O'day 25 - Keel cracks

RichBone · Oct 17, 2014

Block it up at the forward end and aft end of the keel, drop the board and then start grinding out the cracks on the bottom. If you do it now most of the moisture inside might dry over the winter. The extended forecast is for a mild spring. I wouldn't wait to start until next spring. You won't have to worry about filling it back in until then anyhow.

jfschena · Oct 17, 2014

How could the water make it from there to the bilge? Is your keel hollow? I have an oday 26 and the distance from the outside bottom of the keel to the inside bottom of the bilge seems to be several inches. Is a 25 much different?

Chief RA · Oct 18, 2014

Rbone has it right. In the spring, pack the ground out beveled openings with epoxy saturated glass matting, let set up and grind off to surface level. Then sand down surrounding areas and cover over with at least a couple layers of fiberglass woven material. Sand down and then epoxy paint it. You might want to explore pouring in resin up in the bilge area to reseal glass to lead? Bottom paint should complete the job!
Chief

svchickadee · Oct 18, 2014

If this keel crack was the source of water in the bilge the boat cabin would fill with water and sink.

Chief RA · Oct 18, 2014

If water slowly leaks into the bilge I would expect the bilge pump to pump out as necessary. Chief

svchickadee · Oct 18, 2014

I'd give Rudy at D & R Marine a call and discuss this situation with him. He would know if this is a problem that need attention.

Chief RA · Oct 18, 2014

svchickadee: Its obvious that it is a problem! Chief

RichBone · Oct 18, 2014

If the keel is a solid lead casting, for water to migrate up into the bilge it must be seeping up between the 'glass skin and the casting. On the outside of the keel or inside the c/b slot. Are you certain the leaks in the bilge are coming from the cracks on the bottom of the keel? Is the keel casting held in place by the fiberglass? Maybe there are tiny cracks up near the hull. Or the water is coming from somewhere else.

Sunbird22358 · Oct 18, 2014

The Keel/Centerboard O'DAYS with the keels molded as part of the hull (basically, all K/CB models except the 1971-75 O'DAY 23) have lead "ingots" placed inside the keel cavity and then covered with resin and glass cloth. I would think that eventually any small crack could extend through that resin/glass matrix due to the freeze/thaw process each Winter of any water that seeped into the cracks.

Quoted from Robbie Pierce, VP of O'DAY from the early-mid 1970's: "Envelope “ keels. Boat hull & keel is one piece molded. While boat is still in the mold, pre-cast lead ingots (4 piece of lead) are placed in the keel void; glassed in place with resin; then the completed unit is extracted from the mold. An efficient, no maintenance way to attach keels."

jfschena · Oct 18, 2014

That adds a lot to the conversation. It's easier to see how water could be forced up through those cracks into the bilge

Chief RA · Oct 18, 2014

It also reinforces my suggestion to let resin seep down from the bilges to rebond, and do so even before sealing the cracks! Chief

RichBone · Oct 18, 2014

Maybe this would work-http://www.captaintolley.com/

ODayCO · Mar 5, 2015

Oday 25

Hi I just hung my Oday 25 and dropped the centerboard. I have had a leaky bilge too. I am going to replace the centerboard CB and try to fiberglass any cracks on the outside and inside of the CB trunk. I also noticed the raising lowering pendant has worn a groove in the pipe where it enters the CB trunk (potential leak and stuck pendant). Any suggestions about the process are appreciated.

Ward H · Mar 8, 2015

Autocad,
Do a little searching on the O'day forums here. Last summer a fellow from Florida I believe, bought a junk O'day 25 for parts and salvaged the lead. He did a neat autopsy of the keel and CB trunk. The photos show how the the keel is built.

Mess,
I have the worn groove on my 25. I asked Rudy and he was not aware of any issues with the pendant cutting a groove. He did confirm that there is not a sheave in there.
The first year my CB got stuck up twice and I blamed it on the 5/16" line having a too long and too thick splice. Last year I changed to a 1/4" line and it still got stuck. I now believe the shackle is too long and wide and gets caught in the top of the trunk, being that it is narrower. The shackle is definitely a halyard type shackle with the arm that twist locks it removed and a clevis pin put in. Going to look for a narrower and shorter shackle this year.

ODayCO · Mar 18, 2015

Hi Ward, I got my centerboard out yesterday and it is all broken. Also the centerboard trunk looks good but the hole and groove in the centerboard pendant sheave is an obvious leak. I will try to marine X around the pendant tube entrance to the trunk and file out the groove. I hope this cures my leak!

Ward H · Mar 18, 2015

That's a good photo of the set up and your issue. It does look like it might be the cause of your leak.
Mine did not look that bad but I need to get a better look this spring.

Sunbird22358 · Mar 23, 2015

Ward H said:
Autocad,
Do a little searching on the O'day forums here. Last summer a fellow from Florida I believe, bought a junk O'day 25 for parts and salvaged the lead. He did a neat autopsy of the keel and CB trunk. The photos show how the the keel is built.

I looked that post up, but couldn't access the pictures. did anyone perhaps save them and could repost them? I would love to have copies for my O'DAY 25 Manual files.

O'day 25 - Keel cracks

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