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Subject: [world-cruising] Keel Bolt Repair
From: Baumgart, James (james.baumgart@XXX.XXX)
Date: Fri Feb 07 2003 - 14:31:57 EST
My 1978 Catalina 25 passed survey with good marks, EXCEPT ALL the keel bolts
are rusted away to nubs. The surveyor hit them with a small hammer and they
fell apart to dust. The nuts are gone entirely and the bolts themselves look
totally rusted, about 3 inches long, and the diameter of #2 pencils - they
are way too small and wasted to be re-threaded to take smaller nuts.
On the Cat 25, while not encapsulated, the fixed keel is heavily glassed in,
and is made of iron. The old bolts (now studs) are glassed in and still
holding the keel tight. There is not a single sign of keel separation on
the bottom.
The bolts can be "sistered". A special drill press machine will be used to
drill new holes alongside the old bolts, the new holes will be threaded, and
5 to 6 new 3/4" bolts will be screwed into the keel. These should be able
to be inserted through 3 inches of glass and into about 2 1/2 to 3 inches of
iron.
The job can be done in the water and I got an estimate $900 to do it from a
professional keel repairman. The deal is that the current owner must do the
repair and then I will inspect and if it's good, I will let my (full price)
offer stand. The surveyor will pass the boat if this is done.
What do you think of this repair and is there any special instructions for
preventing galvinic corrosion in the keel or on the new bolts?
It's a cast iron keel (good thing, lead would be unrepairable). Should the
new bolts be 316 stainless or mild steel?
I am thinking of covering the bottom of the keel well with epoxy or some
other sealant to keep the bolts dry in the future. The boat is normally
bone dry, but every time you remove the knotmeter for cleaning a lot of salt
water comes in and ends up sitting in the well. What would you do to
protect these bolts? Grease? Sealant? Epoxy?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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