Lead Ballast Keel on

Posted by Unknown at 3:45 AM

See this post first.

We had to fit the lead ballast keel to the hull while the boat was right side up. We also had to make sure that there were no gaps between the lead keel and the hull. To do this, we used the following technique:

Put some baking paper on the hull to stop epoxy putty from sticking to it. Then put lots of epoxy putty on the keel.

Then push the keel up to the hull, using a car jack, enough that you get squeeze-out.

Then leave the epoxy putty to harden overnight, now in the shape of the hull.

Then lower the keel back down, take off the baking paper and then put more epoxy putty on the lead keel and push it back up to the hull with the car-jack and put the threaded 316 SS rod and nuts to tighten it onto the hull, through the holes wed made by putting copper tubes in the mold.

Noel did all this on his own (while I was driving across Russia) for which I have great admiration. Well done, Noel!

Step 1: epoxy putty on lead keel, baking paper on hull. Push up against
the hull to make sure that the fit of the keel will be tight, after the epoxy
putty has set. Leave overnight for putty to set