Keel bolt #3 - Linear actuator

Still no electricity in Rosättra and nearby villages. Landscape like after carpet bombing: fallen trees everywhere.

Keel bolt which I’ve left under tension did not move at all. So much for the theory.
I’ve fabricated linear actuator to help it move in the hole.

Of course, linear actuator is a fancy name for a screw with a nut, working opposite to Roman screw, but I like fancy names.
First I’ve tried with M12 bolt with matching nut because I have tools to easily work on it while in the ballast cavity. Unfortunately - it did not work: M12 threads did not have enough holding power to push up the keel bolt and instead the nut had slipped and damaged the threads. Too bad - with no electricity on site I can not make another one.

Fortunately, I had a short, 5/8 UNC threaded bolt which I bought at the same time I was shopping for long UNC screws for bolts extraction. It happened to be a bit too long so I grind down the keel bolt with battery drill and Dremel bit.
Generous amount of lithium grease on threads and under the fixture, few hammer blows to fit it under the keel bolt in its keel pocket and we were ready to go.

No one can convince me that swearing does not give you +50 to strength.
It always works for me - and Polish language being rich with these words gives plenty of power indeed. I’ve used them all during “pumping” my actuator. Tight space, two parallel 28 wrenches and growing darkness did not make the job easier. Luckily I was alone in the boatyard because I was VERY loud, swearing.

After grunting, swearing and falling on my back a few times the actuator finally made the damn keel bolt to move!
Not a spectacular move but - counting the threads - it moved by one thread turn! That’s circa 3mm on 5/8 UNC, vertically.
I continued for a while and - exhausted but hopeful - I went up to the cabin to see if the extraction jig is still under tension.

It was not! The chain was slack! Hurray!
That means that the whole keel boat has moved, not just the bottom part staggering sideways into oak!

I’ve lit my oil lamp to have some view of the situation and started pumping the jig. Slowly!

The bolt moved a bit higher but after a while something snapped with big bang and the jig fell into pieces. Shit!

Luckily, it was not the bolt - the small shackle from yesterday has given its life, leaving its closing pin inside the keel bolt. Not bad - at least I have something to grab with next approach.

I’ve rigged the jig again and started pumping. Bang! … and into pieces again.
The chain has snapped from shackle’s remaining.

OK, what next? Browsed through my toolbox and found appropriate sized shackle to fit around the bolt tightly. The chain was then rigged on the keel bolt but below the new shackle which - in turn - gripped on the small shackle remaining pin. Pumping again.

Keel bolt moved up a few centimetres until I reached full extension of both hydraulic jacks. Re-rigging with wooden spacers under the jacks - it was not possible to shorten the chain as the heavy shackle closing chain loop has deformed to the extend yielding impossible to open her. I will need to cut her later.

Good - I’ve cut some wood with handsaw, gained more range for the jacks. Rigging again - and pumping. Bang! Rig in pieces: chain has slipped from the shackle.
OK, rigging again, aligning chain on the keel bolt. Pumping. Up few mm and - bang! The shackle pin split the bolt and chain slipped. Rig in pieces.
Damm it!

Now I was left with bent (… imagine forces involved to bend this thing!…) but otherwise rounded keel bolt extruding from the bilge.

How to grab this thing now? Drill another hole and mount new shackle?
Possibly but risk is that it will split the keel bolt again.

Somehow I needed to connect chain to it and continue pulling up.

Back to my toolbox - and I’ve found a short splice of steel line, from my very first boat, back in Poland.
Let’s give it a try although I foresee short life of this.

Well, but let’s try this concept - based on friction only.

Rigging the jig again and pumping carefully. The keel bolt moved 3 mm up and - bang! Jig in pieces.
As expected, the spliced steel line has broken. But it worked for a while which proves the concept!

The whole operation took me at least 5 hours, mostly setting up the jig after each failure and figuring out next steps. It was -3 C and my oil lamp has used all oil so I was left in total darkness, with only small flashlight. Time to head home - and build a new fixture - “friction fixture”!

At least there is hope now to extract the whole keel bolt #3 and avoid hammering it down through oak and iron and cutting piece-by-piece in ballast pocket.

Driving home through total darkness, in winter weather, passing fallen trees and dark houses with few candles denoting that there are folks inside. I hope they rely not only on electricity for heating, it is going to be freezing tonight!