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golden hind keel bolts

Posted: Sat November 11th, 2006, 7:34 pm
by dave
:D hi all our golden hind snow drift is 34yrs old so i think about time to check those keel bolts any advise please are the bolts tapped into the cast block any advice would be apreciated regrds dave mann. :wink:

Posted: Tue November 14th, 2006, 10:48 pm
by Fiddler's Green
Yes Dave high time!

Check along the bottom of the keel with a magnet. If the magnet does not drop off all the way along then I would suspect a drilled cast iron keel and you simply have to exert enough pressure on a long tommy bar on the heads inside, however if they are nuts inside I bet you will find the magnet falls off at regular intervals.

Scrape away the paint and you will probably find a wooden plug banged in on top of a load of old grease. Scrape that away to reveal the head of the keel bolt!

Back inside and start thumping with a brass drift and a club hammer!

Check the boat is not sitting on the keel bolt before starting to knock them out... I have been caught that way.

With an iron keel refit mild steel galvanised bolts, coated in epoxy as well if you like, maybe greased then sealed back in with boat mastic, Sikaflex or the like!

Never be tempted to use any grade of stainless under the water, recipe for disaster!

Hope this helps,

John

Posted: Wed November 15th, 2006, 10:06 am
by dave
:roll: hi john,thanks for prompt reply ,nov 5th we motored snow drift up the river plym to be lifted out at rocky pindar yard,i took camera to record
the events of the day,but guess,in the excitment i left camera in the car :( i will be traveling down to plymouth again next week and will make a start on the keel bolts many thanks regards dave.