Just wanted all Mac 22 owners to know I had dropped my keel and totally restored it to like new condition! The part I was concerned about was getting the pivot hole relined. Well when I dropped it I set a stop in to use as a guide for when I returned it to the housing area. Well it worked like a charm, the hole was only 1/8 th of an inch off when I jacked it into place. I used a vertical frame work to lower and raise the iron keel and actually it was pretty easy! Used a coarse abrasive wheel to grind out the old rust, checked the iron for cracks etc. and filled the ,lunar like surface, with body filler to smooth, then applied fiberglass cloth! It looks really great and I now have the peace of mind knowing that my keel is in tip-top shape!
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The one thing I wouldn't have done is to fiberglass the keel. I did this once to a steel dagger board and it rusted between the fiberglass and the steel plate. It ended up swelling so much that the it was stuck in the trunk. Had to end up cutting out and replacing the trunk and dagger board after only two years. My choice now is a good coat of epoxy paint. Check with your sailing buds and see what they think. Either way it sounds like you did a great job. Mike
The one thing I wouldn't have done is to fiberglass the keel. I did this once to a steel dagger board and it rusted between the fiberglass and the steel plate. It ended up swelling so much that the it was stuck in the trunk. Had to end up cutting out and replacing the trunk and dagger board after only two years. My choice now is a good coat of epoxy paint. Check with your sailing buds and see what they think. Either way it sounds like you did a great job. Mike
Thanks for the warning!
Thanks for the post Mike! I was well aware of the possiblility of water creeping back in behind the cloth! I took extra care to make sure the cloth was tight and saturated against the iron! Who knows, if the cure is worse than the disease, rust blight? I will be aware of the situation, and if I see signs of a problem it wont take me 2 min. to put my Mac back on her cradle and drop that keel again! At first I dreaded dropping the keel as I did not know what to expect, but now, no problem as it was way easier than I imagined! On your problem I probably would have taken a different approach than you regarding cutting out the daggerboard housing! I would have tried cutting a hole into the top of the housing, put a piece of metal rod or square against the lodged keel and used a heavy hammer to drive it out! I guess we all learn by experience, sadly! My buddies thought the fiberglass was a good idea, but they all have power boats!!!!!! Thanks again and I certainly will keep a watchful eye on the keel, as I keep her on a trailer when not in use!
Thanks for the post Mike! I was well aware of the possiblility of water creeping back in behind the cloth! I took extra care to make sure the cloth was tight and saturated against the iron! Who knows, if the cure is worse than the disease, rust blight? I will be aware of the situation, and if I see signs of a problem it wont take me 2 min. to put my Mac back on her cradle and drop that keel again! At first I dreaded dropping the keel as I did not know what to expect, but now, no problem as it was way easier than I imagined! On your problem I probably would have taken a different approach than you regarding cutting out the daggerboard housing! I would have tried cutting a hole into the top of the housing, put a piece of metal rod or square against the lodged keel and used a heavy hammer to drive it out! I guess we all learn by experience, sadly! My buddies thought the fiberglass was a good idea, but they all have power boats!!!!!! Thanks again and I certainly will keep a watchful eye on the keel, as I keep her on a trailer when not in use!
Mine Split
I fiberglassed my keel to. Rusted like a mother and split the glass. What a mess to clean off. R.R.
I fiberglassed my keel to. Rusted like a mother and split the glass. What a mess to clean off. R.R.
Dagger board
I couldn't drive the dagger board down, A dagger board sides downward through a pocket and SLIDES up and down with a stop to prevent it from falling all the way through the boat. To remove it, it had to be pulled UP. I tried pounding it up and the trunk showed signs of pulling away from the keel plank. Thats why I cut it because I didn't want to damage the hull. Mike
I couldn't drive the dagger board down, A dagger board sides downward through a pocket and SLIDES up and down with a stop to prevent it from falling all the way through the boat. To remove it, it had to be pulled UP. I tried pounding it up and the trunk showed signs of pulling away from the keel plank. Thats why I cut it because I didn't want to damage the hull. Mike
I was advised to paint mine too
I have the same problem with my V21. I was going to fiberglass it, but a (seemingly) wise man at a commercial boat yard convinced me to just paint it. Seems easier too. Any thoughts?
I have the same problem with my V21. I was going to fiberglass it, but a (seemingly) wise man at a commercial boat yard convinced me to just paint it. Seems easier too. Any thoughts?
Depends who you ask!
I put the same question on ask all sailors, and apparently the answer depends on who you ask! Different things happen to different people, so the end results will always be different! If I can go two years with the fiberglassed keel, and should then have to redo it, I won't complain! Apparently though some people are getting longer times, which is good! All my buddies, again who have power boats though, still think it was a good idea!
I put the same question on ask all sailors, and apparently the answer depends on who you ask! Different things happen to different people, so the end results will always be different! If I can go two years with the fiberglassed keel, and should then have to redo it, I won't complain! Apparently though some people are getting longer times, which is good! All my buddies, again who have power boats though, still think it was a good idea!
Keel refurb - get it right the first time
The correct way to deal with a rusty mess of a keel is to pull the unit, have it sandblasted, and then IMMEDIATELY apply a coat of EPOXY. Sure, you can do the wire brush routine, if you have a few years, but blasting is quick and does the job right the first time. Once that one "goes off", another coat or two will seal the keel and no water will be able to get at the iron. Then, you mix epoxy and filler material into a paste and apply that (in the usual sand and fill way)until you have a fair blade foil. You might want to pigment the filler white. It will make the weeds lots easier to see when the keel harvests them
The correct way to deal with a rusty mess of a keel is to pull the unit, have it sandblasted, and then IMMEDIATELY apply a coat of EPOXY. Sure, you can do the wire brush routine, if you have a few years, but blasting is quick and does the job right the first time. Once that one "goes off", another coat or two will seal the keel and no water will be able to get at the iron. Then, you mix epoxy and filler material into a paste and apply that (in the usual sand and fill way)until you have a fair blade foil. You might want to pigment the filler white. It will make the weeds lots easier to see when the keel harvests them
removing and reinstalling the keel
I enjoyed reading of your successful experience w/ removing and replacing your keel. I have a Venture 222 which is the predecessor to the Mac 22, and need to repair my swing keel, but am perplexed and paranoid about the job. You mentioned a couple of things you did but I couldn't quite picture what you were decribing. To remove, did you build a cradle of somekind so that the keel would remain in the same orientation as it is in the pocket, like a knive on edge? And did you then use it again to raise the keel back into the pocket? Also, you mentioned creating a "stop" so that you could get the pivot hole lined up again. Can you explain this in a little more detail? I appreciate your help.
I enjoyed reading of your successful experience w/ removing and replacing your keel. I have a Venture 222 which is the predecessor to the Mac 22, and need to repair my swing keel, but am perplexed and paranoid about the job. You mentioned a couple of things you did but I couldn't quite picture what you were decribing. To remove, did you build a cradle of somekind so that the keel would remain in the same orientation as it is in the pocket, like a knive on edge? And did you then use it again to raise the keel back into the pocket? Also, you mentioned creating a "stop" so that you could get the pivot hole lined up again. Can you explain this in a little more detail? I appreciate your help.
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