Following on from my earlier email, we are now in dispute with Opal/Bavaria re our keel bolt problem. We have two aft keel bolts where about 10mm of the stud has been revealed poking through the side of the keel. Opal claim this is quite normal and is covered with epoxy filler in the factory. Hence the only problem we have is that the filler has failed!! I find this quite amazing and totally unacceptable in terms of the long term prognosis for the keel. Whether this is a design problem or a manufactring fault is still to be proven, but I am now getting an independent survey. So if you have a new B37 (ours is only 6 months old!) and it is out of the water look for any corrosion points on the keel about 50-60mm below the hull. This is where the studs end and where we have the problem. Given a stainless stud and a mild steel keel electrolysis is fairly rapid and it only takes a minute hole to start.
Feel free to PM me if youi would like any further discussion.
Dave Targett
