I put new bolts on mine a few years ago when I had it out at the Berkeley Marine Center. I told the boatyard what I planned to do, so when they hauled it they also blocked the keel so it wouldn't tip when the bolts were out. In my case, removing the nuts inside the boat was pretty easy, and then we just knocked the bolts (actually flathead machine screws) out with a hammer and replaced them with stainless steel that I got from Steve Seal. Once they were out I had the boatyard raise the boat a few inches and the keel came right out of the cavity it is set into. We cleaned out the area and replaced the screws using 5200 as a sealant after the boat was lowered back on to the keel. I understand that will make it extremely difficult to pull the screws out again, but it probably won't be necessary. I still get the rusting at the hull joint which is endemic for these boats. I understand there is a new epoxy that one can use in the joint that is extremely sticky and will keep the keel from rusting. I strongly suggest that you replace the bolts with stainless, since rumor has it a few keels have fallen off due to bolt failure.

:: Hi-
::
:: I have a SA 22 with a iron keel- the keel bolts are
:: rusted on both sides.
::
:: I need to get some advice about the difficulty in taking
:: the keel off and resealing and remounting the keel.
::
:: Can someone shoot me an e-mail and let me know what they
:: have done in this area?
::
:: Thanks-
::
:: Kev