Fixing lead keel
- Thread starter Lusitano
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If it is between the keel proper and the hull extension that the keel bolts to you are going to have to determine why the keel bolts have slipped. Except for the case of all the keel bolt nuts coming loose at the same time (unlikly) you should never get this kind of gap in that location.
Perhaps your "gap" is somewhere else and I'm not understanding.
Perhaps your "gap" is somewhere else and I'm not understanding.
Pictures would be nice. I would think if it was just the lead part of the keel, you could sand and fill with epoxy. The fiberglass part of the keel section is another thing altogether. Like Bill says, further explantion would help us to help you.
I'm assuming that you did impact a submerged object such as a rock. I've also done the same leaving a ripped like scar on the bottom of the keel. My advice is if you do have insurance you might want to file a claim. It does sound scary to do since your premium will increase. Mine did go up only $60 per year 
. The first thing they did was hauled the boat and sent out a surveyor to inspect the keel. Tabbing. Bulkheads and rigging. He did find damage on the tabbing and a bulk head that was not visible. All repairs were done above and beyond the mfg specifications.
The lead repairs were done in a negative air flow tent to contain all lead dust. Then epoxied filled within 2 minutes of final lead removal to avoid any oxidation under the epoxy. Then faired, prepped, primed and painted. They then removed all paint and gel coat around the entire keel joint to inspect the epoxy fill. It did have an exposed crack in the bottom paint also known as a "hunter kiss".Then they faired, prepped, primed and complete bottom painted the entire boat bottom and rudder.
The inside tabbing was completed from within an interior plastic tent also with negative air flow to contain all fiberglas dust partialsh when they ground down all tabbing and reinforced the hull stiffeners.
I thought about doing the work myself and not report it too the insurance company to help save $500 deductible. But when I did the math to include the haul out/in, yard time, supplies, lost time at work etc I would have lost. I know that the work has been done by competent professionals and all materials and workmanship is under their warranty.
But more importantly I know that my family will not be at any safety risk in reference to the repairs.
. The first thing they did was hauled the boat and sent out a surveyor to inspect the keel. Tabbing. Bulkheads and rigging. He did find damage on the tabbing and a bulk head that was not visible. All repairs were done above and beyond the mfg specifications. The lead repairs were done in a negative air flow tent to contain all lead dust. Then epoxied filled within 2 minutes of final lead removal to avoid any oxidation under the epoxy. Then faired, prepped, primed and painted. They then removed all paint and gel coat around the entire keel joint to inspect the epoxy fill. It did have an exposed crack in the bottom paint also known as a "hunter kiss".Then they faired, prepped, primed and complete bottom painted the entire boat bottom and rudder.
The inside tabbing was completed from within an interior plastic tent also with negative air flow to contain all fiberglas dust partialsh when they ground down all tabbing and reinforced the hull stiffeners.
I thought about doing the work myself and not report it too the insurance company to help save $500 deductible. But when I did the math to include the haul out/in, yard time, supplies, lost time at work etc I would have lost. I know that the work has been done by competent professionals and all materials and workmanship is under their warranty.
But more importantly I know that my family will not be at any safety risk in reference to the repairs.
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