Keel / Hull Repair - DIY’able?

TernVI

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I know we can’t tell very much from the photos as to the extent of the damage. But I’m not convinced that the internal joinery needs to be removed. … I’m thinking that the keel needs to be removed. The damaged section of the hull needs to be carefully cut out. Carefully shape the edge of the damaged area to a taper … then I think I would make a mould suitable to layup a replacement section for the damaged area. Fabricate the replacement hull section to fit exactly. Epoxy the new section in place. Re attach the keel … now I’m aware I am not a shipwright. But I can’t see why that wouldn’t be a good repair if done very accurately and carefully.
It is amazing what can be properly repaired from the outside only, but I think when you look at the details of the method you outline, the actual blow-by-blow detail of 'epoxy the new section in place' would be something of a challenge?
And 'make a mould' is not trivial either, but repairs have been done that way, sometimes using a sister ship to take a mould from.

As a DIY prospect, personally I'd say my skills would be plenty adequate to repair it mostly working from the inside, ypur method would be beyond me for something structural to the point of the keel hanging on it. I've repaired impact damage to a Laser from the outside only, let's just say it's easy for things to not follow the textbook quite as closely as one might have hoped.
 

adamstjohn

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Its a shame that this boat is damaged, they are good sailing boats, i have a fin keel version which sails well. well built and is a strong sea boat. The bilge keeler in the pictures looks nice in my humble opinion but has obviously has some water damage which will certainly put a different slant on things. Shame. With a decent repair it would be fine but as others have mentioned, as soon as you expose the hole other things may occur. They were better built than a lot of other boats of that period, ours has never had osmosis and surveys over the 20 yrs we have had it reveal a very dry hull.
There is an elizabethan 30 on apollo duck which is the same hull as the hummingbird fin keeler , seems very well priced -under 6 grand. good value imho. Good luck in finding something.
 

Rikds

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If you look at the interior photos (some of which actually show the keel bolts) the damaged portion is under the galley which is built in furniture. While the keel could be removed, the damage to the hull would need part of the galley and the floor to be cut away. The hull is what was conventional for the time, solid layup with top hat stringers. The concern to me would be why the hull failed so dramatically at that point, but i suspect the boat was dropped with the front corner of the keel hitting first.
If it had been dropped on the leading corner of that keel there would certainly be evidence at the rear of the keel to Hull joint
 
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