Iron Keel Finish

[ruidh]

I am the fairly new owner of a 1971 O'Day 23. One issue I've had wit it is the keel and centerboard. When I acquired it, the centerboard was rusted up into the slot. I freed it with a keyhole saw and a bit of tugging on a line wrapped around the centerboard. Since it's been launched, I follow the original instructions and shove a dowel down the pipe containing the cb lead to help push it down. The 1971 manual says the iron keel is sealed at the factory and needs no additional maintenance other than bottom paint. Ha!

I have some pictures on flickr.com. (As a new member I can't post urls] Search for ruidh and look at the Wise Eyes repairs set.

Should I be planning to scrape that all down and try to reseal the keel before bottom painting next year?

[sailingcal21]

Search the archives and you'll find lots of discussion about finishes to apply to various types of keels. The composition of the keel will dictate your choices; i.e. iron vs lead. Taking it to bare metal and encapsulating it is one solution. That is what was done to my Cal 21 and it required no further maintenance.