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Last season I ran aground onto a rock when trying to go into a drying mooring. My rock encounter caused the base of the leading edge of the bilge keel to be damaged. At the time it didn’t look like much damage had occurred so it was left. Now my boat is on the hard for winter I have realised the encapsulated iron ballast has been exposed. I have been able to clean the fibreglass around the puncher ready for a repair. However, although the puncher is small, the ballast will have become saturated with seawater. Apart from leaving the encapsulation to drain and dry out before repairing, is there anything else I should be doing to limit/ prevent future problems?
Hi Peter
I would have thought that, if there is any water inside the keel it will need draining, so were you able to see water coming out when you were craned out. The ballast will hopefully dry naturally but it might be a good idea to make the hole a bit bigger so that you can actually see the ballast.
Even so, I’d seek professional advice before carrying out the repair as you don’t want water inside the hull permanently.
Thanks Geoff. I have already been able to drain the free water away as the 1 inch hole is at the base of the bilge keel at its front end. I agree the ballast now needs to be left to dry out before it is resealed, but to what length should I go to treat the iron ballast. Article 198 suggests drilling extra holes in the keel and flushing with fresh water to remove the salt and then using a hair dryer. However, I would be concerned that running additional water through the ballast would cause the iron to further rust and expand more than any salt residual. Are there any alternatives that I should be considering, like flushing with a stabilising solvent ( if such a thing exists) or filling the voids with resin, before it is professionally resealed.
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