H-356 keel bolts

[Former member 134612]

I have found a tiny trickle of water entering the bilge from under one of the keel bolt backing plates. This showed up after the boat was refloated after being stored on the hard. How often should the keel bolts be retorqued and what is the torque setting for this model? I can find no reference to keel bolts in the Hunter manual.

Thanks!

 

[njlarry]

Not desasterous (yet) but still serious enough not to ignore. The torque on my 35 is 160, no idea what yours is but I believe that the bolts are supposed to be torqued while under compression on the hard. I would rehaul and fix the leak asap within reason. In the meantime my biggest concern for you is stray current corrosion as you are in salt water. I would keep all wires out of the bilge and keep the area around the bolts bone dry till resealed properly. Also disconnect the shore power as extra precaution.
Hopefully there is someone at your marina who can look at it for you and I am sure Hunter folks will come up with the proper torque numbers.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[seadaddler]

I have never touched my keel bolts 2007 H-36. and sorry to say if water is coming up
from keel bolts than water is making it's way into keel joint between hull and keel and needs to go back
on the hard and check keel where mounts to hull and most likely need to drop the keel and reseal the keel
to hull joint.
Or check the seam a long keel hull joint for cracks and have a pro check it and double check to make sure it's
the keel bolt is what is leaking,maybe hard grounding has caused the problem.
Use shop Vac to dry out the bilge a few times and check for leak.
Nick

 

[Former member 134612]

So it doesn’t appear to be the keel bolts. Must have been residual from when I replaced the sanitation hoses and lost some water into the bilge.

 

[chuckwayne]

356 keel bolts:
3/4" - 132 ft-lbs
1" - 325 ft-lbs.
I use a 3/4" drive torque wrench with a long pipe extension to get to the 325..
Keel bolts should be checked on the hard, yearly

 

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[seadaddler]

I have never checked keel bolts but maybe next time on the hard which I do every 3 years here in Florida.
But my bilge is always dry except when using AC and my keel still looks perfect but next time on the hard might be a good idea,if it ain’t broke don’t touch it.
Chuck have you ever got the nuts to turn.
Nick

 

[chuckwayne]

Nick,
The official recommendation is to check yearly - I assume because you can - but I've never got them to move, even after having an argument with a rock in York (ME) harbor. Not surprising, because the rock doesn't exist -not on the charts, never hit before according to the harbormaster, and my depth gauge said 23 feet below the keel when we hit ;-)