Keeping Bilge Dry when hauled

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Vento Solare
Posts: 394
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 8:00 pm
Location: Newport, RI

Keeping Bilge Dry when hauled

Post by Vento Solare »

I received a good tip from Bengt Johansson who owns J/109 Zig Zag. He keeps his boat at McMichaels in the winter. McMichaels prepares all the boats in the yard for winter storage by drilling a hole into the keel stub at a right angle into the keel sump where the bilge can drain. Bengt forwarded pictures posted below with the dimensions shown so the hole may be precisely located at 12.5" from the leading edge and 6.5" down from the hull intersection.

I spoke to Helmut Bittlingmayer the general manager at McMichaels yard and he gave me the rest of the info. The hole is sealed in the spring using a stainless steel 1/4" head head screw that is inserted just below the face on the side of the keel. The hole is tapped into the fiberglass keel stub and you need to be careful not to cross thread when inserting the plug. It is then sealed using a polysulfide caulk such as Boatlife Life Caulk (not 5200, 4200 or Silicone!). The polysulfide caulk when applied with a squeegee provides a smooth surface that skims over and may be bottom painted directly. Once painted, you can't tell it is there.

When the boat is hauled, locate the plug from the dimensions recorded, then use a pick to strip the caulk from the plug and a 1/4" allen wrench to remove the plug.

Since I am currently fairing and longboarding the keel, I plan on doing this and will place an order with McMaster Carr for the 1/4" 316 Stainless Steel hex head NPTF threaded plugs.
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