God, What a Mess!

[S&S]

Originally Posted by Vic de Beer

Hi Fish.
I agree mostly with everything said beforee.... no need to replace the skeg.
Just make sure you get all the water out of it and then, onec nice and dry, if possible, pump epoxy in through the BOTTOM hole, until it runs clear from the TOP hole....
Good luck, it should outlast most of us...heh heh

Good plan- make the top hole in your bilge to get the lamination at the top of the skeg. You'll need some kind of pump- Grease gun maybe.

[Vic de Beer]

There you go.... problem solved ....

Next question???

[bitman]

bear in mind that an aircompressor isn't blowing dry air... there is some kind of water in it if not filtered correctly... so don't try to dry it under pressured air.

use a hair dryer or those violet light dryers used at car body shops to dry their painted panels? best i think is time... (but he we want to sail a boot not look at it )

[S&S]

Originally Posted by bitman

bear in mind that an aircompressor isn't blowing dry air... there is some kind of water in it if not filtered correctly... so don't try to dry it under pressured air.

use a hair dryer or those violet light dryers used at car body shops to dry their painted panels? best i think is time... (but he we want to sail a boot not look at it )

True, but we were looking to have the air displace the fluid, not necessarily dry the material. A hair dryer won't have any pressure to force the water out. FWIW, most of that water remains in the compressor tank.

[Jim Cate]

Well, if the boat is 30+ years old and the skeg is not showing stress cracks where it joins the hull, I would reckon that it is adequately strong as is. Getting rid of seepage paths by filling with epoxy under pressure (sounds easy when you say it fast!) is certainly worth doing, but won't add much structural rigidity... just a bit of peace of mind!

So, get on with the rest of your refit -- you have plenty of other things to worry about!

Good luck with it all.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II
lying Mele Bay, Efate Island, Vanuatu

[Fishman_Tx]

I would have to split it into pieces to use a hair dryer. Remember, this is a SOLID skeg and there are no discernable cavities. If it was hollow(cored) I wouldn't have this problem. Just cut it, gut it, and rework it. Wet air is not at question when if the skeg was a towel I could wring a couple gallons out of it. I think a 3/4 inch fitting epoxied into the hole I've already drilled and some regulated lo-press air are the right thing to do and it can be maintained over longer term if necessary til I am ready to deal with it further.

[Extemporaneous]

Originally Posted by Fishman_Tx

I would have to split it into pieces to use a hair dryer. Remember, this is a SOLID skeg and there are no discernable cavities. If it was hollow(cored) I wouldn't have this problem. Just cut it, gut it, and rework it. Wet air is not at question when if the skeg was a towel I could wring a couple gallons out of it. I think a 3/4 inch fitting epoxied into the hole I've already drilled and some regulated lo-press air are the right thing to do and it can be maintained over longer term if necessary til I am ready to deal with it further.

Have you considered a Vacuum pump?
It would only take liquid out and not push liquid into voids.
Also there may be some minute amounts of Oil in compressed air which may negate a good bond by any epoxy the you either inject or pour in later. The vacuum pump could also be used to suck the epoxy through the voids if you can find the path, which I'm assuming you will as it did get there somehow. I think you could also regulate the suction better than pressure??

Just a thought,
Extemp.

[s/v Jedi]

I agree with Extemp: vacuum is the way to go. You can get a vacuum "pump" that is powered by an air compressor. I would combine that with heat. Make a tent around it with some IR lamps.

cheers,
Nick.

[Joli]

Looking at the hull it was probably built in two halves or the mold was split to get the boat out of the mold. If it was the former then the skeg was probably molded with the hull, don't think I would cut it off. If it was a split mold the skeg was probably prefabbed and glassed to the hull later, you could more easily remove the skeg then. You may be able to look at the rudder shaft and determine the method of construction.

All that said I would simply let it dry out and seal the void as best you can. As others have said maybe draw a vacuum but that could be problematic if you can't seal the inside top of the skeg. Maybe drain holes and heat. Can you take pictures from inside at the top of the skeg?

Originally Posted by Fishman_Tx

Now for the big question:
Am I possibly looking at having to cut off and replace the skeg?

[forsailbyowner]

If you get a gel plane could. You let me know what you paid for it? Might take it off your hands when your done with it.

[S&S]

Originally Posted by Extemporaneous

Have you considered a Vacuum pump?
Just a thought,
Extemp.

Vacuum- Nice! Same set up, just suck the water out of the hole.

[Fishman_Tx]

It would only take liquid out and not push liquid into voids.
Also there may be some minute amounts of Oil in compressed air which may negate a good bond by any epoxy the you either inject or pour in later.

I have a small oiless rig as well.

All: I may vac it after but first i have to find where it's coming in...

[Fishman_Tx]

Well, it seems we think we found where the water is getting into the skeg. It seems to be in a little sump area under the stuffing box. We're going to use a Castrol degreaser (non-petroleum) followed by a soapy water mixture with Dawn followed by clean water. This will be vacuumed thru the skeg to remove the oily sump water(motor oil) residue from the void which is possibly a wicking action but more than likely a bit of internal delam It runs the entire length of the skeg about a third of the way in on the starboard side. Pic below is of the skeg with a 3/4" hole drilled into it. The runoff is oil and water mixed.

Now, the question is "What do we fill the void with?" CPES penetrating epoxy? Standard 105?

What say you?

[s/v Jedi]

First, drill a 3/8" hole at the very top of the area, into the void. Now check if the two holes are into the same void. rinse it out as good as possible.

Devise a way (duct tape) to put the hose of a shop-vac onto the lower hole, so that it sucks the air from the top hole. Now, setup a heat gun to blow warm (not too hot) dry air into the top hole.

When you believe it's really dry (try to check with small stick into the lower hole), it's time to fill it up. Is this void within the laminate or is it the hollow core of the skeg? What is the estimated volume? Either expandable foam or thickened epoxy come to mind.

cheers,
Nick.

[Solitude]

Hey Fish

If you want to check for more water leaks before you dry it out couldn't you use a reverse shopvac and blow air ito the skeg. Use a soapy spray bottle and squirt it around to look for bubbles. Like a bike tire.... Find all the waterleaks and then fix... like Jedi is sayin