O'Day 28 Keel Deflection

[terry_buda]

Update: I completed the repairs to my keel. (Please see attached photos for highlights of the project.) Stages of the repair as follows:

• cut the perimeter and removed the fiberglass cabin deck. Carefull with cutting so the piece could be reused.
• adjusted the boat cradle pads to slightly shift the pressure from the keel to the hull
• removed the forward floor (very rotted wood, concealed by a thick layer of fiberglass)
• created the templates for replacement floors - extending 12" farther outboard on each side.
• cut new floors to templates.
• Installed the new forward floor - seven layers of West Systems laminate and 9oz woven fiberglass fabric.
• remove the two aft floors. (also rotted)
• Installed the new aft floors
• bilge paint
• installed supports around the perimeter and replaced the cut out deck pieces.

It's been a little stressful and uneasy, because I could not be sure of the repair until we got Cracker Jack up on the slings to splash. We finally got to test it this week and I am grateful to report that the problem with my encapsulated keel is both fixed and greatly upgraded from the builders design.

I've added few pictures.

 

[heritage]

Beautiful job. Better than new.

 

[Apex]

Fantastic job. ambitous project: Kudos