O'Day 28 keel

Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
Does anyone know how the encapsulated keel on the O'Day 28 is made? Is it random chunks of lead in a hollow fiberglass shell or lead shot encapsulated in epoxy? I have a small crack on the lower portion of my keel, about 1/2" long that is weeping water and feels kind of oily.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
As far as I know, the 1984 vintage fin-keel is solid lead, bolted to the bottom of a stub molded as part of the hull. Earlier (based on my 1979, preliminary brochure) models of the 28 may have had the keel molded as part of the hull, then a solid lead casting is lowered into the shell and encased in thickened resin and glassed over the top to lock the ballast in. A quick call to Rudy Nickerson at D&R Marine should give an answer.
I know the smaller (19-26') model with K/CB designs have large lead castings (like big lead bricks) that are placed inside the keel shell then encapsulated In thickened resin.
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
Yes, mine is a 1981 model. The keel is part of the hull layup with no keel to hull joint. This past spring when I painted the bottom for the summer I noticed the leak but didn't have time to address it. It had an effervescent like material sort of like that which builds up on a battery post. It was easily wiped off with my finger and crushed into a sand like consistency. My boat is in fresh water, Lake Michigan. Because the material at the site appeared over the winter with the boat out of the water I don't think it's anything electrical but either the lead reacting with water inside the keel or maybe a blister although there is no bump or lump.
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
This is why I was asking about the makeup of the keel. This has been ground out to the size of a quarter with a Dremmel. About a quarter cup of liquid came out so there is a substantial void in there. There was no bubble or bulge so I'm not sure if it was caused by osmosis or if there is water inside the keel. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. Oh, those aren't cracks radiating from the hole, they're scratches.
IMG_4500.JPG IMG_4501.JPG
 
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Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
cleanup, and leave open for the winter. Re-clean in the spring and monitor it is completely dry, then patch it back up with thickened epoxy, barrier then anti-fouling coats.

If that much came out, open a similar hole lower, and inspect the bilge and exterior of the keel for any areas water can get in.
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
This is where I am with the removal of the blister and surrounding delamination. Keys are there for scale. It's still oozing a watery kind of slick liquid, not water or maybe water with something else mixed in. I have found a gray aggregate as seen in the darkened area. It looks like cement or at least sand in some kind of binder. So I'll let it sit until March or April and hope it's dry by then.
IMG_4505.JPG
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
This "blister" that I opened last spring is still slowly seeping the oily liquid and it dries into the white powdery matter seen in the photo. I have been washing out the cavity with acetone regularly this winter and the build up you see is over one months time. I'm going to give it another 3 weeks then wash it out again then try to seal it with a coat of epoxy before I re-glass it. Any ideas at all what this is? Is this normal for an osmotic blister?
 

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Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Maybe it's salt? If it was salt water inside the keel you might have had a build up of salt over many years as water went in then dried leaving the salt behind? Was the boat always in fresh water I see you are in Mi?
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
I don't think it's salt. The boat has been used in Lake Michigan for the last 23 years and I don't know prior to that. I'll send you some of the white powdery substance if you can find someone to taste it ;-) I'm at a loss.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
VERY common boatbuilding practice was to throw whatever they had on hand in there and then epoxy it up. Lead if have it, but if you run out, iron, then bricks.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
put some in hot water and stir, see if it dissolves. Maybe it is sand as per JackDaws suggestion. They might have thrown chunks of metal in there like ingots and then used sand to fill all the gaps so it doesn't rattle around then sealed it all up. Sand would be a lot cheaper than resin to fill the gaps and probably denser.
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
I did that. It dissolves in water. In fact, when it seeps out it is an oily clear liquid and the white powder is what is left after more and more comes out and dries and it builds up like a stalagmite.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Take a sample to your local mass spectrometer and see what it is. Otherwise you can guess until the cows come home. A local university might be able to test it for you, might cost you a donation to the school.
 
Aug 28, 2015
190
Oday 28 St Joseph, MI
I have completed the repair, faired the keel and applied antifouling paint. I think that my keel is not a solid mass composed of lead and fiberglass and resin but full of tiny channels and spaces sort of like marbles in a jar because it leaked liquid all winter and that liquid did not freeze and there must have been at least a quart. When the boat was put away last fall there was about an inch of water in the bilge and I put some RV antifreeze in there when winterizing the head. Today I checked my bilge and found it dry. The pump, float switch and manual pump pickup were attached with 1" screws into fiberglass with no sealant. I'm now wondering if all that liquid that drained from the keel came from the bilge. In any case, next fall I'm going to make a small opening to see if I get any more liquid out.
 
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