Have a Captiva 240..swing keel operated by a rope. It goes down o.k. but is impossible to pull back up . Bottom has just been done..no crap in the keel box but in order to raise it someone has to push upwards on it (not easy to do when boat is in the water) while another piulls on the rope. Any ideas on the cause?
Can't get it up
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Line run wrong with not enough leverage ? Has it always been this way ? If not , what has changed about the boat or the way the retraction line has been run. Pivot pin corroded and binding ?
If a person can push/lift it up from under the boat without any problem and without the line being pulled from above, that would indicate a problem with the raising system from above, .... Leverage, binding or something like that.
Brian
If a person can push/lift it up from under the boat without any problem and without the line being pulled from above, that would indicate a problem with the raising system from above, .... Leverage, binding or something like that.
Brian
Have you opened it up and checked to see the lines are in their proper place? If the lines have fallen off the sheave or the hub they're supposed to be on, you may not be getting enough leverage to raise it. How many pounds is the swing keel supposed to be? What is it made of? If the keel is iron or steel, and it has corroded, it could also be a reason it isn't raising properly, as steel/iron expands 10% or so when it rusts.
Many thanks for the info..since both of you mentioned line jaming as a possibility that's where I go next. Keel is fiberglass and appeared to be in good shape when the bottom job was done last week.
My stepfather used to joke that he used to be able to get it up all night long, but now it took him all night long to get it up. Little did I realize he was talking about the swing keel on his sailboat!
Hey as a retired journalist I thought the headline would result in viewership..and I have high hopes that after trying all your suggestions I can get it up.. Lets face it. This is not rocket science or brain surgery and in cases like this the answer can be so simple it is over looked in favor of more complicated and failed solutions.
I think you have a swing center board and not a a swing keel. The difference is that a keel is ballasted and usually made of iron or steel while the centerboard is usually light and made of wood or composite material. A boat with a swing keel is usually fitted with a winch mechanism for raising and lowering the keel while for a centerboard a simple rope with a some purchase will do. Yes make sure the line is propely fed and attached to the proper point in the board. As you indicate the problem is when getting the board up I would think you are not getting the proper leaverage.
My "swing keel" has the opposite problem. I've just got the blocks and am waiting on a pad eye for a 4:1 purchase to lower the keel. My swing keel is positively bouyant. I wonder if its not a track problem then maybe your keel is no longer bouyant (if it is supposed to be).
I was wondering, how often you should replace the center board line ?
I have a 2006 Eclipse and I worry about "not getting it up" when I return to the boat ramp. I know salt water is not the best for anything let alone a line in the water while your sailing.
At age 62 I dont know if I could hold my breath long enough to dive down to inspect it.
When she is on the trailer, I can't see the center board at all. the line on the deck looks ok, used but still in tack, no fraid ends.
I have a 2006 Eclipse and I worry about "not getting it up" when I return to the boat ramp. I know salt water is not the best for anything let alone a line in the water while your sailing.
At age 62 I dont know if I could hold my breath long enough to dive down to inspect it.
When she is on the trailer, I can't see the center board at all. the line on the deck looks ok, used but still in tack, no fraid ends.
Benny..I think you and the others are probably right..and I am going to tack in their direction...mucho thanks
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