Beneteau first 211 Keel

[Johnboy2004]

hi folks i need some info on the keel on a first, 211,



however, today, while passing over a slipway, i thought i had enough water under me, anyways,

i heard and felt the keel drag slightly on the bottom ( concrete slipway) i was moving very slowly in a marina.

the keel was about 3/4 down

do you reckon that i did any damage? how can i check to see apart from getting wet, and swimming under?

are the keels on these boats built to take the occasional knock?

any advice, help appreciated.

do you know if the keel is solid iorn, or iorn coated with fiberglass?




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[webcraft]

It's a 'a profiled cast iron lifting keel (350kg)' according to <A target="_blank" HREF=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/amploc/sailing/03.htm>this site</A>, so it should be fine.

- Nick



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[rhc21]

Wouldn't have thought there would be any damage, apart from scraping some antifoul off. The great thing with the keel arrangement is that if you do go too shallow the keel just rides back over the bottom. Did it once in ours in mud and just saw the winding handle rise up then go back down.

Richard.

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[windandwave]

Did the same thing in the muck in the River Liffey as a friend was taking delivery of his 211. We were neatly aground for a while... but nothing a couple of minutes winching up the keel couldn't fix. That's the great advantage of a lifting keel: we would have been v. embarrassed with a fixed keel (tide was falling IIRC).

I doubt any harm was done. Time enough to check next time you lift out.

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[Miker]

Sounds the same as a Beneteau 260 lifting keel. Every year I manage to scrape the keel on something. One year I clobbered some rocks over a pipeline which was higher than the chart indicated. The keel kicked up quite high. On lift out the antifouling had gone and I had to remove a bit of rust, that's all. This year I said I'd be more careful but still touched bottom in Fleetwood channel at mid tide.

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[david_e]

Very unlikely to have done any damage. The keel is designed to shear at a specific point in the worm gear thread, and if it goes you have to get it re-welded/braised.
This is to stop the keel ripping the whole casing out if you hit something really hard.

At 1.8m it is relatively deep so be prepared to get active on the winder!

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[Johnboy2004]

hi well today i donned my scuba diving gear and went under the boat, there were a few scratches alright, one about 2mm by 50mm down to the metal...and two other scratches a lot smaller down to the metal...

is it ok to leave this until the end of the year when i take the boat out?
or will the rust spread under the gel coat and push it out?


cheers

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[Miker]

I leave mine until the end of the season.. If I took it out every time I touched bottom it would be in and out several times a season and cost me a fortune in lifting fees. But I'm puzzled over the gel coat on the keel - it sounds as though it's of a different construction than a 260 which is iron with primer and antifouling over it. I've found that the rusting doesn't spread beyond the scrape. Last time I was advised to coat the damaged area with epoxy resin. However, I'm no expert and am reluctant to advise, although I assume that a 211 being trailable is not that difficult to take out of the water.

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[Johnboy2004]

hi well i will have to get the crane to lift her out,,,as i keep it in a marina, and dont trailer it...
i suppose it should be ok............for end of season,,,thats what the dealer said when i rang him.....

im sure this happens regular to boats like this....


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[Miker]

Well, it happens regularly to me as I sail in Morecambe Bay with its shallows and high tides. I wouldn't worry about it. It's like the first scratch on a new car. Eventually you cease to fret over it.

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