# Keel bolts on the Nonesuch 36
**URL:** https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145
**Category:** General
**Created:** [December 16, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145 "2025-12-16T14:11:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@briancayer](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/briancayer)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/21 "2025-12-18T21:06:01Z")
Yes short term you will have to do that until you can get to a place that makes sense to do the keel drop and rebed. There are videos on line of the how to do that . Maybe search “Drop and rebed keel on Nonsuch”
Bear in mind that this is not an urgent job timewise but should be done eventually. It will increase the boat’s value . The corrosion takes place on the bolts inside the keel stub due to being sealed off mostly I belive.
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### Author:  [@Rob](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Rob)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2025, 9:18pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/22 "2025-12-18T21:18:22Z")
This thread took an interesting turn.
Don is wise to ask… Why are you accessing your keel nuts ?
I was thinking Richard was asking about preventative maintenance, turns out he was asking about curative maintenance. I agree, leaks after a grounding require investigation for potential structural damage. Removing the tank and floorboards will be necessary for internal inspection and hauling for external inspection. I hope my comments regarding the tank removal, materials, and tools required is helpful.
Also worth noting, Soave winters on the hard in CT, so the work I was describing was on on the hard with the weight of the keel supported by blocks.
Sorry if my earlier posts seemed misleading or overly simplistic given the situation.
Rob…
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### Author:  [@Phonebone](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Phonebone)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2025, 11:47pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/23 "2025-12-18T23:47:03Z")
It was all helpful. The underwater inspection found no damage to the keel. I plan to dive it myself soon.
RW
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### Author:  [@briancayer](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/briancayer)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/24 "2025-12-20T20:01:31Z")
RW
As an afterthought have you checked the shaft seal or stuffing box for adjustment. It might just be where the 2 quarts a day are coming from.
I hope I’m not stating the obvious but if this is the water ingress source then I hope I am. That’s the best case scenario and the easiest to remedy.
Brian
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### Author:  [@Phonebone](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Phonebone)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/25 "2025-12-20T20:47:11Z")
Thanks. I did but in a very cursory manner, like a glance.
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### Author:  [@Ed.S](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Ed.S)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/26 "2026-04-12T00:12:55Z")
Rob, can you share pix of your bilge after the holding tank had been removed?
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### Author:  [@Rob](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Rob)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/27 "2026-04-12T01:19:49Z")
Hi Ed,
( [HERE](https://photos.app.goo.gl/JpKtyCuvaZpL76paA) ) is a link to the album I used to document the tank removal and keel nuts and washers replacement.
I’ll be at the boat tomorrow and can get some shots from different angles if you want.
Rob…
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### Author:  [@Phonebone](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Phonebone)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2026, 1:23pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/28 "2026-05-12T13:23:12Z")
This is a continuation of the discussion of keel boats and more raised by a raipd but harsh grounding. The boat is now on land in Freeort, Bahamas at a good yard in a cradle with tiedowns. My intention is to have the yard remove the holding tank and address the keelbolts and do a general inspection. There is a thin crack running all around the boat somewat under the water line. I believe that would have been from the gounding, A diviider found it about very few weeks after the grounding, My intention is to grind out the crack perhaps half an inch and fill it with a specialized glue in a tube (I believe someone a this site recommended the product.) The tubes of the product iareonboard in The Bahamas and I do not remember the name of the stuff. While that adhesive setting my plan is to pull the boat upward with the keel bolts while also releasing a little weight of the boat downwards, to get firm pressure, while following the very good advice I got here about babying the nuts and bolts for longevity.
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### Author:  [@Rob](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Rob)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/29 "2026-05-12T18:30:45Z")
I used Sika Sikaflex-291 inside Soave’s keel joint and a combination of fiberglass/epoxy and Thixo to restore the 6" wide 1/8"deep ( 3" on either side of the keel joint ). Thixo is very expensive but a dream to work with for a novice like me.
The repair is successful one year in. No cracking at the keel joint… big job though.
Rob…
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### Author:  [@Phonebone](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/u/Phonebone)
#### Post date: [May 12, 2026, 6:45pm UTC](https://nonsuch.discourse.group/t/keel-bolts-on-the-nonesuch-36/10145/30 "2026-05-12T18:45:43Z")
Thanks. I bought about 4 tubes of a n adhesive on the advice of someone here. It was expensive. When the work really begins I will get back to your for comments on what I bought. While I cogitate over this I asked the yard on a prop issue. One member had a long string of photos on this topic. I thought his last name was Cohen.
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