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It is true that the only way to know for sure is to drop the keel. If your keel bolts are loose, there is something wrong though. Something either stretched or compressed to allow it (a little settling is to be expected but not measurable). If the bolts are loose, the forces change greatly and everything is going to wear out a lot faster.
A note on checking torque. From some of the posts I have read on previous threads, I gather that a lot of people simply put a torque wrench on and see whether the nut spins before you reach the torque setting. This is not correct. At the very least, you should paint a line on the bolt/stud and nut so you know where the old lineup was then loosen the nut and retighten to torque. To do it right, you need to take the nut off, clean and check the threads and lubricate them then do the torque. If the paint line doesn't line up, it was loose.
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