keel rust

[MIke43067]

My boat just got a bottom paint job and already I'm seeing globs of rust on the wing keel. I'm afraid to scrape off the rust for fear of damaging the new copper paint job. Will I aggravate the problem by scraping off this rust bumps and treating with a rust preventer?

 

[Davor K]

h23 keel rust

I Keep my 1986 h23 at a salt water marina year round here in Vancouver B.C. and about every second year find the same keel rust at my annual haul-out. I have the marina grind the rust off, paint the whole keel with four coats of epoxy paint and then paint both the keel and the bottom with two coats of Micron bottom paint. They tell me that keel rust is common on about 50% of all cast iron keels especially on larger boats with more possibilites of electrolysis problems.h23 "Miss Brandy"

 

[Mike]

Don't let it bothe you.

I have a catalina 22 that has shown rust on the keel for years, I don't know about your keel but most rusty keels are solid metal and so big the rust will never do any real damage in your lifetime. I only worry about rust on sheet metal, not on 6" thick castings.