Sanding the keel

This being the People's Republic of Berkeley, after all, I can't sandblast the fin keel, as I'd of preferred to, but can only use a wire-wheel in an angle grinder, and even for that I have to tent the whole thing in plastic dropcloths to avoid putting dust in the air.

It's been hot, too. It is SOOOO much fun sitting inside an almost airtight plastic tent in the sun, wearing a respirator, and grinding rust off the steel.

It worked out pretty well, though. Here's the fin keel all wirewheeled down to white metal, and coated with a high zinc rust inhibiting primer.

I'll put a thick epoxy primer over this before I anti-foul, and that - combined with proper attention to the zincs - should prevent the keel from corroding any more. Luckily, the keel is made of really heavy stock - 5/8" steel plate - so the pitting isn't even close to going through. I drilled one small hole through the deepest pit, and the interior - above the poured lead in the bottom - is bone dry.