Need help - the last (from bow) keel bolt head tore off and the keel dropped by an inch causing a strong leak. Does anybody know the best way of fixing it or details about keel-hull connection? Grateful for any answer, J.
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Ouch..
You're going to want to remove the keel, definitly. Is it lead? I'm not an expert, but if it was my boat, I wouldn't trust the bolts in there, if one just happened to fall off. You say bolt head..do you mean the stud snapped? I find it hard to believe your keel uses bolts, rather than studs and nuts. Here's how I would fix it - Drill holes in the keel for new studs. At the bottom of the holes, drill crosswise for a stainless steel rod (larger dia than the bolts) threaded with 2 holes of the correct spacing. Slide rod in, stick the threaded rod down the holes (sieze by filling hole with epoxy first) and thread into the crossrod. Torque nuts down, fill any pockets in crossbar hole with epoxy, lets cure. Fair keel, reinstall into boat. If it's iron, you could probably get away with threading it.
You're going to want to remove the keel, definitly. Is it lead? I'm not an expert, but if it was my boat, I wouldn't trust the bolts in there, if one just happened to fall off. You say bolt head..do you mean the stud snapped? I find it hard to believe your keel uses bolts, rather than studs and nuts. Here's how I would fix it - Drill holes in the keel for new studs. At the bottom of the holes, drill crosswise for a stainless steel rod (larger dia than the bolts) threaded with 2 holes of the correct spacing. Slide rod in, stick the threaded rod down the holes (sieze by filling hole with epoxy first) and thread into the crossrod. Torque nuts down, fill any pockets in crossbar hole with epoxy, lets cure. Fair keel, reinstall into boat. If it's iron, you could probably get away with threading it.
Keel bolt replacement
If the head of one bolt sheared off there is a good chance the rest of the bolts are suspect. and should be replaced. To do this job correctly requires a crane. The boat has to be set up on stands. Than all bolts have to be removed and replaced. This is usually a job for a boat yard with the proper equipment. A friend of mine had this job done about 6 years ago on a columbia 26 cost $4000 Good Luck Bob
If the head of one bolt sheared off there is a good chance the rest of the bolts are suspect. and should be replaced. To do this job correctly requires a crane. The boat has to be set up on stands. Than all bolts have to be removed and replaced. This is usually a job for a boat yard with the proper equipment. A friend of mine had this job done about 6 years ago on a columbia 26 cost $4000 Good Luck Bob
Very Dangerous
Just in case it wasn't clear from the previous posts, you need to understand that this is a very dangerous situation. As bffatcat says, if one goes, there's a good chance the others will too -- for two reasons: 1. the corrosion that caused the bolt to shear is probably at work on the other bolts. The fact that you've now got a leak coming from where the lost bolt was only amplifys the problem. 2. with one bolt missing, there is added stress on the remaining bolts. And just so you know, if you lose your keel, "up" will be "down" faster than you can ever imagine. So please don't tempt fate. Haul the boat and plan your repairs. As soon as possible.
Just in case it wasn't clear from the previous posts, you need to understand that this is a very dangerous situation. As bffatcat says, if one goes, there's a good chance the others will too -- for two reasons: 1. the corrosion that caused the bolt to shear is probably at work on the other bolts. The fact that you've now got a leak coming from where the lost bolt was only amplifys the problem. 2. with one bolt missing, there is added stress on the remaining bolts. And just so you know, if you lose your keel, "up" will be "down" faster than you can ever imagine. So please don't tempt fate. Haul the boat and plan your repairs. As soon as possible.
Clear signs
This kind of stuff can ruin your day real quick. Clearly there is a problem with the hull to keel joint. Either it is allowing sea water to weep in or flexes enough to cause a fatigue failure in the bolts. Either way you need to drop the keel and see what the problem is BEFORE you drop the keel in deep water. The crew might not like the handling of the boat wo/keel too. Not to mention control will be a real pain. I'd say less than $10000 is about right. A boat is a hole in the water where you throw money! 8^)
This kind of stuff can ruin your day real quick. Clearly there is a problem with the hull to keel joint. Either it is allowing sea water to weep in or flexes enough to cause a fatigue failure in the bolts. Either way you need to drop the keel and see what the problem is BEFORE you drop the keel in deep water. The crew might not like the handling of the boat wo/keel too. Not to mention control will be a real pain. I'd say less than $10000 is about right. A boat is a hole in the water where you throw money! 8^)
cvicek, how many keel bolts are there?
I cannot believe that the keel dropped an inch, with the loss of one bolt! If the leak was that bad, how did you keep it from sinking? Is this boat spam? r.w.landau
I cannot believe that the keel dropped an inch, with the loss of one bolt! If the leak was that bad, how did you keep it from sinking? Is this boat spam? r.w.landau
duct tape wont fix this 
this is not a good sign dont try to fix or adjust this in the water it will only get worse
this is not a good sign dont try to fix or adjust this in the water it will only get worse
Thanks for ideas
Thank you all for good ideas, we expected we would have to remove the keel and do it all from the start again. For those who are interested, here's the whole story. We bought her from a man, who fixed nearly everything with Duct Tape and before he sold it, he said he replaced 10 out of 12 keel bolts. From outside everything looked ok and she did non leak. We sailed her from Croatia to Lipari and then a friend of a friend of a friend gave it back with the leak without any explanation. Sailing it back to Croatia (last week) was a real nightmare, pumping out over 30 l of seawater every hour and hoping it would not worsen, but now she is safe on dry land waiting for repair. J.
Thank you all for good ideas, we expected we would have to remove the keel and do it all from the start again. For those who are interested, here's the whole story. We bought her from a man, who fixed nearly everything with Duct Tape and before he sold it, he said he replaced 10 out of 12 keel bolts. From outside everything looked ok and she did non leak. We sailed her from Croatia to Lipari and then a friend of a friend of a friend gave it back with the leak without any explanation. Sailing it back to Croatia (last week) was a real nightmare, pumping out over 30 l of seawater every hour and hoping it would not worsen, but now she is safe on dry land waiting for repair. J.
Cvicek, what kind of boat is it? If the keel lead
or iron? Have you got any pictures? Is the boat blocked so the keel is back in place, with plenty of boat weight on it so new bolts will hold it on? If it's lead you can do the Catalina fix; drill new holes, screw in new 10 or 12 inch stainless steel lag screws (wood screw threads on one end, machine threads for a nice big nut on the other end). If it's iron, there's a good chance the bolts go all the way through the keel. You will have to pick away at the bottom of the keel, looking for filler, to find out. If it's lead and you decide to use new lag screws; Drill size is very important. If you don't want to do a lot of research, you could use the same size as Catalina uses and use the size drill they reccomend. When you drill down through the lead, you need to clear the chips out of the drill bit VERY OFTEN. If it clogs and sticks, it may not come out again. You need to put big washers on the inside, if the keel stub is strong. If the keel stub has old, soft wood in it. You need to cut the glass over it, clean it out, and put in new glass, maybe 1 inch thick at least. It's not a very big area. If you want more detail, you can email me at waterrat@island.net
or iron? Have you got any pictures? Is the boat blocked so the keel is back in place, with plenty of boat weight on it so new bolts will hold it on? If it's lead you can do the Catalina fix; drill new holes, screw in new 10 or 12 inch stainless steel lag screws (wood screw threads on one end, machine threads for a nice big nut on the other end). If it's iron, there's a good chance the bolts go all the way through the keel. You will have to pick away at the bottom of the keel, looking for filler, to find out. If it's lead and you decide to use new lag screws; Drill size is very important. If you don't want to do a lot of research, you could use the same size as Catalina uses and use the size drill they reccomend. When you drill down through the lead, you need to clear the chips out of the drill bit VERY OFTEN. If it clogs and sticks, it may not come out again. You need to put big washers on the inside, if the keel stub is strong. If the keel stub has old, soft wood in it. You need to cut the glass over it, clean it out, and put in new glass, maybe 1 inch thick at least. It's not a very big area. If you want more detail, you can email me at waterrat@island.net
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