No keel nuts on my new (to me) C27?

[jim01]

I just purchased a C27 for a pretty good price and the boat is in overall good condition but while cleaning out the bilge I noticed there are no keel nuts on the bolts and there are some cracks in the bilge flooring. Are the nuts glassed in? Did the rust away? or did someone take them off?

Pic of Keel Bolts

I haven't hauled the boat out yet so I don't know what the keel looks like. I tapped on the bilge floor and did hear one area that sounded hollow so I am going to need to replace the wood underneath at some point.

 

[jviss]

Yikes! That would cause me great concern. I recommend you contact Catalina.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

That just doesn't look right.

If it were mine, I would clean and dry the area around each bolt head. and let the area dry for a week or whatever you can get. While waiting for them to dry, make a series of 3/16" thick SS backing plates for the bolts.

After a dry week, I would fill the area with a sealant like 3M 4200 and then drop the plates on to the studs and tighten until snug. This assumes the surface under the plates is flat and 90 deg. to the bolts. In order to keep the backing plates from sticking to the sealant, coat the plates with a light film of grease. This sealant will remove the worry of corrosion around the bolt threads.

Attached you will find a set of maximum torques from Hunter for their keel bolts. You can aim for these torques but be sure to listen for any sounds of cracking and if so, back off a bit. These show the max. allowable stress on each diameter of stud so they are the same for any make of boat.

This may not be exactly the right approach, but it's definitely better than going without the nuts.

 

[Justin_NSA]

You say it has been in the water, so you haven't lost the keel yet! What's holding up a few thousand pounds keel?? I don't think I'd sail it until I knew what was going on. I'm surprised it wasn't picked up in the survey.
As Ralph said " that's just not right! ".

 

[jim01]

I'm surprised it wasn't picked up in the survey

No Survey as the cost would have been close to what I paid for the boat.

The boat has been sitting in the water for the past year or so and the cabin floor was filled with water at some point this past winter so maybe they rusted out?

The backing plate is a good idea though the surface is really rough not true 90 degrees. Catalina suggests large washers which looks like what was there at some point from those round circles.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Carefully haul her out. Can't imagine what is keeping the keel on . It may be already separating from the hull and the water is seeping up from below. Just speculation.

 

[Capt jgw]

In wood boatbuilding we have a technique called "bonded bolts" where the bolts or screws are glued into oversize holes with epoxy. It can be stronger than washers and nuts. Note I said " can" . I've used it often with deck hardware, but for keels I always bonded and used washers and nuts. I don't know if this would even work in fiberglass, but maybe a PO tried it. That would explain the keel still being on. On the other hand. I've seen cases where 5200 had been used in the hull/keel joint years earlier and even with the nuts off and the keel just hanging there, they had to run a saw blade through the joint to get it apart. One of those cases where it holds on when you don't want it to, but might not hold on when you need it to. That also would explain the keel still being there, but I sure wouldn't sail (or even motor) it that way.

 

[jviss]

This sealant will remove the worry of corrosion around the bolt threads.

That could actually make it worse. Stainless steel is only non-corrosive in the presence of oxygen.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

That could actually make it worse.

It could, but we're hoping to keep the SS bolts dry down where they enter the FG hence no liquid conductor of electrons and no corrosion. That little area has always given me something to keep me awake at nights

"Live in hope, die in despair"

 

[jviss]

we're hoping to keep the SS bolts dry down where they enter the FG

In the bilge. Right. And I'm hoping for a solid gold toilet bowl, but that's not happening, either, baby!

 

[Hayden Watson]

I would defiantly put some nuts on the studs before I hauled the boat out.

 

[dmax]

Catalina keels are "mostly" held on by the adhesive between the keel and the hull which is why the keel hasn't fallen off yet. As Hayden says, I would get some bolts one there right away as a back-up. There should also be backing plates as has been mentioned - you could use large washers in the short term which are readily available.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Is that the reason for the renowned "Catalina smile"?

 

[PSR]

I would defiantly put some nuts on the studs before I hauled the boat out.

Excellent suggestion!!

 

[jssailem]

I would defiantly put some nuts on the studs before I hauled the boat out.

Those bolts were designed to secure the keel to the boat hull. The bottom connection that makes it look like the keel and the boat are a solid piece is not glass but filler smoothed to the hull shape. No strength.

Most often large fender washers are used, but the idea of stainless backing plates is even better in my mind. Nice idea @Ralph Johnstone

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your first post @jim01 . Always fun to start the forum with a picture. Must say my reaction to seeing it was .

Be safe in your work on the boat and you sailing adventures.