[Rhodes22-list] concrete ballast

[David Watral]

I have been looking at several older Rhodes and have found one that looks like it could work for me.  However, I noted that the concrete ballast is damp and breaking up for several inches from the top down. The owner/broker is suggesting using a shop vac to pull up the soft stuff and then filling with resin.  The boat sole is soft in several places and I am not sure what is going on.  I can handle the sole myself but am not sure where the water is coming from.  If this is only a surface problem, then the vacuum and resin make sense.  But if there is a crack in the keel?  
 
Thoughts from experienced Rhodes owners will be appreciated.