help! can not lower the keel!

[Daveinet]

I could turn clockwise and heard a click.

This is the cog locking the gear in place and is key to your solution. Unless you have a method of releasing this cog, there is no way any handle will release the mechanism directly. Regardless of what you do with the nut, or a C-clip, that will not solve the issue.
Taking a wild guess, I'm betting you have to turn it slightly clockwise to get the cog to release. If there is a lot of tension against the cog, it will not release - kind of like taking your car out of park when it is sitting on a steep hill. I'd be inclined to wiggle it back and forth and see if it will release. If it is supposed to be automatic, and there is some sort of clutch mechanism involved with the cog. My guess is the clutch is having difficulty overcoming the cable tension, which is holding the cog in place. The clutches likely grab the cog and flip it out of the way. This is why I suggest turning the crank back and forth, both to take tension off the cog, as well as get the cog to move out of the way. There is probably some rust preventing the cog from moving freely. Wiggling it may break the rust free.

 

[CrispyCringle]

Interesting problem. I did a google image search for "catalina 25 swing keel winch". Every pic I could find had some type of lock nut combination . The Catalina parts store has a pic of a new C-25 winch. Looks slightly different and has a lock nut. But you clearly dont have any thread for a lock nut. The slit at the end of the shaft looks like a C-clip slit. But a c-clip will not hold a nut from backing out, and may not even fit into the handle. Clearly a "What The Heck" moment.

Seems like a part or parts must be missing. Have you looked with a mirror and good flashlight in the bilge for any stray parts the the PO may have dropped? Also, you could try a semi-perminant fix buy putting Red Loc-tight on those threads and tightening the bolt. Let it dry over night and see if it has enough strength. Probably wont hold up long term if you intend to use the winch a lot. But if it works, you could then tack weld the bolt. Although I dont like those kind of repairs, those kind of winches are usually just replaced when they go bad. So no big deal.

 

[twalker H260]

I see a bit of a model number stamped in the side of the casing. If you have a make and the full model number it might be possible to locate either a manual or exploded parts diagram.

Are you on the water or on a trailer? I suspect the handle is meant to turn one direction and then use the weight of the center board to pull it back.

Additional photos with any markings as well as from other angles might allow additional assistance?

 

[bmwtourer]

...The groove on the shaft in your original photo does look like a spot for a lock ring. Hmm..
...
I suspect that if you turn the shaft with vise grips it should lower the keel, but that is no help in the long run. Maybe test with cloth protecting the shaft ?

yes may be I can put a locking washer at the end of the bolt.
and
i will try with the vice grip... hopefully it should do the trick... good idea.
thank you for your help

 

[bmwtourer]

...Seems like a part or parts must be missing. ...
try a semi-perminant fix buy putting Red Loc-tight on those threads and tightening the bolt.

indeed something is missing, I will look in the bilge but I do not expect to find much there, I am sanding and repainting the deck and all the interior so I vacuumed a lot!

I will try with a vice grip and if the winch operate "correctly" I will try loc-tight and to find a c-clip lock washer...
thank you for your help

 

[bmwtourer]

I see a bit of a model number stamped in the side of the casing....
Are you on the water or on a trailer? ...
I suspect the handle is meant to turn one direction and then use the weight of the center board to pull it back.
...
Additional photos ...

yes good idea I will try to search and document more... and post more pictures
I am on a trailer, doing renovation... need to paint and sand behind the stairs so I need to lower the keel to remove stair...
thankyou for your help

 

[Daveinet]

In addition to my earlier comment, you may try jacking the keel up from underneath to remove some of the tension against the gear and cog.

 

[LloydB]

Looks like there is a small wire peeking out below the body of the winch case. I wouldn't be too surprised to find a gear pawl(dog) back up inside there. The pawl release maybe broken off or hidden on the other side of the winch. Being old school I go searching for my mechanic inspection mirror first as I forget to use my smart phone to look behind places as someone else has already suggested.

 

[31seahorse]

I am on a trailer, doing renovation... need to paint and sand behind the stairs so I need to lower the keel to remove stair...
thankyou for your help

Being on the trailer might just possibly, maybe, perhaps make it nie unto impossible to lower the keel because it is resting on a support beam of the trailer! Not trying to be smart aZZ, but that would prevent lowering the keel.

 

[bmwtourer]

Being on the trailer might just possibly, maybe, perhaps make it nie unto impossible to lower the keel because it is resting on a support beam of the trailer! Not trying to be smart aZZ, but that would prevent lowering the keel.

no there is a 2 inches gap!

 

[bmwtourer]

Finally got it!
actually it appears simple now, the odd nut that unscrew seems to be part of the clutch mecanism.
I got the winch to work using a vice-grip and a westcot (wrench), I locked the path (shaft) for the bolt to unscrew with the vice-grip and I turned the nut with the wrench, first try... vice-grip was not tight enough so it felt, second try i make it tighter... and pop!, a tremor on the boat and a noise coming from "outside", the keel drop (2 inches) on the wood stud on the trailer !
it looks like when we turn clockwise the odd nut is putting pressure on the washer in front of it and it engage the clutch to turn the barrel mechanism and raise the keel... if you remove that pressure the weight of the keel is pulling and can lower....
I would say that since the boat has been sitting there for a while the washer next to the nut was jammed in some way, while I played with the wrench, it got lose...
Thank you all for you help...

 

[CrispyCringle]

Glad you got it! So it sounds like it was cranked up too tight(?).

 

[bmwtourer]

Glad you got it! So it sounds like it was cranked up too tight(?).

not really I still had play to crank it more... but i do not know exactly how long the boat has been sitting on the trailer...