I have a recently purchased 1984 23' Oday. Is the forward bolt holding the swing keel accessible from inside the boat. If so where is it located? If not and it becomes a problem what can be done?
Swing Keel
- Thread starter Diver
- Start date
O'Day used an assembly of PIN, WEDGE, and PLATE accessible from the BOTTOM of the keel. The plate is held in by two screws on each side.
If you crawl under your boat, you will see the plates at the forward part of the centerboard slot.
The most difficult part is making sure you take your time to properly clean the phillips head screw slots so the screwdriver has a good grip. Some additional cleaning might be needed to have the parts slide out. Hopefully no one used any "permanent" adhesive in a past rebuild. There may be "some" adhesive/filler that needs just a slight amount of leverage to loosen.
The centerboard is basically fiberglass. (My O'Day 19 centerboard is 52 lbs.) So much nicer than those iron centerboards of most other makes. But it does need to be supported when you take it out so it doesn't drop on you!
While it is out, it is a good time to replace the centerboard pendant unless the pendant is known to be new.
All of the centerboard and all related parts are available at DR Marine.
http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=168
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=348
If you crawl under your boat, you will see the plates at the forward part of the centerboard slot.
The most difficult part is making sure you take your time to properly clean the phillips head screw slots so the screwdriver has a good grip. Some additional cleaning might be needed to have the parts slide out. Hopefully no one used any "permanent" adhesive in a past rebuild. There may be "some" adhesive/filler that needs just a slight amount of leverage to loosen.
The centerboard is basically fiberglass. (My O'Day 19 centerboard is 52 lbs.) So much nicer than those iron centerboards of most other makes. But it does need to be supported when you take it out so it doesn't drop on you!
While it is out, it is a good time to replace the centerboard pendant unless the pendant is known to be new.
All of the centerboard and all related parts are available at DR Marine.
http://www.drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=168
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=348
What will you do under water? Are you planning to remove the centerboard while the boat is in the water? Perhaps you should ask others' opinions on this before doing it?
I can imagine some real difficulties arising if you unscrew those plates while the boat is in the water. The centerboard for your boat likely weighs around 60 lbs.
Also, I think most people use some 3m adhesive on the plates to augment the mechanical strength of the screws. I don't think you could apply this underwater.
Thanks,
Andrew
I can imagine some real difficulties arising if you unscrew those plates while the boat is in the water. The centerboard for your boat likely weighs around 60 lbs.
Also, I think most people use some 3m adhesive on the plates to augment the mechanical strength of the screws. I don't think you could apply this underwater.
Thanks,
Andrew
Reading the response mad me smile and think about how the astronauts train for space walks.
Put the boat on a trailer then access the screws, plates, and wedges!
You'll never do it underwater, trust me. I pulled mine several years ago. Its good to do and clean it out well, and get bottom paint up in the slot. See the Golden Road photos.
Unless you are scuba diving or can hold your breath for several minutes at a time, it's not even possible to work on the centerboard while the boat is in the water. I tried to replace the pendent line while the boat was in the water once. I am a good swimmer and experienced snorkeler, and it took all of my strength and attention just to try and keep station deep enough to even see the bottom of the stub keel. Both hands were needed to keep from surfacing. So unless you are scuba diving and are working with a weighted belt, I don't think it's possible. And that's ignoring the fact that even if you could somehow remove the screws while underwater, the wedges and centerboard would probably immediately sink to the bottom when they were freed. Do yourself a favor and put the boat on a trailer, or have it hauled out.
Hey all, I am not online very often, but thanks for all the responses. I didn't drown, I made the scuba dive just to check out the bottom status not for repair. Turned out the only problem was barnicals blocking the lowering of the centerboard. Really enjoying the boat and we have had a crazy windy winter for south Florida.
Diver, I'm a bit late to this posting, have not logged on for some time since we were in the middle of winter here in the northeast and ...
Anyway the pictures from other replies are great but I'd suggest taking a look at a posting from a number of years ago as well.
More than a few years ago I pulled my swing keel and had to learn about the way it is held in. I've done it twice now and it is relatively simple.
One of the best posts was made by .. Joe, Owner of Trinkka, an O'Day 222
Those who have been on the site will remember Joe for all the information he shared,
Unfortunately he passed away but the legacy of his spirit and his posting and advice are still available for all
You can read one of his posts with pictures of the various parts here.
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/keel-is-stuck.143056/#post-936339
As stated by earlier responses getting the wedges out can be a bit of a challenge depending on what the previous owner used to hold them in. I used a hacksaw blade.
And yes that 60 lbs can be a chore when you are flat on your back on the ground trying to get everything aligned before you put the wedges in and tighten the plates. I used a couple of shingles to wedge the board in place and help keep it aligned once I thought it was in the right place. And yes I put a support under the board while I installed the wedges.
If you have not done it yet perhaps you can take some pictures as you do it and show other people how you did it.
James
Anyway the pictures from other replies are great but I'd suggest taking a look at a posting from a number of years ago as well.
More than a few years ago I pulled my swing keel and had to learn about the way it is held in. I've done it twice now and it is relatively simple.
One of the best posts was made by .. Joe, Owner of Trinkka, an O'Day 222
Those who have been on the site will remember Joe for all the information he shared,
Unfortunately he passed away but the legacy of his spirit and his posting and advice are still available for all
You can read one of his posts with pictures of the various parts here.
http://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/keel-is-stuck.143056/#post-936339
As stated by earlier responses getting the wedges out can be a bit of a challenge depending on what the previous owner used to hold them in. I used a hacksaw blade.
And yes that 60 lbs can be a chore when you are flat on your back on the ground trying to get everything aligned before you put the wedges in and tighten the plates. I used a couple of shingles to wedge the board in place and help keep it aligned once I thought it was in the right place. And yes I put a support under the board while I installed the wedges.
If you have not done it yet perhaps you can take some pictures as you do it and show other people how you did it.
James