Keel bolt #3 - Big Bang!
I was eager to get to this bolt as it is one of two bolts accessible from the cabin and going through the dead wood. According to Janne Gustavsson these bolts are usually in worst condition.
Given far-from-perfect condition of other bolts I wanted to check this one a.s.a.p.
Melting the lead took usual amount of time (and 2 oxygen cartridges). Once I unscrew the nut I followed my usual procedure: set up the jigg inside the boat, pump hydraulic jacks so that the bolt is tensioned and heat the bolt in keel pocket with MAPP torch. So I did.
Then back to pumping the jacks. Slowly. I was about to go down to check if the thread disappeared in keel pocket when someone fired a gun and my jig broke into pieces!
No one was hurt so after shaking the shock I started inspecting the jig - what has failed? Well, nothing in the jig - it was this damn keel bolt which failed! What a sound!
In the keel pocket the thread still sits where it was. So nothing moved - the bolt is stuck for good (or bad) in all this deadwood (oak).
Keel bolt on the right goes through dead wood before it reaches wooden keel and floors in the boat
So we move to Plan B:
I will try pushing the remaining part of the screw down into keel pocket. To do that I need 18-19mm diameter steel pipe which I will insert into the floors’ hole. This pipe will act as a guide and protection of drilled wood. Steel rod of diameter slightly smaller than pipe’s internal diameter will be used to hammer the screw down.
Hopefully this will make the screw moving down. After it reaches the bottom of keel pocket I will need to cut it and continue hammering until the whole thing is removed. Sounds like lots of fun…
Of course there are also plan C and plan D:
I can leave this bolt in place and try my luck with another one (plan C) or I can drop the keel and get access to all these bolts (plan D, major job).
Plan E, if the next bolt will also brake, is to build new floors (oak) and sister this stuck bolt with 2 thinner bolts on each side. This way I will use the same keel pocket but I’ll need to drill in cast iron and dead wood.
Let’s hope for the best (plan B).