Catalina 22 "hanging" keel

[Nathan57]

I have a Catalina 22 with a swing keel. The boat was dragging in the water and making the outboard motor run hard to push the boat. Diving underneath the boat, I found that the keel cable was attached. However, when I dove to the fore end of the keel IT WAS GONE! There was no keel, both of the keel brackets were gone and the 1 inch pin wasn't there. NOTHING! The keel was hanging, fore end down, from the keel cable. The boat is in a slip and the bottom is deeper than the keel.
Suggestions? Plan currently is to make a long T bar from two pieces of angle iron welded together. then a 3/4 inch wide rod about 3 inch long to be welded onto the flat of the bar for the keel pin hole to fit on and an eyebolt at each end of the bar. Strong webbing attached to eyebolts. This platform would be raised by some sort of winch in the cockpit area aft. Yes, the keel will be laying flat and would have the front part towards the transom. Also, will put a similar bar at the cable portion of the keel to support it. Then with keel riding flat under the boat, take it to a ramp, drop the keel in shallow water (to be pulled out by a truck) and then to put the boat on a trailer.
Any suggestions are very welcomed.

 

[CaptDon01]

WOW! You have a problem, no you have a BIG PROBLEM! Don't believe I've heard of an issue like this. Would it be possible to get a cable or strong line through the pivot pin hole then lower the keel and finally disconnect the cable from the winch. Then try to lift the keel with truck inner tubes or something like that to get it close to the ramp where it could be dragged up with a truck? Any local divers in your area interested in saving the day? Maybe a local dive shop might know.

Good luck,

Don

 

[Nathan57]

We considered the innertubes and that may be an option. If they busted or it sank on way to slip we are a gonner on the keel. Could keep a long line on the keel incase it goes down. Don' t know of a diver. I used to dive a lot but certification may have run out. Thanks. That may be a good idea to lower keel on a line then winch it up using 2X12 board that is holding the walkway roof up. If strong enough.

 

[flynhi4u]

Well if this happened to me I would probably take it to the boat ramp, get the bow all the way to the ramp, jump in and run a line or chain through the pivot hole of the keel that hopefully is now laying on the extended boat ramp, then remove the lift cable, and drag the keel up the ramp with a 4x4 vehicle, back the boat off the ramp, back the trailer back down the ramp, then load it on the trailer and go have a cold while I figured out how to lift a 500 lb slab of steel off the boat ramp, but that is just me.
Good luck and let us know what you work out. I would not leave it hanging that way for long as if the keel mount was bad enough to break the chances that cable will hold 500 lbs of dead weight are not that great.

Sam in IN

 

[Nathan57]

I like that idea but not sure how deep the water is from the slip to the ramp. would hate to get it stuck on a sandbar half way there. But I do like your idea about the ramp part. Had not even thought about how to get it up in a truck or on a trailer.

 

[flynhi4u]

Well I would think if you can crank the keel line up as far as you can the keel would only be 5 feet or so below the bottom of the boat. I am sure there are ramps where that would be an issue but most it would not be. Tie the lone or chain onto the keel further out if you have a fear. One way or another you could get it ashore doing this modifying as need be.
As far as lifting it. I used a engine hoist to lift ours and that worked fine. If you don't have one you can rent one or find a half dozen guys to help you lift it up on a trailer. Two or three could probably get one end up on a short trailer and the use bars or boards with mechanical advantage to get it the rest of the way on.
It sounds like a challenge but it should not be that bad. At least your boat is still floating. It could be much worse.

Sam in IN

 

[CaptDon01]

This incident does say something about the Catalina design of the swing keel hanger assembly. Not many boats would still be floating with the keel hanger system gone.

Don

 

[Nathan57]

Thanks. will try getting the free end up as high as possible

 

[Nathan57]

It is a wonder that the keel cable is holding all 550 pound of that keel and not tearing the winch off and through the bottom of the boat. The Catalina 22 is a strong, sturdy design.

 

[Brian S]

Getting the keel into the back of a pickup truck shouldn't be too big an issue with a ramp up to the bed, and a beefy come along...

 

[flynhi4u]

You might take some round pieces of wood to use as roller under the keel like the Egyptians did with large stones building the pyramids. I have done that before moving things I should not have moved. Try to make it as easy on yourself as you can. Your back will thank you in the morning.

Sam

 

[Nathan57]

You might take some round pieces of wood to use as roller under the keel like the Egyptians did with large stones building the pyramids. I have done that before moving things I should not have moved. Try to make it as easy on yourself as you can. Your back will thank you in the morning.

Sam

 

[Nathan57]

Good idea. I have some strong ramps and may be able to use some dowel rods. thanks

 

[Ron20324]

is it magnetic steel- or lead?

 

[Benny17441]

You will need to be careful as if you remove the ballast from the boat in the water it will become unstable with a tendency to roll and capsize. This is just an idea without knowing the boat and the conditions you are working on. How about dropping two lines one on each side of the boat and attaching both to the top or front of the keel running them thru two turning blocks affixed amidship to the two cockpit winches and have two persons winch the front up counting the handle revolutions to try and maintain equal loads. Don't know how big the winches are but with 12" handles they should be able to handle 275 lbs each. Tailing the winches may require at least one other person. Once you have the front lifted and in contact with the bottom of the hull (important as if the keel is allowed to shift it can capsize the boat) then cleat the lines securely. At this point move the boat very slowly to the ramp and once the boat approaches the ramp allow the lines to drop the keel front as well as slack the cable in the back. At this point I would consider cutting the lift cable with cable cutters to separate the keel from the boat. Then you could use the released lines to drag the keel up the ramp by sliding it under the boat. Like I said the floating boat will be unstable so if you can secure lines at the mast to each side of the ramp then two people could easily keep it upright until you get it on the trailer. I don't know if you have a secure point of attachment for the turning blocks and don't know if the winches would be up to the task. Get some strong lines and shackles to attach to the keel.

 

[Nathan57]

That is another great idea. Had thought about heavy duty strapping with ratchet winches. Two each. tighten one until full of the strap. tighen the other then release the first one, pull line out and retighten. Lots of good ideas. the first thing we will do is drop the mast and remove it from the boat. It is a Catalina 22 and made for trailering and mast removal.

 

[Nathan57]

The keel is cast iron instead of lead. Had not thought about magnets.

 

[Chris Patterson]

It's gonna take a bunch of magnet to lift a 550 lb. keel. An electromagnet on a crane might be in order. Realistically speaking, some of the aforementioned creative engineering is going to be the order of the day..