Welding Keel Bolt Extensions

[Issywa]

I searched the forums for comments related to the above and couldn't find any so I thought I'd ask the question: Can keel bolts be cutoff, extensions welded on the the existing bolts, and then have the keel reinstalled? Lots of discussion about sistering on additional bolts, shipping the keel to Mars for removal and replacement of the existing bolts etc.

[more]

Originally Posted by Issywa

I searched the forums for comments related to the above and couldn't find any so I thought I'd ask the question: Can keel bolts be cutoff, extensions welded on the the existing bolts, and then have the keel reinstalled? Lots of discussion about sistering on additional bolts, shipping the keel to Mars for removal and replacement of the existing bolts etc.

why in the name god do this, why simply don't buy longer bolt

[Issywa]

more - thanks for the quick comment. Issue is that this has already been done on a boat that I'm considering so I'm wondering if it's an appropriate repair.

[Adelie]

Depends on quality of the welding, fitup, cleaning between passes, base metal/fillet metal choice, welder skill in a confined space.
I do this kind of thing for a living. If I could have watched the work no problem. Unknown welder in the past, hmmmmm. Do they have records of who did the work?
Better would have been to fully thead the bolts and use a coupler.

[tkeithlu]

Adelie has given you a truly professional answer. Next is why it was done in the first place. It sounds like the threaded sections of the bolts were damaged beyond continued use, by either rust or trauma. Is there evidence of either, such as rust stains in the bilge or cracks in the hull near the keel? Somebody had one heck of a problem or something this extensive and unusual would not have been done.

[Manateeman]

Ditto post #4.
Manatee crew.

[sv Grateful]

I think that your first answer on SA was the correct one...

[sinnerman]

Many keel "bolts" are actually stainless threaded rods, bent into a "U" shape on one end then cast into the keel when hot lead is poured.

Replacement is impossible without cutting holes into the side of the lead keel, replacing the old threaded rod and "re-pouring" hot lead into the cutout.

All of this done while trying to position the rods so they will pass back through the same hole pattern in the bottom of the boat.

Catalina's fix" for weakened keel bolts is to offer extra long lag bolts (and a long drill bit) , which are installed as backup bolts threaded down into the lead keel. (With a disclaimer that the fix does not now make the boat seaworthy for blue water cruising...)

[Fore and Aft]

Issywa I would want to see some documentation that they have been x-rayed and examined by experts after welding. I am not sure what the standard would be, but for gas pipes there is at least a root weld, filler weld, then cap weld. This all gets x-rayed at the end before it is passed. These guys are bloody exceptional welders, you can tell just looking at their work. I certainly wouldn't be happy if just the local bloke down the road had a crack at extending the keel bolts.
Cheers

[Jim Cate]

Unless there is some really outstanding reason to buy this particular example of a boat, some unique feature or other, my advice would be to walk away from her and keep looking. The repair might well last indefinitely, but it is a serious worry IMO, and for me would niggle away at confidence in her seaworthiness.

Jim

[Issywa]

FYI - After chatting with several keel manufacturers, a welder, and a metallurgist, I made the decision to pass on the boat. Just not enough information available on the welding procedure performed, and ultimately I would be worried every time the boat was in use that something sinister was about to happen.

[Jim Cate]

^^^^^

Good decision IMO!

Keep looking... she's out there somewhere, yearning for you!

Jim

[tkeithlu]

Yet another disaster averted by timely responses on the forum....

[aa1bflyboy]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Unless there is some really outstanding reason to buy this particular example of a boat, some unique feature or other, my advice would be to walk away from her and keep looking. The repair might well last indefinitely, but it is a serious worry IMO, and for me would niggle away at confidence in her seaworthiness.

Jim

My thoughts exactly. Just move on to the next boat. Where I keep my Aloha at the top of the Chesapeake we have scraped boats with damage less than that.