Jib winches
You definately want to take the boat out of the water. The cable turning ball must be removed from the "volcano" to allow passage of either swagged end. Trouble is, the top of the volcano is usually below or at least very close to the water line. That's the reason for the rubber "radiator hose" attached to it. From what I gather, the hose is there to make it possible to maintain the turning ball. (The turning ball is a round sheave that changes the angle of the cable when you raise/lower it so as to not saw your boat in half with the cable) I've heard of others raising their keels with a heavy rope. The way I rember it, they worked the rope under the boat from the bow with with one guy on each rail until they "snagged" the keel. They then used the jib winches to raise the keel and tied it off. You would have to be careful when loading on the trailer and would probably want to make sure to get it on the first time. It might be easier if you could find shallow water and "ground" the keel, forcing it part-way up. That way two guys could work the line in from the water and hand each end to you in the cockpit. Good Luck! Gregg E.
