..
Hi seabreezers I need some advice please.
I have seen a boat I like but one thing is worrying me (well one thing more than most).
There is a cup like impression under the second forward most keelbolt, not huge but still noticeable.
All the keelbolts are in pairs both the fore aft ones and the transverse ones and they have a stainless backing plate on each pair.
So number one and number two fore-aft bolt go through a stainless backing plate.
All bolts look to be in good condition to my amateur eye, at least on the surface.
What would cause this compression under bolt number two but not bolt number one when they are tied together with the one fore-aft backing plate?
Water damage/rot in the core under the fibreglass in the bilge?
Has the keel hit something? Could a grounding exert downward force on bolt number 2 but not bolt number one?
The seller actually pointed this out to me so is not trying to hide anything and said it was there when he bought the boat a couple of years ago but he didn't notice it at the time.
He gave me a copy of his survey report when he bought the boat and there is no mention of this issue.
The seller has said he has had a shipwright look at it who said not to worry about it.
Really?
Boat is a 1981 Cavalier 32 which I believe were built with a cored hull.
The bilges were not dry but then I guess that's not unusual.
As a 58 year old who is a relative newbie to sailing (SAGS crew for the last few years so not a complete beginner) looking for my first boat am I worrying too much?
I would get the boat surveyed prior to purchase but if you guys think there's obviously a problem then why bother.
Your advice would be much appreciated.
That's the sort of thing that happens when too smaller washer is used under the nuts. The nuts or bolts are torqued up but before the correct tension is reached, one of the bolts starts to crush. It is then decided that bigger backing plates are required.
