Can anyone help me figure out how to fix the cable on my O'Day 26 swing keel?
--The Keel moves freely but the cable/line is jammed. I forced the keel down underwater, then attached a line over the stern and the keel moves up and down freely.
--But the line that comes up into the cockpit is jammed.
--I took the boat out of the water and removed the line housing and hoses. The rope to cable splice is fine. it seems like the cable slipped off the side of a block and is jammed between the block and the trunk where the keel swings up -- is that possible? and how do i free this up
-- or how do i recable the swing keel?
Thanks,
Dick
Dick,
There shouldn't be a rope to cable splice on your centerboard pendant line but I could be wrong. My pendant line is braid with a shackle spliced on the end. I have the same type of sheave U bolt assembly on my 1986 O'Day 222 in which the pendant line rides through.
This sheave U bolt assembly can only be removed from under the keel with any type of Mickey Mouse tool that you can construct yourself.
The two nuts and Stainless Steel backup plate can be removed from inside the cabin on that hump in the sole.
If you have to; just tie a tag line or strong twine to the end of the pendant line in cockpit and pull the pendant line out through the keel whereby running in the tag line.
Perhaps the sheave is broken and it needs to be replaced. Rudy should have the sheave assemblies in stock. I remember seeing them in his store one day when I was in there last.
You're going to need to make a tool that will allow you to grab hold of the U bolt assembly. It could be a piece of wood with a notch in the end of it. Your centerboard is 17 1/4" wide so it's safe to say that the tool needs to be long enough reach the sheave U bolt that is in a pocket in the keel slot.
A friend on mine on this forum Ed K., once removed the sheave assembly on his O'Day 26 in the way that I describe, so I would say that it's doable.
Getting the old assembly out should be simple enough. Installing it should be no problem. Just thread the tag line though the sheave and apply some caulking to the top of the U bolt plate and insert the sheave into the pocket until the bolts find the holes in the hump. You will need to either have someone put the backing plate and nuts on the bolts, or just wedge the tool into the ground in order to hold the sheave bolt assembly in place.
Personally, I'm the type of guy who likes to do things all by myself and I always choose the latter.
It probably wouldn't hurt to add some caulking to plate in the cabin.
I would use a good caulking like 3-M 4000 or 4200. You should never need to mess with this sheave U bolt assembly again so you will need to make it as permanent as possible. I suppose you could use Butyl tape but I wouldn't. Just don't use silicone. A good polysulfide caulking with excellent adhesive qualities will do the job.
I've never needed to mess with my sheave assembly but this is probably the way I would do it if I had to. I did remove my centerboard years ago. I bottom painted the board and the keel slot. I also replaced the original pendant line shackle with a sheave type shackle I got off Rudy.
I did the braid splice myself and I inverted the old pendant line.
http://forums.oday.sailboatowners.com/album.php?albumid=2692
These pendant lines will last for many years with this sheave setup. The only thing that really needs checking is the shackle particularly the rigging pin and cotter pin. I found a broken cotter pin on mine one year and I replaced it.
I was taking my boat off my trailer every year and putting it on boat stands in my yard. I find that it's easy to do the bottom painting on boat stands. Checking the centerboard is just as easy.
Anyway, that's it. I wish you success.
Joe
