Making your sails, dropping the keel and refit for offshore voyage

[rickroberts_06]

Hi guy, I worked on Blackdragon full-time for the last year and a half for our big trip. Installing and researching gear, repairing, building and etc.

I was soo sucked in by it all that I didn't think about sharing most of those projects with you guys. Some of the major projects was to making our own sails from a sailrite kit, dropping the keel, redoing the whole bottom back to the gel coat, SSB, water maker, changing all portlight and hatches lenses and the list goes on and on and on.

Anyway, we are now in Mexico and we are putting all this great footage onto our YouTube channel for family, friends and fellows boaters.

YouTube links, Making our sails, dropping the keel and doing part of the refit ---) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdQ03nGi8Sg&lc=z233jfzgspvrwbhiz04t1aokgclnl5kezz2t410x1d5erk0h00410

[KWKloeber]

WOW, you have some work behind you.

Q?s....

Did you drop the keel or raise the boat? I found the latter easier.

Did you cut thru the joint?  Recip saw?  I drilled holes thru w/ an electrician bit every 6: or so and then cut between them using (MANY) carbide grit blades.  By raising the hull I had to do no wedging to split the joint, the weight just popped the lead loose.

What did you use to bed the keel joint?

On the thru hull, I have replaced the seacock 5/8" hose nipple and hose with 3/4" on a few Universals.  I found it better to lessen the friction loses and get more water to the seawater pump.  The driving force behind that really was I wanted to use a Banjo hose barbs at the pump which are as indestructible as Marleon and have plenty of length to double clamp (they don't come in 1/2" npt x 5/8", but do in 1/2" npt x 3/4")   Plus the OEM cast brass hose elbows Universal used "aren't the best" for salt.

Cheers
ken

[Indian Falls]

I can't understand how you'd need to do anything to Black Dragon after reading/seeing all the posts of the PO.
There again, this only confirms that boats are always a work in progress.  I dropped my keel, you may want to see what we did there.  In my opinion it was an easy task as long as you have a bit of mechanical ability.

[mark_53]

Thanks for the amazing video. Well done. It really gives some perspective on what is involved in bottom work.  I was wondering about why you re-drilled the keel bolts and did you replace the bolts themselves?  What was there condition?

Mark