Sailing Uma · video

What this video covers

Dan and Kika on the Pearson 419 Uma, hauled out in Italy, are drilling and tapping 11 new one-inch stainless steel keel bolts to sister alongside the original 12 five-eighths-inch bronze J-bolts, which are cast directly into the lead keel.8:00 The project stems from grounding damage sustained before they bought the boat — the impact delaminated the keel joint, damaged the stub, and destroyed the original floors.0:44 Their primary concern is not bolt condition but fiberglass thickness around the keel stub, which measured as little as a quarter-inch in places; previous episodes covered glassing in an additional inch to inch-and-a-half of laminate plus G10 backing plates inside the bilge.3:09 Three repair strategies were considered — full encapsulation, wrapping with unidirectional cloth, and bolt replacement or sistering — and sistering was chosen to preserve the original bolts' position over the main floors.4:51 Specialist Mike flew to Rome, ferried to Olbia, and arrived with a custom drill press rig and lead-tapping head built specifically for this work.6:34 The keel is braced with plywood to prevent tipping while detached.10:48 The first pilot holes are drilled, progressively enlarged, and tapped; a threaded rod is test-fitted to verify the hole before final bolt installation.27:42 Bolt placement near the tapered forward section of the keel limits that zone to one bolt per side rather than two.24:31

Boats in this video

More from Sailing Uma

Our boat won’t look the same after this | Step 495Aug 2026The ONE Thing We Disagreed on This Entire Refit | Step 494Aug 2026We Owe You The Full StoryJul 2026We spent $10,000 on something Pretty | Step 493Jul 2026

From Sailing Uma — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.