Yesterday I pulled the 4 bolts that hold the swing keel in place and about a pint of water or more ran out of the bolt holes. I'm assuming that the water got in because the bolts were not sealed well, but not positive of that. Since I live in Maine, I'm concerned about any freezing damage that could occur in the unheated winter storage. Yes, I'll seal the bolts well when reinstalling the swing keel, but anybody know what the cavity could be that stored the water? Is the ballast just a lot of smaller lead pieces stuffed into the stub keel and then fiberglassed over?
O'Day 19 with water in the stub keel.
- Thread starter Wood Jigger
- Start date
I believe the ballast is lead blocks or bars, one on each side of the centerboard trunk which are glassed into place. Pretty much the same on the 222. I suspect the amount of water the drained out, was about all that got in, and not much room for more, let it drip a few days before reassembling the centerboard pivot, then use a good marine sealant (NOT 3M 5200 though!) on the screws.