Keel Bolts
Feb.5,2001 Hi Murray, How arre things in my frozen homeland? You have choosen a "good old boat " in the Idylle 10.5 . This is one of my favourite designs. Actually, I have a whole speech I can give on the advantages of older thirty footers. I like the long classic looking cabin house of this design and the interior layout will stand the test of time for liveability. I also think that if you find one at a reasonable price that is 12 - 15 years old it is one of the best bangs for the buck going. To answer your questions directly: Yes, those are the heads of the keel bolts that your are looking at. Yes, they do get rusty. The keel is cast iron and the bolts are still so they are compatible in terms of electrolysis. Surface rust on steel is more unsightoly then weakening unless it is extremely advanced.. The relatively mild steel bolts can withstand immersion in salt water where stainless steel bolts, deprived of oxygen, will corrode quickly and are prone to crevass crack corrosion. No, it has not been a problem so far. Unlike some other boats, we have never heard of a keel falling off of a Beneteau. The keel bolts, rust and all, will likely out last you and me by many years. As to tightening them with a socket wrench, you can certainly give it a try when the boat is on the hard, but don't expect much to happen.. On the hard a large socket wrench with a 4 foot snipe on the handle and two of us heaving for all we were worth would not budge our rusty keel bolts on The Legend, and I would be surpirised if yours moved as well. If you are concerned about their appearance clean them up with a wire brush and paint them with rustoleum paint. As to tightening them generally, if the boat is resting on her keel on the hard and the bolts move up through the boat, then they definitely need tightening and it may be time for an air socket and major surgery. If however the bolts are (1) flush with the bottom (2) not leaking water and (3) can't be turned with a large tool when the boat is on the hard then ordinarily there is no cause for concern. By the way , weeping keel bolts don't necessarily mean that the bolts are loose. There is also the question of the fairness of the keel to the bottom of the boat and the state of the caulking to consider. I hope this helps and please do get back to us to let us know how things turn out. Fair winds, Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net aboard The Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
