Caulking on hydokeel of O'Day 302

Status
Not open for further replies.
Michel16055

Michel16055

.
Apr 30, 2008
41
in between boats for now Plattsburgh Boat Basin, Plattsburgh, NY
Hello,

Well after a season of fantastic sailing it was time to haul her out.
After pressure washing the hull I noticed that the caulking where the keel meets the hull needs to be replaced.
The marina owner said that it would cost about $500 to repair.
Question: Is this something that can easily be done by a DIY'ers at lesser cost or is it better to have a professional do it at a much greater cost?
What kind of work is involved?

Thanks
:dance:Michel
 
B

Barnacle Bill

.
Jun 9, 2008
1,850
- -- -Bayfield
Keel caulking repair

Hard to comment on problem without looking at it, but I assume that your keel does not leak and hence you do not need to lower it from the boat by taking the keel bolt nuts off and then recaulk between the keel and hull. Assuming this is true, then I can imagine that there is a caulking bead around the joint where the keel meets the hull. If this has parted, then I would assume it is because it is old, or the surface beneath it has deteriorated or is contaminated so that the caulk does not stay put. If this is the case, then the area has to be dried, cleaned out and primed before caulking with either a polysulfide caulk (like Life Calk) or 3M 5200, etc. (not silicone). Either the Life Calk or 5200, when cured, can be sanded smooth and painted over with antifouling paint. The process is fairly simple - just takes time to do it and you, as a boat owner, probably could do it yourself over a weekend. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, then fork out the money and let the marina or boat yard take responsibility. Good luck.
 
S

Steve Dion

.
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I would assume that the yard would grind out all of the old material out before they would reseal the joint. I don't think they want to do it again next year. If they are charging $70-80 per hour, then that is probably not unreasonable. You don't get much done at a boat yard for $500.
 
Last edited:
Michel16055

Michel16055

.
Apr 30, 2008
41
in between boats for now Plattsburgh Boat Basin, Plattsburgh, NY
Re: Keel caulking repair

you're right, the keel does not leak.
Would I have to tighten keel bolts or not?
Thanks
Michel
 
sailaway78

sailaway78

.
May 11, 2005
3,431
Seidelman S37 Slidell, La.
Keel Bolts

Even if the keel isn't leaking, I would certainly re torque the keel bolts before I caulked the seam. It may not need it, but is easy to do, and you want to be sure.
 
  • Like
Likes: 1 person
S

Steve Dion

.
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I would have to agree about the retorquing of the keel bolts. Once the joint is cleaned out and inspected, it would be a good idea to have those bolts retorqued. You don't get many chances to do this with a visual inspection.
 
sailingdog

sailingdog

.
Oct 22, 2008
3,502
- Telstar 28 Buzzards Bay
If you're going to be removing all the caulk—doing a visual inspection of the keel bolts and replacing any that have corroded is probably a good idea at this time. Dropping the keel a bit and examining the bolts to see if crevice corrosion has reduced their diameter is a very good idea.

Don't use 5200. Use LifeCalk or something else with a bit more elasticity and less adhesion. 3M 4200 is an excellent choice too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Bottom