I just bought a '86 H23, have not had it in the water yet. Has anyone had to seal the keel bolts to prevent water from weeping it? Is that a problem on these boats? It so what do you torque them to? Any input would help. Thanks.
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Hunter Customer Service
The Hunter Customer Service people are really good with providing torque values for the keel bolts. It's largely a function of the bolt size. One should not have to seal the bolts on the inside to keep the water out as the seal should be made on the outside of the boat, say at the hull-to-keel joint. Standardly on puts sealant between the keel and the hull and then torques the bolts up. Wait a while and retorque as the sealant will spread out. Even a year or two later the bolts should be retorqed, even on big boats. If the bolts become loose, probably due to a grounding or the sealant getting squished out and loosing it's compression, there will be a crack that develops at the joint, visible on the outside, and probably water will seep into the bilge via the keel bolts. At this point there are a couple options: Quick and dirty which is to torque the bolts and epoxy the crack, leaving the water inside the hull; or, drop the keel, dry things out, reseal, reattach the keel and epoxy the crack joint. When the keel is off it would be a good time to clean out the bolt holes and epoxy them to prevent water from getting inside the laminations. This is probably more than you wanted to know but one thing led to another. Good luck with your new boat!
The Hunter Customer Service people are really good with providing torque values for the keel bolts. It's largely a function of the bolt size. One should not have to seal the bolts on the inside to keep the water out as the seal should be made on the outside of the boat, say at the hull-to-keel joint. Standardly on puts sealant between the keel and the hull and then torques the bolts up. Wait a while and retorque as the sealant will spread out. Even a year or two later the bolts should be retorqed, even on big boats. If the bolts become loose, probably due to a grounding or the sealant getting squished out and loosing it's compression, there will be a crack that develops at the joint, visible on the outside, and probably water will seep into the bilge via the keel bolts. At this point there are a couple options: Quick and dirty which is to torque the bolts and epoxy the crack, leaving the water inside the hull; or, drop the keel, dry things out, reseal, reattach the keel and epoxy the crack joint. When the keel is off it would be a good time to clean out the bolt holes and epoxy them to prevent water from getting inside the laminations. This is probably more than you wanted to know but one thing led to another. Good luck with your new boat!
No Leaks Yet
I've had an 86 H23 for 4 seasons. I've not had any water leaks around the keel bolts. I do wonder how many years I should go before I drop the keel, inspect the bolts and reseal them.
I've had an 86 H23 for 4 seasons. I've not had any water leaks around the keel bolts. I do wonder how many years I should go before I drop the keel, inspect the bolts and reseal them.
H-23 Keel bolts
I also have an 86 H-23, and have had no problems with water. I also wonder how often to re-torque the bolts, and what is the measurement? Scott H23 "No Alibi"
I also have an 86 H-23, and have had no problems with water. I also wonder how often to re-torque the bolts, and what is the measurement? Scott H23 "No Alibi"
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