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Sail Life - Dropping the keel and finding the leaks ⚠️ Fountaine Pajot Helia 44
3 September 2023 · 17 min · 66K views · Cooper River, South Carolina
What this video covers
To address water intrusion in the keel of a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44, the crew removes the sacrificial keel to inspect the hull-to-keel joint and internal structure.2:47 After marking the keel’s position, they cut the adhesive bond using a reciprocating saw and wooden wedges to create leverage.3:42 Once lowered, the keel reveals significant construction flaws, including large voids in the foam core, missing foam in the aft third, and the presence of moisture-retaining MDF support material.9:38 The source of the leak is identified as two poorly sealed holes on the top of the keel, where only a thin layer of gelcoat covered the plugs.12:28 The repair plan involves removing all wet foam and debris, sanding the top surface to remove gelcoat blisters, and sealing the top with a new layer of fiberglass and epoxy before reinstallation.15:19 The project highlights the importance of sealing all core penetrations during construction to prevent structural water damage.
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