Concerned about keel bolt of Siren 17

Aug 8, 2024
1
Siren Siren 17 Lake Ontario
Hello,

I am a rather new sailor so I forgive me if I am not familiar with some of the terminology.

I recently bought a Siren 17 and it works well as far as I can tell. However, the keel bolt on the keel trunk seems to leak. I would rather not remove the boat from the water until the end of the season. In order to stop the leak from inside the cabin, I used sealant and hardening clay in a donut shape around the bolt. I couldn't see much rust on the bolt; a bit of water just leaks in slowly. I probably have to reseal the keel eventually, but that would force me to take it out of the water. Is there an urgent threat that the keel bolt snaps? I am worried about structural damage and the boat potentially sinking.

I hope that is clear! The boat is from the late 70s.

Cheers