Keel locking pin

[Jacktar]

If you are a real c22 sailor you find comfort in the hum, means the cable is still there, keel is down so things are stable, you are actually sailing as opposed to aground, and you still have a mechanism to raise the keel when things get shallow. And if you are really slick you can actually gauge your speed by the deepness of the hum.

 

[Gene Neill]

@gdudik, you can fix that leak with Teflon tape.

 

[gdudik]

@gdudik, you can fix that leak with Teflon tape.

Yeah, I’ve read to use that or axle grease. The problem with mine is that I’m not only dealing with the leak, but several PO’s attempts to fix said leak. There’s a big mound of gross all around the bolt. You can push on it and water comes out. Hooray.

 

[gdudik]

If you are a real c22 sailor you find comfort in the hum, means the cable is still there, keel is down so things are stable, you are actually sailing as opposed to aground, and you still have a mechanism to raise the keel when things get shallow. And if you are really slick you can actually gauge your speed by the deepness of the hum.

I think you’re telling me I’m slow because I never hear the hum! Just confirmation of what I already knew.

 

[greg_m]

The geometry of the keel box and the keel hangers requires that the keel in the fully down position actually rests up against the rear face of the keel against the rear face of the keel box.

I have just made a keel box insert sleeve from a mould that copies the shape of the original and rebuilt the keel box that I cut open... I made sure to measure everything to the third decimal place!!!

There is no good reason to hang the weight of the keel from the lifting cable while sailing!

 

[kclancy]

The geometry of the keel box and the keel hangers requires that the keel in the fully down position actually rests up against the rear face of the keel against the rear face of the keel box.

I have just made a keel box insert sleeve from a mould that copies the shape of the original and rebuilt the keel box that I cut open... I made sure to measure everything to the third decimal place!!!

There is no good reason to hang the weight of the keel from the lifting cable while sailing!

That sounds like a lot of work. I hope that I don't have to rebuild my keel box, but it is a possibility. How did you get access to the keel box?

 

[kclancy]

I finished the glass work on the keel bolt hole. It looks acceptable. Next test is putting her on the water and see what happens next.

 

[Hardhead]

Nice work-

 

[greg_m]

That sounds like a lot of work. I hope that I don't have to rebuild my keel box, but it is a possibility. How did you get access to the keel box?

My boat was upside down with keel removed so I had very good access to the entire keelbox and slot. Problem was I could not get down deep enough to do what I wanted to do. So I removed the mast post, cut away the inner liner around the keel box and then lopped off the top of the keelbox itself! Easy peasy lemon squeezy Now I just got to put everything back again and hope it all holds good!

 

[kclancy]

My boat was upside down with keel removed so I had very good access to the entire keelbox and slot. Problem was I could not get down deep enough to do what I wanted to do. So I removed the mast post, cut away the inner liner around the keel box and then lopped off the top of the keelbox itself! Easy peasy lemon squeezy Now I just got to put everything back again and hope it all holds good!

Whoa! That sounds like a ton of work. You must have some mad skills!!! I pray that don't have to go there too.

 

[greg_m]

Whoa! That sounds like a ton of work. You must have some mad skills!!! I pray that don't have to go there too.

It was and still is a lot of work

Would I do it again = undecided!

 

[Will Gilmore]

then lopped off the top of the keelbox itself!

On my Mariner, I'm thinking about modifying my trunk to give me top access to the cb. My idea is to put a hinged cap on it, thicken the walls on the forward end and embed a slot down to the cb pin hole on both sides, removing the hole. The cb would then have the pin protrude to either side that fit into the two slots and drop down into position. No thru-hole, no water leaking in, I could install and remove the cb from above, so it could be done on the trailer or in the water. Fast inspections and easy cable changes.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jacktar]

Greg M Note the location of the front of the keel in the blueprint, it does not in fact rest against the back of the keel box when deployed and the cable does not actually support the keel in that position but the keel pin does.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Does the keel pin act like a sheer pin, in case you hit something?

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[gdudik]

Does the keel pin act like a sheer pin, in case you hit something?

-Will (Dragonfly)

It’s just a friction lock. Presses against the side of the keel. Most of the Catalina 22s out there have a nice gouge in the side of the keel from folks winching it up without releasing the lockdown bolt.

 

[Hardhead]

I get the sense that almost everyone avoids the keel friction bolt. Stingy Sailor has a PDF report that reasons, with math, that it's basically a very minor influence, if any, on preventing the keel from retracting in the hull.

If it has any positive effect at all, I'd be inclined to use it -- but on the other hand, it seems much more likely to actually damage the keel or trunk in an unexpected grounding. Hopefully, unexpected groundings are more likely than severe open water knockdowns..

 

[Will Gilmore]

unexpected groundings are more likely than severe open water knockdowns..

I would agree with that.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[greg_m]

Greg M Note the location of the front of the keel in the blueprint, it does not in fact rest against the back of the keel box when deployed and the cable does not actually support the keel in that position but the keel pin does. View attachment 156916

@Jacktar ... what you are looking at is the drawing of the inner lining... NOT the keel slot box moulded into the actual hull.

Will upload a picture shortly or take a gander at my refurb thread "South African Catalina" where you will see plenty of pictures of the slot and how I cleaned it out from top to bottom. If my boat was made under licence and is anything like early Mk1's built Stateside then it will be exactly like my boat. Believe me I know that slot better than most...

Image 1008 ... the keelbox observed from inside the cabin (my boat was upside down!)
Image 1026 ... the actual keel slot box that the keel fits into. (Inner lining keel cover box cut away)
Image 1015 ... a shot from inside the settee storage compartment before cutting away the inner lining, where you guys have the keel locking bolt (I don't have one at all, never installed)
Image 10151 ... the straight rear edge of the moulded keel box slot where the back of the keel straight edge rests up against, when in fully down position, indicated with a red arrow! Remember boat was upside down when I did this surgery!

 

[Gene Neill]

Pic 1026 is an eye opener. Never seen that before. The structure looks much thinner than I would have thought.

Flipped it for better viewing:

 

[kclancy]

Thanks for the pics Greg. That is a major project!

I took my boat out this weekend, and it turns out I still have a leak somewhere. At first, everything was dry, but as the wind picked up, I started to get some water in the sette and running down the channel next to the keel trunk that leads to the area near the volcano tube. S*$%&!@!!!

The upside was there was a lot less water. I had less than a gallon of water, but it is still a major disappointment. The other positive was there no water in the bow area, liked there has always been in the past.

I think I might have some other damage to my keel trunk, probably from an accidental grounding. The areas in my sette don't look like those in Greg's pics 1015 and 10151. There has obviously been a lot of glass work done in a couple of areas. I'll post some pics soon.

I also took the opportunity to dive the bottom of my boat. I didn't have a tank, so the effort did not reveal much, but I did see a crack across the keel trunk near the aft of the trunk area. I couldn't tell if it was a crack in the paint or in the fiberglass.