[briceburg]

It''s time to restore the 1968 morgan 22 I have. After cleaning the small ecosystem that built up in it after 15 years in the FL jungle, I need to focus on the centerboard. The old centerboard has rusted, expanded, and split, so it doesn''t fit back into the centerboard trunk easily. I''ve decided to refab one using 1/2" aluminum + 1/4" stainless bars near the bottom for weight. This is the first time I''ve worked with these materials, and I''ve glued some high density boat foam to it & will sand this into an airfoil shape to fiberglass over. Does this method sound OK? Any tips?

After the refab, I''m going to replace the winch, cable, and pulley system to lower and raise the keel. Does anyone know if Morgan/other manufacturer sells replacement winches, pulleys, (and more importantly) the piston system (rubber elbow, piston, and pack nut) attatched to the elbow which leads to the centerboard trunk? Are there alternate methods I can use?

Also.. another stupid ?: The gel coat along the hull appears to be slightly blistered. Is it necessary to sand the entire hull down to the glass & coat it with a few layers of epoxy before painting it again? I''d like it to be able to sit it in the water for at least a couple (2-4) years without worry of damage.

Thanks,

Brice
(reachable via: http://www.iceburg.net/contact.php )