Cascade 42 Keel bolts

[threewordphrase]

There's a 1971 Cascade 42 near me that I'm interested in. It seems to be in great shape, but unlike the other boats I've looked at with keel bolts, I can't get a read on their condition because they come up through a 6" wood timber in the bilge. I figure if there is any corrosion happening, it would be lower down where it passes through the fiberglass, not high up in the bilge where it's probably dry 99.9999999% of the time.


They also don't look like bolts, but rather all-thread with nuts. I couldn't get a great look down in there to confirm these are actually the keel bolts, but I don't know what else this beefy fastener would be holding.



How can I check these to ensure there's no wasting or hidden corrosion? I could take the nuts off, but then how do I remove the all-thread?


I'm going through my first boat-buying experience and I will hire a surveyor, I'm just trying to answer as many questions as I can before dropping $900 on a survey. Also wondering if this is something the surveyor can even check without dropping the keel!


Many thanks in advance, I've learned a great deal from the folks on these forums.

[Bowdrie]

Welcome to the forum.
You didn't indicate your location, but up here in the PNW there are lots of Cascade boats of all sizes.
I'm sure some guys will come along and provide more info than I can about the keelbolts.
There is one near me that's been undergoing a refit, but the owner is away right now.
I do take issue with a couple of points on the boats, but that could just be me.
In the meantime, this thread may give you some info that you may find helpful.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ls-213039.html

[pdx_sailing]

I'm not sure how you we test one with out removing it. The keel drawing I have is dated 1965, the keel bolt note is: "Twenty 3/4" Dia. Sleighshoe HD. Bolts CSK from Below." I don't know what a sleighshoe bolt is and google wasn't much help.

Where is the boat located? and more pictures I always like to see more examples.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by pdx_sailing

"Twenty 3/4" Dia. Sleighshoe HD. Bolts CSK from Below." I don't know what a sleighshoe bolt is

PDX, thanks for that answer to the OP.
From my times visiting/stopping by at Cascade, (back in the day,) I was fairly sure that they used a cast keel that had a flange on top, and bolts went thru the flange and up thru the hull.
But I didn't want to tell the OP that, because I didn't trust my memory.
I believe that bolt shape is kinda like if you took a hex-head and cut the head so that it had big parallel flats on opposing sides?

[pdx_sailing]

Bowdrie,
I went back to the print your memory is pretty good. Here is the counter sink detail and flange. I also included the material spec for the casting.

[threewordphrase]

Originally Posted by pdx_sailing

Bowdrie,
I went back to the print your memory is pretty good. Here is the counter sink detail and flange. I also included the material spec for the casting.

Wow, pdx_sailing! this is great info. This makes sense now.


Do you know how other Cascade 42 owners have found their keel bolts, if they've ever inspected or replaced them? Any known failures?

[Bowdrie]

Well, I did make a poor description of the bolt heads.
PDX, I see from the print that the bolt is a of a countersink shape, (like we would call a "flathead").
But it might originally have had an extended section above the countersink section that could be cut-off flush at the angle to match the flange.
That would have produced an elliptical shape that would not turn in the keel while the nut was being tightened.
Today, if a replacement was needed it appears from the print that a normal flathead bolt could be used.
Good job with the prints.

[pdx_sailing]

I haven't removed mine for inspection and I have not heard of an issue with them. When I had the bottom done nothing around the keel fairing gave me concern about the joint.