Richard Hudson

Hello,
My name is Richard Hudson and I keep a Seahawk, Reed Nibbler, at Catfield Staithe off Hickling Broad. Almost all of my sailing is done in the upper Thurne area though I occasionally sojourn as far a field as Wroxham. I've shared ownership of the boat with a friend for some 27 years and never felt inclined to change it. For us it's the perfect vessel for our needs. The boat has the sail number 123 and was first registered in 1971. Since 1985 when we acquired it, the boat has performed almost faultlessly. However in the past couple of years it has developed a problem with the centre plate which has become very stiff and difficult to drop or lift. We have come to the conclusion that some workis needed on it. Have any other owners experienced this problem? Was it easily solved? Is there anyone out there who might be able to recommend a sound and reliable boatyard in the area where such work might be carried out? Any thoughts or suggestions would be gratefully received.
Happy sailing.
 

Hi Richard,

Great to have you with us, especially as your boat has featured on the site since the early days.

Unfortunately a Jammed Keel is a problem that is increasingly being reported on boats with sail numbers below #150.

The Broads-based boat mentioned at the link above was Pip II, an even earlier boat than yours that also used to be moored in Catfield Dyke. If she's still there, maybe you could ask her owner for guidance.

Pip II was taken to Whispering Reeds. John, at the yard, knowing my interest in SeaHawks asked me to take a look, thinking I might have encountered the problem before. In 2010, I hadn't, but it made me hunt through old emails and I came up with the report (at the link above) from the owners of Hawk-Eye and how they had rectified the problem.

As you will see, it involves cutting out the cabin sole, and drilling out the old ballast, renewing the shuttering, relaying the ballast and making good. An owner who had to drill out the ballast for another reason reports it took him 10 hours and said:

"The ballast is concrete and bits of old engine...Reedcraft must have bought a job lot of old rocker arms and water pump impellers way back in nineteen seventy something!"

As these reports tied in with their own theories, Whispering Reeds then advised the owner that this was not an economic repair as the repair costs would exceed the value of the boat. Their customer decided to leave things as it were and took the boat away to continue using it for at least the rest of the season. I asked recently, and she hasn't been brought back for the work to be done. I fear that any boat yard would advise the same in terms of economics.

That is not to say that the job can't be done. It's more a brute strength labouring job than one that requires the skills of experienced and expensive boatyard staff, so almost anyone prepared to spend the time at it should be able to achieve a reliable repair.

It doesn't help you at this stage, but I do now advise all owners of older boats to check their bilges before and after every cruise and keep them bone dry.