Removing Concrete Ballast

[Honey Ryder]

remember that if it is rust that you are worried about that you need air for it to happen. no air means no rust. so i like the idea previously mentioned of pouring clean engine oil down into the bilge and then letting it work its way into all the cracks and crevices. then just degrease the top and put an inch or fresh concrete over the top and it is sealed forever. concrete has the right ph level to inhibit rust, so you have two factors working for you to stop any rust from getting any worse.

as for changing the design of your boat...i'd definitely check with the owners association, or the original designers...good boats are carefully designed and i'd be surprised if an amateur fix would resolve a problem, unless the boat was built incorrectly in the first place.

light displacement sailboats are very different beasts from the old fashioned heavy displacement boats, and each performs differently in different conditions as a result. the lighter boat will be quick and responsive but you might not like the way it sails in big seas day after day because it will be very draining to keep under control. the heavy displacement boat will be slow and not much good for an afternoon race in light air, but she'll be very comfortable and easy to sail in bigger weather. horses for courses!

[David_Old_Jersey]

I can easily see that where a designer originally thought "lead" that a builder may have modified the design / build to be something else. Whether that be concrete, encapsulated iron or whatever.....especially if the boat was DIY completed.

I still stick with my thinking that the "best" approach would be to buy another boat!