Might be ok...
Rick, I read an article in Cruising World about doing just that. They didn't place the exra lead in the bilge, though. Here's what they did: They took the large slice of lead they cut off of the keel & cut it again lengthwise so it was in 2 pieces of equal weight that were about as long as the bottom of the keel was. They then bolted each piece of lead back on to each of the sides of the keel, at the lowest possible point. Perhaps you can picture kind of a home made "wing keel" set up. Once the 2 pieces were bolted to the keel, they then faired it in with epoxy & some thickening mix. That was it. The final result was a boat that was a little more tender than with the regular fin keel, only they reduced their draft by 1'. With the keel faired, it looked like a factory set up. The article claims that the toughest thing about the whole project was moving the pieces of lead & holding them in place while they were bolted on. They were extremely heavy. Also, drilling the lead was tricky because lead is toxic. they had to be careful about wearing masks & tyvex suits. I would probably stay away from this boat, BUT, for the right price, I'd definitely consider it. He's going to have a tough time selling it (I'd guess) and he might take a low offer. Just my 2 cents. Either way, good luck!! Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
