| Author | Message | ||
     Gary Hendrickson (Garyh) Rating: N/A |
Submitted by Gary Hendrickson (#094), Class Rules Committee The section of the hull that the keel fastens to is apparently a rectangular-shaped heavy-duty construction insert section that S2 bonded into the hull. The outline of the keel stub insert can be seen on the hull when fairing-sanding has penetrated the bottom paint and the gel-coat. Different inserts were used for either the deep-draft or shoal-draft models. The hull – keel joint lies several inches below the bottom of the hull, when viewed from under the boat. The width of the hull insert (the keel stub) where it mates to the keel is a little under-size compared to the width of most keels at their root chord (top). Thus one finds that a lot of fairing material has been slathered onto this area to fair the keel into the hull. This fairing build-up tends to crack along the hull-keel joint over time as the keel shifts naturally from side to side with varying side loads. The surface cracking is usually first noticed at the forward and aft ends of the joint. This process is normal and the cracked area is easily ground out and refilled. When cracking at this joint becomes more pronounced, it can usually be controlled by tightening the keel nuts. |
