Keel plug

[thebastidge]

So my boat has a round hole in the port side of the keel, clearly designed in, with a matching plug; which has currently dropped to the frigging bottom of the keel (I'm in the boatyard for the near future).

What exactly is this supposed to do for me? It's high up in the keel, not anywhere near the bottom where it could be a drain for pulling the boat out not facing down like a depth sounder (actually, there are two depth sounders, one sort of forward and one right in the forward starboard corner of the engine compartment, under the companionway steps. Both of these are ancient and one of them must come out so I can install my new one.) What is this, other than something to worry about for leaks?

[chuckmc]

Did you ever get more information on this?

[rcvesselstyn]

We were waiting for a picture or a further description. At that location and level it most likely was for the knot meter. the knot meter was made with a little paddle wheel at the end that needed to be cleaned periodically. There was a plug you could put in while you were doing the cleaning of the sending unit. I have seen more than a few Cals that have had the knot meter placed in that location, including my son's 25.

[Scrimshaw]

I agree it probably is a plug for adding or removing the paddle wheel for a speedometer. There is a very simple solution, have the yard seal the hole with fiberglass and you will never need worry about it again. That is what I did with my speedometer hole. Use your gps to estimate your speed.

warren fox
scrimshaw 34 III
Marina del Rey, CA

[SailingChris]

This is a simple issue that should not require a yard bill. We're in the age of epoxy when you can do it yourself. If you are unfamiliar with epoxy repairs in fiberglass hulls, Gougeon Brothers Inc., makers of WEST System epoxies, have ample and accessible explanations of the procedures online and in print form. Go to their web site. The company was founded by and is still run by sailors (it's now employee-owned). They were pioneers in the use of epoxies for boatbuilding and repair.

The procedure is simple. I've done several similar jobs on my boats (sealing up through-hulls from the days when we pumped our sewage into the same water we swam in). None of them has ever failed or even looked suspicious. I repaired the tube for the rudder post when the old polyester resin leached away and only glass remained. No leaks since. Re-engineered a dinghy where the hull needed reinforcement, and then repaired holes in it when a tree fell on it. On and on.

One thing I do that the online info doesn't mention is to add a layer or two of epoxy & 'glass on the inside of the repair, a belt-and-suspenders approach that locks the repair in place mechanically even if the chemical bond were to fail (and it doesn't, but still, for holes through the boat, a pair of suspenders is a good idea).

Chris Campbell