Capri 22 bilge and keel bolts

tonycravendesign · 2025-10-16T18:23:21-0400

2001 Capri, fin keel. Sydney Australia
I noticed some rust on nut on the forward keel bolt. Went to remove the nut to investigate and the bolt sheared off at the base at the spring washer and normal washer. Crevice corrosion.
I assumed the lead keel was attached directly under the bilge.
I was wrong. I drilled a tiny 3mm hole in the bilge and found there a void 50mm deep (2 inches) below the bilge.
No water came in.
Can anyone explain the reason for the void ?
Did they not want a deep bilge because it would be narrow and would be difficult to access to clean ?
Or is it related to the different keels - Fin keel or Wing keel ?
Question - Can any one explain the reason for the void ?
Question - can you wind out the keel bolts to repace them ? has anyone done this ?
regards
Tony

Minnewaska · 2025-10-16T19:16:32-0400

If I follow your description of the void, it sounds like a keel stub. That allows the ballast keel to mate up to a parallel surface, as opposed to being afixed directly the bottom of the hull at a perpendicular surface. The later perpendicular connection will always flex and try to leak, but is done on many production boats. The keel stub seems to be more common on higher quality builds and perhaps the seem is easier to protect, althogh perhaps the hull is more complicated. Just my intuition, not sure there is direct connection to quality at all builders.

Capri 22 bilge and keel bolts

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