Water from Skegg after lay up

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Spavis
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2017 6:06 pm

Water from Skegg after lay up

Post by Spavis »

Hi, I am looking for some advice please! My Sabre (Myrine) was lifted out for winter lay up about three weeks ago, and when I returned a week later in noticed seepage from the joint between the Skegg and the bronze boot. After about a week the leak from the joint had stopped but there was still a drip from the bolt holes under the Skegg that connect the shoe. My question is has anyone else had this experience and do you think this is likely to be a failed joint between Skegg and boot or something more serious? The Skegg itself sounds hollow when tapped, so doesn't seem to have too much water ingress. I have pictures if that helps any fathom the problem. Thanks all. Steve
ken endean
Posts: 42
Joined: Wed May 10, 2017 11:11 am

Re: Water from Skegg after lay up

Post by ken endean »

Steve,
On my Sabre the bronze boot is a sliding fit on to the skeg moulding, so there is inevitably a thin crevice between the two. I guess that slathering the end of the skeg with sealant before fitting the boot might reduce the volume of water that could be trapped there, but might also make the boot impossible (or very difficult) to remove, particularly if the sealant set hard. I cannot guarantee the absence of any unsuspected problem but a little seepage there would not worry me. The security of the boot depends on the bottom bolts and also (at least on most Sabres) the screws at the sides of the boot. Ken
Spavis
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2017 6:06 pm

Re: Water from Skegg after lay up

Post by Spavis »

Thanks, Ken, I think I will take the boot off and just check everything ok - but I'm feeling reassured it's not a desaster! Thank you.
Keith 66
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 7:36 pm

Re: Water from Skegg after lay up

Post by Keith 66 »

The Skeg on both the Bilge & Fin keel versions is a GRP sub moulding that is bolted into a recess moulded into the hull moulding. It was bedded onto dough mix fibreglass filler. The ring of bolts were then glassed over on the inside. Sometimes the join is taped over with fibreglass tape on the outside sometimes not.
The skeg was filled with two part polyurethane foam filler through a 1" hole bored through the hull. On our boat this hole was not glassed over & was a possible bad leak point! Our skeg was only partially filled with waterlogged foam & the rest was full of thick black Conyer mud. 30 years in the mud berth meant bad osmosis on the inside of the skeg & a new skeg & rudder.
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