[Public-List] Info on keel

[Gordon Laco]

HI ED - 

Your ballast is a solid casting of iron that is shaped to fit closely inside
the lamintate that makes up your keel.

It is the full width of your keel and the top of it slopes from forward
aft... In the middle it is a couple of feet + from top to bottom.

Our sort of ballast is called 'encapsulated', as opposed to bolted on.
People pound tables spilling each other's beer about which type is 'better'.

A few gouges are not going to compromise the strength of your boat.
However, here's what can happen.

If water is getting in at the gouges, it is possible that it may work its
way past the iron and leak into the boat.  The glass over the top of the
ballast is probably watertight but is not intended to serve as the outside
of the boat.

The ballast casting is bedded in some sort of fibrous/powdery substance that
is likely vermiculite.  It will absorb water, which is a good thing if there
is a leak...but what is not so good is that the water in there will freeze
in the winter and slowly spread the encapsulating glass laminate away from
the iron.   The iron, in turn, will slowly rust and that will tend to spread
things as well.

Neither of these ills will result in tragic damage, but by the same token
they are not the sorts of things one seeks either.

The water absorbtion on the part of the exposed ends of the glass are
another issue already dealt with.

Hope that helps illuminate the issue...

Gord #426 Surprise


On 23/08/10 12:51 PM, "edward schroeder" <eddiediver at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Hey, everybody. Thanks for your prompt replies re: the Emotional Rescue keel.
> Many of you recommended methods to repair the fiberglass; none of you,
> however, told me the answer to my question.
>  
> Is the keel a certain thickness of fiberglass filled with misc. pieces of
> metal and filled with cement grout OR is it a solid metal keel covered with a
> certain thickness of fiberglass? When I was given management of the boat 8
> years ago, the exposed V-berth sole was lightweight concrete encasing pieces
> of scrap iron. I have no idea how far down that material goes.
>  
> The bilge is not taking on water. Would you be concerned that the fiberglass
> is becoming saturated with fresh lake water such that we can not/should not
> wait until Oct. 15th for a haulout and repair?
>  
> With approx. 1/2 inch deep gouges in the very bottom of the keel, do you think
> that the encased metal is dangerously starting to rust and therefore expand?
> 
> I am the volunter boat manager and my thought is to wait until Oct. 15th, but
> I am being pressured by the club president to have the boat pulled now and
> repaired. If I do that, we loose revenue from teaching lessons, taking out
> under privilged urban kids, church groups, etc.
>  
> Ed Schroeder
> 
> --- On Sun, 8/22/10, George Dinwiddie <gdinwiddie at alberg30.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: George Dinwiddie <gdinwiddie at alberg30.org>
> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Info on keel
> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> Date: Sunday, August 22, 2010, 5:39 PM
> 
> 
> Richard,
> 
> On 8/23/10 4:38 AM, Richard Mair wrote:
>> Just remember if you use epoxy then you have to use cloth in the lay
>> up..Matt. has binders which the epoxy will not break down..
> 
> It depends on the glass mat.  It used to be that it was held together with
> starch, which dissolved in the polyester resin but not in the epoxy.  Now you
> can find glass mat which doesn't use starch and works just fine with epoxy.
> 
> - George
> 
> --  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>   When I remember bygone days                         George Dinwiddie
>   I think how evening follows morn;            gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
>   So many I loved were not yet dead,           http://www.Alberg30.org
>   So many I love were not yet born.                          also see:
>                'The Middle' by Ogden Nash     http://idiacomputing.com
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 
> 
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