Water in keel

[R. D. Pukal]

Hi all,
>> I have a Albin 43 that has water in the keel? The other Albin I have has a
>> drain plug in the keel about 3 inches from the bottom the 43 does not.
>> Has any one added a plug or pump? If so how did you do it?
>> Thanks,
>> Rich

[GGUTHRID]

On my 1980 Albin 40 Trunk Cabin Bright Pleiades, Osprey Marine Composites, Deale, Maryland, installed a removable drain low and aft on the port side in August 2011. It was a straightforward and inexpensive task. Upon installation, the drain drooled awhile. In August 2013, hauled again after 2 years in the water, the drain held no water, but then the bilge was dry.

Osprey peeled 1/4 inch off the bottom last week in preparation for new fiberglass layup and barrier coat. After 12 hours a new drool showed up starboard along a line, made visible by the peeling, between the keel and the hull.

[jleonard]

I drilled and pipe tapped a hole in the bottom of the keel just ahead of the shaft entry point. I use a allen head style plug so it does not stick out past the keel bottom.
Easy to do. I fixed the leak source which was the bilge pump mount screws and after letting it drain during winter layup for 6 years it is now dry.

[psneeld]

I have a leak somewhere because water was coming up through a deep screw hole after removing a bilge pump...I think the source is my shaft log...but could be wrong....it might have just been through this crack or another....

The picture is after deep grinding...I wound up grinding a hole about 18-20 inches long and 3 inches wide at the widest spot.... the only way I knew it was there is the glass was dark after grinding off the gel coat to redo my bottom and barrier coat it.

Eventually I plan to put the plug inside my bilge so I can tell if the leak is from the bilge into the keel or outside into the keel. I will rig a tube and vacuum it out and see what happens then.

[Greatlaker221]

I have found damage to the fiberglass in the bilge in several areas due to ice damage. In the bow I pulled a lot of saturated lose concrete out. I also have a weap in the keel below the prop. I assume water is in the keel. Where is the best place to drill a hole to release the trapped water. Comments, ideas , pictures?

[jleonard]

I do not have a picture to show you but maybe I can splain it.
I drilled and tapped 3/8 NPT (pipe thread) right under the cutless bearing holder (stern tube) in the approximate center of the keel.
I had to dig out a hole in the ground to get a drill in there.
Then I let it drain out for as long as I could (I was getting ready for spring launch at the time).
I bought a 3/8 NPT plug (I think it was bronze) with an allen recess so that it wouldn't drag on the bottom and get ripped out. Then I gooped it up with a very liberal amount of 5200 and threaded it in just past the level of the keel.
That stopped the water from draining further, and when that was dry I covered the plug with 5200.
The next several seasons I removed the plug in the fall and let it drain until launch again. Which it did drain until the last couple of years when all the water finally made it's way out.

You'll have to spend time fixing the bilge so it doesn't leak any more.

[Greatlaker221]

Ok so If I understand correctly, on the bottom of the keel you drilled the hole from below. Not sure I can do that as I am on asphalt. I get the theory, sounds good. any ideas on the next best place to drill?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of ice damage to the fiberglass in the bottom of the bilge in several places. May have to remove the holding tank and engine to get to it. Thanks

[Greatlaker221]

Here is a link to the blog I started on the restoration of my boat. This link is to my post on fixing the water in the keel problem. There are many pictures and it is a fairly big project.

http://savingtortuga.blogspot.com/2014/ ... -keel.html