keel bolts, 1979 C27

[Donna]

Have another question on keel bolts. what material was used for 1979?Our bolts seem in good condition,but not so the nuts and washers which are only galvanized. We are replacing with s/s. However the holes in the hull are larger than the bolts. this does not look like a good thing. Has anyone out there filled the space with epoxy? The bolts have been staying dry since we got the boat 2 years ago,but the nuts were well rusted and my husband spent all this winter spraying the nuts with WD40 before attempting to remove. The boat does not have a noticeable "smile" so hope that means original bolts okay? Any maintenance suggestions? We are new to sailing, so take all the advice we can get. Thanks

 

[Peter]

c27 keel bolts

Donna,my understanding is that the bolts on c27's varied in material. In many cases it was only the nuts that need replacing and tightening. Removing the nuts can take up to an hour each for some people. Extra space is not a good thing. Others have added 6in SS lag bolts in addition to the existing keel bolts. I think you should strongly consider this. Contact Catalina and they'll send you a fax or e-mail with the basic fix. They'll also sell you any of the parts i.e. bolts etc. In some cases there was a wood block in the bilge that may has rotted out. Ask them to send you the fix for this too, but hope that you don't have this problem. Remember, they're still in business and very helpful.Peter

 

[JR Castro]

keel bolts

when I bought my 1983 Cat 30 in 1996, it had problems with corrosion of some of the keel bolts and nuts...the recommendation was to "sister" in 3 added bolts as "insurance"...the boat is still sailing on SF Bay even tho I don't own it...I would get some reliable "yard" help on this....JR Castro