My load delivery got delayed for a few more days so I thought I’d make a little more work. Before I started working on the next strake I spent an afternoon trying to source the ballast portion of the keel. After doing some research I have decided I don’t want to cast a lead ballast. I think the health and safety risks are too high. I talked to a local fabrication shop about making a keel ballast out of steel the price they came up with was $750 maybe I’m just cheap but that seems like a lot of money. I looked for alternatives I talked to a metal supplier who will only charge me $450 for the steel and will cut it to length and I can rent a welder for about $30 per day. I think that will be the direction I will go.

I finished the 6th strake and got it installed. Now I only have one more to do.