Time to start rebuilding the keel sump

Posted By: amory
Date: 3/5/08 5:09a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

All the nuts are out, the bolts are cleaned and the threads recut with a die, the compression post is out, the wood in the keel is out. I just need to do a little sanding of the inside of the stub prior to fiberglassing. The catalina drawings say to use 3 layers of alternating mat and roving to rebuilt the stub. I am assuming this is a total of 6 layers, although the drawing is not totally clear. However, I want to use epoxy, not polyester, and Don Casey says you can't use epoxy with mat, because it does not react well with the glue in the mat, and also you can't use layers of roving alone. So I am guessing that I should be using at least 6 layers of fiberglass cloth, which is supposed to be stronger than mat and roving anyway. I have an email in to catalina, and I am waiting for a response, but in the meantime, can anyone tell me: 1)Is epoxy and cloth the way to do it? 2)What weight and how many layers of cloth should I use? I have found various weights, 10-12 oz cloth seems common. I have also found cloth up to 38 oz. Heavier is more expensive. 3)There is a little bit of the old fiberglass covering the keel sump hanging over the edge of the sump in various places. I need to extend the glass up over this on the side of the sump, so I would like to remove this jagged edge as much as possible, but I am not sure if in doing this I will cause structural damage. Has anyone dealt with this? Thanks!