Filling open keelplate on 65 Jupiter

[65Jupiter]

I just wanted to report for the interest/benefit of others on a very successful repair to my 65 Jupiter, which was taking on water in a major way. After much investigation on the boat and reading several posts on the internet, I decided the problem must be loose rivets beneath the keel plate and so I drilled holes all along the keep plate and packed it full of Sijka-Flex. I just had the boat back in the water for four days and it didn't take in one drop of water. Before, I had it in for 2 hours, I'd have to run the bildge for minutes to get the water out. Total success.

 

[64osby]

Re: Filling open keelplate on 65 Jupiter

Sikaflex ?? What kind or ID #. Sounds like a good product.

 

[65Jupiter]

Re: Filling open keelplate on 65 Jupiter

Sikaflex ?? What kind or ID #. Sounds like a good product.

Sikaflex 291 is available at most good marine stores - and is at Westmarine. It is an underwater sealant like 3M stuff, but unlike 3M is dries flexible. The advantage of using it for this kind of repair is that 3M would have dried hard and made it impossible to ever get that keelplate off if I ever had to. With Sikaflex, that's still possible. I put a bead of it along all the seams. First time using it and very impressed. Got if for $11 bucks a tube. Westmarine charges $20 a tube, of course.

 

[64osby]

Re: Filling open keelplate on 65 Jupiter

Sounds nice, 3M 5200 does dry rigid, 3M 4200 does stay flexible FYI.

Always good to have options.