I need advice from sailors on keel

[CaseyJohn2001]

Hi all, I have a 1984 merit 22 with a liftable kill. Today for the first time I was able to remove the coving on top the keel that keeps it connected to the ship. Her keel is held by only two bolts that were not as long as I was thinking they would be. What I would really love is some advice on what you guys think about the condition of the keel cover.
It has cracks and even some tearing near the front, which i suspect was from the past owner running aground leading to the keel top ramming into the framing. Should I be concerned or does it look alright.
I considered just wrapping the whole thing is really thick fiberglass is hopes that would make it stronger, but I have no prior experience in this field. Any advice would help, thank you.

 

[jssailem]

Looking back on your previous posts and doing some exploration on the web about the Merit 22,

Her keel is held by only two bolts that were not as long as I was thinking they would be. What I would really love is some advice on what you guys think about the condition of the keel cover.
It has cracks and even some tearing near the front, which i suspect was from the past owner running aground leading to the keel top ramming into the framing.

1. The keel cover appears to be a cover that seals out water when the keel (Dagger Board is how Merit Marine called it) is down. The keel is always down when the boat is in the water. It is up when placing it on the trailer.
2. Damage if grounding should be seen on more than the cover. The front of the keel and the inside of the keel well are likely spots that should show damage. I would remove the keel and examine these areas of the boat. I know it is identified as being 600lbs.
3. The cracks on the cover, I would want to address. Fix the damaged wood. Fix the broken fiberglass. This may be more than just patching. It looks like the cover is used to help hold the keel in place when the keel is deployed.
4. The screws/bolts may be adequate to hole the cover onto the keel. The holes look large. You might search out other merit owners on line. ( Here is one site I found Merit 22' Hull #335 ). There were 600 boats built in the 80's by Merit Marine. They are listed as no longer in business.

I suspect you can raise the keel (digger board) straight up inside the boat to get access to the well. It may require you use the boom and attach a come-along to the keel.
Hope this helps.

 

[CaseyJohn2001]

Looking back on your previous posts and doing some exploration on the web about the Merit 22,

Her keel is held by only two bolts that were not as long as I was thinking they would be. What I would really love is some advice on what you guys think about the condition of the keel cover.
It has cracks and even some tearing near the front, which i suspect was from the past owner running aground leading to the keel top ramming into the framing.

1. The keel cover appears to be a cover that seals out water when the keel (Dagger Board is how Merit Marine called it) is down. The keel is always down when the boat is in the water. It is up when placing it on the trailer.
2. Damage if grounding should be seen on more than the cover. The front of the keel and the inside of the keel well are likely spots that should show damage. I would remove the keel and examine these areas of the boat. I know it is identified as being 600lbs.
3. The cracks on the cover, I would want to address. Fix the damaged wood. Fix the broken fiberglass. This may be more than just patching. It looks like the cover is used to help hold the keel in place when the keel is deployed.
4. The screws/bolts may be adequate to hole the cover onto the keel. The holes look large. You might search out other merit owners on line. ( Here is one site I found Merit 22' Hull #335 ). There were 600 boats built in the 80's by Merit Marine. They are listed as no longer in business.

I suspect you can raise the keel (digger board) straight up inside the boat to get access to the well. It may require you use the boom and attach a come-along to the keel.
Hope this helps.

So I have no history in fiberglassing or structural woodworking. I had an idea though. What if I cut out a piece of steel that match the the keel top and mounted it under the top between the keel and the top. Then I would have a strong flat steel base for the weight to be distributed on?

 

[RussC]

From what I can see your main concern would mostly be one of water splashing out into the boat when underway. keel retention shouldn't be an issue at this point. I'd grind out the cracks and missing material and fill with epoxy to form a flat mating surface. then replace that seal. making a new one from 1/2" neoprene is a simple matter. contact cement it on and loose those screws also btw.

 

[CaseyJohn2001]

From what I can see your main concern would mostly be one of water splashing out into the boat when underway. keel retention shouldn't be an issue at this point. I'd grind out the cracks and missing material and fill with epoxy to form a flat mating surface. then replace that seal. making a new one from 1/2" neoprene is a simple matter. contact cement it on and loose those screws also btw.

What do you think about placing a steel plate between the keel top and keel as to distribute the weight across the steel.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

It does look like the keel cover takes some abuse. I suppose the cover and the block & tackle keep the keel from sliding right through the opening? Do you know how the damage was caused? If the damage was caused by a one-time keel strike on something solid, I would be concerned about the leading edge of the keel and the hull at the underside of the boat. I'd check into that as well as repairing the cover.

If the damage to the cover was caused simply by repetitively dropping the keel down so that it bangs on the collar, I would think that fortifying the cover would be a great idea. You might have a problem with corrosion if you use mild steel. Stainless would be good but perhaps overkill? I would think about aluminum perhaps. I don't think it needs to be that strong, just protective against impact. So, the repairs to the fiberglass and wood can be done easily with epoxy as @RussC suggests. I think adding a layer of 1/8" thick aluminum plate to the underside might be a good idea unless somebody has an argument against it.

 

[RussC]

What do you think about placing a steel plate between the keel top and keel as to distribute the weight across the steel.

As Scott said I would also recommend something that doesn't corrode, if anything at all.
as to how it became damaged, I don't see any way a keel strike would do that. the Merit 22 Achilles heal is the back of the keel trunk where it meets up with the hull. several have been damaged at that joint by hard keel strikes but I've never heard of one harming the keel top plate. is the deck winch still being used to raise and lower the keel? If so I would strongly suspect the keel was dropped or perhaps lowered wile something was sitting on the top of the keel trunk, to cause the lip to break. a Harbor Freight ATV electric winch was the best $60.00 I ever spent on my Merit 22 .