On old boats with bolt-on keels, the keelbolts are critical. It can cost more than the boat is worth to replace them, and most times there is no non-destructive way of checking. Personally, I am all for internal ballasted keels.

cisco said..
Not quite with you there Yara.

What is it that is so expensive about replacing keel bolts??

Well probably if you change the bolts with the boat still afloat it becomes expensive to have to buy a new keel and fit it.

Yara said..
If the lower end of the keelbolt is cast into the keel you have a problem. If the lower end is through a flange, usually that end is glassed over. (Old timber boats actually could be easier.) In any case you need the use of a travel lift and a fair bit of time on the hard, with lots of unknowns. Round my way in Sydney, that is expensive. For a $5k to $15k boat it is not worth it.

For that value of yacht it becomes economically unfeasible but still doable. If it would definitely increase the value of the boat by at least the amount of the expence one would have to consider it.

Most yachts with bolt on keels have two rows of bolts. If that is the case and they are still tight and the nuts and tops of the bolts inside the hull are in good condition, I would leave them alone. That is provided the hull area around the keel is sound too.

If the keel only had a single row of bolts holding the keel on, I would not buy it in the first place.

Haul out and hardstand is damn expensive wherever you are these days.