On my 1980 C22 I have found that the keel cable has cut a groove in the forward center of the cable pipe where it exits the boat in the keel cavity. The previous owners completly re-did the keel assembly. The keel has been rebushed. The shaft replaced, the whole assembly centered and "pucks" epoxied to the keel head. They also replaced the cable with a new SS cable and fittings. I have found a groove cut into the galvanized pipe that surounds the cable where it exits the boat. The cable slips into this groove when fully up and when totally down. I always sail with the cable lowered 2 turns to remove the vibration noises so the cable is not in the groove when sailing. Also the groove has not cut into the fiberglass housing yet and there is no wear on the cable. If I leave the keel loose 1/2 turn when I load it on the trailer the cable is not cutting into the groove. I dry sail everyday so I use the keel winch alot. Has anyone else found this problem and what was the outcome or repair. Thanks, Ray
Keel cable exit cut groove in pipe on C22
- Thread starter Ray
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Ken, Thanks, the turning ball is in, but worn?
It is oriented in the proper direction but I didn't check it for excessive wear. Geometrically, from below the boat, it looks like if the turning ball was lower in the pipe it would work fine. I currently have the boat on stands so I have excellent access. I will check your idea out tomorrow and let you know the outcome. Thanks alot for the idea. Ray
It is oriented in the proper direction but I didn't check it for excessive wear. Geometrically, from below the boat, it looks like if the turning ball was lower in the pipe it would work fine. I currently have the boat on stands so I have excellent access. I will check your idea out tomorrow and let you know the outcome. Thanks alot for the idea. Ray
Turning ball
Not sure if this helps but I would ask the question, is the wear groove in the pipe on the front or one of the sides? If it's on the side of the pipe, this groove could be caused by the keel being slightly off-centered at the back end where the cable is located. That can be caused by too much play at the keel pivot pin. Another point might be that the keel cable hanger is located in the wrong place. I think that I saw some mention of this on a forum. This fitting should line up with the hole in the volcano (pipe) fairly accurately when the keel is up. As a side note, I just replaced my turning ball. It had gotten stuck from a surface coating of mud in the hole and on the ball. There was a groove that the cable had worn in the turning ball slot that was about the thickness of the cable and the cable was frayed as a result. AS a matter of fact, I had shortened the cable last fall while the boat was in the water because it had almost broken at the top of the cable. When I replaced my turning ball, I had an issue with reinserting the new one. It was resolved by wrapping a thin piece of rope around the slot so that I could hold on to it while locating the pin. Yes as mentioned, the cable goes behind the ball or on the cockpit side of the ball. If you release the tension on the cable when the keel is down or on the trailer, I would be careful about getting the wraps of the cable fouled on the winch. They can cause the cable to wear. ~Bilbo N.E. Ohio
Not sure if this helps but I would ask the question, is the wear groove in the pipe on the front or one of the sides? If it's on the side of the pipe, this groove could be caused by the keel being slightly off-centered at the back end where the cable is located. That can be caused by too much play at the keel pivot pin. Another point might be that the keel cable hanger is located in the wrong place. I think that I saw some mention of this on a forum. This fitting should line up with the hole in the volcano (pipe) fairly accurately when the keel is up. As a side note, I just replaced my turning ball. It had gotten stuck from a surface coating of mud in the hole and on the ball. There was a groove that the cable had worn in the turning ball slot that was about the thickness of the cable and the cable was frayed as a result. AS a matter of fact, I had shortened the cable last fall while the boat was in the water because it had almost broken at the top of the cable. When I replaced my turning ball, I had an issue with reinserting the new one. It was resolved by wrapping a thin piece of rope around the slot so that I could hold on to it while locating the pin. Yes as mentioned, the cable goes behind the ball or on the cockpit side of the ball. If you release the tension on the cable when the keel is down or on the trailer, I would be careful about getting the wraps of the cable fouled on the winch. They can cause the cable to wear. ~Bilbo N.E. Ohio
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