just finished mine
I just finished with my keel. I have to do this every couple of years or so and have got it down to a science. I lower the keel onto the trailer at the rear with a wood block on either side to prevent it from flopping over. I then put a floor jack under it about 2 feet back from the front. With a slight amount of lift on the keel I remove the pivot bolt. The keel can then be lowered clear of the hull. I have used a pressure washer in the past to clean the keel before I sand it. This year I used a large wire bruch in an angle grinder which worked very well. I used to sandblast it but made more of a mess than it was worth. Each time I have done this I have tried a different type of rust converter/preventer to see which works best. This year's contestannt is POR-15. It is a rust encapsulator which I have used with success on car frames, etc. Let's see how it handles six months in salt water. That it top-coated with two coats of bottom paint. Then the keel is jacked back into the hull with someone looking through where the keel bolt goes to line it up, the bolt is replaced and the jack removed. The wood blocks are then removed and that small area is painted as well. The keel moved about a half-inch rearward during this but slid back forward with little effort to align the pivot bolt. A suggestion, keep the keel bolt wrenches handy for the first launch. If the seals leak, tighten to bolt slightly and it will stop.
