26s. Keel cable

[Doc_holiday]

at the end of the season I sailed for two days to get to Hampton. Downwind sailing was horrible. When I got to the marina I went to pull the keel up and the cable was slack . I think the keel was stuck up, caught in marine growth in the trunk. When I trailered it, I don't know if it was up or down and swung up or what.

When I pulled the trailer up the ramp the cable was dragging. It was no longer connected.

Well I have had a busy spring but before I splash the boat I need to fix this. This is the unweighted swing keel. Is there any ways to get that keel down enough on the trailer enough to see and fix it?

What kind of simple rig do you guys use to get the trailer out if I need to do this? I can remove the keel support but the axle is going to be in the way and I think the front bunk too. If the keel support was removed, could I remove the keel and see what's going on at the connection point?

 

[Sumner]

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-3.html
Sumner
==========================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

 

[walt]

Good idea in this thread http://forums.sailboatowners.com/in...l-replacement-on-trailer.164220/#post-1134012

 

[Doc_holiday]

I ended up building a frame similar to Sumners. But I built it too close to the rear bunk and when I raised the tongue it only lifted the boat 1" off the rear bunk. So I made 2 for the front and set one right behind the front bunk and 1 4' in front of it. I then removed the wheels from the trailer and lowered it to the hubs. I rolled it to where it came up to the front jacks and repositioned them. Got it far enough.

What I found was my keel was jammed up in the trunk with barnacles and oysters. I freed it and found the cable was still connected and that it broke where it changes to rope in the galley.

I got 8' of new 1/8" stainless cable and a brass nipple. I cut it to size, drilled a hole in it, and swaged a new end. I cleaned it and the keel trunk, fed the wire back up and remounted the keel. I wish I had that wrench that Sum made. I did find that one of those wrench ends that fits a 3/8 socket extension worked well enough.

It was drizzling and hot which meant it was dirty sweaty work. Now I have to reverse the trailer process to get it back on. The keel was really in much better shape than I expected.

 

[Doc_holiday]

This is the wrench I mentioned. Crow foot is what they are called. I wish I would have waited for the replies and blocking on the trailer would have been easier. What's worse is my keel support rusted and broke in the center so I have a couple of PVC sleeves and a no hub rubber coupling slid over the bars. I could have removed that while doing the trailer thing.