Wanderer 30 swing keel, locking??

[SailorTom]

I'm interested in getting a swing keel boat about 30ft LOA and the Pearson Wanderer 30 is very interesting. I like it mainly for the simplicity of the swing keel lowering/raising mech. But one question I have of all these larger swing keel boats (Wanderer,Bristol 32 in particular), is there a way to lock the keel extended for offshore sailing?

I have a little Siren 17 with a swing, self righting from mast touching water with keel locked down, not so much with the keel up

Also I imagine that in a capsize situation a keel falling back in to the trunk could cause other issues, ouch.
Thanks

 

[Griz83]

Tom,

There is a big difference between your Siren 17 and a Pearson Wanderer, or a Pearson 33 like mine.

Short answer: No, there is no locking mechanism because it is not needed.

Long answer:
Your Siren has a "swing keel," as does a Catalina 22, which is weighted and provides righting ballast. The other boats I mentioned have a keel/centerboard (K/CB). This is a crucial difference. A K/CB has a relatively shallow fixed keel with ballast, usually lead or iron. In fact, the Wanderer has 3800 lbs of ballast in the keel. You can actually sail with the board up just fine, as the keel draws 3.5 ft. Additionally, with this much ballast, you're probably looking at about a 120 degree righting angle. The chances of the board slamming into the trunk are essentially zero. You're just not going to heel that much.

The centerboard slides into a slot in the keel, not into the cabin. Also, the board provides almost no additional ballast or righting force. The only reason it exists is to improve upwind performance. It gives more lift and prevents side slipping. You get an additional 3.5 feet of draft with the board down, giving a huge boost in lift. Because the board is designed only for this purpose, it is comparatively light.

If you haven't seen this, take a look at the specs:
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=932

Hope that helps!

 

[SailorTom]

Hi Griz,
Thanks, I haven't had the wanderer out and swing keel, probably more appropriately called a centerboard, down. But by what you say I suppose it made of non metal material, e.g. wood or fiberglass with maybe metal strengthening. Do you have any idea of the weight and construction of the board? Any known troubles?
Thanks again!

 

[Griz83]

Tom,

The board will likely be made of sheet or plate steel. It is comparatively light, that is compared to your Siren. In other words, it still has some weight to it, but not designed to be ballast. The Siren probably has a thicker bulb down at the bottom, most swing keels do. This is just a thin, probably 3/4" or so thick piece of steel. Shouldn't have any troubles with the board itself. You should check (if possible) the hinge, and the control wire/attachment point. The wire should go to some place either in the cabin or cockpit to raise/lower. Inspect this all if you can, especially if it's a saltwater boat. You may have corrosion and extra wear where the wire attaches to the board.

 

[Wanderer138]

As Griz mentioned, the sole purpose of the centerboard is to improve windward performance. It's not heavy, my guess is fiberglass over wood, like the rudder. I attached a picture with the board down and another showing the dual-drum mechanism that raises the board. The wire braid pendant from the small drum runs through a bronze tube with multiple curves that exits the hull inside the slot in the keel for the centerboard. You can see the straight part of the tube descending between the charger (red) and the engine. It is a PAIN to replace this wire pendant if it breaks, so it should be replaced at each haulout if possible, by pulling the new pendant through the tube using the old one.

For what it's worth, I've had the boat almost four years and have never used the board as the water is shallow where I sail and the boat sails to weather quite well without it. I suspect the long keel projects a substantial lateral surface to which the board doesn't seem to add much.