Keel Bolt Blues

Allanlowery · **Joined:** 20 Jul 2014 02:18 **Posts:** 29

I sure hope so!
Thanks!!
I am also doing an Electronic refit.
My Auto Pilot(or helm) seems to work well, however chart plotter and radar are older and black and white.
Not very easy to read. I am looking at B&G Zeus chart plotter and radar.
I would like to get others opinions on brands and units as well as location of chart plotter, helm or companion way?

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 06 Feb 2015 15:07

So they did cut a channel to reinstall. Nothing wrong with that but it brings up two questions for me...
1. If bolts are corroding they didn't use the best stainless for the bolts. I'd want to check that annually. If there's movement, you'll know.
2. What catastrophic event befell the vessel to require replacement of all those keel bolts!!!? Shocked

That had to come with a story and a very bad day.

Okay... three questions...
3. If you're replacing 8 keel bolts with the epoxy method, at that point I would think it would actually be cheaper to send it to MARS for a reforging. Maybe they didn't see the reasonable rates from Mars.

Anyway, good luck with the refit. I would start a new thread on the nav gear questions... you'll get a different answer from everyone you talk to. (I'm fond of a PC running OpenCPN free software for navhooked to B&G NMEA2k backbone. Whole system was less than one plotter... but I'm a computer geek.) viewtopic.php?f=5&t=889

Allanlowery · **Joined:** 20 Jul 2014 02:18 **Posts:** 29

Skipper, Thanks for replying!
I'll try to answer your questions the best I can.
The PO is no longer alive due to a Delivery mishap several years ago, so I am unable to find out anything about the keel from him. As we continue to look over the boat by a very reputable Yacht Designer, Alan Andrews, a very well respected Rigger and a well respected Boatyard and Surveyor, they have all been very impressed with all the different upgrades made to this boat previously.
There was no sign of any grounding that damaged the keel or anything else, only several of the original bolts were corroded inside the nut, which was found on inspection by the surveyor when he checked around the top of the nuts with his knife blade. The PO had left the original bolts and added 8 new ones. The new ones looked fine, no corrosion, but I am a new sailor and a sceptic, and wanted to be sure the bolts that were added were done correctly since no paperwork. That cost me quite a few dollars, but now I have peace of mind.
Thanks for the advice on posting Electronics on a new thread.

Down2TheC · **Posted:** 11 Feb 2015 06:36

Sweet! It's very important to have Keel Confidence! You can't put a price on being able to not think about it when things get lively. The keel remaining attached to the boat is pretty far up on the list of priorities.

madmike · **Joined:** 06 Sep 2020 10:08 **Posts:** 99

OK. I think I just realized the source of my confusion. I've seen a few messages on this forum mentioning keel bolts. And I look in the bilge of our new (to us) T37 and don't see anything bolt-like.

Are the deep-keel T37 hulls built with a stub and bolt-on keel, while the centerboard boats have the keel integrally molded with the hull and then filled with lead?

Maineiac · **Posted:** 11 Dec 2020 07:05

Yes. Straight AND Scheel keels. I posted a picture somewhere of the Scheel keel. There's one in my boatyard, with the obligatory, albeit minimal and unconcerning, keel/hull gap.

Tartan37.com

Keel Bolt Blues

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