My boat was not used for second half of summer and now the keel will now come up. The line is jammed, rapped around something or maybe the keel has swollen or barnicle has immobilized it. The keel goes up when the boat was put on trailer. Most grateful for any ideas. thank you.
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Not Ice
My boat was on a moring unused for half the summer and was taken out and left on trailer in October.
My boat was on a moring unused for half the summer and was taken out and left on trailer in October.
Ya need some help?
I am in Bristol RI and wouldn't mind giving you a hand if ya need it. If the keel doesn't fit in the trunk, and it did last time you used it, there might be water in it and the water has frozen, expanded the keel, causing it to swell. That swelling might of taken up all the clearance and is now preventing the keel from going up.
I am in Bristol RI and wouldn't mind giving you a hand if ya need it. If the keel doesn't fit in the trunk, and it did last time you used it, there might be water in it and the water has frozen, expanded the keel, causing it to swell. That swelling might of taken up all the clearance and is now preventing the keel from going up.
I leave mine down
I have the same problem. Its barnacles and a disintegrating cast iron stub. I struggled with it for a couple of years and now have given up. I leave it about half way down and forget about it.
I have the same problem. Its barnacles and a disintegrating cast iron stub. I struggled with it for a couple of years and now have given up. I leave it about half way down and forget about it.
Your centerboard pennant is broken.
Pull on it all you want, the shackle is wedging into the tube. If your board goes up when you put it on the trailer but you can't pull it up, the centerboard pennant/halyard is not connected anymore. This happened to me on a new to me 25. Be carefull getting it off the trailer! I didn't know my pennant was broken. When I launched the boat the first time (in cold water) the centerboard dropped down between the axles of the trailer as soon as it started floating. I was glad I had a diving mask. I had to sling the centerboard between the winches without slinging the trailor to hold it up until I could get it off the trailer. Water in PA. in April is COLD. r.w.landau
Pull on it all you want, the shackle is wedging into the tube. If your board goes up when you put it on the trailer but you can't pull it up, the centerboard pennant/halyard is not connected anymore. This happened to me on a new to me 25. Be carefull getting it off the trailer! I didn't know my pennant was broken. When I launched the boat the first time (in cold water) the centerboard dropped down between the axles of the trailer as soon as it started floating. I was glad I had a diving mask. I had to sling the centerboard between the winches without slinging the trailor to hold it up until I could get it off the trailer. Water in PA. in April is COLD. r.w.landau
Travel lift
Go to a marina and have them haul the boat. While it is still in the sling pressure wash and do what you have to to free the keel. If the cable is broken it should be easy to fix in the sling. I replaced a cable under water but I am a diver. It was not that difficult but in my case the visablity was almost zero and I did everything by touch. This was in a "green" lake. After the pressure wash and repair just have the marina stick your boat back in the water.This would probably be cheaper than hiring a diver.
Go to a marina and have them haul the boat. While it is still in the sling pressure wash and do what you have to to free the keel. If the cable is broken it should be easy to fix in the sling. I replaced a cable under water but I am a diver. It was not that difficult but in my case the visablity was almost zero and I did everything by touch. This was in a "green" lake. After the pressure wash and repair just have the marina stick your boat back in the water.This would probably be cheaper than hiring a diver.
Guys, read the posts, The boat is on it's trailer.
Miss Millie, Tom has a good idea about an easy way to repair it. If you can find a travel lift and have the money you could change the pennant/halyard. Then drop it back on the trailer. The closest lift to my boat is about 40 miles away. I changed mine in the water a month after I launched the boat. r.w.landau
Miss Millie, Tom has a good idea about an easy way to repair it. If you can find a travel lift and have the money you could change the pennant/halyard. Then drop it back on the trailer. The closest lift to my boat is about 40 miles away. I changed mine in the water a month after I launched the boat. r.w.landau
Travelifts are everywhere in Newport
Pretty much every marina has one. Bristol Marine has one, NEB has one, Brewers has one, all the marinas on Thames and Americas Cup have one. Finding one that isn't being used right now isn't a problem. So cost should be down. Do what you can on the trailer, then have the travel lift lift it off.
Pretty much every marina has one. Bristol Marine has one, NEB has one, Brewers has one, all the marinas on Thames and Americas Cup have one. Finding one that isn't being used right now isn't a problem. So cost should be down. Do what you can on the trailer, then have the travel lift lift it off.
Missed that it is Now on a Trailer
The way it reads it is hard to tell. Why would the keel swell with the boat sitting out of the water on a trailer??? Did they load the boat with the keel hanging down and force the keel up while pulling it onto the trailer with the trailer winch? Did the winch work and then they let the keel down once it was on the trailer?? So is the boat on a trailer and they can't get it off because the keel is hanging down and catches on the trailer frame?? If the boat is on a trailer a dry storage facility can probably use a forklife to lift it off the trailer. But on a trailer it should be easy to take it to some kind of lift. Even a sturdy barn to rig a lift on the rafters to lift it off of the trailer. My initial reading was that it was in the water unused for a long time and something happened to either the keel or the cable.
The way it reads it is hard to tell. Why would the keel swell with the boat sitting out of the water on a trailer??? Did they load the boat with the keel hanging down and force the keel up while pulling it onto the trailer with the trailer winch? Did the winch work and then they let the keel down once it was on the trailer?? So is the boat on a trailer and they can't get it off because the keel is hanging down and catches on the trailer frame?? If the boat is on a trailer a dry storage facility can probably use a forklife to lift it off the trailer. But on a trailer it should be easy to take it to some kind of lift. Even a sturdy barn to rig a lift on the rafters to lift it off of the trailer. My initial reading was that it was in the water unused for a long time and something happened to either the keel or the cable.
water turns to ice and expands
If the keel had water in it when it was hauled, it would fit into the trunk when retacted. Since it has been freezing cold outside, the water now froze and expanded inside the keep between the layers of fiberglass. I has since taken up clearance that would be between the swing keel and the trunk. Think of inflading a beach ball while hugging it tight, it dosn't take much air to make you struggle to keep it tight.
If the keel had water in it when it was hauled, it would fit into the trunk when retacted. Since it has been freezing cold outside, the water now froze and expanded inside the keep between the layers of fiberglass. I has since taken up clearance that would be between the swing keel and the trunk. Think of inflading a beach ball while hugging it tight, it dosn't take much air to make you struggle to keep it tight.
It's probably barnacle growth
It's hard to paint the upper part of the keel inside the keel trunk so it is prone to growth fouling if not operated regularly. Take a spade and scrape the barnacles off of it and apply som anti fouling paint. Lift it off the trailer into jackstands.
It's hard to paint the upper part of the keel inside the keel trunk so it is prone to growth fouling if not operated regularly. Take a spade and scrape the barnacles off of it and apply som anti fouling paint. Lift it off the trailer into jackstands.
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