SailNet Community - View Single Post - To torque or not to torque
View Single Post
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 11-12-2009
sailingdog's Avatar
sailingdog sailingdog is offline
Telstar 28
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
Posts: 43,315
Rep Power: 10
sailingdog is just really nice sailingdog is just really nice sailingdog is just really nice sailingdog is just really nice sailingdog is just really nice
Unfortunately, to really, properly inspect keel bolts, you usually need to drop the keel. Crevice corrosion can be very insidious and the bolts may look fine and tension fine, but be close to giving way where you can't see them.

I'd also correct what Andre said, and point out that one of the biggest causes of laminate failure is flex, and that loose bolts allow the keel to move, and that is likely to cause the laminate to flex and fatigue, eventually leading to its failure.

I don't think that torquing the keelbolts is generally an accepted part of a survey, since a survey, like a medical doctor, should do no harm...and torquing weak keelbolts could snap them.

As for what torque they should be tightened to, that really depends on the boat. BTW, messing with keelbolts with the boat in the water is a really, really dumb thing to do. If you want to re-torque the bolts annually, then backing off a 1/4-1/2 turn and then torquing them back down to specification is a good idea.
__________________
Sailingdog

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Telstar 28
New England

You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.

—Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)

If you're new to the Sailnet Forums... please read this
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
.

Still—DON'T READ THAT POST AGAIN.
Reply With Quote Share with Facebook