thompsondockside.com

Thanks Andreas for the past replies.

Ok found my source for the white oak, heart wood, I will be purchasing it soon. Botttom & sides are completly stripped of all finish.

Next, do I prime the hull bottom before installing the outer keel agian? Prime & paint? Or leave bare wood? Do I glue & screw the outer keel, or just screw?

I do plan on using the smith's penitrating epoxy on the inner keel & plywood butted up against it before re-installing the outer keel. But I was expecting to see some sort of void were the inner keel & plywwod match up, why I don't know but I was. My questions is do I use any kind of sealer, or filler in this area before re-installing the outer keel again.

Thanks again.

Darrell

Absolutely seal the bare wood with Smith's CPES, let it dry, then prime paint it with several coats, let it dry. Then caulk under the keel with a fleixible marine caulk (NOT an adhesive) such as BoatLife LifeCaulk. Butter the back of the keel and screw it down. Wipe the excess caulk off and create a nice fillet of caulk between keel and planking with your finger. Fill the screw holes with a filler such as Smith's Fill-It Epoxy Filler or 3M premium Marine Filler. Let all this dry for several days and then apply your finish paint coats. The life caulk sometimes takes a VERY long time to dry.

Do NOT use an adheisve such as 3M 5200 or you and the next person will never be able to remove the outer keel again with out destroying it.

Make certain your wood and paint and caulk temperatures are above 50 degrees F or better yet to be above 60 degrees F. None of this stuff will work in cold temperatures.

Andreas

did my keel in 2003 and boat is dry... no leaks... http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/8417/keelrepair1ya.jpg