[Rhodes22-list] Lost ballast

[Lou Rosenberg]

  Graham,
    If you have repaired the crack effectively, I would not tamper 
with the centerboard housing (trunk).   Its really almost impossible 
to get tools into the trunk even when its ripped open like mine is 
now.   I would have attempted the same repair you did but use a 
syringe to inject the epoxy into a few holes around the crack as well.
  I am sure you still have ballast. The bars of lead I can see are 
measuring about 3"Lx1.5"W and are embedded into the cement which is 
your top layer of ballast around the bottom of the hull and extending 
into the shoal keel.
  Its almost impossible for me to get my digital cam under the boat 
and aim it at this material.  I only have a mini dv camera right now 
that can focus that close.
   In a perfect world It would have been nice to get the boat up on 
stands , but my marina would then charge me extra for the trailer and 
I really could not afford it.
good luck
  Lou


>  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
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
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>
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