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[Gordon Laco]

Hello again - 

I¹m gathering my courage to go and effect a repair to SURPRISE¹s fore end of
her keel... A few years ago we had what we call a Georgian Bay Kabong and a
leak developed.    In the last two seasons it got bad enough that that we
had to pump her out weekly.  Last spring I tried to fix it (the spot is
clearly visible) but with the late spring and having to launch early due to
work, water was still seeping out when I came to do the repair.  Needless to
say the patch was a failure and we were faced with another leaky season.

We stopped the leak using the old saw dust trick we used to use with TOUCH
WOOD.  One makes a porridge-like mash of fine sawdust and water in a bucket.
The bucket is then pushed under the hull with a boat hook , kept on the pole
by tension with one¹s other hand holding the bucket¹s lanyard.  The bucket
is pushed to where the leak is and shaken ­ a cloud of sodden sawdust comes
out into the water.    One then repairs to the cockpit and opens a beer and
waits, visualizing the bits of sawdust getting sucked into the leak in
greater and greater numbers until the leak is stopped.  But it gets
better... The sawdust continues to swell for some time and eventually the
leak is plugged.  Voila.

Anyway ­ this year since winter never really happened, the keel thawed and
what moisture was in there is long gone now. Somehow, despite the excitement
of haul out, I  remembered to position the boat so that the damage isn¹t
covered by one of the cradle blocks.  I can get at the whole thing and it¹s
dry.  I¹m going to grind a dish shaped area ­ layer up a mash of thickened
epoxy and cloth all arranged in the correct shape, then push it into the
ground area on a sheet of waxed paper with cardboard beneath that.   A
girdle of masking tape will hold it all up while the epoxy cures.

So I¹d better stop playing with my computer writing long messages to the
list and go and do it....

Bye for now ­ Gord #426 SURPRISE