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mickey
 
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Default Leaking Keel Bolts?

Rob wrote:

I have a Catalina 30- about a month ago I thoroughly cleaned and
de-greased the bilge, something I been meaning to do all summer.
About 2 weeks later I went down to the boat and noticed a very
small-bit of salt water in the bilge (about 1-2 ounces at best) around
the stainless-steel keel bolts (also the lowest point in the bilge).
It is not the stuffing box because I installed a new dripless system
that does not allow any water in. The brass through-hulls are not
leaking either.

Is this something to be concerned with?


Yes, it is something to be concerned about. They may start rusting at an
accelerated rate in the stub, that part of your fibreglass hull
which protrudes from the hull as a re-inforcement. The bedding compound
may be damaged. That could happen if the keel-bolts were too loose for a
longer time. Dropping the keel for an inch and re-bedding is the answer.
Risky business, consult a professional.

Andreas