I'm a new sailboat owner and I am in the process of performing a bottom job on my 1984 Hunter 25.5 that i picked up a few months ago. She sat in the ocean for several years and had quite a bit of growth on the bottom when she was hauled. Since I don't know the type of bottom paint used, I am sanding all the old bottom paint off and starting new by adding a few layers of barrier paint before I bottom paint. As for the keel question, the keel is very rusty and I am using a wire brush on an angle grinder to clean up before I seal it with POR-15. The back of the keel looks like there is either a piece missing or it needs to be faired to make it smooth. I guess my question is, if the I don't have any leaking at the keel joint, do I need to dig out the old sealer or just wire brush it very clean and fill the voids? I have included a couple pictures to see what you guys think. I will be sailing in freshwater lakes here in Oklahoma and will probably leave it in the water year around. I plan on hauling at least once a year to clean the bottom and check everything out. This Newbie thanks any and all comments.
Hunter Keel joint
- Thread starter Dukes25.5
- Start date
- Status
I doubt if you have to fair it - that size of a gouge can't affect perfromance all that much, assuming you are not in a very competitive racing circuit. But while you're at it, why not? I used the West epoxy/fairing to fix up gouges on the rudder, and if you are patient with the number of coats and have a hand sander like a Mouse, it isn't difficult. Might be a bit tough to fair up that thin section, though, looks like it needs about 2 in of extra keel. How wide is the keel at that gouge?
I redid an iron keel on an H23 earlier this summer with the POR15 system - worked pretty well, though I won't see it out of the water for another few weeks. The grey POR15 is pretty easy to paint on, unlike the Interprotect 2-part barrier coat I used on the rudder. Mine is, and was also with the prev owner, in a lake. I intend to use the West system epoxy with light fairing compound atop the 2 coats of POR15, smoothing out the pitting, covered by more POR15. I also used an angle grinder wiith wire brush and a few grinding wheels. I left a few places where the old epoxy was thicker - I did not grind every bit off.
When you use the POR15, mine (qt can) had the lid pretty well welded onto the can - not from the paint, but from the vacuum they introduce. I mangled the lid getting it off. The co. did send a pair of empty pint cans for me to store the unused part. The keel on my H23 took about 1/3 of the qt to do 2 coats (I did not do the very bottom of the keel proper or most of the lower surfaces of the wings - inaccessible on the trailer).
I redid an iron keel on an H23 earlier this summer with the POR15 system - worked pretty well, though I won't see it out of the water for another few weeks. The grey POR15 is pretty easy to paint on, unlike the Interprotect 2-part barrier coat I used on the rudder. Mine is, and was also with the prev owner, in a lake. I intend to use the West system epoxy with light fairing compound atop the 2 coats of POR15, smoothing out the pitting, covered by more POR15. I also used an angle grinder wiith wire brush and a few grinding wheels. I left a few places where the old epoxy was thicker - I did not grind every bit off.
When you use the POR15, mine (qt can) had the lid pretty well welded onto the can - not from the paint, but from the vacuum they introduce. I mangled the lid getting it off. The co. did send a pair of empty pint cans for me to store the unused part. The keel on my H23 took about 1/3 of the qt to do 2 coats (I did not do the very bottom of the keel proper or most of the lower surfaces of the wings - inaccessible on the trailer).
The keel isn't very wide at the gouge, maybe 1/2 inch or so. I may work into a little club racing next summer, but I really want to fix it right. It doesn't look like it could affect much, but it has to. I was wondering about the POR15 quart can that I received. It has the clips on top of the lid that I have never experienced before. I will take your advice and take my time at it. I bought the silver POR15 because the manufactures website said that the silver filled pitted iron better than other colors. Did you use their Metal Ready or their cleaner that they recommend? I was just planning on getting a degreaser from Home depot and cleaning the heck out of it before I painted the POR15. Thank you very much for your reply, I really appreciate it.
I did use the POR brand degreaser (Metal Clean, I think it is) and Metal Ready. I was debating whether to use a "generic", but figured that since I paid so much for the paint, and didn't want to risk it, why not invest another $20 or so, given they claim their stuff is better for their paint. Hard to tell how much of this is marketing claims, but for an extra $10 or less, I wanted it to stick. Of course, since I did this work in about end June, and have not yet hauled the boat, I don't yet know wha it'll look like. After I painted, it sure looked solid, though - almost like baked on enamel.
My can had no clips - it was just a regular type paint can. Maybe they improved it.
Have you thought about the possibility of putting some self tapping screws, or maybe bolts into threaded holes, into the keel edge to provide a sort of "rebar" system to hold the filler? Worst case is you add a few small holes, which shouldn't matter anyway.
My can had no clips - it was just a regular type paint can. Maybe they improved it.
Have you thought about the possibility of putting some self tapping screws, or maybe bolts into threaded holes, into the keel edge to provide a sort of "rebar" system to hold the filler? Worst case is you add a few small holes, which shouldn't matter anyway.
No, I hadn't thought about any kind of rebar but it sure makes sense. Thanks for the idea. It sure couldn't hurt to give the filler something to grab onto. I will go out and take some small lag bolts or something and see if I can make it work. Like you said, the worst thing I could do is put a couple of holes in the surface that I could patch if they don't work. I think I am just going to try and get it as smooth as possible so that it doesn't affect the flow of water around the keel. I'm going to go ahead and buy the Metal clean and Metal ready just to be sure like you did. Thanks for all your input. When are you planning on hauling your boat? I sure would like to see some before and after photos of your keel if you have the chance.
Plan to haul in about a week or two. Didn't have a chance to take pics before (either before I started any work, or right before I launched), but I can try after it is out. My boat is (and was also, with prev original owner) in a lake - no salt.
My keel was very rusty, with a substantial amount of flaking, rusty surface paint when I bought the boat earlier this year. Took a lot of wire brushing and some grinding with angle grinder - say, 4 or 5 hrs worth. The H23 has a rather small keel, though. The POR15 seemed to cover well, and feels more or less like applying regular enamel paint (like latex) and dries very smooth - almost glassy. Plan on discarding a few paint brushes - I didn't try to clean them. I didn't attempt to fair the pitting before I applied it, on the theory that the POR15 ought to be right on the iron, as they recommend. I would like to fair the surface for smoothness after I haul, or early next spring. The company recommended sanding with about 320 grit to roughen the surface if I want to apply epoxy/fairing.
This is sort of useful:
Beneteau keel restore
My keel was very rusty, with a substantial amount of flaking, rusty surface paint when I bought the boat earlier this year. Took a lot of wire brushing and some grinding with angle grinder - say, 4 or 5 hrs worth. The H23 has a rather small keel, though. The POR15 seemed to cover well, and feels more or less like applying regular enamel paint (like latex) and dries very smooth - almost glassy. Plan on discarding a few paint brushes - I didn't try to clean them. I didn't attempt to fair the pitting before I applied it, on the theory that the POR15 ought to be right on the iron, as they recommend. I would like to fair the surface for smoothness after I haul, or early next spring. The company recommended sanding with about 320 grit to roughen the surface if I want to apply epoxy/fairing.
This is sort of useful:
Beneteau keel restore
Your problem intrigued me.
Here's another idea. Get some screening, like chicken wire but with somewhat smaller holes (maybe about 1/4 in). Bend it over the gouge, so it is shaped like the original keel surface. Use epoxy without any filler to fix it to one side (you could make it a bit longer than the gouge to allow for clamping). Then stretch it around the other side, clamp and epoxy. Maybe even bend it in a bit so the plane of the screen is somewhat depressed into the cavity. Then use the stronger filler, make it so it isn't too thick (maybe like peanut butter, or a bit thinner) and cram it in. Even if the surface of the epoxy on top of the screen is a bit high, you ought to be able to sand it so it fairs into the keel surface. I have found that a hand sander like a Mouse works very well and fast in doing the fairing, even with the more structural grade of filler powder.
Here's another idea. Get some screening, like chicken wire but with somewhat smaller holes (maybe about 1/4 in). Bend it over the gouge, so it is shaped like the original keel surface. Use epoxy without any filler to fix it to one side (you could make it a bit longer than the gouge to allow for clamping). Then stretch it around the other side, clamp and epoxy. Maybe even bend it in a bit so the plane of the screen is somewhat depressed into the cavity. Then use the stronger filler, make it so it isn't too thick (maybe like peanut butter, or a bit thinner) and cram it in. Even if the surface of the epoxy on top of the screen is a bit high, you ought to be able to sand it so it fairs into the keel surface. I have found that a hand sander like a Mouse works very well and fast in doing the fairing, even with the more structural grade of filler powder.
I do have a little bit of some screen type material that looks to be aluminum or something that is very bendable and will hold its shape. The holes are about 1/4 inch squares so it may work. I will give it a try and let you know how it turns out. I have encountered a couple different projects that a mouse sander would come in handy in the past year or so. I think this little project will be the excuse to go ahead and get one. Thanks for all the input. Looking at the Beneteau's keel, the POR15 looks like it would be hard to sand to get a primer or bottom paint to stick to it. Did you have any issues with it?
- Status