keel bolts on a P323

[jnorth]

Pearson 323, keel stepped mast. The mast sits on a plate and the plate is held in with four long threaded bolts heading down into the keel. These bolts are about ¼”, pretty rusted, and one of them is used as a bonding/lightning ground. The bolts protrude about 9” above the bilge floor.

My question is: do these bolts go all the way down to the metal ballast? How far down do they go? Why so thin on the bolts? How hard to replace? Is it possible that these bolts are threaded onto a sleeve of sorts and the sleeve goes down to the ballast? Thanks

Jnorth

[clayton]

Are you sure you''re looking at rust? My 74 pearson 10M has brass keel bolts and they are imbedded in the lead keel. There are many Pearson owner web sites where you may find someone who has had the same problem. One way I know to replace rusted steel bolts is to drill into the keel, tap and screw in new bolts. Since your bolts are integral with the mast step you would have to have a new one fabricated with the holes in a new location. If you go this route have the new mast step made from alum. or stainless. Good luck.

[mrputzo]

I ownes a P323 and have replaced the bolts in question. I do believe that they go do down into the keel. In my case a built a fiberglass step of 3 inches and bought new silicon bronze bolts the same size but 3 inches longer than the originals. All of this was fiberglassed into the original location. The purpose of the was to compensate for cutting 3 inches of the bottom of the mast due to corrosion and to get the mast and step out of any bilge water that may have collected. Alumminun mast plus steel step in waster equals electrolysis