Keel bolt access on 32-3

[peaman]

In the resources section here, I found a keel bolt layout for the 32-200, but not for the 32-3. Are they the same? In that layout, the forward-most bolt must be directly below the mast step. If that is the case, removal of the mast step would allow access to that bolt, right?
Besides just interest in knowing where those bolts are, I would like to check the torque on each of them.

 

[Kenneth K]

Forward keel bolt on 32-3 is below the little extension-bar-access-hole just forward of the mast step. Access to the nut itself is from the port side forward bench. this is a 1" dia. bolt like the other large keel bolts.

 

[peaman]

Great! Thanks.

 

[Christian Williams]

And if you don't have Kenneth's handy hole--on my 32-3 the factory had cut an access port into the vertical TAFG wall in the compartment just forward of the shower sump.

The hole was squarish, made with a Sawzall, and you could see the hidden keel bolt through it.

 

[peaman]

And if you don't have Kenneth's handy hole--on my 32-3 the factory had cut an access port into the vertical TAFG wall in the compartment just forward of the shower sump.

The hole was squarish, made with a Sawzall, and you could see the hidden keel bolt through it.

View attachment 40969

It's interesting to see variations within a given model. Your 1985 32-3 hull #604 has a very different sole and shower sump than my 1987 model. In mine, the location indicated by the red arrow is obstructed by a shower drain trough in the head. That trough is connected by a hose to the shower drain sump which has a small (maybe 7"x7") sole access panel centered abaft the mast step. The exposed bilge area to starboard of the mast in the photo is covered with an inaccessible sole on my 1987 hull #737.

First efforts to remove the bronze screw which secures the cover over the area identified by Kenneth K were not successful, but I'll keep trying.

As for the exposed bilge in the photo: Just yesterday, I read about Christian's method of cleaning the bilge area by filling it with some citrus cleaner and then tooling about the harbor for a while, and the results in the photo have me sold on that method! That will be my first float plan after Spring commissioning.