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Old 18-02-2015, 03:40   #1
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How to check keel bolts

Surely any corrosion will be at the point where the bolts emerge from the keel casting?
So to check the bolts does that mean dropping the keel ? !!
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Old 18-02-2015, 03:42   #2
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Re: How to check keel bolts

X-ray
No need to drop keel.
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Old 18-02-2015, 04:01   #3
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pirate Re: How to check keel bolts

Or... tap test if your hearings good...
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Old 18-02-2015, 04:42   #4
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Re: How to check keel bolts

You could hire this guy...



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Old 18-02-2015, 04:48   #5
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Re: How to check keel bolts

Honestly,

Dropping the keel isn't rocket science... Just a bit of work...

If you've got a weeping joint, water intrusion from the joint, or your studs n nuts look like hell... I would drop it for the piece of mind...

Pretty LARGE studs I have....
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Old 18-02-2015, 05:54   #6
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Re: How to check keel bolts

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X-ray
No need to drop keel.
Just where would you find a marina that could do an X-ray of this? I used to be in nuclear power and we X-rayed pipe welds all the time and the controls were pretty high. I can not imagine any marina service could do this.
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Old 18-02-2015, 06:22   #7
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Re: How to check keel bolts

They use to do it in the boatyards on the Southern coast of England, but that was a years ago.

Maybe some place on the Gulf Coast in the US where all the drill rig pipes and equipment get x-ray'd?

Doug
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Old 18-02-2015, 07:18   #8
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Re: How to check keel bolts

if the keel bolts are double nutted this is a old boat yard trick when the lower threads are gone at the bottom bolts in way of the nuts.


have the keel bolt nuts torqued to the required spec, if they break free or turn freely they are gone.
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Old 18-02-2015, 08:09   #9
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Re: How to check keel bolts

And if you've got a significant quantity of lead down low in the boat, where the bolts are, what then? As I'm guessing that OSHA or whom ever isn't going to sign off on cranking up an x-ray machine high enough to "see" through all of that.
Or, as in the above pictures, that's a good bit of lead to look through in order to "see" the bolts.


Albeit, there are other types of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) which are a bit more people friendly, & would/will work on various different types of boat construction. Though I don't have links to said resources in front of me @ the moment.
If someone else does, I'd Definitely appreciate it if you'd post them. Heck, I'd even throw in a case of your favorite beverage for your troubles ;-)
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Old 18-02-2015, 08:14   #10
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Re: How to check keel bolts

the sailing charteristics of the vessel are poor small sail area. heavy fat bopat that will not go to weather well and wallows down wind
in comarison to the catalina
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Old 18-02-2015, 09:31   #11
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Re: How to check keel bolts

If they are bolts just remove them, one at a time, and replace. If they are studs, you'll likely have to drop the keel.
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Old 18-02-2015, 09:35   #12
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Re: How to check keel bolts

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If they are bolts just remove them, one at a time, and replace. If they are studs, you'll likely have to drop the keel.
I think this is the only reliable way...
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Old 18-02-2015, 11:17   #13
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Re: How to check keel bolts

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Originally Posted by Doug Brown View Post
They use to do it in the boatyards on the Southern coast of England, but that was a years ago.

Maybe some place on the Gulf Coast in the US where all the drill rig pipes and equipment get x-ray'd?

Doug
It's one thing to x-ray a pipe or hull weld. But the 1/10 thickness of lead for gamma radiation is 2", so a 12" wide lead keel would take a mighty powerful gamma source.
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Old 18-02-2015, 22:32   #14
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Re: How to check keel bolts

Well I can only post of about a single experience with X-rays but FWIW, it was pretty easy to arrange in Perth, Western Australia.

When I purchased my current boat about 12 years back, I had the keel bolts x-rayed at the same time as the pre-purchase survey. I phoned the first NDT company in the phone book, explained what I wanted and they booked me in for the same day the boat was slipped at the yard in one of the bigger yachts clubs.

They turned up in a van fitted out as a mobile x-ray facility. They set up a few barriers, some signs and the equipment and as soon as the surveyor had finished they took a few sample exposures in order to get a good film. It took a little while to get the exact spot while the lead keel joined the timber section of the keel. Once that was sorted and the correct exposure was determined, they took a series of films in order to get a number of the bolts. There are 12 bolts and from memory I think we took x-rays of 4.

The films were processed in the mobile van and when the guys were happy with the results, they packed up and went home. I remember it took maybe an hour or two on site.

The report (a formal analysis) and the films were then posted to me a week later. The price was around $300 or $400 IIRC.

At work, we occasionally used a similar procedure to x-ray some sections of main wing spars when required.

The bolts were monel (I think) and according to the NDT guys, they were fine with no signs of corrosion, pitting or wasting at the lead interface or upwards from there to the keel / hull join. They were about 30 years old at that time.

Clearly they couldn't tell me what they were like inside the lead portion of the keel.
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Old 19-02-2015, 00:15   #15
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Re: How to check keel bolts

Quote:
Originally Posted by Terra Nova View Post
If they are bolts just remove them, one at a time, and replace. If they are studs, you'll likely have to drop the keel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako View Post
I think this is the only reliable way...

Have you (anyone) done this with boat in the water (bolts)? Ok, or definitely not?
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