retractable keel

[Debbie]

Recently I have had problems with the crank on my keel. I purchased a 1985 Catalina from someone who did not know too much about the boat. It is difficult for me to tell if the keel is all the way down (w/o jumping in the lake - and that's not an option right now). When I use the hand crank the bolt that I am turning comes off when I turn to the left to lower the keel. what does this mean? Is there any sure fire way to tell if your keel is all the way out?THank you

 

[Tom Roberts]

Sounds like its down

On my 22 when you turn the crank to the left you can feel some resistance as the cable unwinds and the keel is lowering. When the keel is all the way down and you keep turning you feel very little resistance and the winch handle unthreads and comes off if you continue to turn.Without actually seeing your boat its just a guess but if what you described happened on my boat it would mean that the keel is down

 

[Lauraine]

Count the cranks....

Call me anal retentive but I used to count the number of cranks it would take to lower our keel on our C22 completely. If you have the original crank setup, it takes about 24-26 turns to lower it completely and leave some slack in the cable. Don't forget to lower slowly so it doesn't drop too fast.

 

[John V.]

keel cable binding

Sometimes the keel cable gets bound or crossed on the spool. this happens if you let out too much slack and then re tighten. If for any reason the cable gets crossed it may foul before the keel is completely down. This will effect the way your 22 points. if the keel is not completely extended the CR will be aft of optimum. This will also put a tremendous strain on the cable and fittings. If you are not sure, jumping in the lake is not a bad idea. I usually check the keel in the water several times during a cruise. My 22 made a klunk as it settled into the keel slot. That was my signal that the keel was completely down. good luckJohn V.