Any thoughts on leaving the swing keel up or down while at the dock...... just thought I'd keep the cable out of the water but would appreciate your thoughts....Thanks
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Keel ... up or down
I have a slip (fresh water) this year deep enough to leave the keel down. I like this position for at least three reasons. 1. It takes the weight off the winch and therefore off the "step" in the cockpit below the companionway. Mine has a slight sag in the step from the keel hanging in the up position for long periods of time. The PO never lowered it on the trailer, at the dock or even when sailing (don't ask). 2. It will prevent any wear at the pivot pin when the boat rocks. I have the "pad" kit and new hanger castings from CD and the keel is nice and tight when it's down. The boat can move around all it wants with no effect on the pivot. 3. Weight will be further forward helping the boat to sit closer to it's intended water line. This will help keep scum off the gelcoat above the ablative paint line on the back half of the boat. I don't know if this will solve the attitude problem completely, but I think it'll help bring the stern up a little. I've made some recent posts on this site about a couple of these issues in case you want to take a look.
I have a slip (fresh water) this year deep enough to leave the keel down. I like this position for at least three reasons. 1. It takes the weight off the winch and therefore off the "step" in the cockpit below the companionway. Mine has a slight sag in the step from the keel hanging in the up position for long periods of time. The PO never lowered it on the trailer, at the dock or even when sailing (don't ask). 2. It will prevent any wear at the pivot pin when the boat rocks. I have the "pad" kit and new hanger castings from CD and the keel is nice and tight when it's down. The boat can move around all it wants with no effect on the pivot. 3. Weight will be further forward helping the boat to sit closer to it's intended water line. This will help keep scum off the gelcoat above the ablative paint line on the back half of the boat. I don't know if this will solve the attitude problem completely, but I think it'll help bring the stern up a little. I've made some recent posts on this site about a couple of these issues in case you want to take a look.
H
Herb
my vote is up
Hi Bill i sail in salt water and so my vote is down. I have a zinc that is mounted on the keel at about what the water line is one the keel ( when up) that helps but I want as much of the cable and the yoke for the cable out of the water as I can have. My keel does not move much and I have never heard of felt it thump around while in the slip. It will be intersting to see how the votes come out.
Hi Bill i sail in salt water and so my vote is down. I have a zinc that is mounted on the keel at about what the water line is one the keel ( when up) that helps but I want as much of the cable and the yoke for the cable out of the water as I can have. My keel does not move much and I have never heard of felt it thump around while in the slip. It will be intersting to see how the votes come out.
J
John
Up for unrelated reason
I leave mine up. By boat is kept on a mooring and alot of fisheman fish the mooring field each morning. I'm sure more than one would snag my cable. Only time I leave it down is when I stay overnight, the boat rocks less.
I leave mine up. By boat is kept on a mooring and alot of fisheman fish the mooring field each morning. I'm sure more than one would snag my cable. Only time I leave it down is when I stay overnight, the boat rocks less.
J
jake
keel up
well I leave it up and now that I think about it I'm not sure why. I left the boat in the lake over the winter and it froze in place a time or two. wonder if that matters. It does seem to float a little free when in the up position. I think I like that light feeling when I get on board. Reminds me of my canoeing days... I don't like the keel working back and forth, so I'll continue to leave it up unless youall convince me otherwise.
well I leave it up and now that I think about it I'm not sure why. I left the boat in the lake over the winter and it froze in place a time or two. wonder if that matters. It does seem to float a little free when in the up position. I think I like that light feeling when I get on board. Reminds me of my canoeing days... I don't like the keel working back and forth, so I'll continue to leave it up unless youall convince me otherwise.
L
Larry
Keel Up
I keep mine at a mooring in salt water. So that is one reason I leave mine up. I figure it might be best to keep the cable out of the salt. I figure that the keel itself is still submerged but is protected by a zinc and some bottom paint. Another reason comes from a bad experience 2 summers ago. My boat broke free from its mooring during a nor'easter and got beached (rocky beach). Luckily I was able get it free promptly and minimize the damage. (I was keeping the keel down at the time). The torque on the hull from the movement of the keel caused a crack in the forward part of keel housing (near the hangers. Also the "volcano" through which the cable come up suffered damage from the keel being jammed up into it. I imagine that it might have been a far less damaging "event" if the keel had been in the up position. Though I could be wrong....
I keep mine at a mooring in salt water. So that is one reason I leave mine up. I figure it might be best to keep the cable out of the salt. I figure that the keel itself is still submerged but is protected by a zinc and some bottom paint. Another reason comes from a bad experience 2 summers ago. My boat broke free from its mooring during a nor'easter and got beached (rocky beach). Luckily I was able get it free promptly and minimize the damage. (I was keeping the keel down at the time). The torque on the hull from the movement of the keel caused a crack in the forward part of keel housing (near the hangers. Also the "volcano" through which the cable come up suffered damage from the keel being jammed up into it. I imagine that it might have been a far less damaging "event" if the keel had been in the up position. Though I could be wrong....
C
Campy
Keel Down
I keep mine down unless it's on the trailer or on the beach. Seems smarter to take the pressure off the cable and winch. Might prolong the life of the cable. If the cable ever gives way you can count on at least 5 foot arc of travel that 550 pound keel will have to travel through until it stops. I've read stories where the stopping of the keel after the cable broke actually tore the mounts out and left a hole in the boat. I try to reduce the strain on stuff if possible. We don't stow weapons loaded, so I figure don't load the keel. Good day all! Campy, Windsocket #2226
I keep mine down unless it's on the trailer or on the beach. Seems smarter to take the pressure off the cable and winch. Might prolong the life of the cable. If the cable ever gives way you can count on at least 5 foot arc of travel that 550 pound keel will have to travel through until it stops. I've read stories where the stopping of the keel after the cable broke actually tore the mounts out and left a hole in the boat. I try to reduce the strain on stuff if possible. We don't stow weapons loaded, so I figure don't load the keel. Good day all! Campy, Windsocket #2226
B
Bob Brown
Swing Keel Response
My keel is up. I machined the hanger bearings oversize & installed a larger Dia. stainless pin & spacer washers. Later found out the original pin was silicon bronze so I made a mistake there. I installed zerk fittings on each hanger, don't know why but it could have been a good move. The zerks are zink so will help on the electrolysis deal. When moored in brackish fresh water, the zerks almost disappeared in one short Canadian season. In clean fresh water they last 4 seasons. There is little clearance on the fit so no banging around of the keel. While the keel was off, I had it sandblasted & primed with Endura MC-Zn Zinc rich primer (Zinc dust). This is mixed with a liquid to apply. Lots of fun removing the hanger bearings as the original bolts were carbon steel. WHY WOULD CATALINA DO THAT. 3 bolts broke off while trying to remove them. They were half of their original diameter or less due to corrision. It would be a good idea to check all of these bolts for type of material. This job was done with the boat on the trailer. Had to remove the trailer axle & that keel beam.
My keel is up. I machined the hanger bearings oversize & installed a larger Dia. stainless pin & spacer washers. Later found out the original pin was silicon bronze so I made a mistake there. I installed zerk fittings on each hanger, don't know why but it could have been a good move. The zerks are zink so will help on the electrolysis deal. When moored in brackish fresh water, the zerks almost disappeared in one short Canadian season. In clean fresh water they last 4 seasons. There is little clearance on the fit so no banging around of the keel. While the keel was off, I had it sandblasted & primed with Endura MC-Zn Zinc rich primer (Zinc dust). This is mixed with a liquid to apply. Lots of fun removing the hanger bearings as the original bolts were carbon steel. WHY WOULD CATALINA DO THAT. 3 bolts broke off while trying to remove them. They were half of their original diameter or less due to corrision. It would be a good idea to check all of these bolts for type of material. This job was done with the boat on the trailer. Had to remove the trailer axle & that keel beam.
G
Greg
Keel half way down? Cat 25 not 27
I had a bad experience last year by leaving the keel up. I had the boat at a mooring that was too shallow to leave the keel all the way down. So, I thought it would be best to keep it all the way up. I thought that would help minimize movement and stress on all parts from wave action. Well when I went out for my last sail last fall I boarded the boat and found the keel cable had broken and the keel was sitting against the bottom. It took me and a friend 2 hours to get the keel up with some ratcheting straps. Luckily it hadn't damaged anything on the boat. After getting the boat out of the water I could see that the cable broke right at the point at the end of the fitting that is connected to the keel. I think that since the keel was all of the way up all of the movement caused by wave action was focused on one small point of the cable and it finally gave way. If the boat had been in deeper water and this happened, the keel would have came down with great enough force to crack the keel trunk and sink the boat. So... I have since moved to a slip where I have less wave action. I can not lower my keel all the way so I am keeping half way down. I would rather have it all the way down but I figure at least with half way the cable will be able to flex over more of its length and should last longer.
I had a bad experience last year by leaving the keel up. I had the boat at a mooring that was too shallow to leave the keel all the way down. So, I thought it would be best to keep it all the way up. I thought that would help minimize movement and stress on all parts from wave action. Well when I went out for my last sail last fall I boarded the boat and found the keel cable had broken and the keel was sitting against the bottom. It took me and a friend 2 hours to get the keel up with some ratcheting straps. Luckily it hadn't damaged anything on the boat. After getting the boat out of the water I could see that the cable broke right at the point at the end of the fitting that is connected to the keel. I think that since the keel was all of the way up all of the movement caused by wave action was focused on one small point of the cable and it finally gave way. If the boat had been in deeper water and this happened, the keel would have came down with great enough force to crack the keel trunk and sink the boat. So... I have since moved to a slip where I have less wave action. I can not lower my keel all the way so I am keeping half way down. I would rather have it all the way down but I figure at least with half way the cable will be able to flex over more of its length and should last longer.
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