We did a leak test on ZSA ZSA last week and were happy to see that the new bottom and keel did not leak. The leak test was conducted by spraying the hull with a Dawn liquid soap and water mix, then blowing air into the hull with low pressure, low volume air from our Porter Cable into the stern drain plug opening. We were not surprised to see some leaks around the deck seam, daggerboard trunk and mast step.
Daggerboard trunk leaks are primarily where the trunk is attached to the deck and keel longerons, most likely the adhesive has dried out over the last 60 years.
Deck seam leaked, pretty much all the way around.
Mast step bubblerama.
We removed the rub rail and toe rail so we could get to the seam and seal it up, along with other fastener holes. We tried to take the fasteners out with a screwdriver and save the rails for reuse, but the heads were too corroded. We next tried to pry the trim off gently and pull the fasteners through the trim, but the trim was too brittle and snapped. We also discovered several areas of rot in the trim, so it will be used to size new trim and we will cut that from cypress.
In other news, we received the half oval stainless steel trim to be used on the stem and forward keel strip, purchased from Jamestown Distributors. We bought a 6 foot piece, we will need 18 inches for ZSA ZSA. Guess we'll need to build more boats!
And we attached the rudder keeper chain to the rudder. We prefer it staying with the rudder versus being attached to the hull, especially for long road trips.
Log of ZSA ZSA.
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