Michael's Boatbuilding Blog: Fairing Diary, Day 488: All Saints Day

Day 488. Happy All Saints Day.

Now, where were we? Let's take a look at that keel:

If we put a 6-foot level on the port side of the keel, and align it with the transom, we'll find that the level is making contact at either end, with a long gap in the middle.

Contact at the transom end

Contact at the forward end

Long gap in the middle

So, how should we interpret this? Let's take a few things into consideration. I have done far more fairing work at the aft end of the keel than in the area between frames 2 and 4.

At the transom, it's likely that the port side is very, very close to where it needs to be. So, it's not likely that the aft end is a troublesome high point.

Then there's also that problem area at the keel & Frame #2.

Keel at Frame #2

The plane is pretty even along the port side of Frame #2. However, the dip in the middle of the keel also has pushed the center line from the center back over to the starboard side significantly. I believe the problem is mostly a result of the angle being too shallow, but it's also very possible it has been faired too far. A low spot, in other words.

So, if the transom end is about right and the center area is close to right, if possibly low; and knowing that less fairing work has been done at the forward end of our measured area... then it's reasonable to conclude that the forward part of the keel around Frame #4 is too high.

The complication is: fairing the depth and angle of the keel in that area is only guesswork until we know that it is correct at a known point. That known point is Frame #4.

However, to use Frame #4 as a reference point for fairing the keel, we first have to make sure Frame #4 itself is correct.

And so far, it's not.