metalstructur within the Skegg?

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Westwind
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2018 2:38 pm

metalstructur within the Skegg?

Post by Westwind »

Hello to the forum-members,
due too an unsuitabel craddle and lack of expirience from my part, my finkeel Sabre has slipped from the hardstanding during a wintergale.
Westwind.jpg
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Fortunataly there were little visible damages, but as I realised later on, rudder and skeg have been bend to bow-direction about 15mm. I was able too align the rudderaxis, however, the skegg seemed to have a very solid inner structure, mayby from metal. I concluded this from the oval shaped plate, witch could bee seen underneath the cockpit. In adition I used a metal-detector from a electrician. The divice gave a signal when it was slid along the frontedge of the skeg, and the oval plate gave a significant signal too. Actually the bearing at tip of the skeg is 15 mm out of line in correlation to the bearing-pipe within the hull.

Do have anyone access to a drawing witch shows a metalstrukture and dimensions within the skeg? Althoug I´m not a member of the owners association, as I live in Germany, I would would be realy thankfull, if you could help me. In advance "thanks a lot" for an answer, Christian.
Keith 66
Posts: 34
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 7:36 pm

Re: metalstructur within the Skegg?

Post by Keith 66 »

As far as i am aware there was no metal structure within the skeg on either the bilge or fin versions as standard.
The skeg is a separate moulding that is bolted into a recess in the hull moulding. It is bedded on polyester filler & secured by a ring of stainless steel bolts around its edge.
The skeg was filled with two part polyurethane foam through a hole in the hull. It is almost certain that this will be waterlogged by now.
Saying the above it is quite possible that steelwork was put into the skeg when she was built if she was not a factory boat.
Removal of the skeg should be relatively straightforward once the nuts on the inside are exposed but it is an awkward job to do as access is difficult, fuel tank has to come out & there is much in the way!
I replaced the skeg & rudder on Sabreuse as it was in very poor condition, As i had the engine & fuel tank out at the time it was not too bad. In my case i stiffened the skeg with solid GRP rods cast in, these were obtained from Golf course pin poles that the local kids hurl into the yacht club from the council golf course next door!
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