[Rhodes22-list] Mayday on the Hudson and other ironies

[FNuttersNY at aol.com]

Well folks we had a hell of a day, so far the best sailing day on the 
river,estuary, what ever.  Sailing along in the middle of the river we came about and 
suddenly went no where.  We heard banging in way of the centerboard and 
though it had come loose but it still felt like it was raising and lowering ok.  
But the banging did not stop so we pulled in sails and motered for home about 5 
miles away.  We stoped at the foot of  the Newburg/Beacon bridge to watch the 
tide action so we could time our eta suddenly water started to enter the boat. 
 With both pumps  and both engines running we high tailed it for home.  (Back 
to the old  2stk 4stk lots of hp not much hp and all that) we made it in 35 
min. By that time we had ankle deep water in the  cabin but since we talked 
about how great she floats (unsinkable and all that) I was not woried.  When we 
tide up at the dock it realy started to come in and we had to put in a 1/2hp 
sump pump to get a head of it,  Luckely   it was high tide and we got her on the 
trailer.  To everyones astonishment  a hole  the width of the keel an 3 
inches long helped empty the boat.  It is the very aft section of the keel starting 
at about one inch from where it fairs into the hull and the 3 inches down 
along the vertical edge of the keel just behind the centerboard trunk.  How it 
got there  no one knows it's in the damndest spot. One thing bugs me however the 
fiberglass in that  area is very thin not mor then a 1/32.  The void space is 
not very big maybe 11/2 gallons worth.  I'm tempted to fill it with concrete. 
 Now repairs and improvements.  Advice wellcome  comentary aswell.   Yours 
trully   High and Dry.