Tuesday 12 April 2016

Caring for the Keel-Bolts

The bits about most sailing boats that make me really nervous are the keel bolts. That is one of the reasons my next boat will have an encased, long keel. I watch very careful for the slightest signs of rusting, so when brown stains started to appear where the keel bolts pop-out in the bilge I got worried. It turned-out it was just dirt accumulating on the irregular surface of the epoxy barrier that cover the bolts. To be on the safe side, I cleaned it thoroughly with acetone and added some more epoxy, this time in a fluid mixture to create a smooth surface.
Bilge-pump and the keel-bolts covered with epoxy to keep water out.