The false keel:

t37-panacea · **Joined:** 23 Dec 2006 17:26 **Posts:** 75

The sand blasting also exposed the false keel.

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It had been damaged by the previous owner or yard and this was a repair I knew I had to do eventually. It seemed like a good time to do it now while all the bottom paint was off. Rather than replace the false keel with another. I chose to fill the void with epoxy making a more durable and permanent repair. The false keel seems to be a point of failure to me, especially if the boat is blocked on it by unknowing yard workers?

T37Chef · **Posted:** 14 May 2007 17:56

a couple of "LIFT" decals on the hull work well in helping the yard workers from doing that...I hope Cool

Nice job by the way but looking at those photos I am concerned about the bottom paint still left on the bottom? If it?s an ablative all the more concern, I would hate for your hard work to be wasted time???

t37-panacea · **Joined:** 23 Dec 2006 17:26 **Posts:** 75

T37Chief,

At that stage I had not removed the remainder of the bottom paint. I was careful to hand sand with a palm sander down to the gelcoat to remove any remaining paint. Then I cleaned the hull with Interlux 202 Fiberglass Solvent Wash to remove any residue and dust prior to applying the 2000E barriar coat.

NOTE: be sure to wear the appropriate safety equipment: gloves, respirator, hearing an eye protection when using power tools, epoxy, paints and solvents!

Mark

T37Chef · **Posted:** 14 May 2007 19:23

It looks great, nice job fairing!!! Glad you knew what to do, I would have hated hearing ...oh crap

sundog · **Joined:** 15 Aug 2008 18:14 **Posts:** 21

This is news to me. Is the aft part of the T37 K/CB keel not the same as the rest of the structure?

t37-panacea · **Joined:** 23 Dec 2006 17:26 **Posts:** 75

sundog,

The false keel is attached to the aft end of the centerboard trunk. It is not structural and Tartan anticipated they would break, because they sell it as an aftermarket part?

Mark

carl s · **Joined:** 31 Dec 2006 13:33 **Posts:** 90

This spring I filled mine with epoxy. It is hollow and will retain water and will freeze. I guess mine took maybe a half gallon or a bit less. Easy job to fill it but be careful not to inject too much at once, heat. The false keel was added to make the molded keel look less rough and more finished. Mawky, ser 295, Carl

Adam135 · **Joined:** 05 Feb 2009 22:21 **Posts:** 22

After having my bottom soda blasted in the fall and completing some bottom repairs and fairing, I began to take a look at the false keel. After examination I found it to be completely saturated probably because of a grounding by a previous owner. The bottom portion was almost completely delaminated. So I cut away that area only to find more and more damage as I cut further towards the top. I will be getting a whole new keel section that someone has and never used on their 37. Curious is anyone here has completed this repair before of putting a whole new section in? If so any advice and tips on cutting the away the old.

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

I have a deep keel t37, but I had to replace most of the false part (which is in the same place as the center board model). I came down on a rock and broke a major chunk of it off in Miami. I had repaired it a couple times before from dufus yard guys but that was just some tape and epoxy and fairing. I made a new piece out of layers of 3/8" foam core overlayed with three layers of glass on each side. Made it in my shop on a strip of vinyl sheeting. I made it 2" smaller than actual size in all dimensions, and then I clamped it to the keel (with two boards--one on each side of the keel to center it) and tabbed it in place with graphite tape--overlapped about 1-4 inches to the original keel, starting with short overlap and increasing it with each layer. Removed the clamps when it set and then layered more glass over it to flesh it out. Put some fairing compound in in the last layers and faired it to the keel. This is a lot beefier than the original, but there was really nothing wrong with the original. Mine was not hollow as apparently some of the centerboarders were. There are a lot of ways to do this and I would recommend the project to anyone with the most basic experience with fiberglass--there is very little to screw up. If you have not had experience, just get the West System book. It is going to take a couple days, but it is not technically challenging. Use the lightest fairing filler by West and put a LOT of it over the last layer(peanut butter consistency and stir it thoroughly, then smooth it on and let it set--don't try to get it perfect or you will foul it up after it starts to go off). Use 80 grit to sand it out and fair it with a good rotary sander, preferably a Dual Action DA like Porter Cable or air tool (but you probably could get by with a palm if that is what you have.) Keep the sander moving. You will probably have to add more and fair it a couple times. Patience is required.

Tartan37.com

The false keel:

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