Urchin's Keel Bolt Travails, continued . . . . Pt 2 of 2

[Charles Brennan]

In my previous post, I detailed making an electrical terminal, suitable for mounting on my keel bolt.
At right, is the largest terminal I could find, which I did not feel would come even close to handling the currents involved in any potential lightning strike.
(And the terminal crimp end was too small for the wire, anyway.)
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You want to unscrew one bolt as you screw in the other bolt, in order not to lose the keel/keel trunk alignment.
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Almost worked.
At one point, I felt the keel shift and sure enough I couldn't get the bolt all the way through the trunk.
I tried banging it through (Don't force it, get a Bigger Hammer) and succeeeded only in banging up the outer threads of the bolt.
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This forced me to get out the hydraulic jack and jack up the hull enough to put a pry bar on the keel and force it more vertical and thereby, back into alignment.
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Got the bolt through (finally!) applied the terminal, then hit it with a generous amount of Tef-Gel and put on the oversized nylock nut.
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Hopefully, this should solve both my leaks and my desire not to end up as a Crispy Critter.

Here is the bolt side:
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I think that between the rubber durometer (hardness) the amount of surface area and the 3M5200 sealant between washer layers that this should work for quite a while.
Unlike my previous attempts, this can be disassembled at will (as long as I don't mess up the keel/trunk alignment!) and maintained without cutting and grinding fiberglass all the time.
I intend to give the boat her Annual Spring Washing tomorrow and then on Thursday, I'm going to splash her and see how well my Theories hold up to the Crushing Weight of Reality.

Wish me luck,
Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

I look forward to your on the water crushing weight of reality report. I enjoyed the process photos for the electrical terminal.

[Frank B.]

I have been known to come about on a beat to weather and cuss Clark Mills in particular and Hutchins for not providing a swing keel to help with the min. angle to weather and the elimination of side slip on my CP23. A NACA foil to be sure but still short and stubby in nature with encapsulated ballast.  But I look in my bilge and see dust, a dead roach or two, a bilge pump that has never been used other than to test it, and reconsider my position.  Thank you for providing proof that pretty much everything regarding sailboat design is a compromise.

[Travis Chapman]

The same here. I was aboard Panda Paws this past weekend looking at the temporary patching over my keel bolt from last year... Guess I have no excuse for not repairing it correctly now.

[NickScheuer]

That should last about a nanosecond when lightening strikes.

[Charles Brennan]

Nick, Hey! A nanosecond is ALL I need! 
And as I alluded to in the above post, that setup has already survived a lightning strike, where the mast step bolt welded to the mast U-bracket and had to be sawed free to drop the mast.
I have no illusions that a subsequent strike will be as lucky, but you do what you can.
I installed the knife switch originally because I didn't know about the mitigating effects of PFPE'S like Tef-Gel.  Now that I know what I can do about making a more suitable electrical connection, I'm seriously considering beefing up the rig.  I'll replace the wire with a thicker gauge, leave off the knife switch entirely and make another terminal to go under the mast step plate that can accommodate the thicker wire.
Have always figured doing something constructive is better than doing nothing. That way, even if I fail, I won't be second guessing  myself about wondering if I'd done something, if it would have made a difference.

Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan

[CapnK]

That way, even if I fail, I won't be second guessing myself about wondering if I'd done something, if it would have made a difference.

But, but.. whether you *changed* something, or didn't - would you not then second guess *that* as well?

Or: Did Schrödinger also have a lightning bolt?

    

[Tim West Coast]

Had to "like" that Schrödinger was brought into the conversation.

[Riley Smith]

Yep, that was a good 'un Dale! CB has reason for that electrical connection! It's a long story but that up-and-down lightning bolt is a whole different animal than pretty spiderwebs of light across the sky. Here's to a successful stoppage of the dreaded drip.