Franklin Poupore on 6/8/102 4:57 AM said:

Sorry about that I hit the wrong button. In 2000 when I purchased Ruby My Dear there was a slight crack around the joint, the surveyor was not alarmed. I tried a minor fix of grinding out the crack and filling with fairing compound but when itrailed the boat 20 miles the crack returned. Then I felt I had to try a more permanent fix. I then lossened the nuts to the top of the bolts and dropped the keel to the nuts,approximently 2 inches, cleaned all the old adhesive and filled with west system 404 high density filler and tightened the bolts. Then I ground a v around the joint and laid up three layers of epoxy and glass mat.Then I faired the joint with fairing compound and then barrier coat and vc. One word of caution be careful to take measurements of the placement of the keel prior to dropping so you keep the proper alighment. Since the fix I have raced the boat and trailered it to Key West and back with no recurrance of the crack.

Franklin Poupore

#25 Ruby My Dear

>>Jason Cosler on 6/3/102 6:31 PM said:

>>

>>

>>

>>>>Any dry sailors out there every experience surface (or worse) cracking at the keel/hull interface? Just noticed one about two inches long, but it may just be a surface crack in the new VC U epoxy. Anyone ever deal with loose keel bolts?

>>

>>>>

>>

>>

>>