And on the subject of sealing holes in the bottom...

[dur]

...further to the anode thread.
I have to replace my echo sounder transducer - Seafarer / Stingray type. The old one seemed to be sealed with a softish mastic. Looked much like the aforementioned window frame sealant. Sound ok?

 

[Casey]

I had to do exactly the same job on Kala Sona and turned a sleeve to make up the difference in sizes between old and new. I bedded the whole thing in Polysulphide (the builders mastic) and it worked a treat. The boat was surveyed before I sold her and it was not picked up and my own annual inspection found nothing wrong.

 

[Seanick]

Non setting, ie Arbomast BR, (Butyl rubber), but not oil based mastic (goes hard), or silicon (contaminates surrounding paintwork) or polyurethene or polysulphide rubber (sets, and makes it hard to remove the sender at a later date-it will come out, but usually with a bit of timber too).

PS Proper job on the anode stud would be 3 turns of a single strand of caulking cotton around the stud, plus a little goo to hold it there.

 

[dur]

Thanks Nick - I have some Arbo BR so that is easy.
Thanks too for the detail on the caulking cotton. I have three of the keelbolts out at the moment and I can see that they too have had a few turns of cotton around them under the heads. Must have worked as they were still well coated with the Stockholm tar that they were bedded with a few years ago.

 

[Seanick]

Ah, keel bolts with flared heads require a GROMMET! This is made of cotton, four to eight turns around two fingers, then remove from fingers and go spirally around the turns to help hold them together as the bolt is driven home. Put a similar grommet under the keel bolt washer in the boat. Grease 'em up well too.

 

[dur]

I guess the grommet will end up being pushed down the flare. These bolts are quite small (1/2") so maybe a one finger grommet? Or do you figure of eight it and fold it back to make a double. I gather the trick is to start the bolt up the hole and then pour the Stockholm tar down from the top so everything gets coated.

The flare is made up as separate piece which surprised me

 

[Seanick]

The grommet shouls start half way down, as otherwise it may not seal well enough. I did the same job on Sat on a SCOD. I fitted two grommets, one small one large, with a bead of butyl between.
The bolt looked a little like yours, ie serviceable. I heated it with a blow torch to remove the damp, wire brushed it, black tar varnished it and refitted it. Oh yes, grease it up too.
I last saw this bolt in '88, and it had only lost about 10% diameter.
To get bolts tight I ppop them in, then put a bottle jack under the bolt head-use a socket as a spacer- then jack it into place, and just lift the boat a smidge. Replace the nut, then drop the boat down again.

I doubt your bolts are original. A falred head, or 'upset' head is made by a forge and blacksmith, and 'these days' most thread both ends and then turn up a threaded cone.
If you want 'proper' heads, Touts will make them, Pompey.
We used to do them at Combes, but I don't have a forge anymore.
The advantage if the threaded cone, is that you can fit the new bolts from the top.

If you do put Black tar varnish down the holes, be VERY sure to cover the hole inside as the tar will be projected to the deck head, to the sails and beyond! -seen it done, really nasty mess!!!!!
Nick

 

[dur]

Thanks Nick - really useful stuff. The bolts are actually only a few years old. As they are relatively small I was advised to check them fairly regularly which makes sense.

 

[Seanick]

Spot of galavanising would not go amiss. I just dropped a keel of a 20 yr old X boat. The galv bolts were well greased and like new!

 

[sailorman]

try " Blackwall Caulking" it worked for the Barges /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dur]

[ QUOTE ]
try " Blackwall Caulking" it worked for the Barges

[/ QUOTE ]
Well it is true that the G Rhys Jones whose father owned WS at one time, has described her as a barge so maybe you are right. But I am afraid you are going to have to explain Blackwall Caulking to the unititiated (i.e. me).

(He has also described her as a barque and a punt and a pig to sail but probably because some bright spark had put a 40 foot high bermudian rig on her at that time)

 

[sailorman]

Put her ashore @ Blackwall as used to be done with Thames Barges ( very special sort of east coast mud ) as the tide ebbs she settles in the mud. the mud is forced into any holes / seams. when she refloats she will be "Dry"