Keel repair

[Ostyposty]

Hi All,

Our boat has recently had an out of water survey and we have a number of issues to repair / deal with. I hope that someone can help.

Can anyone advise if we have the boat sitting on the keel in a cradle, how do we access the bottom of the keel to remove barnacles and anti-foul and repair rust there? Sorry if it seems like a silly question.

I have seen other chat on the forum re; repairing keels but does anyone have a foolproof easy to do option for a non-DIY enthusiast as we have significant pitting on the keel. It's a cast iron ballast keel It has been pressure washed. Is grit blasting stage 1? Or wire brush. We then apply epoxy filler before AF? We use thickener? Would this process also for a gauge on the stern of the keel?

I'll try to post a picture but the file is too big at the moment.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Instead of grit blasting one of our boat owners had someone 'clean' his keels with an air powered needle gun, it did an excellent job, but it was rather noisy, ear defenders essential.
Can't help on how to do the bottom of the keel, we are a drying harbour with a stony bed, so the bottoms of our keels get cleaned automatically each day.

 

[pvb]

Can anyone advise if we have the boat sitting on the keel in a cradle, how do we access the bottom of the keel to remove barnacles and anti-foul and repair rust there? Sorry if it seems like a silly question.

Not a silly question at all. Basically, you can't. In most places today, when boats are lifted out of the water they are pressure-washed, including the underside of the keel. Once in a cradle, you can't get at this area. When boats are lifted back in, the hoist operator will usually be happy to leave the boat in the slings for a short time, so that you can antifoul the cradle patches and the underside of the keel. As for repairing rust, forget about it, cast iron keels do rust, but they'll outlive you!

I have seen other chat on the forum re; repairing keels but does anyone have a foolproof easy to do option for a non-DIY enthusiast as we have significant pitting on the keel. It's a cast iron ballast keel It has been pressure washed. Is grit blasting stage 1? Or wire brush. We then apply epoxy filler before AF? We use thickener? Would this process also for a gauge on the stern of the keel?

In my limited experience, whatever you do won't last for long. So just wire brush it, paint it with Primocon, then antifoul it.

 

[Concerto]

Personally I would ensure the keel is cleaned off when lifted and have a number of blocks spaced along the keel leaving some space for treating some of the bottom of the keel. Nect lift ensure the blocks are in a different place to complete the treatment.

After cleaning the keel I would treat the rust with Fertan. Then coat with 5 coats of Primocon before antifouling. Antifoul the bottom of the keel and chock positions whilst in the slings. A cast iron keel will still rust a bit over the next few years. Just treat the affected areas as before and eventually the rust will be minimal.

 

[peter gibbs]

Hi All,

Our boat has recently had an out of water survey and we have a number of issues to repair / deal with. I hope that someone can help.

Can anyone advise if we have the boat sitting on the keel in a cradle, how do we access the bottom of the keel to remove barnacles and anti-foul and repair rust there? Sorry if it seems like a silly question.

I have seen other chat on the forum re; repairing keels but does anyone have a foolproof easy to do option for a non-DIY enthusiast as we have significant pitting on the keel. It's a cast iron ballast keel It has been pressure washed. Is grit blasting stage 1? Or wire brush. We then apply epoxy filler before AF? We use thickener? Would this process also for a gauge on the stern of the keel?

I'll try to post a picture but the file is too big at the moment.

Like an

Hi All,

Our boat has recently had an out of water survey and we have a number of issues to repair / deal with. I hope that someone can help.

Can anyone advise if we have the boat sitting on the keel in a cradle, how do we access the bottom of the keel to remove barnacles and anti-foul and repair rust there? Sorry if it seems like a silly question.

I have seen other chat on the forum re; repairing keels but does anyone have a foolproof easy to do option for a non-DIY enthusiast as we have significant pitting on the keel. It's a cast iron ballast keel It has been pressure washed. Is grit blasting stage 1? Or wire brush. We then apply epoxy filler before AF? We use thickener? Would this process also for a gauge on the stern of the keel?

I'll try to post a picture but the file is too big at the moment.

Is your real name Sisyphus? Do you want to spend valuable days of your life pursuing the impossible and undesirable? Iron keels are your best preoccupation.

Or,
You can remove the barnacles, wire brush back to metal, apply a/F primer, apply AF and move on to concentrate on achieving good coverage along the waterline where most of the crud that slows your beast grows.
Nothing you can do with your keel (craters and all) will make any measurable difference to your performance and your neighbours will pity you filling your lovely lungs with rubbish for no purpose. Especially when they watch you do it all over again next season in the hope "this time it will work"

Most of us stay clear of the diehards in tgw yard burnishing every imperfection from their undersides with hours on their B & D, Pitying them that they have lost sight of the fluid mechanics that govern speed.

So get yourself a lead keel ? I have one and it's exactly the same minus the rust stains.

PWG