Keel bolts and nuts

[heluse]

I have just purchased a Catalina 30 which has sat for the last 2-3 years. The nuts holding the keel bolts in place are rusty to the point of loosing some of their hexagonal shape. Should I replace these ASAP or is there a safety margin built in? Also If I do have to replace them, the BOLTS appear to be in good shape, only the nuts are rusty. Should I haul the boat and replace both?

 

[Coriolisbc]

Heluse;
Welcome to the forum, did your Catalina sit in the water, or on the hard?
I hauled in May, and retorqued all bolts to the recommended 105 ft/Lbs of torque.
You need to haul out, because you cannot retorque or replace keelbolts while in the water,you must retorque while on the hard, also you need to check if you have a crack where the lead keel meets the hull, salt water can get through such a crack and erode the keelbolts where you cannot see.
What year is your Catalina?

 

[heluse]

Thanks for your reply. My Catalina was in the water. What you say about hauling out was what I was thinking had to be done, but I was hoping not. Obviously it is not hard to replace the nuts, but how hard is it to replace the bolts? I am a little hesitant to sail it much until I am confident that the the 30-year-old hardware is going to hang in there. Mine is a 1983 Catalina 30, and from the lack of wear on the hardware, it appears to to have sat idle more than it was sailed.

 

[dj2210]

heluse- My 1982 C27 has the SS studs but steel nuts which were rusted to the point of round circles. I tried using a cold chiesel to break them but didn't get very far. Since everything seemed solid and no Catalina smile I decided to just put SS pipe over the rusted nuts and used a washer/nut on top. It's not going anywhere.

 

[Brad Woodward]

Heluse, it sounds like you didn't get the boat surveyed before you bought it. A haul out is required in that inspection. If it was sitting for a couple of years in the water, was the bottom kept clean? If not you are going to need it clean before you haul it out and have it inspected. On some older boats the keel will drop a fraction of an inch. It will cause what is known by many as the "Catalina Smile". A crack in the fiberglass around the front of the keel. I was told it was really nothing to worry about. But that was by a broker who was helping me buy my boat which was listed by another broker in his company. My 86 didn't have the smile, but the keel bolts are in salt water most of the time, see post on muffler, and have only small spots of rust on them. If yours are that bad I would haul the boat and among a lot of other things to do while it is out, replace the nuts, not sure how to torque the ones under the deck by the engine. Have all the through holes inspected while it is out as well as the cutlass bearing. Good time to replace the packing gland too with the non-leak kind. I love it, that is how I found my leaky muffler, all the time it thought it was the packing gland leaking. Just a lot of little stuff that can become BIG headaches if not maintained.

 

[heluse]

Rusted Keel Nuts

heluse- My 1982 C27 has the SS studs but steel nuts which were rusted to the point of round circles. I tried using a cold chiesel to break them but didn't get very far. Since everything seemed solid and no Catalina smile I decided to just put SS pipe over the rusted nuts and used a washer/nut on top. It's not going anywhere.

My situation is the same - the SS bolts look fine but the nuts are rusted to the point of loosing their sharp edges. So the nuts are not SS?

 

[heluse]

Heluse, it sounds like you didn't get the boat surveyed before you bought it. A haul out is required in that inspection. If it was sitting for a couple of years in the water, was the bottom kept clean? If not you are going to need it clean before you haul it out and have it inspected. On some older boats the keel will drop a fraction of an inch. It will cause what is known by many as the "Catalina Smile". A crack in the fiberglass around the front of the keel. I was told it was really nothing to worry about. But that was by a broker who was helping me buy my boat which was listed by another broker in his company. My 86 didn't have the smile, but the keel bolts are in salt water most of the time, see post on muffler, and have only small spots of rust on them. If yours are that bad I would haul the boat and among a lot of other things to do while it is out, replace the nuts, not sure how to torque the ones under the deck by the engine. Have all the through holes inspected while it is out as well as the cutlass bearing. Good time to replace the packing gland too with the non-leak kind. I love it, that is how I found my leaky muffler, all the time it thought it was the packing gland leaking. Just a lot of little stuff that can become BIG headaches if not maintained.

Thanks for all the tips. I will be hauling her out this fall for sure. Two quick questions: Where do I get the dripless packing gland? Second, are the keel bolts replaceable or are they cast into the lead when it is poured? I do appreciate your input as it is helping immensely.

 

[dj2210]

The original nuts are steel, Catalina probably used them so they don't gall on the stainless threaded rod.

 

[Brad Woodward]

Thanks for all the tips. I will be hauling her out this fall for sure. Two quick questions: Where do I get the dripless packing gland? Second, are the keel bolts replaceable or are they cast into the lead when it is poured? I do appreciate your input as it is helping immensely.

Follow the link of Packing gland. http://shop.catalinaowners.com/prod.php?18332/Shaft Packing&al=1
Catalina Direct has it, so should most marine supply stores in your area. It isn't too hard to do it yourself and I've been told you can do it while on the water but it easier out of it.

 

[heluse]

heluse- My 1982 C27 has the SS studs but steel nuts which were rusted to the point of round circles. I tried using a cold chiesel to break them but didn't get very far. Since everything seemed solid and no Catalina smile I decided to just put SS pipe over the rusted nuts and used a washer/nut on top. It's not going anywhere.

Thanks dj2210, I think I'll use your solution until I haul out.

 

[heluse]

Thanks for all the tips. I will be hauling her out this fall for sure. Two quick questions: Where do I get the dripless packing gland? Second, are the keel bolts replaceable or are they cast into the lead when it is poured? I do appreciate your input as it is helping immensely.

Follow the link of Packing gland. http://shop.catalinaowners.com/prod.php?18332/Shaft Packing&al=1
Catalina Direct has it, so should most marine supply stores in your area. It isn't too hard to do it yourself and I've been told you can do it while on the water but it easier out of it.

Thanks, Brad. I appreciate it.

 

[dj2210]

If you use stainless nuts make sure you use anti-seize.