"With regard to the keel seam, for reference, please note the attached generic SOP used by Hunter Marine for keel installation. The sealant used was West Systems Epoxy, not 5200. Any sealant on the backing plates was from epoxy squeezing up into the bilge."
That is from Hunter and they sent me the SOP document (see below), so I'll take their word for it.
Page 1 of 2 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR BOAT KEELING (2-14-05) The following procedures are to be followed by all employees at Hunter Marine Corporation to help ensure that our boats are keeled safely and properly. 1. Roll boat forward on the work cradle out of the assembly and into the keeling bay, just outside the building. 2. Rope off the area around the boat with yellow rope, hang sign in door and each side of keeling bay specifying: Keep out / Hoisted Load / Hard Hat Area. 3. Ensure the shipping cradle for the boat being keeled is on the keel pad. 4. Position safety cones on either side of the bow of the boat that read Keep out/ Hoisted Load / Hard Hat Area. 5. Put on Hardhat. It must be worn for the rest of this process! 6. Lower the forward and aft hoist, allowing lifting beam to lower just above deck height. Position a ladder at the transom of the boat ( ladder must be tied off any time operator goes up or down it.) 7. Move a ladder to the side of the boat being keeled. Run lifting straps under boat and use ladder to pull strap up and connect to lifting beam hook. 8. Connect both lifting straps on each side of the boat being lifted with nylon rope, taking care not to wrinkle strap (lifting strap must be flat against the hull and not twisted). 9. Be sure to protect the water line of the boat from the straps at the 4 contact points by adding a piece of foam back vinyl between lifting strap and water line- put tension on straps and Stop! 10. Walk around the entire boat to ensure lifting straps are not caught on any deck hardware or the work cradle, also ensure straps are not twisted. 11. Lift boat until in reaches keeling height, attach safety straps – they must be snug to the hull. Remove the work cradle. 12. Check top of keel with the bolt pattern to ensure keel studs are placed correctly on the keel. 13. Take pattern and hold up to bottom of keel sump and mark keel stud locations. 14. Drill out marked areas with air drill, with designated drill bit and hole saw. 15. Call for forklift driver to deliver keel under hoisted boat. 16. Loosen safety straps enough to lower boat down on top of keel. 17. Retighten the safety straps / they should be tight against the hull. 18. Ensure ladder is tied off to transom and go up into the inside of the boat and check keel sump, that keel studs are unobstructed and that backing plates and nuts can be installed. 19. Go back down to ground and raise boat, just high enough to clear keel studs with the exception of the aft stud. Leave the aft stud just inside the hole. This will keep the boat aligned with the keel. 20. Tighten safety straps snug to the hull. 21. Wipe the keel sump of the boat and the top of the keel with acetone on a cloth rag. 22. Mix West systems epoxy with cabosil in a l gallon bucket. 23. Apply epoxy on the entire top of the keel surface at least ½ inch thick. 24. Loosen the safety straps just enough to lower boat down until keep sump of hull contacts top of keel, squeezing out epoxy. 25. Tighten safety straps snug against hull. 26. Go back up into the boat install back-up plates and nuts onto keel studs. Impact nuts with air impact until tight. 27. Clean up excess epoxy and anti – seize in keep sump. 28. Go back down below and smooth and clean off epoxy squeeze out. 29. Take scrap floor paper and spread out excess epoxy to ensure it does not heat up and cause a fire. Page 1 of 2 Epoxy Preparing: 1. 3 chemical materials, EPOXY RESIN 105, EXTRA SLOW HARDENER 209 AND AMORPHOUS SILICA. They will be compound and mixed together in correct ratio for epoxy around keel. The epoxy compound should be carefully prepared. 2. Mix Epoxy as per the instruction on the manufacturer’s label. 3. Use mixer to mix silica into epoxy, until the compound looks like white putty-state. 4. The epoxy is ready to spread on the top section of the keel. ( Hunter 49 Deep Keel ). Reference: 1. Epoxy Safety Guideline, West System. Inc 2. Cold Temperature Bonding, West System. Inc 3. Epoxy Resin 105 Safety Data Sheet, West System. Inc 4. Extra Slow Hardener 209 Safety Data Sheet, West System. Inc Fig 5. AMORPHOUS SILICA is as filler to add to liquid epoxy compound. Fig 4. EPOXY RESIN 105 Fig 7. EXTRA SLOW HARDENER 209 will be mixed with EPOXY RESIN 105, STIRS WHEN MIXING WITH EPOXY RESIN. Generic Epoxy and Coating Procedure (02-12-08) Fig 6. Add AMORPHOUS SILICA container then use mixing bit to stir the entire bucket of compound Please Read Epoxy Safety Data Sheet Before Processing any Epoxy Preparing Page 2 of 2 Fig 8. Wipe out excess epoxy around contact areas then allow epoxy to be cured. Fig 9. Sand and scuffing keel contact area Fig 10. After sanding, epoxy surface is to be smooth. Clean up the entire keel. Fig 11. Paint the entire keel and keel sump Generic Epoxy and Coating Procedure Sanding The Keel 1. Wait until the epoxy has thoroughly cured. 2. You will need to wear a respirator . 3. Sand keel sump to a fair and smooth surface, using a D/A sander with a 40 grit sanding pad. ( Additional layer of epoxy may be needed to make surface fair) 4. Grind everywhere the epoxy was spread. Painting Procedures 1. See “Inter protect 2000E” data sheet & instruction manual. 2. Blow off the keel and the sump, using an O.S.H.A. approved air nozzle. 3. Wipe the keel and sump using a damp acetone rag. 4. Tape off the top of the sump, about 1-1/2" from the forward and aft ends and about 3" from the sides. 5. Mix of Interlux 2000E to Interlux 2001E in 3 to 1 ratio. 6. Note: (This will be enough to paint 2 keels and 2 rudders) 7. Each need to be 10 mil thick (use mil gauge when coating). 8. Three coats are needed, letting each coat cure before applying the next coat. 9. Pull the tape after the third coat. Page 2 of 2 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR BOAT KEELING (2-14-05) 30. Retrieve shipping cradle with boat mover; lift boat up high enough for shipping cradle to be moved under it. Tighten safety straps snug against the hull. 31. Position shipping cradle under lifted bloat ensuring that keel is in center of the cradle. 32. Loosen safety straps and lower hull into shipping cradle, taking care to adjust height of pads. 33. Lift shipping cradle with hull up with the Mule high enough to install cradle stands at each corner of the shipping cradle. 34. Lower the Mule until hull and shipping cradle are resting on stands and the Mule is now clear of the shipping cradle. Drive Mule out from under shipping cradle. 35. Remove safety straps and lifting straps from boat using ladder. 36. Raise lifting fixture as high as it will go. 37. Remove cones and ropes. There is now no hoisted load. Make sure that when keeling boat, rope off keeling bay. With signs to be hung stating, “KEEP OUT HOISTED LOAD HARD HAT AREA” Be sure that when keeling, you use safety straps at all times. Be sure to adjust straps at each stage of lifting boat. Place Orange cone at the bow of the boat during Keeling. Page 1 of 5 Generic Keeling Procedure Drill Press Operating The drill press is used for keeling only, the press is driven by air. Hook up air hose to control valve. The handle shows in driving position as shown in this picture. Always disconnect air hose when the press is not used. This drill press turn controls levels of drill bit ( hole saw) during operating. Do not drill mounting with extreme hard pressing on glass, otherwise tools may be damaged. Always drill holes with lower speed. Page 2 of 5 Generic Keeling Procedure Shoal Keel Installation Keeling Process: Process Time: 1. This procedure uses Hunter 27 keeling procedure as an example. 2. Before you start keeling, safety comes first concern. Make sure you following safety instruction. 3. Wear you hard hat all the time, Sanding outside keel sump area to be smooth.( keel attachment face). 4. Get into main cabin keel sump area, ensure that drill locations are clear. 5. Place keel root template ( plywood) onto the outside keel sump bottom face, this might require 2 persons to hold the template. ( one is in front the other is aft of template). 6. There are 5 x ø 7/8” and 2 x ø5/8” through holes on plywood template, the size of thru holes varies, depends on sizes of keel. At this time, make sure you have the right plywood template for the boat. Mount the keel template on bottom of keel sump embossment and mark mounting hole location. 7. Use designated drill press to drill mounting holes, before you start drilling, ensure the drill press is set-up properly. 8. Drill 5 x 5/8” through holes and 2 x 1/2” through holes onto bottom face of keel sump.( aft 2 holes need more deeper, 8” thread stud). 9. Remove template from keel sump then clean up the bottom of keel sump. 10. Load and unload keel to under keel sump.( thread studs should be match to keel sump through holes). 11. Since keel is in position then you can start to lower the boat so through holes on bottom keel sump will slide to thread studs of the keel so keel sump bottom lay onto top section of keel. ( might lowering and uppering the boat several times, Do Not Damage thread studs during operating!). 12. Lift the boat up then ready for epoxying. 13. Mixture of epoxy resin 105, Extra Slow Hardener 209 and cabin sealant will be applied. 14. Use epoxy to Patch on entire top section of keel.( epoxy thickness approx 1/2”) 15. Lower the boat’s keel sump onto keel top. Insure that keel sump fits good to keel) 16. Get into main cabin keel sump area to secure keel to hull. 17. Slide all designated backing plates ( 1/4” thick s/s plate )into thread studs then fasten designated nuts to bolts. 18. Torque specification to meet QA standard: 5/8”= 97 ft./lbs and 1/2”=45 ft./lbs. 19. Wipe out excess epoxy from keel sump area. Allow the epoxy to be cured. 20. After epoxy is cured, start to scuffing the epoxy surface. 21. Sanding epoxy surface (to smooth the surface and shape, sanding bubble down) 22. Clean up entire keel surface with water then allow it to dry. 23. Use masking tape to around keel sump area ( edge). 24. Use designated color paint to paint on entire keel. Documented By: Michael Hsieh Documented Date: 11/09/2004 Approved By: Revised Date: 2-3-06 (Rev_B) Page 3 of 5 H27 Keeling Shoal Keel Installation Fig 1. H27 keel template Fig 2. Match template onto keel studs. 5x #5/8 and 2x#1/2 J-hook studs Fwd Fig 3. Sand bottom keel sump face to smooth out. Fig 4. Lower boat so keel sump through holes will slide to studs Fig 5. Apply epoxy onto entire top section area of keel Fig 6. Lower boat onto keel so epoxy will seal the contact surface Page 4 of 5 H27 Keeling Shoal Keel Installation Fig 7. Place backing plates to studs then fasten designated nuts Fig 8. Use air wrench to secure nuts to thread studs. Fig 9. Wipe out excess epoxy around contact areas then allow epoxy to be cured. Fig 10. Sand and scuffing keel contact area Fig 11. After sanding, epoxy surface is to be smooth. Fig 12. Paint the entire keel. Page 5 of 5 H27 Keeling Stage In Progress Checks No Check box check locations and details 1 Inside keel sump area, insure that thread studs are not damaged. 2 Insure that all backing plates are correct 3 after epoxy sanding, insure that surface smooth out and no air trapped in epoxy 4 Insure that other damages on keel has been fixed before painting. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Hull # ____________________________ Date:_____/_____/_______ Time Start :____________ Time Complete:______________ Team Leader Signature:_________________________ Keel installation: Rudder Installation: No Check box check locations and details 1 Inside keel sump area, ensure that thread studs are not damaged. 2 Ensure that all backing plates are correct 3 after epoxy sanding, insure that surface smooth out and no air trapped in epoxy 4 Insure that other damages on keel has been fixed before painting. 5 6
