SWING KEEL PROBLEMS

[Don Weaver]

My Catalina 22 is 30 years old. Hull number 1170.I bought it new in Pensacola and trailer sailed it for about 20 years. For the last 10 years it's been wet sailed on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. I've heard stories about the keel cable pulling loose and allowing the keel to fall freely to the "down" position holling the back side of the trunk that houses the keel. A sudden and serious problem.I've never done anything to the keel or the keel winching system. There is no roller or guide for the cable.ANY COMMENTS AS TO ANY REAL OCCURENCES OF SUCH??THANKS

 

[greg]

keel cable

I just inspected my keel cable by removing it entirely from the keel winch and keel eye. At first glance it looked in super shape. However, a closer inspection showed that one of the wire strands on the roll swaged eye attached to the keel was broken just at the point where it entered the roll swage eye! I feel very lucky to have caught it. It implied that the other wires were also corroding and it was only a matter of time (check this forum as it has happened before) before enough rusted through and the wire cable broke. That definitely would allow the keel to swing down violently and damage or destroy the keel trunk.The pipe that sticks up through the hull for the keel winch cable should have a groved ball in it which acts (is!) a sheave for the winch cable and prevents the wire rope from wearing a groove in the fiberglass hull and/or winch tube.

 

[Campy]

Swing Keel

Read all you can about the keel. Heard stories of boats sinking from cables snagging the cable hose and pulling it off. It's easy to replace the cable, sheave ball, hose and winch if you need to. I also replace the keel hangers and pivot bolt, (needed it also.) Reconditioned the keel by sanding it, smashing it with a hammer to get the rust off it, Naval Jellied it, filled it with marinetex, recoated the whole job with epoxie and then painted it. Also did the locking bolt and locking bolt strap with a dremmel tool and a bunch of fiberglass.Spent the next week or so trying to figure out how to right the heavy thing (pig keel) in order to put it back up where it belonged. Works like a champ now! Definitely rewarding when all done don't look forward to doing it any time soon.Campy out "Windsocket" #2226

 

[John renfro]

WHAM

hello don, somewhere in the archives is an article on this problem and drawings of the repairs done.shine a flashlight down the cable tube and you should see the " turning ball " that guides the cable as it changes direction.john