Ray. Without a picture it reads like the steel ballast has become water saturated and is busted out of the keel. To confirm this and provide better point for discussion please share a picture. The image needs to be under 300KB in size - most images from phones are GB in size and to large to send through the email group. If you can't reduce an image size please send an email to me directly at wdscobie@yahoo.com :: Dave Scobie :: M6'8" #650 :: Baba 30 #233 DEJA VU :: SV SWALLOW - sv-swallow.com :: former owner M17 #375 SWEET PEA - m17-375.com :: former owner M15 #288 SCRED - m15namedscred.wordpress.com <<-- new site! On Wed, Nov 17, 2021, 10:53 AM Rimantas Aukstuolis <raukstuolis1@gmail.com> wrote:
I own a 1983 Montgomery 15. Last summer was my first time using the boat due to the pandemic and some other health issues but I did manage to launch and keep at a dock on Lake Pymatuning (OH/PA border) from August to September. Apparently the boat was always dry sailed, and never had anti fouling paint applied as the bottom was clean when I bought it almost three years ago. When I hauled it out (dumb me) there was algae on the bottom. I was able to get it pretty clean using a marine algae cleaner and powerwasher but I'll give it another hit in the spring. As I was powerwashing, I seem to have removed a 3" section of fiberglass from the fin keel, forward on the port side. Looks like exposed metal. Is this lead or steel? Can't see well in there. How should it be fixed/patched? I really don't want to apply anti-fouling paint and will dry sail after I modify the trailer with keel guides and slicker beds to make launch and recovery easier. Any suggestions on repair and trailer mods are appreciated. Thanks Rimantas "Ray" Aukstuolis