Keel ballast capping

[Guest]

I am considering how to repair the rather thin, porous fiberglass capping over the steel scrap ballast in my Colvic Watson motor sailer since it has been found to be leaking bilge water into the steel ballast, rusting it and saturating the hull low down.
The capping skin is prorous, uneven and pretty nasty - a very poor job. A boatyard has suggested it needs a thick gel coating after thoroughly degreasing and drying, but to my mind a thick paintable compound, like car underseal would be much better, very waterproof and would always remain slightly flexible. It would have to be resistant to seawater, diesel fuel, antifreeze and any beer I spill.
Polyurethane, chlorinated rubber and such like come to my mind from my limited experience.
Anybody got any experience, suggestions or further contacts to try?
Malc Davis

 

[Gordonmc]

I had a similar problem with the pig iron balast which was quietly rusting away in the bilges, turning everything ochre. In the old days the pigs were dipped in molten pitch which has two effects; stopping the rust and preventing movement.
Drawing on experience restoring classic cars I had a go at my problem with cleaner alternative, Waxoyl underbody shield, made by Finnigans.
This is a black paint-on gunk but unlike the normal stuff that dries and traps the wet, this stuff contains a wax which remains supple. Going back to the cars, I found it could be scraped and wiped off steel years after application.
Anyway, so far it has done the job. My only concern re. your keel is where the water will go. Will it sit in the keel void for evermore?

 

[ccscott49]

They used to heat the iron first, it was a solution before galvanising became the norm, it's also cheap! You could do that then seal it all with epoxy cement and then paint the top with rubber paint, then forget it