Keel is out... looks disturbing

[HeelBoy]

A few owners who deferred a few decades of maintenance has paid off... no, what's the opposite of paid? Cost off?

This metal looks too thin to support the keel... and it's inexplicably a slot?
Do I need a new keel or is this common?
Anyone have a picture of what this hole is supposed to look like?

 

[SycloneDriver]

Should be repairable, either by welding/brazing or have a bushing made/installed.

 

[rgranger]

Should be repairable, either by welding/brazing or have a bushing made/installed.

Here is one that looked a lot worse but cleaned up nice. Knock off the rust with an air hammer... then put a wire wheel on a drill and get down to clean metal. Treat that with rust killer and then barrier coat and fair.

Here are two pics of a keel I repaired.

 

[HeelBoy]

Here is one that looked a lot worse but cleaned up nice.

Looks like you have more good metal around your load bearing pivot point. Note that this hole is what the keel swings on. If you look close at mine, you can see it's already starting to deflect/bend, I don't really trust it to hold 650lb anymore.

I have an idea for a repair, involves cutting out the bad, bolting in new steel, then fairing it all with an angle grinder.... then removing it all, slathering it with POR-15, and putting it back together wet.

 

[rgranger]

You could mig weld in some fresh “meat” and put a new hole in it. If you don’t weld… you could find a local guy…. I’m betting it is under $200

 

[patrickfarley]

Keel is cast iron. I cannot weld to cast iron without a shop to heat cast iron.

My keel is getting old. Please let me know how you fix/repair it.

 

[SeaCure]

Would a threaded insert help.

 

[THECUSCUS]

Not sure what year your boat is (and consequently the design of the keel trunk), but you might be able to reposition the keel aftward afew inches and redrill the pivot hole afew inches forwards. Another option would be to put a metal strap from one side to the other, through bolting it in in good metal and then drilling the pivot hole through it. Although I think the space in the keel trunk may make this method challenging.
Or, find another keel. There are plenty of donor boats out there.
This is where my pivot hole is located in relation to the edge.
[URL="https://forums.sailboatowners.com/media/how-to-mark-keel-for-easy-bolt-alignment.13797/"][/URL]

 

[HeelBoy]

I am also unqualified to weld in cast iron, and I don't like the brittleness is causes. Macgregor sure didn't leave much meat at this pivotal location.

... you might be able to reposition the keel aftward afew inches and redrill the pivot hole afew inches forwards. Another option would be to put a metal strap from one side to the other...
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I had considered those options, but didn't like the potential ding in performance by effectively shortening the keel. These Macgregor 25s and pretty tender on the best of days.

Also dabbled with the idead of a 3/4 ID threaded eye stud. 2400lb capacity, but the design I have above offers more redundancy.

The nearest donor keel I've found is a 14hr round trip. If it was in town, I'd be all over it. lol

 

[THECUSCUS]

I had considered those options, but didn't like the potential ding in performance by effectively shortening the keel. These Macgregor 25s and pretty tender on the best of days.

Moving the pivot hole towards the top end of the keel, would effectively make the keel longer

 

[Oddvark]

It's been a while but in case someone has the same problem I suggest Muggy Weld cast iron welding rods. A starter bolt thread busted off my brothers truck cast iron block. I ground out a channel and welded in a long threaded nut. Nut used normally to connect threaded rod. It worked great. I welded it with an old fashioned big red Lincoln arc welder 240V. If it was me I would get a piece of steel pipe with a hole in it the right size and weld it in with these welding rods. I have no financial interest in this just something that worked for me.

Another idea is grind in some lines, slots, or drill some holes to hold it in place and mix chopped carbon fiber, silica fume and epoxy and glue in a metal sleeve. You could also wad up some carbon fiber in there and then saturate the outside with the mix I suggested.

As I was writing this another idea that occurred is to use the same epoxy mix with silica fume and make a sleeve of Kevlar around a dowel. I bet that would last forever. Wrap the Kevlar in carbon fiber and glue in.