MagicalArmchair
Well-Known Member
Ahoy East Coast hearties, I have been posting on the PBO forum with regards to my 1970's Albin Ballad Triola and her rusting mast truss. Apologies for duplication, however, MudKipper suggested some of you (cough, Javelin 
) may have some advice. The original thread is here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?435167-Cracked-front-of-keel-now-what
The crux of it is the force of my rusting truss expanding whilst encased in the polyester resin in the front of my keel coupled with the removal process has split the front of the keel and she was taking a dribble of water before the fine fellows at Chatham hoiked her out for me. The below crack is around 1 inch long.
Normally with repairs, I would create a 12:1 bevel, and cut out 2 layers of fibreglass per mm of original layup using West system epoxy - but the hull is an inch thick here, that would mean to repair this one inch crack would mean creating a bevel of 24 inches in diameter and around 40 layers of fabric plus fairing epoxy on top. I found the below suggestion in an old GRP repair book:
Leading me to consider the below as a modified repair to the area. Dremel out the crack to a V, inspect the whole area below and above the crack to see how far the weakness has spread. Build up inside with thick layup, and then bevel the outside few mm deep of the crack and apply four or five layers of glass to the top of the repair before fitting the new SS truss.
A sensible repair? Or pure blithering madness?
) may have some advice. The original thread is here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?435167-Cracked-front-of-keel-now-whatThe crux of it is the force of my rusting truss expanding whilst encased in the polyester resin in the front of my keel coupled with the removal process has split the front of the keel and she was taking a dribble of water before the fine fellows at Chatham hoiked her out for me. The below crack is around 1 inch long.
Normally with repairs, I would create a 12:1 bevel, and cut out 2 layers of fibreglass per mm of original layup using West system epoxy - but the hull is an inch thick here, that would mean to repair this one inch crack would mean creating a bevel of 24 inches in diameter and around 40 layers of fabric plus fairing epoxy on top. I found the below suggestion in an old GRP repair book:
Leading me to consider the below as a modified repair to the area. Dremel out the crack to a V, inspect the whole area below and above the crack to see how far the weakness has spread. Build up inside with thick layup, and then bevel the outside few mm deep of the crack and apply four or five layers of glass to the top of the repair before fitting the new SS truss.
A sensible repair? Or pure blithering madness?