O'Day Mariner 1966 Full Keel

[Steven Hall]

I am a new owner of a 1966 O'day Mariner 19 ft. with a full keel. I would like to remove the keel for refurbishing, it is broken where the keel meets the front flange and I would like to weld that as well as paint it to keep the rust off. Does anyone know what it weighs? Does anyone know the best method of removing the boat from the keel and then the keel from the trailer with limited tools (it is up at a cottage).

Thanks,

 

[kpgraci]

According to: http://www.gjenvick.com/BangorPunta/ODay/1967-ODay-Mariner.html

"Mariner is available with 415-lb. keel or centerboard with 200 lbs. of inside lead ballast. "

Lifting heavy things can be done with an A-Frame made of timber and appropriate tackle, but of course, safety should be forefront in whatever you attempt to do.
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[Joe11688]

I am a new owner of a 1966 O'day Mariner 19 ft. with a full keel. I would like to remove the keel for refurbishing, it is broken where the keel meets the front flange and I would like to weld that as well as paint it to keep the rust off. Does anyone know what it weighs? Does anyone know the best method of removing the boat from the keel and then the keel from the trailer with limited tools (it is up at a cottage).

Thanks,

In order to do this at home you would need to take the boat off the trailer and you would need at least four sailboat stands and a hydraulic jack. I don't have to remind you that this can be dangerous. Getting the boat jacked up off the trailer using the stands and jack is easy. The problem is going to be in supporting the bow section in order to roll the trailer out from under the boat. Good sailboat stands placed two on each side near the stern, can lift this boat. Of course, anyone can tell you that sailboat stands are not made for this purpose, but I've been using them to remove my O'Day 222 from the trailer almost every year since I've owned my boat. I find that it's a lot easier to bottom paint my boat without having to work around the trailer.
A friend of mine used to use the backhoe from the farm to hold the bow section of his O'Day 25. He place 6x6x4' under the stern to support the boat with the sailboat stands as mentioned.
Another guy I talked to used a metal eye beam under the bow section, propped up at each end, to accomplish the task.
I have been using a hydraulic jack plus a straight powerboat stand under the bow. The trailer can only be moved a short distance at a time depending on how far the trailer's cross members are spaced. Then the bow is jacked up and the stand is moved to support the bow always keeping the boat level.
When the keel is clear of the back of the trailer, it can be shored up with blocks and the trailer can be romoved. When the trailer is out of the way, you can remove two of the stands and relocate them under the hull several feet from the rear stands. Then the hull can be lowered with the stands evenly. You could rest the keel on the hard and remove the nuts and raise the hull up again. If you've never worked with weight before you should have someone assist you who is familiar with rigging like for instance a power company lineman. If you could take some pics of the boat on the trailer, we could get a better idea whether this is doable.

 

[Sunbird22358]

To remove the Fin-Keel of a MARINER (I think that is actually what you mean, there never was a Mariner with a "full-keel" and most fiberglass boats that do have a full-keel have the keel molded as part of the hull, picture a Cape Dory Typhoon) You will need to do basically what Joe suggests, but I'd add that it may be a good idea to try to loosen the bolts a bit (to be sure that they can be easily loosened/removed) while still securely supported on the trailer. After 45 years, those bolts may be reluctant to come loose. I think it would be worth an inquiry on the MARINER Class Association web site or the Rhodes 19 web site to get advice on this job. Stuart Marine, present builder of the MARINER and Rhodes 19 would also be good sources for info.
The keel is Cast-Iron and I would think that welding any cracks would be doable by a trained welder.

Oh, and whatever you do..... DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ALONE! Have a "buddy" nearby to help, too much risk of something happening while removing the keel. Joe has a lot of practice moving his boat off/on hte trailer, I slide my DS II about 2/3 of the way off the trailer each Spring to paint the bottom, even so...... neither of us does this casually..... we are constantly alert for ANY problem. This is not a job for anyone unprepared for the task.......