Macwester 27 keel bolts

[Don Taylor]

Hi, can anyone tell me what size and thread type the keel bolts are on this boat please?

I am taking delivery next weekend but they won’t insure it until the keel bolts are checked/changed. Any problems in changing them? Can it be done whilst afloat at a mooring?

Many thanks

[Bob & Freddy Tuffnell]

Hi Don.

I replied to that issue on this forum 26 December 2020. Please read that. Just note that Stuart Roy has retired from doing surveys.

My opinion is that it is impossible to unscrew the keel bolts on a MW 27 without removing most of the interior, and the reinforcement structure of the support blocks under the keel bolt nuts, which are very solidly glassfibred to the hull moulding. This is due to the fact that there is a shoulder half way down the keel bolt, which is tightened up to the inside of the hull moulding during the fitting of the keels, before putting the top support into place, and fibreglassing it to the hull.

Your surveyor is probably being over cautious. Ask him if he has ever heard of a Macwester 27 having the slightest problem with keel bolts. If he insists, consider another survey from someone with longer experience, to examine just the keel bolts.

I worked for Macwesters at Littlehampton from 1972 ( when the 27 started production) until 1978, and owned a 1976 Mk 2 for some 25 years.

I believe that somewhere in the archives there is the drawing of the design.

[Don Taylor]

Thanks very much Bob/Freddy for the very helpful response.

I will certainly read your reply from 2020, and will try to convince my insurer with the help of the info you have provided!

Many thanks,

Don

[Don Taylor]

You may be able to help me with another question – the same surveyor has said I need to change four of the seacocks before putting her to sea. As she will be afloat on delivery, can I change these while she is afloat? Any tips or issues?

Many thanks

Don

[Bob & Freddy Tuffnell]

Did he say just the seacock ( valve) or was he saying that the skin  fitting ( the kind of giant hollow bolt that is clamped to the hull),  should be checked as well ?
What material are they ? Brass, plastic? Any chance of a photo.

As a general rule, I would advise that you have the boat ashore to do that. After years of service, the chance of getting the different parts unscrewed without any issues is pretty slim. Almost inevitably the only answer is to use an angle grinder to carefully remove the head of the skin fitting on the outside, and remove the old assembly from the inside.

Even trying to do that on a tide, with the boat drying out on the hard can be pretty stressful, especially for the engine inlet which is very low down, so you don’t have much time to work on it, unless you are in Jersey with more than 10 metres of tide range.

 

 

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