How to Replace Rusted KEEL BOLTS on a Beneteau 235

Welcome back to the channel! Today's project was a bit of a nail-biter, but thankfully it had a happy ending. I tackled a keel bolt replacement project on my 1987 Beneteau 235 First, and it was a rollercoaster of emotions!
I knew the head of the keel bolts were rusty and needed to be dealt with, but what I didn't expect was a completely rusted-away 1/4-inch plate someone had previously installed. It looked like a major problem, and honestly, I was worried I'd have to sell the boat. But, I dove in, and you won't believe what I found!
In this video, I walk you through the entire process: from removing the old bolts and that mystery plate, to my surprise at how good the bilge and bolts were once I got everything apart. I then show you how I installed 4-inch keel backer plates for each bolt to reinforce the area, and finally, reassembled everything using anti-seize compound and Life-Seal for a watertight and secure finish.
There were definitely moments where I thought this was going to be a disaster, but it turned out much better than expected. Join me as I share the whole story, the challenges I faced, and the solutions I found. If you're a Beneteau owner, or just interested in boat maintenance and repair, this video is a must-watch!
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you don't miss out on future sailing adventures and boat projects! Let me know in the comments if you've ever tackled a keel bolt replacement, and what your experience was like!

[@slimdog72]

Looks way better and the peace of mind is priceless. Good call on using galvanized backing plates. The new bolts you got looked like stainless so there could have been some galvanic corrosion issues in the future if used.

[@bluecollarsailing]

@@slimdog72 thanks! The new bolts were zinc coated steel. The specs call for galvanized. Since the old bolts were in good shape, I reused them and will keep the others as a backup. Next project is replacing seized seacocks, but really don’t want to spend the money for a haul out.