[Rhodes22-list] adding keel weight

[Peter Thorn]

Hello Rhodies,

My 84 R22 has it's keel cavity filled with about 500 pounds of concrete and lead.  At first, this seemed OK --seems likely to make her a bit stiffer.  But after some worry and pondering, I have a few concerns:

-  Is this boat still "unsinkable"?  Does anyone know the amount of flotation built into the R22  in excess of the hull weight?  In other words, can she still float swamped with the extra 500#?

-  Is osmotic blistering of the structural fiberglass in the keel at increased risk?  Now that there's concrete in the way, it's impossible to completely dry out the lowest parts of the bilge.  I was considering core drilling a cavity to the lowest point to obtain access for pumped drainage.  Is this a good idea?

As always, thank you Rhodies, for your experienced opinions.  I welcome all suggestions on this topic you have to offer.

PT