LM 30 Keel damage

[Krebs]

I was considering making an offer on a LM 30, however a survey completed when the current owner purchases the
boat said that there were vertical cracks of unknown origin on both sided of the keel near the center of the keel.
High moister reading were detected in these areas.  Now the cracks have been patched.  Should I just avoid this LM 30
or am I over reacting to a few simple cracks. 

 I'm worried that:
1) There is possible unseen grounding damage elsewhere.   (or perhaps the boat may have rested on a timber or block that didn't support the entire keel while on land)
2) Water has reached the iron ballast and it will rust, expand and destroy the keel.
3) I'll miss the opportunity the buy a well priced LM 30.

Advice?

Thanks!

[Brian & Glenda]

It is odd that an LM30 would have cracks on both sides of the keel, as the keel is supposedly integral to the hull. (according to their sales brochure - a copy of which can be found in the 'intro to LMs' segment of this forum) An article on LM32's that was published in Practical Sailor, advises that: "... the company said that the larger models had “an alloy of iron and lead cast in fiberglass.” We haven’t been able to decipher that claim, but the ballast is enclosed in fiberglass, which is integral to the hull."

There is a bit of a story behind this next statement, but when we bought our LM32 we looked at what was in the keel, and our observations support the Practical Sailor quote. A very small section of the fiberglass coating the keel was ground off, and revealed what appeared to be metal pellets set in resin. It is possible, and perhaps probable that both the LM30 and the LM32 keels may be filled with the same type of ballast.

An LM32 however has a bolted on keel that is fitted into a molded fiberglass recess in the hull, so vertical cracks between the fiberglass keel recess and the keel itself, on either side of the keel make perfect sense on an LM32. They don't make sense (to me at least) on an LM30 with its supposedly integral keel!

Water drained from cracks similar to those you describe when our boat was lifted for its initial survey, so we had the joint between the hull recess and the removable keel resealed when we bought our boat.

We also identified that an LM32 was molded with the same length keel recess, regardless of whether it would be given the shorter deeper keel or the longer shallower keel. Thus, when our surveyor who had never seen an LM before (LMs are few and far between on the west coast of Canada) sounded our hull forward and aft of the keel, a hollow sound was heard. Oh Oh ... he suspected delamination at the ends of the keel caused by a hard grounding was causing the hollow sound; but what we found was glassed over foam filling the ends of the keel recess that was not occupied by the keel. Hence the hollow sound. No keel damage, no delamination.

Thus, I don't think you need to worry about the ballast rusting and expanding and destroying the keel. It is likely well encapsulated in resin.

That said .... I'd have a marine surveyor familiar with LM's undertake a thorough inspection before making an offer.

Hope that helps! Brian.

[Krebs]

Thanks Brian,

Your response was very helpful.  I did read the review in Practical Sailor and I also wondered about the lead -iron alloy comment.  I will get a survey of the boat before making an offer.  I'm a little worried about the broker, when I commented about the 7,700 hours on the
engine, he said the hour meter must be broken they will replaced it.  Hmm..  

Regards,   Bob