Reinforcing a keel with a deep sump

[jpendoley]

I have a Pearson 424-the design has encapsulated ballast forward of a very deep sump. The safe blocking spots are in front of the sump (beneath the encapsulated ballast) and aft of the sump where there is either very many layers of glass or more encapsulated lead. Supporting or lifting the boat beneath the sump will damage the sump cracking the relatively thin keel in that spot. Now that my keel has been damaged and thoroughly repaired, I'd like to further reinforce this area for two reasons:

1. In the event of a grounding on the sump it would be nice to know I wasn't in danger of a catastrophic failure, More importantly...

2) I want to launch and retrieve my boat from a trailer ramp. I store at a diy yard and they don't have a travel lift but they do have a wide and deep ramp. They also let you do all your own work which is a necessity on my budget. Though the keel has been correctly repaired, its still not strong enough nor was it ever strong enough to support beneath the sump-that makes hauling via a trailer difficult or impossible as the sump is very long-like four to five feet long- getting it on a trailer while in the water is extraordinarily difficult because of the fairly small areas on the keel that are safe to lift under. Haul store and launch is 3500 at my diy yard vs 7200 in a full service yard with a travel lift. That and the fact that I can do my own work is compelling.

My question is how to reinforce the keel from the inside so that the keel can be supported throughout its length either on a trailer or on blocks in the yard. The sump is deep and wide so access is conceivable for glass work and I do have a fair bit of experience. I'm just not sure how to structure the repair. Floors? An encapsulated foam base? Would love to hear suggestions.