I am not an engineer in any sense of the word but perhaps someone on the list can critique these thoughts of mine: Keel bolts can be tightened on the hard (while resting on the keel) or in the water while the keel is hanging from the bolts.
I suspect the job would be considerably easier (assuming the bolts are loose) it one did not have to lift the keel with the torque wrench while tightening the bolts--at least until the keel has met the stub. The torque numbers recommended are presumably set by the manufacturer/designer to provide enough pressure between the keel stub and keel surface for both absolute stability in all directions of potential motion (pitch, yaw and roll?) as well as to seal this joint against water intrusion (along with some sealing compound). OTOH, after this torque number is reached further tightening is likely counter-productive since it is either pulling the keel bolt out of the soft lead of the keel, driving the nut/washer down through the stub or stripping the bolt or nut threads--none of which is desirable. Assuming the above makes sense, as long as the recommended torque is reached but not seriously exceeded, it seems the bolts can be tightened in the water or out, hanging from the keel stub or resting on the keel, as long as the recommended torque is reached. I have a practical reason for a list critique of this: I have a small water leak somewhere between my cb trunk/keel and the cb trunk/keel stub that I noticed just before the boat was splashed back in October but too late to fix then. My keel bolts have never been tightened. The boat will not be on the hard again until late summer of 2019. I am considering tightening the bolts I can reach to some specification--but a few are under the mast to which some of the purchase for the cb is also attached. Thus reaching all of them would require pulling the mast AND undoing this cb purchase--which for me is best done by the yard this summer. My question: should I tighten the bolts I can reach now or forget-about-it until the yard can do it. Charlie NelsonWater Phantom1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb
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