Mortar encapsulated keel

[sibleysailor]

Hi everyone new here, I live in Maine and sail on a small freshwater pond "NOVICESAILOR".

But anyway I have a 16ft 1976 American Fiberglass sail boat with main and jib with a small cabin. Got the boat gifted to me well three years ago now, and ive always had trouble withe the keel cracking. It was cracked and leaking when i got it but i was able to seal it up from the inside and make it work but after every winter I find my self trying to re fill and seal the keel which also is the home for the center board...

As you can see from the photos its fairly severe this year.The mortar is deteriorating and has expanded and cracked fiberglass.

So finally to my question,I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what/how I could fix this reoccurring issue for good?

Off the top of my head I think what i would like to do is cut back and strip out the mortar and fiberglass and kind of build a new keel shell. And then fill it with a better material other than mortar but simaliar in weight??....No idea what that could be.


Thank You!

[a64pilot]

Do you haul it out in the winter and does it get below freezing there?
If so then I’d start by putting an oil filled heater in the boat and keeping it above freezing, it may be a freeze thaw thing you have going on, and if so it’s going to be tough to get it super dry and keep it that way.

[sibleysailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Do you haul it out in the winter and does it get below freezing there?
If so then I’d start by putting an oil filled heater in the boat and keeping it above freezing, it may be a freeze thaw thing you have going on, and if so it’s going to be tough to get it super dry and keep it that way.

Thanks for your response.Yes it definitely gets below freezing here so i pull it out of the water. But really have no way to keep it heated throughout the winter. The mortar is defiantly not the answer....kinda wondering if there was any other type of weighted filler that would handle the temp swings and freezing better. Thank You!

[rbk]

Grind everything down and glass over it as thick as possible all over, finish with a barrier coat, then install a couple bronze garboard drain plugs along the bottom. In the fall, haul it out and open all the drains. If its possible drill some holes in the top of the keel and start pouring methyl hydrate through it then let sit. If it makes it to the bottom leak keep going, the alcohol will help absorb the water. If you want to get real fancy you could set up a vacuum system to suck the water out or draw alcohol though it.

[sibleysailor]

Originally Posted by rbk

Grind everything down and glass over it as thick as possible all over, finish with a barrier coat, then install a couple bronze garboard drain plugs along the bottom. In the fall, haul it out and open all the drains. If its possible drill some holes in the top of the keel and start pouring methyl hydrate through it then let sit. If it makes it to the bottom leak keep going, the alcohol will help absorb the water. If you want to get real fancy you could set up a vacuum system to suck the water out or draw alcohol though it.

Thanks for your respone. Never thought about pouring or vacing alcohol though it to get rid of the water. But that would definitely be worth looking into.

I have a fair amout of reconstructing to do to get the shape of the keel right again and also for ballast weight. Do you know of any type of filler that i could rebuilt my keel with that may be more forgiving then the mortor?

Thank you!

[rbk]

I wouldn't worry about it. Thickened epoxy to re-shape then layer roving and mat, finish with roving. The couple of pounds (at most) of motor wont make a difference, unless you did't show the full extent? Or if half your keel is missing?). You could always bolt or encapsulate steel on the bottom of the keel if it really worries you.

[sibleysailor]

Originally Posted by rbk

I wouldn't worry about it. Thickened epoxy to re-shape then layer roving and mat, finish with roving. The couple of pounds (at most) of motor wont make a difference, unless you did't show the full extent? Or if half your keel is missing?). You could always bolt or encapsulate steel on the bottom of the keel if it really worries you.

Ok...Now that think about it im not going to worry about the weight....I probably haven't lost any more than 15lbs from what it was originally. I will look into the thickened epoxy for shaping. thanks for your help!

[a64pilot]

I still think you need to dry it out first, I think maybe retained water may be a large part of the issue when it freezes and expands

[mike d.]

If you can get at the keel/concrete from the top, why don't you take and get rid of the concrete, seal both cavities, and then pour lead shot in equaling the weight you need then pour in epoxy! Let that harden, then seal the top so no water can get in again. My brother did a similar job to a Bristol 27, where the front of the keel was split, right down to the lead inside ! He cleaned out the garbage, where previous owners tried to seal it, then sealed it up to about 4 inches from the top, poured in the shot, then poured in epoxy, let it cure then ground it to final shape, and sealed it with glass! That was 5 yrs ago no problems since ! Also it added some more weight to the keel, and the boat sails better than before !

[rbk]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I still think you need to dry it out first, I think maybe retained water may be a large part of the issue when it freezes and expands

Agree. It may be good enough if it’s been sitting all winter. The dry cold air can really move things along. The garboard drains will allow you to drain in the off season still or better yet, haul after each use and see if there’s any more water intrusion. I don’t think getting rid of the concrete is a viable option, you could end up destroying the boat in the process.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I still think you need to dry it out first, I think maybe retained water may be a large part of the issue when it freezes and expands

Some sailors have a similar problem with water in rudders freezing over the winter.

One solution is to drill a drainage hole in the fall, and reseal (/w epoxy) it in the spring.

[sibleysailor]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I still think you need to dry it out first, I think maybe retained water may be a large part of the issue when it freezes and expands

Ok I think so too.....Thank you!