1934 GAFF CUTTER -KEEL BOLTS

[DiegoPerra]

Does anybody have information about "Bonxie" ?
Gaff cutter built by Eversons (same boatyard of the Cherub) in Woodbridge around 1934. After 10 years i finally decided to remove the keel bolts and would like some advice

Thanks

 

[leafie]

hello please private message me

 

[cliffordpope]

I did this job on my 21 foot cutter dating from about 1880. The keel bolts were the original, and on their last legs.
There are 6 wrought iron bolts, square-headed, inserted from underneath the boat, coinciding with the oak floors, holding on big chunk of cast iron the whole length of the boat. Extracting them was a nightmare job, easily the most difficult of anything I have ever tackled, and at least 50 years overdue. The difficulty was that they were so rusty they refused to drive out, but collapsed at the joint between iron and wooden keels. I had to unfasten every floor, and then drill and hack out the remains of the bolts on the workbench. Then I had to extract the iron keel, and drill out each bolt.

I wish you luck, and hope that yours are in better condition than mine were.