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Old 23-01-2025, 06:33   #1
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G Flex for Hull/Keel Joint?

In the seemingly neverending saga of trying to keep my Westerly Centaur's keels from leaking I've heard West System's G Flex is a good option that will go over the outside edges of the joint. My last attempt involved using polysulfide caulking which only worked partially. It let in gallons of water during rough passages. Now I have the extra fun problem of being in a yard that can't place the boat close to the ground so any bracing for dropping the keels will have to be much bigger and beefier than before.

Do you think the G-flex will work as a band-aid solution until I can haul out at a yard with better options? Boat is in Pacific Mexico so the Westerly Owner's Group is no help. I may need to sail it back to British Columbia.
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Old 23-01-2025, 06:38   #2
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Re: G Flex for Hull/Keel Joint?

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Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt View Post
In the seemingly neverending saga of trying to keep my Westerly Centaur's keels from leaking I've heard West System's G Flex is a good option that will go over the outside edges of the joint. My last attempt involved using polysulfide caulking which only worked partially. It let in gallons of water during rough passages. Now I have the extra fun problem of being in a yard that can't place the boat close to the ground so any bracing for dropping the keels will have to be much bigger and beefier than before.

Do you think the G-flex will work as a band-aid solution until I can haul out at a yard with better options? Boat is in Pacific Mexico so the Westerly Owner's Group is no help. I may need to sail it back to British Columbia.
No, I don’t think G-flex is flexible enough… it’s still an epoxy.

The best performance I have seen is the original, 7 days cure time, 3M 5200. Thus is exactly the correct application for the product.
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Old 23-01-2025, 06:52   #3
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Re: G Flex for Hull/Keel Joint?

I'm not sure G-flex would work as just smeared on the outside of the joint, especially if things are moving more than they should be. However, I'm pretty sure the later built Hunters have the keels basically glued on with G-flex or something similar. But that's through the whole joint. I remember seeing someone try to drop a keel on one of those Hunters and it took them quite a bit of work to get it off as it was still very solidly held on after the bolts were un-done.
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Old 23-01-2025, 07:35   #4
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Re: G Flex for Hull/Keel Joint?

The lead keel of my fiberglass boat had crazing and flaking fairing compound, which was especially bad around the keel-hull joint. I got all the poorly adhered stuff of, and replaced it with petit ez-fair, including in the joint area, then repainted with three coats of interlux barrier paint. The repair was good a few seasons later with no more splitting or crazing.


If the fairing compound is well-adhered, well cured (no brittleness and good cross-linking) and the movement of the keel is not excessive, a good epoxy fairing compound should not fail in that area.
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