My Mac25 has gotten out a few times now, after a long round of up-fixing. One really odd thing is the keel cable can make a heck of a hum when we hit speed (18 knot gusts, etc). I haven't been locking it down yet, been more on a basic shakedown series of sails. Is this normal?
Keel Cable Hum?????
- Thread starter Cmackg
- Start date
Pretty much. When the humming starts, try lowering the keel and give it another turn to give it some slack. IMHO the noise appears to be similar to a blade of grass vibrating in your hands while blowing air past it like we all used to do as kids or like a violin string vibrating. You have 750 lbs pulling that steel cable taut and that's a long surface, that with the right circumstances, such as moving through the water, will make it "sing". Are you able to let the keel down all the way where you sail? I have never locked mine down since I sail in the Chesapeake and it's tributaries which can get into really short water really fast...
I was hoping it was normal. Also in the Chesapeake, this time so I was figuring I’d leave it unlocked. Do 6ou get much weather helm from the keel being loose?
Not at all. I control weather helm via sail adjustment, mostly letting some pressure off the genny. Although if the main is over powered, that will pull the boat over onto the leeward side, too. Both conditions will force the leeward side of the hull more into the water which creates more drag and creates force which pulls the boat up into the wind. It is nice to know, though, that if you get into trouble, which we all have done from time to time, the boat will round up and scold you with the sound of heavily flapping sails. 
Balance is the key to success. IMHO
Balance is the key to success. IMHO 
If my keel cable isn't singing I'm weeping.
I remember our first sail with our new old boat. It was at night and this noise started and I got nervous because I didn't know what was happening. I pretended everything was ok to the admiral but inside I felt DREAD. What the hell is it? The power house at the dam? Aliens? What what what? Then the admiral finally said "Its coming from the boat!" Then I figured it out. Whew!
Captain Ron is right that putting some slack in the cable can quiet it down but not TOO much slack. If there is too much slack and your keel rides over an object the cable can jump off the winch drum with out you knowing and cause a real jam up when you try to suddenly raise it. Learned this the HARD way.
A singing keel cable makes for a happy captain. Sing with her!
I remember our first sail with our new old boat. It was at night and this noise started and I got nervous because I didn't know what was happening. I pretended everything was ok to the admiral but inside I felt DREAD. What the hell is it? The power house at the dam? Aliens? What what what? Then the admiral finally said "Its coming from the boat!" Then I figured it out. Whew!
Captain Ron is right that putting some slack in the cable can quiet it down but not TOO much slack. If there is too much slack and your keel rides over an object the cable can jump off the winch drum with out you knowing and cause a real jam up when you try to suddenly raise it. Learned this the HARD way.
A singing keel cable makes for a happy captain. Sing with her!
It is music. I love the hum. I have never locked my keel down. The adjustments up or down help to balance the boat depending on wind and weather and we have a lot of rocks here in New England. I like to get shallow where the other boats can't go. That is what are boats are made for. All the way down is too far. I think the lock down holds the keel at about 30 degrees.