I am the orignal owner of a 1990 H27 Hunter sailboat. Two of the keel bolts in the bilge area corroded as if they were just iron steel and not stanless steel. What has to be done to repair them.
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More on the bolts
It looks like the bolt is maybe worst than the nut, the nut and the bolt are rusted.
It looks like the bolt is maybe worst than the nut, the nut and the bolt are rusted.
Hi Larry, take a closer look at your keel...
bolts after removing any water. If it is a rust looking film, like on ours, not to worry. If it is flaking off, then a different matter. If the latter, short of replacing the keel bolts (not an easy task), just keep an I eye on it. Test them both with a magnet to determine ferric content. If you have a marine surveyor friend see if they will look at it and give you an opinion or recommendation. Terry
bolts after removing any water. If it is a rust looking film, like on ours, not to worry. If it is flaking off, then a different matter. If the latter, short of replacing the keel bolts (not an easy task), just keep an I eye on it. Test them both with a magnet to determine ferric content. If you have a marine surveyor friend see if they will look at it and give you an opinion or recommendation. Terry
what I've done
in the past, so to speak, was that I replaced my forward most keel 'nut' because it was rusted beyond belief and how I did it. Was to borrow a torque wrench, 3/4 inch drive from the local snap-on truck for 20 bucks, and tightened the nut till it moved a little bit. Then noted the torque on the gauge so that when I put the new nut on, I could get it back to where it was. I also did this with the boat in the water. No issues at all. What worries me is that if the nuts were rusted, then that could have been a mistake on a worker at the factory, but to have to rusty bolts coming up out of the keel is something to look closer at. (In my opinion anyway). But it could be that the rust from the nuts aided to the rust forming on the bolts and despite how it looks (in my opinion), by taking the nut off, you'll know without a doubt if those are OK by the shiny steel left behind. But I'm not a pro or qualified expert at metalurgy (however you spell that word). Trust me on that. But, you do have me re-looking at my own boat.
in the past, so to speak, was that I replaced my forward most keel 'nut' because it was rusted beyond belief and how I did it. Was to borrow a torque wrench, 3/4 inch drive from the local snap-on truck for 20 bucks, and tightened the nut till it moved a little bit. Then noted the torque on the gauge so that when I put the new nut on, I could get it back to where it was. I also did this with the boat in the water. No issues at all. What worries me is that if the nuts were rusted, then that could have been a mistake on a worker at the factory, but to have to rusty bolts coming up out of the keel is something to look closer at. (In my opinion anyway). But it could be that the rust from the nuts aided to the rust forming on the bolts and despite how it looks (in my opinion), by taking the nut
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