As an addendum to this post, I suspect that Catalina had a design requirement for a specific weight of keel in order to achieve the desired righting moment for the sail plan and displacement. They also had a requirement for a specific keel profile to achieve the hydrodynamic characteristics of the keel. Unfortunately, the volume of the required keel profile did not match the volume of the lead weight required fo the keel. The only way to achieve both was to add filler to increase the volume of the lead. Therefore firebrick, which would have been the only thing that could safely be added to molten lead, was added to increase the volume to result in the required keel profile. Just my 2 cents worth.
Regards Tom Grover C27 #2855 Pier Pressure --- Michael DeFazio <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Thanks to all for the informative replies. Just to > close the loop, in regard to some of the replies, > the > bulge is about mid-way down on the cast section of > the > keel. The void with the loose sand is about an inch > deep. The area of the compressed sand, which seems > to > have the color and hardness of firebrick, appears to > extend quite a way in all directions beyond the > void. > Guess I'll just fill in the void with epoxy and > filler, push the lead "skin" back against it before > it > sets, fair over the repair and go sailing. (With a > little effort, I managed to attach some not very > clear > photos from my cell phone after the bulge was opened > to this message. I wasn't able to do it with the > initial message). > Michael > --- Michael DeFazio <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I have a 1981 Catalina 27. There is a bulge in the > > center of the port side of the keel. It is about > 10 > > inches long and about 12 inches high and protrudes > > about 1 inch from the side of the keel. In an > > attempt > > to repair it, the boat yard cut it open and found > > that > > the keel is full of sand. The bulge contained > loose > > sand but the remainder of the sand within the keel > > is > > packed very hard. The sand appears to be encased > by > > a > > lead shell about one quarter of an inch thick > which > > forms the keel with fiberglass and epoxy fairing > > over > > the lead. Has anyone ever heard of this before? > Any > > suggestions for repair? > > > > >
