Closing the keel shouldn't present that much of a problem. I'll grind and taper the sides of the cuts and the sides of the pieces I've removed and then layer glass over them in narrowing strips unitil the correct level is achieved. Then it's just a matter of fairing with filler and a long board and that'll be done. With respect to if I'll fill it to the top or not? Well, if I'm pouring shot , which is what I intend to do at this point, I wouldn't be able to fill to the top unless I actually went through the floor of the cabin. I REALLY don't want to do that. Also, I am going to send an email to Jerry and see how he felt about the 23's characterisitics and if he ever felt it would benefit from additional ballast. If not, there'd be not reason to add any extra weight other than what I have removed (with the exception of the 70lbs I want to add to make up for the weight of the swing keel being light) What I have considered doing is experimenting with casting a few ingots that would be correctly shaped to fit the contour of the keel. Then when I got to the top I could slide them into place from the "window" and seal her up. With the increased density of the lead I shouldn't have to fill it as high as it was filled with the steel to get the same weight, and the weight that I do install should have a lower CG. I really don't want to get into the "casting" business, though. I did, however, discuss it with the Hazmat supervisor at work yesterday and much to my surprise she said no problem! Huh? I thought for sure I'd get told NO way!. Go Figure. So I guess that concern was totaly unfounded. I'll continue to ponder this whole lead installation process and take as much input as I can get from all you guys right up to the time we start installing the lead. Nothing "cast" in stone (lead) yet! Thanks for all the suggestions, comments, etc. Keep em coming! Sean If I sealed her up right now I'd have the largest Montgomery dinghy ever built! Little hard to right when she went over though!
If I sealed her up right now I'd have the largest Montgomery dinghy ever built! Little hard to right when she went over though! _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Just "hike out" a bit and I'm sure it will be fine! On the dead space issue.....if totally sealed, it would remain full of air....which technically, sounds like floatation to me, but full keel bilge boats all have air above the ballast and below the waterline, so I wouldn't let that worry me too much. If I was hoping for a total seal, I'd tape and glass that Trunk / Keel joint, inside and out. Tape the outside joint first, then when you pour the bottom of the keel cavity with epoxy (without the lead), the epoxy will fill the entire joint from the inside, leaving no voids. While still green, lay a piece of tape over the inside and coat that. I doubt it will ever leak. And also inspect those bolt holes if they also pass through the ballast area. You might want to drill all the way through the keel and epoxy in a piece of bronze tube, stainless steel pipe or even PVC pipe as a bushing if the pivot bolt passes through ballast. But a poured, epoxy lead mix may be the same as a bushing, and may not leak either, as long as you have scuffed a good margin around the inside of each hole as it passes through the keel (keel and trunk sides - 4 holes in all). Epoxy will create a mechanical bond to the polyester glassed hull and trunk, but only if you really scuff it up to give it some "tooth" to cling to. But if the keel leaks, that means water. Water of course is also ballast, but is it something you want in the keel dead space? Is the interior surface gell coated or open and exposed? Could you potentially get blisters on the inside? Maybe. So if you don't think you can get it 100% sealed, you have to find a way to eliminate the water. You might be able to install a bilge pump intake hose, leading to a bilge pump in the cabin.....or I have also heard of guys who simple let the water accumulate, and install a drain in the side of the keel. If trailored, it drains when you load the boat. If left in the water, you can't do that, so the bilge pump might work for that. Some pull the boat at the end of the season and simply drill a small (1/4") hole right at the ballast line and let the water drain out, and seal the hole with 5200 or some such thing next spring. Drill and seal. Not something I'd want to do, but an option. Or find something that is negative to neutrally bouyant (like solid plastic balls) and fill the remaining cavity with those and fill the dead space between with epoxy. Real easy to think of but not so easy to do. Howard
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Howard Audsley -
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