I am finally doing maintenance on my swing keel this winter. I'm wondering how the eye the wire attaches too is originally attached. It looks like it was a large piece put in place when the keel was originally cast. It seems like the metal around it is wearing away and will need to be built back up. I don't trailer much but I can't get to my slip unless my keel is up so I really don't want to loose the wire. My plan is to get the keel sand blasted and metal built up if necessary. Any advice?
Keel Attachment Question
- Thread starter Captain Wind Song
- Start date
remove keel, sandblast, epoxy coat it, replace all hardware, kit sold here by CD, plus the eyebolt:
www.catalinadirect.com
(note, the kits differ a bit depending on the year mfg'd, >95 or <95...)
do a search here, you'll find plenty of pics and procedures done by others, pretty common and definitely necessary maintenance...that "recess" surrounding your eyebolt is normal.
Keel Lifting Hardware Maintenance Kit, C-22 <-95
Catalina Direct, publishers of the Catalina 22 and Catalina 25 Owner's Handbooks and the largest supplier of parts and Lewmar winches for Catalina Yachts in the country
www.catalinadirect.com
do a search here, you'll find plenty of pics and procedures done by others, pretty common and definitely necessary maintenance...that "recess" surrounding your eyebolt is normal.
Has anyone added the cost of actually refurbishing a keel? I seem to remember @CloudDiver saying a new one from Catalina (fiberglassed encased and faired) is somewhere between 2-3 thousand. If you don't have a shop at home and added up the cost of epoxy, sandblasting, hardware, time, welding, bushings for the pivot point, etc.. don't you come real close to this number already? Just a question.
FYI the racers generally keep an eye out for a decent keel and some have one as a spare so they can swap them out for refurbishing as this is a common project on the older boats.
Also Captain Wind Song remember that if you leave your keel up in the slip and the keel cable fails for any reason you will likely damage your keel trunk from the keel smacking the forward edge of the trunk. Once in the slip if possible its best to lower the keel as much as you can with tidal changes and things.
FYI the racers generally keep an eye out for a decent keel and some have one as a spare so they can swap them out for refurbishing as this is a common project on the older boats.
Also Captain Wind Song remember that if you leave your keel up in the slip and the keel cable fails for any reason you will likely damage your keel trunk from the keel smacking the forward edge of the trunk. Once in the slip if possible its best to lower the keel as much as you can with tidal changes and things.
Absolutely a DIY job.
That keel from CD is as expensive as the entire boat.
Some guys have gone to extreeeeeeeme measures to get the foil shape correct. really... it's not an airplane wing so that effort although nice is also not necessary.
What is a bit of concern in the picture you posted is the thread from the screw in bolt is visible. To me that means either rebuilding the metal around it or trying to relocate the hole either forward or aft of original into new good material. Of course the alternative is to just drill and tap the existing hole much deeper and use a long eye bolt. I might try that. Take a gander at my rebuild thread to see what I did for the keel lifting bolt. Job in progress but you will get an idea. Photo attached is the "slot" I made to get rid of most of weak material and to provide a more substantial thickness of keel to drill a deeper hole.
Attachments
suggest your refer to this from stingy for some insight:
stingysailor.com
Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 2: Cleaning
This post is the continuation of Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 1: Removing. This week, I describe using hand tools and power tools to remove most of the old coatings and…
stingysailor.com
There is a used one for sale in the classified section of this site. Don't know about shipping though.
FOR SALE: C22 keel
Placed by Capt Wik on 12-28-2019
Views: 213
Location: Odenton, MD US
Phone:
Cast Iron swing keel
Good pin and retract connector
Sandblast and primed
Condition: sweet
Price: 500
FOR SALE: C22 keel
Placed by Capt Wik on 12-28-2019
Views: 213
Location: Odenton, MD US
Phone:
Cast Iron swing keel
Good pin and retract connector
Sandblast and primed
Condition: sweet
Price: 500
Refinishing the keel is not too hard, the logistics of moving 500lbs of steel around lifting flipping etc is the real nut to crack. Very doable I used a 1000 lb utility cart from harbor freight, then a hoist in the garage to lift flip and position.
Perhaps on the extreme end of the DIY cost— but 1500.00 ish. The kicker is how much do you want to spend to have it still rust (ing) after your efforts. 500-900 might do it, but I would wager you have delayed the inevitable from returning. 1500 and some OCD and it’s better than new and cheaper than factory.
The Many Stages of Keel (a photo retrospective) Parts 1-3
Was dragging through the photos looking for goodness knows what and decided there's no value in having all that data floating around -- share it: In the hope that it's useful, interesting or just a insight into my own version of C22 madness, I leave you the many stages of Keel 1) Pull it (and...
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