Leaving swing keel down?

[Rob]

Leaving the swing keel down is this hard on the keel pin im concerned about my keel cable as my boat is a 1977 and after reading the forums on cables breaking im kind of paranoid of over using the winch as i looked behind at the winch and noticed there is some frayed cable nothing extream is this normal? so by leaving the keel down this should take the load off the cable? but is it hard on the keel pin? any suggestions would be great as im going sailing tomorrow thank Rob

 

[Charlie on "KESTREL"]

New keel cable

Rob,If there is any fraying or kinking of the cable, I'd replace it as soon as possible. Also the winch if need be, but get the original type from Catalina Direct, It has a clutch mechanism to prevent a falling keel. I leave my keel Up at the mooring mostly because at extreme low tide I sit in only 3 feet of water. When I got the boat the keel pin had worn a rather large hole in the keel from the previous owner leaving the keel down at his mooring for extended periods. Anyway, replacing the cable and winch is far less expensive than loosing a keel or potential damage to the hull from impact should the cable let go while the keel is up.Good Luck

 

[Chris]

So it's better to be down?

I found the response to the down keel position interesting. I too keep my boat in a slip and have kept the keel down. I do this because when i have it cranked up insdie the trunk the underwater currents really bang it around against the trunk. I thought by letting the keel hang this would eliminate not only the noise but also any damage. So now I read that letting the keel hang will wear out the keel pin prematurely? What's the truth?

 

[Rick Rose]

Instructions from manual

The following is from the 1977 C22 manual, available online at (http://www.catalina22.org/manuals/mnl77/manl77.htm#swingkeel):"You'll face special problems if you decide to keep your retractable keel model in the water, especially salt water. Bottom paint is a must, plus periodic cleaning and removal of marine growth from the keel trunk slot. The possibility of corrosion to the keel and keel fittings is greatly increased. Keeping a retractable-keel model in salt water for lengthy periods is not recommended. Should you decide to keep a retractable-keel model in the water at a slip or mooring, the following suggestions may help to extend the life of the keel assembly. First of all, the keel pivot pin is made of silicon-bronze, the hinge castings are of brass, and the keel itself is made of steel. To retard electrolytic action which will "eat" away the metals, drill and tap the side of the keel (near the forward edge) as close to the keel pivot assembly as possible. Then attach a teardrop shaped "zinc." Keeping the keel in the raised position will help prolong the life of the flexible stainless steel cable by keeping as much of it out of the water as possible. Replacement cables are available through the local dealer. Paint the keel itself with rust retardant paint like the commercially available "Rust-o-leum" or zinc chromate paints. If you use a zinc chromate paint, you must strip the keel down to bare metal before painting. Paint the keel and fiberglass bottom (including portion of rudder that is underwater) with a good quality "hard finish vinyl-based" bottom paint to protect the fiberglass gel coat and reduce fouling growth. The through-hull fittings are installed so that there is very little, if any, metal exposed to water to be acted upon. Your local dealer may have additional suggestions relative to the particular area where you plan to keep the boat."Hope this helps. I'm new to the C22 myself.