Should the keel be up or down when on a bouy? Does it matter if waves are hitting from a side cliff?
mooring
- Thread starter flathead
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If the keel is kept up it prevents it back and forth movement caused by wave action. This movement eats out the keel bushing or the pin hole and wears the pin. Expensive and needless in fresh water.
Salt water has different issues. Because of critter growth, as in shell life and flora, a keel in the raised position can become so covered in growth that it won't release and must be forced down. The opposite can happen and it won't raise when needed. Bottom paint is the answer most trust.
Ray
Salt water has different issues. Because of critter growth, as in shell life and flora, a keel in the raised position can become so covered in growth that it won't release and must be forced down. The opposite can happen and it won't raise when needed. Bottom paint is the answer most trust.
Ray
HEINZIR
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- Jan 22, 2008
- 198
I have kept my boat on a mooring for 24 of the last 35 years and I always leave the keel down. This takes the strain off the keel cable which is, IMHO, the weak link in the system.
Really, really good point. If the cable snaps, the keel drops, then there is a high chance of busting stuff*. A big crack in the hull and the boat can easily take on water much faster than any bilge pump can get it out. Can you sleep at night with the keel up worrying about the cable? I couldn't.
OC
*this does not apply to shoal keel (O'Day, Precision, etc), water ballast and similar boats where the board is not ballasted - they have centerboards not swing keels.
Heinzer, With the keel in the raised position there no additional wear as there is no movement. With the keel down the cable and the cable eye are constantly moving against the keel cable mounting eye or padeye. In that case the cable would be prone to fail when you finally raise it.
I checked my cable and padeye every 2 years when we painted the bottom and in 12 years had vertually no pin wear and no sign of cable damage. The 3 keel pin and bushing installations I have done for other boats at our marina all had their keels lowered. One of those had severe padeye damage from corrosion and was very close to failure. Those are just my observations and everyone has their own preferences.
Ray
I checked my cable and padeye every 2 years when we painted the bottom and in 12 years had vertually no pin wear and no sign of cable damage. The 3 keel pin and bushing installations I have done for other boats at our marina all had their keels lowered. One of those had severe padeye damage from corrosion and was very close to failure. Those are just my observations and everyone has their own preferences.
Ray
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