[Rhodes22-list] Lost ballast

[Graham Stewart]

Lou:
I can't see your email address so I am responding through the Rhodes 22
list.

It was a few years back that I made the repair. I don't recall seeing any
cement-like material. The crack could have been there for years as I bought
it used a year or so before I found the crack.

There were two cracks actually. Hey ran almost he full length of the keel
near the inside edge. The crack would have been as much as 1/8th inch. If
the ballast was loose stuff, I suspect a good portion was washed out before
I discovered the crack. If it is solid, I probably have most o it. 

I used West System with colloidal filler to make up the patch material -
the consistency only marginally thicker than the resin alone. It had to be
thin to run down inside the keel. The hole I drilled were about 2 to 3
inched up the inside walls of the housing. I am doubtful that this mixture
would make a strong path when it was applied without any Fiberglas cloth but
it was the best fix I could think of at the time. I should have checked it
this year before launch but I was so excited to get it launched I overlooked
that somewhat important potential problem. 

The fact that the resin ran down so easily to the crack suggests to me that
there wasn't much in the way of ballast to restrict the movement. Later it
occurred to me that I might have been better to leave the crack as at least
that way I would acquire some water ballast rather than seal in  an air
bubble - generally considered to be poor ballast. 

If you or anyone else can tell me what was used for ballast in 1975 I would
appreciate it.

The other option I have considered to compensate for the lost ballast would
be to place some steel or lead bars by the centerboard housing under the
floor boards. 

My sense is that the boat is somewhat tender but I really don't know how it
should feel without the ballast problem.

Thanks for your suggestions and good luck with your repair

Graham.


________________________________________________________
 
_________________________________________________
 
Graham Stewart
mailto:gstewart8 at cogeco.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Lou Rosenberg
Sent: May 9, 2005 10:40 AM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Lost ballast


  Graham,
   I am currently in the process of rebuilding the inside of my CB 
trunk.  I have a '81 R22 and have opened up the inside walls of my 
trunk to view where the cement ends and the lead ballast begins. 
There is more lead in there than a few flakes I am sure of that.
   In response to drilling holes inside of the trunk:  I would first 
scape away any loose material with a wire brush, if the bottom edge 
of your keel is not smooth I would defer to the WEST SYSTEM books on 
using their epoxies to mend the bottom of the keel and any damage 
inside your  CB trunk.
  I' m working with my boat still on the trailer and have to wedge 
myself underneath the keel to manipulate a dremel tool with a flex 
drive attachment using a diamond circular blade to remove the 
laminate.  Use a mask and goggles always!!
  Qs: which way was the crack running ?  How deep was the crack?  Was 
the crack INSIDE of CB trunk ?
  feel free to email me off the list if you want.  I am located in 
Brooklyn , NYC.
  good luck
  Lou

  for others: I hope to post my latest pics of the inside of the trunk 
showing the cement. later today or tomorrow.
  unfortunately, I don't own a lipstick camera that can snake down the 
slot and give me wide angle views of the ballast.




>I had a problem losing ballast through the bottom of the keel of my 
>1975 Rhodes 22 and wonder if others have had the same problem.
>
>A few years back I got right down under the keel and noticed that a 
>crack had formed on both sides of the keel centerboard housing. On 
>closer inspection I noticed that flakes of metal were lodged in the 
>crack and later concluded that the flakes were actually lead. I appears 
>that the ballast was made, at least in part, from small lead flakes.
>
>I seemed to fix the cracks by removing the centre board and then 
>drilling a series of holes into the the keel on the inside of the 
>centerboard housing. I then injected a runny epoxy paste into the 
>poles. The epoxy then drained down inside the housing and out the crack 
>in the bottom. I then just kept scraping the epoxy and pushing it back 
>up into the crack until it thickened enough to stay there. It was a 
>terribly messy job as I had to lie directly under the crack and ended 
>up with epoxy everywhere on my body and in my hair. It seemed to work 
>though as the crack has not reappeared. Still I worry that this might 
>be an inadequate repair. My other concern is that I have no idea how 
>much ballast I lost.
>
>I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem and, if so, how was 
>it repaired?
>
>I wonder what I would find if I were to try to get inside the housing 
>by cutting holes in the hull from inside the cabin into the housing. 
>Would I find loose ballast that might be removed to repair the bottom 
>of the housing with fibreglass tape? Would I be able to add ballast or 
>would I just cut into a solid mass of ballast and cured resin?
>
>Thanks in advance for any advice.
>
>Graham ________________________________________________________
>Graham Stewart
>mailto:gstewart8 at cogeco.ca
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list

__________________________________________________
Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list