keel is back on, spacers?

[piedpiperIII]

Well yesterday I lifted my keel back into the boat but before I took measurements of the keel pocket and found the there is only room for 1 keel spacer. I noticed from looking in there that there was only 1 spacer to begin with "wear marks" now I wonder if I want to put the spacer on or not?? wont that cause the keel to be ever so slightly off center?? I know it may have slop when sailing but what do you think ?? I do have the new pin and saddles.

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Do you see something like this?

I'm not sure if this damage is from before my boat's PO epoxied the pivot pin or after. I didn't hear anything when lowering the keel, so I suspect before.

I just completed refinishing my keel and added two centering spacers, which should fit in the upper trunk. I also added a 1/8" fiberglass washer on that side of the pin to take out the 1/8" space between the keel and the hangers and to "bias" the keel away from that side of the trunk just in case.

I haven't tested the fit in the lowered position yet, so my fingers are crossed that everything's square. My measurements all add up but the keel used to hang at a very slight angle to port (away from the scraping). That was before I leveled one of the weldments on the opposite side that protruded 1/16", which could have induced at least some of that angle.

Anybody have a large gantry crane I can borrow?

 

[CloudDiver]

I love the point Stingy made about the Gantry right at the end, LOL! Without a crane like that there is no way to lift the hull high enough to fully lower the keel and check your work, so it all has to be done by measuring.
I've posted my measurements before in my resto-thread, my pocket being 2.25 at the widest and 1.75 at the highest/narrowest. Other hulls seem to have slight differences. In talking w/ Catalina Direct Tech Support we discussed that the keel spacers do 'Jam' a little bit there by flexing the fiberglass of the keel pocket a bit. Take that with a grain of salt; a little flex is fine but too much 'jam' could get the keel stuck and crack the keel trunk. SO - I had mine at the top (I epoxied them before I measured, dummy) where they made the keel over 2.25" wide and would jam into a space only 1.75 wide, that's 1/2" of flex and TOO much to risk when in the water.
Using my foam 1/2 keel model as a guide I have a better idea of how the pocket tapers and how thick my keel should be at critical areas. I drew the line on the keel where it is fully down along the pocket line. I will mount my new spacers just above that line where they should be just right to take up the 2.25" wide slot with the keel, but barley rub the paint... I hope!
I will post a pic of my keel foam 1/2 model with the lines drawn on it ASAP.

 

[piedpiperIII]

Luke my pocket measures like yours so I may sail without spacers and it I hear too much "clunk" than I may add the spacers. I feel funny about using just one unless I sand them thinner and put one on each side?

 

[$tingy Sailor]

It would be good to know from those of us adding spacers, how they work out over the summer and beyond related to placement, whether low down at the trunk opening like the CD instructions or high in the trunk where I put mine.

I suspect that CD recommends putting them low because that's about the only place you can put them with the keel on the boat. I'd bet that's the case with most customers since they probably aren't refinishing their keels at the same time.

My theory is to put them farther back, in the upper trunk corner, which should be the second strongest location (less flexing) after where it joins the hull. Plus it's farther away from the lock bolt, which will induce a little of it's own flex if tightened properly.

Both locations probably do the job fine for our modest needs, but let's update this thread with any "the rest of the story" findings.

 

[piedpiperIII]

stingy, did you measure your trunk in the location where your spacers are going?? mine would not be wide enough to except the spacers where you put yours. Your keel looks awesome by the way.

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Yes, I did. It's 2-1/16" wide. The keel under the spacers is 1-5/8" thick, the spacers started as 1/4" thick. After bonding them on, I set calipers to 2-1/16" and belt sanded to fit.

 

[CaptDon01]

MAN! That's a pretty keel!

Don

 

[CloudDiver]

I stole Stingy's pic cause its way better than any pics I have of mine!

The long red line is where the hull crosses the keel at full down, I also wanted to note my 1981/82 casting does not have that 'cut' like this keel does, it is just a gradual taper on mine.

The red box is where I'm going to put my new spacers, so when the keel is down they will be just inside the pocket level with the hull line. My spacing there is about 2.25 wide. I'll be using calipers on the new spacers to check and re-ckeck.

The yellow box is where I had epoxied the first set and had to grind them off. They made the top of my keel 2.25" wide but my pocket is only 1.75" all the way up in there.

 

[Kermit]

MAN! That's a pretty keel! Don

Yes, the keel is pretty, but did you see his garage/workspace? I bet he never leaves his fenders hanging, either. ;-)

 

[piedpiperIII]

Hey Kermit, just sent you a PM you probably already read it. Maybe I will trailer your way this year I want to try different bodies of water, this is one reason I got the swing keel. A bit easier to put in and out. Nice to hear from you by the way. Do you have videos??

 

[$tingy Sailor]

FWIW, my bare keel didn't have the "shoulder" at the top either. It was mostly flat the upper half. I sculpted that in to retain the foil shape as high as possible without binding in the slot. It's at the same angle and bevel as the bottom edge.

For those that either have or are planning to get the Catalina Direct DVD, know that the keel hangs at 60 degrees to the hull, NOT 45 degrees as stated in the DVD and the booklet that comes with it. Hence, the template that comes with it is also incorrect due to the shorter actual water length. If you use the template, you will get a fatter than 13% keel. I explain the whole sordid mess with the supporting math in my upcoming five-part series of blog posts about this project. If you don't care about the accuracy of your keel shape and just want it "close enough" and without leprous scabs, then skip the template altogether.