Crack along keel

C

Commander

New Member
Well it has been a very long time since I pulled my sunfish out of the barn and thought about racing at Orleans, MA on Sept 25-26. Now I remember why I put it away, it was shipping water bad enough that I was getting shot out the back on Pleasant Bay.

Well I turned the boat on its side tonight and saw what I thought was a 3' long crack on the keel. I'd seen this before but thought nothing off it. Thought it was some kind of maufacturing seam. So I started to grind back the gelcoat and it appears to be cracked into the spine of the keel. Without testing I really think this is the source of my water???

Any how, can anyone propose the best solution short of setting the boat on fire?

Thanks, COMMANDER
Harwich, MA :eek:
 
First thing to do is to check with Water and Soap.

Mak bubbles and get a little air pump. Pump a little of air thru the drain plug and spread water with soap, you'll see bubbles growing. Mark the spots where the bubbles are and work on them.

The keel problem is common on this sailboats. I suggest you to sand it with # 80 Wet'n Dry 3M Sandpaper and reach the sane fiberglass, let it dry and the apply some fiberglass with polyester resin. Once dry, sand it again an finished with some Gelcoat. This job can be done in a weekend.

Cheers

F7
 
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