Leaking keel fastenings

[tkenna]

Hi,

After restoring and relaunching a 50 year old catboat that hasn't been in the water for ~15 years, most of the leaks have stopped after 2 weeks. She is, however, still leaking in the stern from the heads of her bronze keel fastenings. She is cedar on oak, bronze fastened.

2 questions:

1) After 2 weeks, will the oak keel have swelled as much as it is going to.

2)Does anyone have an opinion on how to fix such a leak?

Thanks

[Rich VanValkenburg]

This is the very thing that caused me to launch into the keel repair for Sonja, the Oak went away around her bolts.

How much of a leak is it, dripping or streaming? Depending on your answer, after 15 years dry, I'd think about giving it another couple weeks. Were the bolts always bronze, or were they iron as built?

Rich

[RGM]

I'ld be tempted to give it another week or two if it's just a weeper. Are you talking a raging torrent or a weeper? Dealt with something similar not too long ago, it dried up in about 3 weeks or so. Good luck.

[Art Read]

Hi, Tkenna... It's possible that your keel will swell a bit more, even after two weeks. Fifteen years is a long time to dry out. But I'd be a little suspicious of the condition of those bolts if you haven't had 'em out yet. What exactly are they holding? Does your cat have a ballast keel or just a centerboard? How bad is the leaking? Something you can "live" with for the rest of the season, or a real concern?

If they ARE holding a lead ballast keel up, and you didn't already replace them during your restoration, I'd consider hauling her again and pulling those bolts to inspect 'em. Not a fun job, but 50 years sounds like about what I'd expect to get out of the originals. The fact they are leaking suggests you may have lost a lot of the thickness at the middle of the bolts, where you can't see what's going on. That's the classical pattern for corrosion on keel bolts. If they are still good, at least you'll get a good chance to re-bed them when you put 'em back. Might be all you need?

[Ed Harrow]

If the bolts are new, did you wind a bit of cotton around them under the washer?

[tkenna]

Hi,

I'll try and answer your questions. I would describe the leak as a constant stream (rivulet), but not gushing. I'm not sure that the fastenings are actually bolts. As far as I know, they are the bronze originals and the heads, where they are exposed inboard, appear to be peened over onto flat washers. The other end looks like a tee. I will take another look tonight just to be sure. Is this a typical fastening? My catboat has a centerboard, not a ballast keel. This translates probably to a liveable leak that I would like to slow down this season and fastening replacement this winter. Any comments on the short term fix or replacement this winter? Thanks