Keel Made of Bridge Timber

[stormkreau]

I have a 43-foot schooner where the keel is one complete timber of pressure teated fir from the 1940's. It seems to be wonderful so far, especially WRT rot resistance. I've had lots of rot problems in the planking and some in the frames (oak and fir), but no problems at all with the keel and surrounding wood.

Was wondering, though, what you guys think about that as the books and such that I read say to use oak or other rot-resistant hard-wood.

What are the structural risks or problems that I might run into with pressure treated wood keel?

[Jim Fulton]

If it's still in good shape after 60 years, what are you worried about?

Jim Fulton

[stormkreau]

Ah, I didn't mention that just the timber is that old. The boat's from mid 1980's.

[stormkreau]

But, what I'm worried about actually is that the structural integrity of the wood has been compromised through the process of pressure treating to the point where I have a keel with about half the structural properties of non-treated fir in a place where I think oak might have been intended. I'm quite sure I read somewhere not to use bridge timber no matter how tempting, but I can't remember where, and can't find the reference.