fairing a sailboat keel

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filling and fairing cast iron keels

• Thread starter dunkelly
• Start date 3 Oct 2020

Anyone any thoughts on the merits or otherwise of filling and fairing badly pitted cast iron keels .  

Well-known member

Seems reasonable; I would think major pitting would create turbulent flow over the keel.  

I kind of half did mine... in the past I’ve found they just rust again so didn’t expend too much effort on that job but I’d aquired a Terco Blaster so gave it a go. Got to say how impressed I am by it - took my keel back to the metal in very short order. So then I tried applying some Fertan which was equally impressive but I’ll wait to see hoe completely impressed I am in a few months time. I filled in the worst of the pitting with some ‘marine’ epoxy filler then primed and anti fouled just before the rain came on otherwise I might have spent more time filling. I’ll make a better job of it next lift if the Fertan works..  

Active member

To get the job done if you have an SDS drill, you can get a needle gun attachment that remove the rust well. I believe it is an annual chore along with the antifowling. (Katy Louise has encapsulated lead ballast.)  

Slight aside, be wary while using a heavy duty twisted wire brush cup on them. They have sufficient bite to remove chunks from the edges even with a fairly low powered angle grinder. Ask me how I know ... Worth using the search feature as this is discussed often here and on other forums. Which boat?  

wully1 said: I’d aquired a Terco Blaster so gave it a go. Got to say how impressed I am by it Click to expand...

Lucy52 said: you can get a needle gun attachment that remove the rust well Click to expand...

convey said: be wary while using a heavy duty twisted wire brush cup on them Click to expand...

Lucy52 said: I believe it is an annual chore along with the antifowling. Click to expand...

wully1 said: I’ll make a better job of it next lift if the Fertan works.. Click to expand...

rogerthebodger

Following all the chipping and blasting paint on sone brick cleaner to remove any pust left. then wash with fresh water the paint on phosphoric acid before painting and filling . If you don't remove all the microscopic rust it will just come back.  

Dankilb , the instructions say to wash off the dust before overcoating The Fertan? I wiped it off but there was still residue coming off on my fingers when I primed it which is a bit of a worry.  

wully1 said: Dankilb , the instructions say to wash off the dust before overcoating The Fertan? I wiped it off but there was still residue coming off on my fingers when I primed it which is a bit of a worry. Click to expand...

dankilb said: Yes, absolutely, the dust seems pretty stubborn, even after washing. Plus the higher-tech paint systems for this sort of application are specified for bare metal, whereas with Fertan (or Vactan or Hydrate80 etc.) there is still a layer of unspecified something below the paint! Click to expand...

wully1 said: I suppose I’ll find out in a year or so... Click to expand...

I stripped my keel before going back in this year. Tercoo for first strip for old filler and loose rust, then polycarbide disks on grinder. Cleaned back with thinners then zinc based 2-pack epoxy primer, fairing filler/sanding, another zinc primer, 2 coats of epoxy primer for antifoul, 2 coats of hard antifoul. I'll let you know at the end of the month how it fared (albeit a short season).  

RUST CURERS. The most common way to cure rust is to use an acid convertor, these are most commonly water based, epoxy (glue) based or gel based. They have an acid content roughly somewhere between 4-8%. The names of these you will recognise as Ku-Rust, Jenolite, Fertan, etc and then company named products that sell you a complete rust cure and protection system such as Dinitrol, Supertrol, Bilt Hamber, POR-15, Buzz Weld etc. ACF-50 is an entirely different product and not relevant for keels, very good stuff however! For any of these rust convertors to cure the rust, the corrosion has to be taken right back to pretty much bare metal for them to be 100% effective, this is why they have not worked for the majority of cases of DIYers! Unfortunately they do not soak into deep rusty metal or even shallow rust. You really have to get the surface rust right back to near good metal, every pit, every rust worm and of course this is not easy where welds or seams are involved. RUST PREVENTORS So with expected results to be poor, very tough, or thick or rock hard rust "preventers" are used to coat over the rust convertor as part of a rust protection package. Some of these products are misleading as they say they stop rust... they don,t they just stop rust showing through. In fact long term they can be worse in many situations as they trap in the rust and moisture when a gap is created from corrosion underneath and it actually accelerates the rust. Sometimes if the metal was just open to the elements to dry out say on a car chassis it would have been better... I.e. Just spraying with oil actually can be very effective... no good for a keel of course. Rust preventors like POR-15 chassis original, which used to be marketed with the toughness of being resistant to hitting it with a hammer do have there place. They are excellent for protecting guaranteed rust free metal that is new or has been shot blasted for instance or as part of a treatment where the metal in question will take years to rot out anyway, e.g. Thick heavy duty axles. Unfortunately these products are used to hide rust and they can mislead many customers into thinking they do actually stop corrosion. Sadly they are becoming more widespread on the market, one company actually uses a video of a bloke painting his rusty trailer in the rain claiming that it will stop his rust... sigh! This is all just happening as effective clear coat products have recently been developed such as Dinitrol 4010. Sorry this Is more vehicle based insight now. This is great as you can keep an eye on the areas you have previously treated over the years and if you request it, it will stop all the cowboys in the undersealing world just slapping on rock hard coverings or thick coverings that hides the complete lack of preparation to the metal. Easy money for them! Thankfully most do a good job.  

MikeCC said: I stripped my keel before going back in this year. Tercoo for first strip for old filler and loose rust, then polycarbide disks on grinder. Cleaned back with thinners then zinc based 2-pack epoxy primer, fairing filler/sanding, another zinc primer, 2 coats of epoxy primer for antifoul, 2 coats of hard antifoul. I'll let you know at the end of the month how it fared (albeit a short season). Click to expand...

Are there no electronic rust proof protection systems, like Finalcoat for cars?  

convey said: Are there no electronic rust proof protection systems, like Finalcoat for cars? Click to expand...

Birdseye said: But what do you do about the keel joint? Or the bottom of the keels where they ground? Truth is, the keels should be lead not iron. Click to expand...

convey said: Excuse the idiot's question, how would lead work for keels that were structural, as on typical bilge keels that support the boat on the hard? I've seen a gentleman make up kevlar shoes for his boat, a shallow draft, centre keeled clinker that is ,as per tradition, pulled up and left on gravel beaches. No idea of the likely longevity, does anyone have any idea? Joints is a problem, I'm presuming they flex a little and that blending them over and joining the matt to the hull is out of the question, or is it? (I've seen the photos of a fully encapsulated bilge keeler that lower edge had worn through and ballast dropped out). Is part of the problem that we're just getting into the end phase of this issue due to the age of the respective boats? As in it's just becoming an issue now for 60s, 70s boats? I've seen an old, very abandonned Westerly who keels where flaking apart impressively, crumbling like old slate, and I would have thought there's were of a better batch of castings. What's the sticking value of matt covering them even when allowing for the joint? As in how long will it remain sufficiently stuck to act as a rot deterent? Click to expand...

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Did Bayesian superyacht’s 237ft mast cause it to sink?

B ayesian’s 237ft metal mast may have played a part in the sinking of the superyacht off the coast of Sicily , experts have suggested.

The yacht, named after the mathematical theory Mike Lynch used to make his millions in the tech industry, foundered in the small hours of Monday morning.

Key among potential reasons for the loss of the vessel will be its most striking feature – the aluminium mast.

Four British personnel from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch are on their way to Palermo to carry out a preliminary assessment.

There are also theories that hot overnight temperatures of 27C (80C) could have prompted passengers to leave portholes and windows open – hastening the sinking when the high winds hit.

Launched in 2008 by Perini Navi, Bayesian is one of the 50 largest sailing yachts in the world and her mammoth mast supported a total sail area of almost 32,000 sq ft.

Bayesian had the tallest aluminium mast in the world when it first took to the seas under her former name Salute. The record was overtaken last year when Jeff Bezos, the Amazon billionaire launched his yacht, Koru.

Koru’s masts stretch to 278ft tall according to Boat International magazine.

Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy commander and warship captain, said initial reports from survivors and witnesses suggested “that the weather was sufficiently violent to cause her to capsize at anchor”.

Weather reports from Palermo airport, 12 miles west of the yacht, suggest that at about 4am, winds switched from a gentle south-westerly breeze to gusts of 40mph, with temperatures dropping.

Local newspapers have described the weather as a tornado and a waterspout, which is a tornado above water.

The pressure of high winds on the mast could have helped tip the boat over in rough seas, experts have suggested.

Mr Sharpe said capsizing seemed “unlikely” to him given the Bayesian’s size “and that boats like that are designed to survive poor weather – unless something failed at the same time like a valve that let water in and made the whole boat unstable”.

He said it was more likely that the Bayesian had “dragged anchor”. Anchors are designed to lodge on rocks on the seabed, but if the seabed is too soft, or weather is so bad that the anchor is dislodged, then a boat can drag its anchor and drift.

If a boat drifts into an obstruction such as a rock or another boat, this can damage the boat by tearing a hole in its side leading to sinking, Mr Sharpe suggested.

The sea bed off Porticello, the Silician harbour nearest to where Bayesian was moored for the night, consists of a mixture of rocky and muddy areas, according to nautical charts reviewed by The Telegraph.

This means the yacht could have dragged anchor if it had been lowered into a soft, muddy patch of seabed.

A captain of another boat anchored nearby said his vessel was hit by abnormally strong winds on Monday morning.

Karsten Borner said the Sir Robert BP was battered by strong gusts in the early hours of the morning but he managed to stabilise the vessel while anchored by using the engine.

He said as they were doing this, they noticed the Bayesian nearby and manoeuvred to avoid hitting it.

“We managed to keep the ship in position, and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone,” said Capt Borner.

Mr Sharpe said: “From a seamanship point of view, the other boat (Sir Robert BP) coming up on her main engines and using those to keep position around [her own] anchor is what you should do. Yacht anchors are often not that robust and that is the best way to avoid putting too much strain on it and/or dragging.”

An alternative theory is that the weight of the mast led the Bayesian to capsize.

A yacht industry source told The Times that the vessel sank after the weight of her mast took the hull beyond its “down-flooding angle” – the point at which a boat cannot right itself after swinging at a steep angle – meaning water rushed over the sides into the interior.

“The wind toppled the mast, which fell over the side, causing the boat to heel over and take on water, capsize and sink very quickly,” the source said.

This can occur whether the mast snapped off or not.

Sam Jefferson, editor of Sailing Today, told The Telegraph: “She has a very tall, aluminium mast – I believe it is the second tallest aluminium mast in the world – and that would not have helped.

“Many yachts with big masts have carbon masts instead of aluminium as these save on weight and improve stability and performance.

“Stability was obviously the problem in the extremely strong winds she was experiencing and I’d assume the boat was pinned on its side and could not right before it filled up with water.”

Another superyacht expert who asked not to be named told The Telegraph that the mast could have pulled the Bayesian over into capsizing, although he expressed some scepticism, saying sailing yachts are designed to prevent that from happening.

He said the anchor-dragging theory was also a plausible explanation for why the Bayesian sank.

Typically, crews try to anchor in safe spots that are sheltered away from the wind, they said.

The Bayesian was moored just off Porticello, a few miles east of Palermo. Prevailing winds from the north-east may have robbed the vessel of the shelter offered by the Sicilian coast, which lay to the west.

Dr Lynch was reportedly aboard the vessel. His wife, Angela Bacares, is among those rescued but six others, including four Britons, are still missing.

One person, reportedly the yacht’s chef, died in the incident and his body was recovered by rescuers.

The Bayesian’s last refit was in 2020.

The vessel was listed for rent for up to €195,000 (£166,000) a week, according to online charter websites.

The interior featured six cabins – one master, three doubles and two twin rooms – for up to a dozen guests, with the crew occupying separate quarters.

Fitted out in a Japanese style, the interior was styled by the Remi Tessler design house.

Under her former name Salute, the yacht won the Best Exterior prize at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009, and the Best Interior at the International Superyacht Society Awards in 2008.

A coastguard statement issued on Monday morning said the missing passengers were of “British, American and Canadian nationality”.

Camper & Nicholsons, managers of the Bayesian, confirmed the vessel sank at about 4.30am following “severe weather”.

The Italian Coast Guard is leading search and rescue operations, and said on Monday it had safely recovered 15 individuals.

Sign up to the Front Page newsletter for free: Your essential guide to the day's agenda from The Telegraph - direct to your inbox seven days a week.

Experts puzzle over why Bayesian yacht sank. Was it a 'black swan event'?

The Bayesian set off on a leisurely cruise around Italy's southern coast on a sunny day in late July.

The luxurious super yacht − which boasted one of the largest masts in the world and carried a crew of business moguls, including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his family and a chair of Morgan Stanley − set sail from the Amalfi Coast, bound for Sicily.

Less than a month later, the ship had sunk 160 feet under the water , leaving its cook dead and six of its passengers, including at least two Americans, missing and prompting a massive search that has drawn international attention.

Now, experts are trying to piece together why in the early hours Monday the Bayesian was quickly pulled under the waves amid a storm that saw at least one tornado spin up over the water.

A perfect storm led to Bayesian sinking, experts say

The combination of unlikely factors that could have contributed to the ship's fate constituted a "black swan event," Matthew Schanck, chairman of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told USA TODAY.

The Bayesian was well-built: A 2008 product of Italian ship maker Perini, it was constructed in accordance with international maritime standards and commercially certified by the U.K.'s Maritime and Coastguard Agency, according to Schanck.

The bout of bad weather that swept the area when the ship went down was also out of the ordinary in the northern Mediterranean, "which isn't renowned for prolonged, significant stormy weather," he said.

"The fact that those two elements have then resulted in the foundering of a super yacht is pretty extraordinary," Schanck said. "These things don't happen every day."

After the ship sank just before 5 a.m. local time, 15 people, including a 1-year-old, were pulled from the water. Some were rescued from a life raft by the crew of a ship docked nearby.

Ricardo Thomas, the ship's cook and a native of Antigua, was found dead, according to authorities.

As of Tuesday, six people were missing, including Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter. Several missing passengers were involved in Lynch's trial on fraud charges, including Jonathan Bloomer, a Morgan Stanley chair who served as his character witness, and one of Lynch's attorneys. Lynch, accused of fraud after he sold his company to electronics giant Hewlett-Packard, was acquitted of all charges weeks ago.

Who is Mike Lynch? UK entrepreneur among those missing after superyacht sinks off Sicily

Tornado formed over unusually hot water

Storms in the area that night may have whipped up a water spout, a tornado over the water , according to local meteorologists.

It was likely triggered by the water's unusual warmth, said Rick Shema, a certified consulting meteorologist who served in the Navy.

"The water spout was an uncommon occurrence," he said. "But again, these things happen, especially in warmer water."

At 83.7 degrees, water in the area was more than 3 degrees hotter than average on the day the Bayesian sank, likely the result of climate change, Shema said.

"Hurricanes can form at 80 degrees. This was almost four degrees higher than that," he said.

The water spout may have spun up when cooler air dropped from mountainous places nearby onto the hot water, he said. "A water spout is a vortex, basically like a tornado, spinning real fast, sucking up water and moisture as the column rises," he said.

Although water spouts only reach around 120 mph, as compared to tornadoes on land, which can reach up to 300 mph, "you don't need 200 mph to sink a ship," he said.

"Even an average tornado, 120 miles an hour, that's a lot of wind," he said, "which would heel the boat over for sure."

Water spouts spring up suddenly, Shema said. Before they strike, winds can be slow, but "once the water spout comes over, bam, it's on," he said.

Before sunrise, the ship's crew may not have seen the water spout coming. "The visibility was probably a big factor," he said.

With the windows of the yacht opened, as they likely were in the hot weather, the water spout could have triggered water that flooded through the portholes, Shema said, causing the ship to sink.

Tragedy strikes: Scramble to find survivors after Bayesian yacht sinks off Sicily coast

Search continues, but shift to recovery phase approaches

Italian authorities said the Bayesian was probably at anchor when the storm struck, meaning it couldn't maneuver and ride the waves, according to Mitchell Stoller, a captain and maritime expert witness. Other ships in the area that turned on their engines rode out the storm, he said.

"When you're at anchor and you see weather, you start your engine and you put the wind on the bow. You don't let it get on the side," he said.

Schanck said another key question concerns the position of the keel, a heavy weight underneath the boat that acts as a counterbalance to keep it upright, when the ship sank. When lifted, "that's going to affect the stability of the vessel, because, obviously, you've now raised the center of gravity of that vessel," he said.

The Bayesian was floating over 160 feet of water at the time, deep enough that the keel would likely be deployed. But the fact that "the vessel heeled over so heavily makes me question that," Schanck said.

The cause of the disaster may not be known until the ship can be examined in more detail, experts say. Prosecutors in a nearby town have already opened an investigation.

Schanck said investigators will have plenty to work with once the operation moves into a recovery phase.

"The vessel is intact and in good condition on the seabed," he said. "There's a lot of eyewitness accounts from other vessels in the area and the shore."

As the search entered its second day on Tuesday, the rescue effort may shift in that direction soon. "I suspect, later on, today or tomorrow, we'll probably see some mention of a recovery operation being stated," Schanck said.

The decision to would depend on whether rescuers find signs of life in the ship and air pockets or survivable spaces, Schanck said. At this point, survivors on the water's surface looks unlikely. "My professional opinion is that the casualties will be located within the vessel," he said.

"There is a risk versus benefit in all maritime search and rescue incidents," he said. "Where we start transitioning to a recovery phase, that line shifts."

Contributing: Reuters

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at [email protected]. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

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Cast Iron Keel Renovation - WS Epoxy vs. Barrier Coat first sealing layer

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Hello, This is my first posting to Sailnet, and actually to any forum such as this. I am a new sailboat owner, of a rhodes 19 Keel version sailboat. I am in the process of completely renovating it from hardware to the keel. I have ground down the keel to bare metal and am now debating what to do next. I have spoken to several other owners and received very good information that all is similar to what is typically posted on the internet. Primarily everyone says to use epoxy, then use epoxy with filler, sand, then bottom paint. One individual mentioned that if he were to do it all again he would use barrier coat instead of west systems epoxy as the first coat. What are peoples thoughts on this? As barrier coats have become much better over time, the barrier coats today are pretty much epoxy with water barrier ability and are rock hard. Could this be a better first sealing layer on the iron? I was also thinking of using OSPHO rust inhibitor to hopefully impede future rust development. Any comments thoughts would be appreciated. Sorry for the length! Ed  

I did this early summer on my Catalina 22 swing keel (cast iron): Sandblasted to bare metal, 3 coats Interlux Interprotect 2000e, then bottom paint. Dove the boat after 6 months to clean and looks like it did when I finished. Time will tell. The Interlux was recommended by several local marine hardware places. My understanding is rust begins immediately, so time is of the essence after sandblasting, as to not encapsulate the rust...  

Thanks. I plan on regrinding/sanding before putting OSHPHO rust inhibitor on. After this drys and hardens. I will eventually resand again once more before then immediately sealing with epoxy or a barrier coat. I did not have the keel sandblasted so getting every bit f rust off is next to impossiible, hence my use of the OSPHO, which is supposed to chemically change any small remaining rust areas into a inert material that won't rust. I hope it works as marketed.  

When I did the iron keel on my Columbia 43 I had it sandblasted and immediately coated with epoxy (not WEST - too expensive & no better than all the rest). Because the iron was pitted, casting flaws exposed etc. I wanted to fair it up before putting a finish on it. I coated it with epoxy & talc, thickened to peanut butter consistency, using a 1/4" notched trowel. This left a surface 1/4" deep but full of grooves down to the keel surface. I then went over it again with a smooth trowel to fill in all the grooves. The result was a uniform 1/4" deep coat of filler. If you have the skill of a plasterer you can do this in one pass but I don't so this gave me a uniform depth. I used talc as the filler on the recommendations of the yard owner - an old salt German who started life as a journeyman plasterer. It's dirt cheap - a cement bag of it was about $20. It also provides a beautiful surface for sanding - not too hard and leaves a very fine surface. I now use it exclusively for any filling that requires a "finished" surface. Sanded everything with a 16" sanding board from an auto body supply shop - it uses pre-cut strips of 17 1/2" sandpaper. The board has a handle and knob like a hand wood plane and the strips of sandpaper clip on at each end. Sand the filler diagonally, as you would any compound curved surface - car body, boat hull etc. Depending how corroded your keel is, you may have to do this process more than once. Be careful not to sand through to bare metal - if you do, IMMEDIATELY coat it with epoxy or filler to prevent oxidation from forming. Once you are satisfied with the surface, wipe it down with solvent - acetone, MEK - whatever you prefer. Now you are ready for the final finish coats. I chose three coats of epoxy resin followed by two coats of InterProtect. This was mainly due to some rather widespread disagreement as to what was best at that time. I think now that I would use just Interprotect. Now you're ready for bottom paint and if you were diligent during your filling and sanding, you should have the next best thing to a templated keel. P.S. Grinding an iron keel isn't good enough - must sandblast. Every single iron keel I have seen hand prepped via grinding and wire brushing etc. has had a limited life before needing it again. Sandblasting means it will last WAY longer.  

Thanks Saildork! Do you mean to soap and water wash the OSPHO'd surface before applying the first epoxy coating? Let dry overnight or over several days, then light sand to prepare the surface for epoxy adhesion. I plan on using low density after the initial sealing layers of epoxy to fair the keel as well. I dont want to many layers because the boat will be raced and the keel needs to be as thin as possible.  

I had good luck using Interprotect 2000 on the iron keel of my previous boat. Good adhesion and easy to apply.  

Why not sand blast it? Rent a blaster? Is the boat/keel where you could do it?  

While sandblasting is a nice way to go, it's not always practical or feasible. If you can't blast, do as you are doing, grind with a low grit (16 or less) angle grinder, then use a wire brush or drill mounted brush to clean out any existing depressions caused by rust. Not familiar with the OSPHO stuff, but I used POR 15, probably similar. They are both nice in that they will react with any rust that does start to form, makes the timing much easier. Apply and sand. Repeat as necessary. After that just smooth out with any epoxy/filler combo you like. Apply and sand, repeat, repeat, etc. Some fillers sand easier than others, choose wisely. It will take a few go-rounds to get it all looking good. After that apply a few coats of unfilled epoxy, hand sand between coats, then final sand up to 600 grit. Then paint with whatever you're using on the rest of the bottom. It killed my knees crouching beneath the boat doing this. Wish I could have turned the boat upside down.  

Another vote for interprotect 2000. The poster who mentioned soap and water was referring to removing analine blush from the surface of fresh epoxy between coats.Not neccessary with Interprotect since one applies it over a semi-cured previous layer. Good suggestions from SloopjohnB, but I had good results without sandblasting.  

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Superyacht sinks latest: Mother of crew survivor speaks out; CCTV captures yacht seconds before it sinks

The search for six people missing after a superyacht sank in a tornado off Sicily continues. Listen to a Daily podcast special as you scroll - as our correspondents and guests examine why the disaster happened.

Tuesday 20 August 2024 22:53, UK

• Superyacht sinking
• Search for survivors after superyacht disaster in 'critical 24 hours'
• Six missing - including tech boss, Morgan Stanley executive and top lawyer
• Crew survivor 'spared by grace of God' - as staff named
• Captain speaks out for first time
• Divers limited to 10 minutes underwater struggle to access cabins
• Watch: CCTV captures yacht seconds before it sinks
• Explained: What causes waterspouts? | Inside the superyacht
• Listen to the Daily podcast above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts

We're pausing our coverage for tonight but here is a recap of what we know:

• Six people are still missing after the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht, with rescue teams searching off the Sicilian coast for survivors;
• The Italian coastguard confirmed that the body found after the yacht sank yesterday is that of chef Recaldo Thomas;
• The coastguard also named more survivors - Leah Randall, Katja Chicken and Leo Eppel;
• An engineer who led the salvage operation for the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia said rescue divers have entered a "critical" 24 hours; 
• The captain of Bayesian spoke for the first time, saying: "We didn't see it coming" in reference to the storm that sank the boat.

Images are emerging of emergency crews working near the site where the yacht sank in Porticello.

Search and rescue efforts by sea and air have so far delivered no results and experts have said we are in a "critical" 24 hours.

Bayesian was moored around half-a-mile off the coast of Porticello when it sank at around 5am local time yesterday.

A friend of Recaldo Thomas, the chef who was killed as the yacht sank, has described him as a "calm spirit" who had a "smile that lit up the room".

Gareth Williams, who grew up with Mr Thomas in Antigua, told the BBC : "I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit.

"He would come over to mine over the weekend and he would sing. He had the deepest, most sultry voice in the world, and a smile that lit up the room.

"He told me just the other day that he needed to work two more seasons to fix up his late parents' house. He loved yachting, but he was tired."

Mr Thomas was also a Canadian citizen. The country's foreign ministry said it was "aware of reports that a Canadian citizen has died" and that consular officials were in contact with local authorities.

Mike Lynch "lost the last 12 years fighting a ridiculous case", his co-founder has told Sky News.

David Tabizel, who founded the software company Autonomy with Mr Lynch - the sale of which became the subject of the US fraud case - said he was a "legend" and that he had a "very soft spot for him".

"I'm just heartbroken for him and his family and I hope there's a miracle about to occur," he said.

Mr Tabizel said Mr Lynch's "resilience" and "importance to British economy cannot be overstated". 

"Now he has passed through this great trauma we were hoping he would lead a new national revolution to help Britain out of its current moribund state," he said.

"If anyone has the resilience to survive this - he does. And I hope he's found an air pocket."

Mr Tabizel added: "He has been one of the most influential, intelligent and most honourable human beings I have ever had the honour of knowing."

Mr Lynch sold Autonomy to US computing giant Hewlett-Packard for $11bn (£8.6bn).

He was accused of conspiracy and attempted fraud over the sale to HP and an intense, multiyear legal battle in the US ensued.

He was acquitted of multiple fraud charges in June after more than a year under house arrest.

CCTV footage showing the yacht moments before it sank has been released.

We reported on separate footage earlier, shot from a villa 200m away from the site of the disaster in Porticello.

The owner of the villa told outlet Giornale Di Sicilia the shots showed the boat sinking in 60 seconds: "You can clearly see what is happening. There was nothing that could be done for the vessel. It disappeared in a very short time."

Experts have said we're in a critical 24 hours in the search for survivors.

Earlier, Nick Sloane, who led the salvage operation for the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia, said survivors might be trapped in air pockets, but that time was running out to save them (see post at 12.50pm).

Now Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at Aston University, has said the speed at which the vessel sank (a few minutes, according to accounts) and the fact that it remains intact "could favour the formation of small air pockets inside".

While the formation is "highly speculative", he says, there are records of survivors found in such pockets.

"A sign the rescuers may be looking for is a banging noise at regular intervals: this is common practice on submarines, and was one of the signs the search mission for the Titan submarine was looking for after it went missing last year," he says.

"But whether air pockets formed on the Bayesian is simply impossible to predict."

There is a "big question mark" over how the superyacht sunk, the editor-in-chief of BOAT International has told Sky News.

Stewart Campbell said "nothing like this had happened before" in his recollection.

"These boats are built extremely tough. They are built to take on the biggest seas the ocean can throw at them," he said.

"Big volume aluminium boats are very capable. So the fact that a boat like Bayesian can sink in a storm like this is incredibly surprising."

He said even if a ship like this was knocked down "it should be been able to right itself".

"Even if the boat had been dismasted, theoretically the boat should have been even more stable as it would have meant less weight and the keel would then have anchored the boat more firmly in the sea.

"There are lots of questions to be answered.

"At the moment from my point of view and from the people I have spoken to, including captains of similar boats, there is a big question mark over how this happened."

The action of the boat when it was struck by the storm "would have been incredibly violent" and "it should have woken everybody up".

"The crew would have sprung into action and tried to get everyone into life rafts if they thought the boat was in danger," he said.

"We just don't know what situation the boat was in when this storm struck."

The life raft on which survivors are understood to have escaped the sinking yacht has been pictured in the harbour at Porticello in Sicily. 

Earlier, Karsten Borner, the captain of a boat that came to their aide, described how he and his crew found the raft with 15 survivors inside and brought them to his ship until help arrived.

He described the situation as "awful and traumatic" for those involved - you can read his comments in full in our post at 10.55am.

Why did the yacht sink? What is happening with the investigation? Who is missing - and why are conspiracy theories already brewing?

Our correspondent Ashna Hurynag, who is at the scene in Sicily, and Danny Fortson, West Coast correspondent for The Sunday Times, who interviewed missing Mike Lynch only weeks ago, answer these questions on today's episode of the Daily podcast, with host Niall Paterson.

You can listen above - and  tap here  to follow wherever you get your podcasts.

 The mother of one of the survivors has said she is "beyond relieved" her daughter's life was spared.

Heidi Randall, the mother of crew member Leah Randall, told Sky News: "I'm beyond relieved that my daughter's life was spared by the grace of God. 

"It doesn't make it any easier living with the heartache of those who have lost their lives or are missing. 

"My very deepest condolences to the chef's family as they formed a great friendship."

Leah Randall, from South Africa, was photographed leaving the coastguard headquarters yesterday, alongside Katja Chicken, her fellow crew member.

The Italian coastguard has also confirmed the name of another crew member.

Leo Eppel was also working on the yacht, spokesman Vincenzo Zagarola said.

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A Waterspout Was Seen When a Luxury Yacht Sank. What Is It?

Witnesses reported seeing the tornado-like phenomenon hit the Bayesian, a sailing yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily on Monday.

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By Eve Sampson

What caused the sinking on Monday of a sailing yacht carrying the British billionaire Mike Lynch and 21 other people off the coast of Sicily is still unknown. But some attention has focused on observations by witnesses, who described seeing a small tornado-like column known as a waterspout forming over the water during an abrupt and violent storm as the vessel sank.

Fifteen passengers on the 180-foot yacht, the Bayesian, escaped on a raft before being rescued by a neighboring cruise ship. The body of the ship’s cook was recovered on Monday and six people remain unaccounted for , including Mr. Lynch and his daughter Hannah, according to officials with Sicily’s civil protection agency.

Prosecutors in the nearby city of Termini Imerese have opened an inquiry into the cause of the sinking.

Here is what to know about waterspouts, a surprisingly common weather phenomenon that may have helped sink the luxury yacht.

What are waterspouts?

Waterspouts are columns of spinning air and moisture — similar to tornadoes over water, according to the National Weather Service .

While some form in fair weather, and are aptly called fair weather waterspouts, another more dangerous variety called tornadic waterspouts develops downward from a thunderstorm. These tornadic waterspouts can either form as regular tornadoes over land and move out to sea, or form in a storm already over a large body of water, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association .

Fair weather waterspouts are weak, often dissipate quickly and do not cause major damage, according to the agencies, but tornadic waterspouts are more often associated with high winds, dangerous and frequent lightning, and hail. The Italian authorities recorded strong winds and intense lightning activity at the time the yacht went down.

How common are waterspouts?

Experts say waterspouts may be more common than tornadoes, but because oceans are so vast, they are more difficult to track — and as difficult to predict.

“The Mediterranean is possibly one of the places where waterspouts are most likely around the world due to the warm ocean surface and a climate that is very susceptible to thunderstorms throughout the summer and autumn,” according to a statement by Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Inness pointed to a 2022 study by scientists from University of Barcelona , which found that waterspouts occurred more frequently over warmer sea surfaces. The North Atlantic ocean has been unusually hot for over a year, repeatedly reaching record highs for the time of year , according to data from the oceanic association.

The International Centre for Waterspout Research on Monday said on X , the platform formerly known as Twitter, that it had confirmed 18 waterspouts near Italy in recent days, and several fishermen in the area of the accident told Italian media that they had witnessed a waterspout near the yacht.

What may have happened?

Karsten Börner, the captain of the nearby boat that rescued the 15 passengers, said in an interview that he saw the Bayesian about 490 feet away before the wind and lightning picked up.

While it was difficult to see what happened amid the storm, “my theory was that she was capsized first and then went down over the stern,” he said.

Towering over 237 feet tall, the Bayesian mast was one of the tallest aluminum masts in the world and it also had a special keel that could be raised or lowered, according to its manufacturer, Perini Navi. A keel is the downward-extending centerline underneath a boat that can help stabilize the vessel.

“In this case, having a tall aluminum mast would not make it the safest port to be in case of a storm,” said Andrea Ratti, associate professor of nautical design and architecture technology the Politecnico di Milano.

He added that “a lot of questions will remain until we have other elements at our disposal.”

Elisabetta Provoledo contributed reporting.

Eve Sampson is a reporter covering international news and a member of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers. More about Eve Sampson

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What is a faired keel worth?

• Thread starter markwbird
• Start date Apr 24, 2019
• Forums for All Owners

I opted not to take the time to fair my iron keel this time around due to life and stuff. I am considering making another go at it in the fall. The question is: what is it worth? Faster? Better pointing? I race my Hunter 34 in PHRF races against similar boats. I have read that a smooth, symmetrical keel provides as much improvement as a new racing jib. My keel is a bit rough. Not the worst but not as smooth as the hull or the rudder. So, compared to other improvements like racing sails or a folding prop where does a faired keel rank?  

Faster, generally. Better pointing, likely. It's an incremental improvement that when added to the other go-fast incrementals add up to make a difference. And, faired doesn't mean just smooth. It means smooth and made to the proper symmetrical shape, i.e. not fat on one side and thin on the other or wavy from top to bottom. With the J24, we used class templates to make the size and shape correct (class legal) at specific points measured down from the hull and then faired between the measurement points. Not really a difficult job but time consuming. Good news is that we only had to do the job correctly once.  

Don S/V ILLusion

No definitive answer but you can get a good idea of how ( not how much but how) it affects drag by quantifying the percentage of wetted area on the keel compared with hull and rudder. If it’s 10% for example, you have an approximation of how it might affect performance. The better question is what that effect might be. On drag? On lift?  

Google aerodynamics and you can find many studies. It's not so much about drag as lift-to-drag at higher angles of attack and when it is loaded up. The difference between rough bottom paint and polished paint can be quite material. Don't forget the trailing edged. It needs to be cut off square (not rounded) and not to wide (1/4" is about right for cruising boats). Again, this might seem minor, but up wind it pay benefits in lift. This is even more important on the rudder. Lift up wind, and control off the wind in strong conditions. The difference in maximum lift (turning force available) between a rough rudder and tuned rudder can be as much as 40%, but typically 20%. Really, I've seen it. I think that is a big deal even for cruisers. Who couldn't use more control? It's up to you, but racing, it's a big deal. https://www.practical-sailor.com/issues/37_67/features/Fairing-the-Keels_12039-1.html  

Sail your boat and be happy.  

And whatever you do, don’t spill the beer  

In terms of boat speed and all other things being equal a well faired and templated keel and rudder will help you win races. It is the "all other things being equal" that is the catch. The time spent fairing and templating the keel might be better spent with crew training, improving tacks, spinnaker sets and douses, and learning tactics. Dick Besse, a well respected sailor and I were talking about fairing the keel on my Tanzer 22, his comment was "lots of guys spend a lot of time fairing their keels and then then they lose an excuse about why they aren't winning." Dick was a skilled and enthusiastic sailor and was presented with the US Sailing W. Van Allen Clark Award in 1996. https://www.ussailing.org/competition/awards-trophies/w-van-alan-clark-jr-trophy/  

winners do it!  

jon hansen said: winners do it! Click to expand

all true, but in the real world a skilled skipper and crew will not show up with an average preparation to the vessel they are sailing. it takes all the ingredients to win. as far as the faired keel goes, very important for quality sailing. do you drive your car with bald tires? never tune the engine?  

The bigger question the OP is asking, is what can I do to improve my performance on the race course, where can I get the biggest bang for the buck. For most of us, improving skills will have a bigger bang than fairing a keel. Unless of course the keel looks like the dark side of the moon and cratered. If you are losing races by seconds not minutes, then a fairer keel will help, if you're at the back of the fleet then working on skills will yield better results than a fairer keel.  

Might be more (or less) but Figure 3 seconds a mile. In a 3 mile race that’s nine seconds. Most people lose that in a bad start, a bad rounding, or a few bad tacks. So think like this, is this your next step, or is the time and money best first invested elsewhere?  

P.S. a folding prop is huge too, way huge!  

Jackdaw said: Might be more (or less) but Figure 3 seconds a mile. In a 3 mile race that’s nine seconds. Most people lose that in a bad start, a bad rounding, or a few bad tacks. So think like this, is this your next step, or is the time and money best first invested elsewhere? Click to expand

markwbird said: I have read that a smooth, symmetrical keel provides as much improvement as a new racing jib. Click to expand

jon hansen said: P.S. a folding prop is huge too, way huge! Click to expand

Jackdaw said: Indeed, if you’re racing with a fixed prop you’re kind of wasting your time. You might get 6 seconds for it, but it’s costing you 30+ Click to expand

Great input. Thanks. The topic comes up because the boat is out of the water and getting a bottom job. I enjoy all the technical stuff and the science that goes into the sport. One interesting thing I came across is the practice of fairing the through hulls. This is to use filler to build up a tear-drop shape fairing around each through hull kind of like wheel pants on a sporty airplane. Anyone out there done this?  

gunni's observations are spot on. the reason is that the water next to the hull is moving with the hull from the friction of the hull. if the water is moving with the hull it will not be dragging on the prop. remember how nasty the old IOR boats were to drive in a big blow. the water was being dragged along with the hull and was not by the same volume passing by the foil that is trying to steer it.  

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