3 quarter inch drill holes near bottom of keel

[Jarod]

Hey there,

probably not a good time to ask this question as the boat goes in the water in a couple of days and I really do not want to do anything about it anyway but......i had drilled a few holes 1/4 inch drill bit in the bottom of the keel to drain the water out of the sump/keel....i repaired with straight west system epoxy and colloidal silica....the repair felt rock solid to me...i slathered some on the inside of the sump first and then filled the holes from the outside afterward with a thick layer of of the epoxy...i prepped the area properly sanded and cleaned with acetone and dryed prior to applying....the patch feels just as strong as the surrounding glass...i guess i am just asking for reassurance prior to putting it in the water....and to clarify it is not on the bottom of the keel but rather up a few inches on the side of the keel...three holes spaced at 3 inch intervals at the bottom of the sump...it seemed silly/unnecesary to use fiberglass cloth for these tiny holes in an area that is unlikely to see any impact of any kind. ...and the epoxy was slapped on the inside and the outside..

 

[NateHanson]

I think 1/4" is small enough to be repaired very safely with thickened epoxy. Not worth grinding out a 6" circle of glass to a 12:1 taper, and then glassing it in. I think you did the right thing.

However, Why did you drill holes in the sump to drain it??? Was it not possible to pump it out and sponge it out to remove the rest of the water? Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

 

[Jarod]

just me being an idiot really...the pump didnt work when i bought the boat and i cleaned it out once with a sponge when the sump was right full of water ( one of the dirtiest jobs so far)..i was in a panic to get the bottom job done and didnt have time to address the pump or be sponging the damn thing everyday which would have been required as the rain was running in like a small creek at a couple of sites so it seemed the easiest resolution to keep it dry at the time (tarps wont stay on as they get ripped off here in the high winter winds) and I could only get to the boat once every few days..in hindsight i wouldnt do it again...but i do have a fair amt of faith in that epoxy its strong stuff...

 

[NateHanson]

Yeah, I think you'll be fine.

Our last boat had a garboard plug at the bottom of the sump cavity, and we could remove that when the boat was hauled. It was a nice feature, except that submerged in the bilge water, the part was sometimes subjected to galvanic action. One time we hauled and the plug and fitting was nearly corroded away! :eek: After replacing it, I fashioned a screw-on zinc anode, and that seemed to help quite a bit.

The plug was convenient, but I don't think it was worth the constant worry that the fitting was corroding away under you all the time. That would be a fast flood, and hard to plug.

 

[Emerald]

Hi,

Remember this opinion is worth what you paid..., but I think you are OK.

I assume the epoxy/coloidal silica was mixed to a peanut butter consistency?

If you got it nice and thick, it should have good adhesion and strength. To make yourself feel better, remember that when you drilled the hole you put some nice fine spiral cuts in the glass, and this should give some tooth for the epoxy to grab onto. I am also going to guess you have some epoxy on the interior side e.g. it is a plug that is bigger on the inside than the outside -this would make it harder again for it to "fall out", which I think is next impossible.

Finally, for piece of mind, pick up some of the epoxy sticks that cure under water, harden like steel, are machineable, and usually reach full cure in 10-20 minutes. You'll probably never use them, but I think it (underwater cure epoxy) should be part of all boat emergency spares kits.


-David
Independence 31
Emerald

 

[Jarod]

oh ya it was thick just like peanut butter and pushed in hard with a putty knife then slathered on thick with the knife again then put a heater close to it so as to assist in the curing process....