Wing Keel repair

[dlochner]

Hi everyone, ok I’m at the boat, measured from the floor to the scum line 5’ minus 5” from the floor to the bottom of my keel making the current draft about 4’7” tho the scum line is about 3-4 inches so seems to be just under 5’ draft. I’m including a panoramic photo of the entire keel foot. It appears to me that perhaps cement was not used, and perhaps was a mixture of epoxy and lead balls. It looks like part of the build stayed affixed to the keel when it broke off. And looks like epixy with lead in it.
Does the keel look like it has been cut? I really can’t tell. I’m going to grind back the fiberglass and get a better picture of the situation, and grind through the glass on the opposite side, so I can be sure of what the bulb was actually made of.

The DWL is 5.17' or 5' 2" so about 6 inches was cut off. Lead weighs .41 lbs per cubic inch. Assuming the average width of the lower 6 inches of the keel is 2 inches and 24 inches long, there was about 288 in3 of lead removed. At .41 lbs per in3, the weight was reduced by about 120 lbs. According to Sailboatdata.com, there was 2600 lbs of ballast, losing 120 lbs is a 4.6% reduction in ballast.

The Ballast to Displacement ratio will drop from 30.59 to to 29.59.

What does all this mean? The boat will be a little faster and a little more tender. I doubt anyone would notice the difference. A new mainsail will do more to reduce heeling than adding 120 lbs to the keel.

Clean up the keel and fair it. Go Sailing.

 

[bil1215]

Hi everyone, ok I’m at the boat, measured from the floor to the scum line 5’ minus 5” from the floor to the bottom of my keel making the current draft about 4’7” tho the scum line is about 3-4 inches so seems to be just under 5’ draft. I’m including a panoramic photo of the entire keel foot. It appears to me that perhaps cement was not used, and perhaps was a mixture of epoxy and lead balls. It looks like part of the build stayed affixed to the keel when it broke off. And looks like epixy with lead in it.
Does the keel look like it has been cut? I really can’t tell. I’m going to grind back the fiberglass and get a better picture of the situation, and grind through the glass on the opposite side, so I can be sure of what the bulb was actually made of.

The DWL is 5.17' or 5' 2" so about 6 inches was cut off. Lead weighs .41 lbs per cubic inch. Assuming the average width of the lower 6 inches of the keel is 2 inches and 24 inches long, there was about 288 in3 of lead removed. At .41 lbs per in3, the weight was reduced by about 120 lbs. According to Sailboatdata.com, there was 2600 lbs of ballast, losing 120 lbs is a 4.6% reduction in ballast.

The Ballast to Displacement ratio will drop from 30.59 to to 29.59.

What does all this mean? The boat will be a little faster and a little more tender. I doubt anyone would notice the difference. A new mainsail will do more to reduce heeling than adding 120 lbs to the keel.

Clean up the keel and fair it. Go Sailing.

Wow!!! Thank you for doing all the math lol.
I think your right, im gonna cut the bulb off and fair it up. What about lead strips to the bottom of the keel, to make up the 120lbs? Is it worth the trouble?
Gonna wrap everything in biaxial weave fiberglass, when completed.

 

[dlochner]

Wow!!! Thank you for doing all the math lol.
I think your right, im gonna cut the bulb off and fair it up. What about lead strips to the bottom of the keel, to make up the 120lbs? Is it worth the trouble?
Gonna wrap everything in biaxial weave fiberglass, when completed.

If you have ready access to some lead and want to add a few pounds and inches, then putting some on won't hurt, but I don't think it will add much.

Read the lead repair and fairing info on the West System website and manual. I would not wrap everyone in cloth, it won't add anything to the repair except expense. Properly prepared epoxy will adhere to lead, no need for glass. And someday when you have "polished" your keel on a sandbar or a rock, not having the glass will make the repair easier.