Fixing up an old trailer sailer: keel bolt first

[ulferlingsson]

So I bought an old Ensenada 20 from 1972 on eBay, so cheap that I figured if it's garbage, I can afford the loss. Therefore I didn't even look at it before bidding. Once I got it, it turned out to be reparable. The seller claimed that it was "sailable", but that's a truth with modification: The rudder did not fit.

First task was to replace the rusty keel bolt of uncertain condition. I made a new stainless bushing, 1" OD and 1/2" ID. I also made two nylon bearings, for the 1-1/4" holes in the hull. A design drawing I found on the web (for a Balboa, same keel) turned out not to be true, so I had to redo it based on what it actually looked like. Here is the bolt at it used to look:



Here is the new hardware, all in SS316 and nylon. The will also be rubber gaskets. The drawing in scale 1:1 shows how the keel is mounted, with the nylon bearings shown in green (the clearance is very small).



The old bolt and bushing compared with the new hardware.



Installed, with some 3M 5200 squeezed out:



The hardest part was to get the old bolt out, using a sledge hammer. The rest was easy, but one needs a metal lathe to manufacture the custom hardware (bushing and bearings).

[CalebD]

Pretty impressive metal mill work ulferlingsson.
I would say that you did a very nice job replacing the pivot pin for your center board/swing keel. Keel bolts usually just hold a weighted keel to the bottom of the boat. Your pin looks like it will allow the 'keel' to pivot on the pin.
It also looks as though it is installed in a center board trunk.
If you are this talented I have no doubt you will get any other issues sorted out.
Nice job.

[ulferlingsson]

Thanks for clearing out the vocabulary. So many terms on a sailboat, hard enough to learn in one language ;-)

[CalebD]

You are correct about the terminology for all things nautical. Every line (rope) has a specific name. It is even worse with wooden boats where every board has a name and all the different types of hull construction.
Look up 'pintles' and 'gudgeons' as that will probably be one of your next projects.

[LandLocked66c]

Nice man! Did you make 10 more? You could always sell them?

[ulferlingsson]

Originally Posted by CalebD

Look up 'pintles' and 'gudgeons' as that will probably be one of your next projects.

Haha, already on it. The old rudder didn't even fit the boat, and it didn't fold, so I am building a new one as I type this. Will post the pictures when it is ready. The pintles and gudgeons are already made, though, on the lathe...