Sun Fizz Keel Bolts

[David52]

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

I suspect that I am about to try and draw a couple of keel bolts on my Sunfizz.

The bolts are glassed over in side and thus show no signs of anything bad. The keel however is rusty - I have no rerason to believe that the bolts are not the 23 year old originals - or that any have been inspected by previous owners - paranoia (and a gentle recomendation from the surveyor) are forcing my hand.

The bolts are well supported inside, on decent plates, again with no signs of corosion.

One thing I do not know is how the bolts are fitted into the keet - I have now read up on 6 different ways bolts keels and boats fit together - but have not been able to find anyone who can advise me on how the Sunfizz bolts lie.

I have tried emailing Jeanneau - but they seem to be busy.

???

 

[JonJon]

Interested to know how you get on with this, havent attempted that one yet although mine comes out of the water next week.

Just remember there isnt any room on an edge!

 

[David52]

Trust me there plenty of room on the edge. I'll just move over...

Tell me are your bolt tops glassed over, is this a from new feature?

 

[JonJon]

Yes they are glassed over, look good to me pretty sure they were like this from new - no sign of additional glassing. But I guess they all look good from the top.

 

[trouville]

Dosent an ex-ray and modern imaging help? In the past my boat was ex-rayed by a previouse owner to show the exact? diameter condition of the bolts??

Never heard of a keel failing on a sunfizz or ginfizz. Then you could go on on statistics and fingers crossed?? Really good boats!! Really well built being made for charter

 

[David52]

Spent the entire week end unglassing and de-nutting (should their be such a verb) 2 keel bolts. As per instructions Locked to nuts together to give me some purchase on a bolt and then turned, well tried to turn. Used wedges, leavers, hammers all to no avail.

In a fit of pique I found the strongest looking adjustable spanner I have - cast iron pre war Job - and put a 1.5 tonne bottle jack against the stringer. The jack wimped out. Does any one care to comment? If the bolts can take 1.5 tonnes + lever effect of a 12 in wrench would this be a fair indication that they are sound?

Of course I could have irrecoverably damaged them so that the keel drops off as soon as the boat is lifted - said a friend on mine trying not to smirk - "Cheerful bugger" was my reply..

As far as X-ray goes I have been informed (hear say only) that the bit of the bolt most likely to be wasted is inaccessible to the x-ray machine.

I have, on my travels, discovered that the "flat top" of the keel is placed in a recess in the hull which is sandwich filled with sealant first. Thus is it possible that my bolts have never seen water in their 20 years of sea life?

Any help - even facetious comments would be gratefully received.

At this rate my only option is to undo all the bolts drop the keel - check them - re-bed the thing and sail away - nursing the new void in my wallet that this would create.

Help?@!!

 

[iangrant]

This may help
I had a Jeanneau Symphonie - probably about the same era of build as yours.

The keel bolts were indeed glassed over but it was fairly easy to grind it away.
You can turn the bolts until you are blue in the face because they will have a lock nut on the other end.!!!
Look along the keel and about six inches down from the keel joint, tap the keel and you should find the fibreglass covers of the hole the lock nuts live in.

Hope this is clear, bit difficult to describe.

Ian

 

[iangrant]

Oh and BTW there was an awful long debate about the type of steel to use for the new bolts I had machined up. In the end the engineer said to use high tensile NOT stainless metal.
Stainless rusts when starved of oxygen.

Ian

 

[David52]

Thanks Ian - So I take it your's did need replacing - So I should continue this entertaining quest - erg..

 

[iangrant]

I had to remove the keel so I had to replace the bolts (studs). The reason for removing the beastly thing was a leak at the back end of the keel, rusty water in the bilge!

I'd be tempted to chip off the nut covers in the keel as described and have a look at the nuts and threads in the holes. In reality the bolts that came out when I did mine were like new, except the one that had been leaking.

If you do go about replacing the bolts I's suggest that to remove the keel, clean the surfaces and sikaflex the joint - bolt up tight, BIG wrench with a scaffold pole did it (on advice from engineering Co that made the studs).
All this involved the use of the yard crane and large amounts of money (bolts were 300 quid) crane hire etc....


In hindsight, I should have left it alone perhaps?

Anyway best of luck

Ian

 

[David52]

Ulrika - or whatever. Thanks for the tip Ian definitely pointed me in the right direction.

The Sun fizz employs keel bolts (I know now) which are counter sunk on the watery side with an Allen key slot. Taking your advice I ran around the top of the keel with a magnet until I found where it didn't stick. This was on the "flat" plate at the top of the keel. Scraped out the filler/sealant with a chisel and there were the bolt ends. A couple of blows to the internal side of the bolt and it fell out. Within 10 minutes I had done the same to another bolt also. The surveyor said to remove 2 from different parts of the keel. The good news, for me, is that the bolts are in almost perfect nick - only slight discoloured - with no wastage at all. I shall "glue" them back with my friend Sikka flex and glass back over them internally for that belt and braces feeling.
I did read somewhere about torque settings for keel bolts... Or should I just go for between Scaffold pole and hernia?

Any way JonJon assuming we have the same keels I heartily recommend this as an easy job (now I know how).

Thanks to everyone for their help on this one.

Rgds,

David

Now all or I need is for someone to stand under the boat will an Allen key so the bolts don't twist when I turn the nuts on!

 

[JonJon]

Many thanks all a very useful thread. My Fizz came out the water this morning. The rubber closing seal was hanging down like a tapeworm from the keel to hull flanged joint.

No sign of rust tho. Think I wont touch them as you all had good bolts anyway. But I had no idea the bolts were arranged as you describe I must also do a little research with a magnet.

 

[iangrant]

It is such a pleasure to be able to pass on snippits of info from painful experience and a big hammer!!. Go with the scaffold pole!
Glad it worked..

Ian