I recently purchased a 1978 C-22 with broken keel cable. The boat is in really great shape except for the keel cable. I have all the parts from catalinadirect.com . I plan to have the boat hauled out his winter. The plan is to replace the cable and paint the bottom. A co-worker who is a diver swears we can replace the cable while the boat is in the water by simply feeding the new cable past the turning ball and into the water. If it could be done it would help me out a great deal. Once I can retract the keel again I could simply trailer the boat home and not have to pay to have the boat hauled out at the marina. There are a couple of boat lifts at the marina that might make the job a bit easier. I know I can't remove the keel cable hose or clamps while the boat is in the water. Will the cable feed through the hose past the ball that easily? I do not have a cradle at the marina. I am currently looking for a trailer. Of course...can't get it on the trailer until I get the cable replaced! Any advice for a rookie sailor would be appreciated. (imajazzman@yahoo.com) Thanks
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Bayard Gross
C-22 keel cable goes up, not down
The swaged on fork on the C-22 swing keel cable that attaches to the keel cannot go down through the cable tube. It is too large to pass by the ball. Hence you must feed the cable up from the bottom. The first thing you must do is remove the winch so that you are able to secure the cable to the back side of it after the diver pushes the cable up from below. Have the diver push up the winch end of the cable through the tube and then have the cable lay slack in the water. Attach the cable to the winch and then attach the winch back onto the boat. Wind the cable onto the winch with as much tension on the cable as possible. Continue to wind until the swaged fork begins to enter the boat. Have the diver signal you when this is done for if you do it by feel with just the winch you may end up jamming the fork into the boat. Easy to do with a winch that lifts 500 pounds. This process is necessary to avoid any kinks that may get into the cable and ruin it which is very easy to do with a winch that lifts 500 pounds. Then have the diver pull down on the cable as you turn the handle to unwind it until the diver has enough cable played out to reach the eye on the keel. With exceptionally good luck, the diver will be able to install the clevis pin through one side of the fork, through the keel eye, and then out through the other side of the fork. Better have at least two extra clevis pins as the diver may drop one or two of these. Then have the diver insert and bend in a cotter pin with a pair of pliers that he has secured to his hand with a line. Best to practice this procedure on dry land. Again, make sure the diver has several cotter pins as he may drop one or two of them.
The swaged on fork on the C-22 swing keel cable that attaches to the keel cannot go down through the cable tube. It is too large to pass by the ball. Hence you must feed the cable up from the bottom. The first thing you must do is remove the winch so that you are able to secure the cable to the back side of it after the diver pushes the cable up from below. Have the diver push up the winch end of the cable through the tube and then have the cable lay slack in the water. Attach the cable to the winch and then attach the winch back onto the boat. Wind the cable onto the winch with as much tension on the cable as possible. Continue to wind until the swaged fork begins to enter the boat. Have the diver signal you when this is done for if you do it by feel with just the winch you may end up jamming the fork into the boat. Easy to do with a winch that lifts 500 pounds. This process is necessary to avoid any kinks that may get into the cable and ruin it which is very easy to do with a winch that lifts 500 pounds. Then have the diver pull down on the cable as you turn the handle to unwind it until the diver has enough cable played out to reach the eye on the keel. With exceptionally good luck, the diver will be able to install the clevis pin through one side of the fork, through the keel eye, and then out through the other side of the fork. Better have at least two extra clevis pins as the diver may drop one or two of these. Then have the diver insert and bend in a cotter pin with a pair of pliers that he has secured to his hand with a line. Best to practice this procedure on dry land. Again, make sure the diver has several cotter pins as he may drop one or two of them.
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Aldo
One more thing...
Bayard, you did your usual thorough job. The only thing that I want to add is that the cable must come up on the aft side of the ball. It is actually possible to put it up on the front side of the ball, but then the cable will wear against the fiberglass inside the hole that it comes up into the boat through. One purpose of the ball is to guide the cable through this bend, so it doesn't wear the fiberglass. I replaced my cable several years ago, but did it in a truck garage with the boat suspended, 5 feet off the ground. Aldo
Bayard, you did your usual thorough job. The only thing that I want to add is that the cable must come up on the aft side of the ball. It is actually possible to put it up on the front side of the ball, but then the cable will wear against the fiberglass inside the hole that it comes up into the boat through. One purpose of the ball is to guide the cable through this bend, so it doesn't wear the fiberglass. I replaced my cable several years ago, but did it in a truck garage with the boat suspended, 5 feet off the ground. Aldo
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Herb
You can still get the boat on a trailer with the keel
Hi there you should still be able to load the boat on a trailer with the keel down. All you need to do is unlock the keel hold down, line up the boat with the trailer and use the trailer winch to pull the boat onto the trailer which will swing the keel back and into the trunk. Same prinicple as if you went aground the keel swings up and out of the way. Then you can do everything on dry ground during your winter haul out. Just my Thought Herb
Hi there you should still be able to load the boat on a trailer with the keel down. All you need to do is unlock the keel hold down, line up the boat with the trailer and use the trailer winch to pull the boat onto the trailer which will swing the keel back and into the trunk. Same prinicple as if you went aground the keel swings up and out of the way. Then you can do everything on dry ground during your winter haul out. Just my Thought Herb
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Jazzman
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dan
just helped a friend
replace his in the water (sorta) we took the boat in on low tide, run her up on the beach. took 2 anchors and set them really fast on the beach. one anchors attached to the main halyard, the orther to the far side jib winch. cranked her over and there you go. good luck!
replace his in the water (sorta) we took the boat in on low tide, run her up on the beach. took 2 anchors and set them really fast on the beach. one anchors attached to the main halyard, the orther to the far side jib winch. cranked her over and there you go. good luck!
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Art
Accessing the keel
Does anyone have advice for getting at the keel for painting, without utilizing a yacht yard and hoist? I have a 2 ton floor jack and a little imagination but would benefit from other's experience.
Does anyone have advice for getting at the keel for painting, without utilizing a yacht yard and hoist? I have a 2 ton floor jack and a little imagination but would benefit from other's experience.
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Bill Ogilvie
I took the easy way
the second time around. A couple of weeks ago I attached the cable to the winch and asked our local diver to attach it to the keel when he was next at the marina. He said the cable doesn't drop thru the tube and didn't charge me. Looking down the tube (with the winch removed) I could make out the outline of the turning ball and was able to thread some 14 gauge stranded wire thru the aft slot. After pushing about 10' of it down I fished it up with my boathook; leaving the rest inside the boat. I stripped about 4" off the end, separated the wire into 3 and stranded it around the small end of the cable. Some duck tape was wrapped around it and the free end of the wire was tied to the keel end of the cable. The keel cable was then thrown overboard and pulled up thru the volcanoe tube - real easy to do! I put a clip on the cable at the top of the tube until I had it attached to the winch, just so I wouldn't have to repeat everything. Once the winch was re-attached I removed the other wire connection and attached the clevis pin and cotterpin, then threw that end back overboard. A few days later our trusty diver came by, attached the cable and cleaned the bottom of the boat. On Saturday I finally got to hear the mythical cable hum!
the second time around. A couple of weeks ago I attached the cable to the winch and asked our local diver to attach it to the keel when he was next at the marina. He said the cable doesn't drop thru the tube and didn't charge me. Looking down the tube (with the winch removed) I could make out the outline of the turning ball and was able to thread some 14 gauge stranded wire thru the aft slot. After pushing about 10' of it down I fished it up with my boathook; leaving the rest inside the boat. I stripped about 4" off the end, separated the wire into 3 and stranded it around the small end of the cable. Some duck tape was wrapped around it and the free end of the wire was tied to the keel end of the cable. The keel cable was then thrown overboard and pulled up thru the volcanoe tube - real easy to do! I put a clip on the cable at the top of the tube until I had it attached to the winch, just so I wouldn't have to repeat everything. Once the winch was re-attached I removed the other wire connection and attached the clevis pin and cotterpin, then threw that end back overboard. A few days later our trusty diver came by, attached the cable and cleaned the bottom of the boat. On Saturday I finally got to hear the mythical cable hum!
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Claude Lyons (Jazzman)
Great tips!
I really appreciate all the info. I think I'll try Mr. Ogilvie's method first since I don't have a trailer but I do have a diver! I'll keep you all posted! Thanks again!
I really appreciate all the info. I think I'll try Mr. Ogilvie's method first since I don't have a trailer but I do have a diver! I'll keep you all posted! Thanks again!
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Larry Taft
I did it with a mask and snorkel (on a calm day)
This summer I was in your same position with a broken cable. (After a lot of unneccessary worrying) on a calm, bright morning I took the plunge!! After a couple of practice dives I had my wife hold a flashlight down the rubber tube so I could see the outline of the cable ball from below then I pushed the winch end of the new cable up into the hole and she caught itand gave a tug so I would know when to let go and come up for air. It then took me 3-4 more dives to get the clevis positioned, clevis pin in and cotter pin secured before I was finished but I was psyched that I didn't have to call a scuba diver. Each dive was only 30 seconds. My wife then pointed out that I had blue hair (the color of my botom paint!!).
This summer I was in your same position with a broken cable. (After a lot of unneccessary worrying) on a calm, bright morning I took the plunge!! After a couple of practice dives I had my wife hold a flashlight down the rubber tube so I could see the outline of the cable ball from below then I pushed the winch end of the new cable up into the hole and she caught itand gave a tug so I would know when to let go and come up for air. It then took me 3-4 more dives to get the clevis positioned, clevis pin in and cotter pin secured before I was finished but I was psyched that I didn't have to call a scuba diver. Each dive was only 30 seconds. My wife then pointed out that I had blue hair (the color of my botom paint!!).
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