Sadler 34 questions

kalanka

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Can anyone help with the following concerning a 1988 S34 with wing keel?:

1) The keel bolts inside the bilges seem to be nutted studs rather than bolts and have little thread protruding above the nut - insufficient for a second nut. Is it possible to draw a keel bolt for inspection without dropping the keel from the boat? No sign of any problems but a check would be nice.

2) I have just replaced an old style tricolour/anchor light at the masthead with an LED version of the same. The old light had a simple positive / negative connection from a cable in the mast but on the switch panel Aux 1 operated the tricolour, Aux 2 the anchor light. The LED light changes from anchor to tricolour by reversing polarity. Is this simple reversal of polarity likely to be what Aux 1 and Aux 2 are already doing from the switch panel? The mast is off the boat at the moment and I am keen to do any new wiring before re-masting. It would be great if Aux 1 and 2 continued to work as before without any additional wiring but this may be too much to hope.

Thanks
 
I can't help with the first one. Mine remain undisturbed. I guess you would need to use two half nuts to withdraw a stud.

My masthead light is wired using three core domestic wire, with a common earth and separate supplies for anchor and tricolour. I replaced the old cable many years ago: I believe that what I replaced was original. The steaming/deck light is the same but the wire gauge is heavier.
 
Can anyone help with the following concerning a 1988 S34 with wing keel?:

1) The keel bolts inside the bilges seem to be nutted studs rather than bolts and have little thread protruding above the nut - insufficient for a second nut. Is it possible to draw a keel bolt for inspection without dropping the keel from the boat? No sign of any problems but a check would be nice.


Thanks

Can't see any reason why you would want to do this unless there is evidence that water has got into the hull/keel joint. Drawing keel bolts is a hangover from the good old days when bolts went right through the keel to hold together flexible structures and leaks were common. Such conditions don't exist in boats like yours, so, unless there has been a grounding which has shifted the keel, no water can get near the studs.
 
Can't see any reason why you would want to do this unless there is evidence that water has got into the hull/keel joint. Drawing keel bolts is a hangover from the good old days when bolts went right through the keel to hold together flexible structures and leaks were common. Such conditions don't exist in boats like yours, so, unless there has been a grounding which has shifted the keel, no water can get near the studs.
+1 - don't try and remove keelbolts on most GRP boats unless you actually have evidence of a problem - ie leaks, major rust stains around external hull/keel joint where the keelbolts are, evidence of hard grounding etc.
 
In my S34 (wing keel) the studs is made of stainless steel and well dimensioned so no point in taking them out. They are theaded about 3-4 cm all through the upper part of the keel. So if you remove the paint you will be able to see them from under.

I have an old report for the boat that say that the may need to be after tightend. But, again, the report is 20 years old and it has not been done and no leak yet (:
 
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