Last year [click here], in an effort to delay the inevitable effects of seawater on metal I had given the bilge keels (which are made of uncoated/non-encapsulated steel plate) a coating of Hammerite (other rust inhibitors are undoubtedly available, but I haven't used them so no idea if they work or not.. 
). Either way I'd read somewhere that providing the coating is re-applied the effect could be very beneficial...
You can see the "after" pictures in the post I referenced above, but having taken her out this year I was more than interested to see what the effects would be - overall I would have to say that I was very happy with the benefits... these are the original keels, so they're forty plus years old - pretty good condition I'd say, and the "nibllings" at the bottom will have been from various groundings over those years - if you settled into Chichester mud twice a day for 7 months of the year you'd look a bit nibbled as well!
So, before shots first...
Port side:
Better of the two sides as this is the "light" side - no not Darth Vader - just that this side is opposite to the one I normally store the outboard on, so it settles last .....
Starboard:
Dark side, no, heavy side... Pap has her galley on this side with sink etc. - it's also handy as the side for laying the outboard on when it's not in the well so she usually lists to this side, and as a result settles first on this side... even so - the Hammerite has stood up well.. only the very bottom worn away....
This weekend just gone - with the whole of the winters weather ahead, and having just washed her off I was keen to get another coat on pronto.. happily, the weather was sunny and I did just that - so here are the new after shots..
Much better... I covered practically the whole of the keel on the inside as I couldn't see the point of not using the whole pot!
Separately I also had an interesting 30 minutes recovering the mooring from "my" buoy... I replaced the shackles earlier this summer (about a month ago??) after a bit of a scare when one of the other boats managed to break free of its mooring - so the shackle holding swivel to buoy came away fairly easily after a bit of swearing at it... but I'd left the original there as it was rusted solid - yesterday I hacksawed it off (after having to return to shore to get new hacksaw blade.... ) ready for next season when I can renew all component parts (though the current one's look OK). Chain and pick up buoy are currently hanging in the garage having been pressure washed and WD40'd within an inch of their lives... either way - even without sails it was a lovely morning to be afloat for half an hour or so...
Good progress....
Job list update (see tab at top of page for full list):
18.Recover mooring Completed
19.Re-Hammerite keels Completed
). Either way I'd read somewhere that providing the coating is re-applied the effect could be very beneficial...You can see the "after" pictures in the post I referenced above, but having taken her out this year I was more than interested to see what the effects would be - overall I would have to say that I was very happy with the benefits... these are the original keels, so they're forty plus years old - pretty good condition I'd say, and the "nibllings" at the bottom will have been from various groundings over those years - if you settled into Chichester mud twice a day for 7 months of the year you'd look a bit nibbled as well!
So, before shots first...
Port side:
Better of the two sides as this is the "light" side - no not Darth Vader - just that this side is opposite to the one I normally store the outboard on, so it settles last .....
Starboard:
Dark side, no, heavy side... Pap has her galley on this side with sink etc. - it's also handy as the side for laying the outboard on when it's not in the well so she usually lists to this side, and as a result settles first on this side... even so - the Hammerite has stood up well.. only the very bottom worn away....
This weekend just gone - with the whole of the winters weather ahead, and having just washed her off I was keen to get another coat on pronto.. happily, the weather was sunny and I did just that - so here are the new after shots..
Much better... I covered practically the whole of the keel on the inside as I couldn't see the point of not using the whole pot!
Separately I also had an interesting 30 minutes recovering the mooring from "my" buoy... I replaced the shackles earlier this summer (about a month ago??) after a bit of a scare when one of the other boats managed to break free of its mooring - so the shackle holding swivel to buoy came away fairly easily after a bit of swearing at it... but I'd left the original there as it was rusted solid - yesterday I hacksawed it off (after having to return to shore to get new hacksaw blade....
) ready for next season when I can renew all component parts (though the current one's look OK). Chain and pick up buoy are currently hanging in the garage having been pressure washed and WD40'd within an inch of their lives... either way - even without sails it was a lovely morning to be afloat for half an hour or so...Good progress....
Job list update (see tab at top of page for full list):
18.
19.
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