Feeling 32 Drop-Keel - Difficulty lifting keel

[PhilipGC]

HI I have a 2001 Feeling 32 Drop-Keel. The keel has become very hard to lift. It is a pulley system through the saloon to the deck and back to the winches. I used to be able to pull the keel up without using the winch, but now it is very hard even with the winch and the rope is under a huge amount of strain.
When I bought the boat in 2010 we had to replace the keel as it was damaged. The new keel came from Feeling and it worked very well for a couple of years.
Has anyone else had a similar problem?

 

[Minerva]

In your shoes, I’d be looking to drop the keel and check the bushing it pivots on and to check for corrosion or growth causing friction.

 

[PhilipGC]

Thanks. I have done that and it swings fine. I am wondering if water has somehow got into the keel and has been soaked up making it very heavy. Having said that when I last took the boat out of the water there was no evidence of water coming out of the keel.

 

[fredrussell]

I would have thought the keel would be solid - do you have information to the contrary?

 

[[70521]]

Thanks. I have done that and it swings fine. I am wondering if water has somehow got into the keel and has been soaked up making it very heavy. Having said that when I last took the boat out of the water there was no evidence of water coming out of the keel.

This makes no sense!

If you have 'dropped the keel and it swings fine' what is different when it is in the boat?

When the keel was out did you inspect it or drill a hole or two to see if there was any water that came out? Did you weight it? If so was it any different to the published weight?

 

[Minerva]

Assuming that when it swings up, it is still broadly below water level, then any water in it will surely have a negligible effect...? I'd be surprised if that were the issue, notwistanding the wider concept of a foam / Balsa cored keel!

 

[PhilipGC]

I would have thought the keel would be solid - do you have information to the contrary?

Yes. When I bought the boat there was damage to the keel and the previous owner paid for a new one. When looking at the damaged keel it was not solid at all it had like a hard foam substance in it. It all works fine but when actually lifting the keel by pulling the rope it is extremely difficult and puts a huge amount of strain on the rope. It never use to do that. I can't pull it up when out the water as simply to much friction.

 

[Stemar]

It all works fine but when actually lifting the keel by pulling the rope it is extremely difficult and puts a huge amount of strain on the rope.

In that case, I'd look at the blocks. Are all the sheaves turning freely?

 

[SteveG]

My Feeling 920 of 1985 vintage had a similar issue where the drop plate (solid steel) refused to drop. There have been two issues:-
Firstly the plate was rusting beneath its paint/antifoul. This made it thicker, so it would jam between the 5" diameter spacer washers inside the keel box that were supposed to stop the plate rattling when under way. With some difficulty, I dropped the plate and had it zinc sprayed - better than galvanising apparently. No further problems for the last 25 years from this problem.
Second issue, some years later was caused by the cast iron stub keel rusting inside the slot and beneath the same anti-rattle spacers, so they acted like the pads in disc brakes and grabbed the drop plate. I removed the plate and spacers, de-rusted the inside of the box as well as I could and ground them down about a millimetre or so thinner. Problem solved.
If your arrangement is similar, it might be worth looking at these spacers.

 

[PhilipGC]

In that case, I'd look at the blocks. Are all the sheaves turning freely?

Thanks. I have looked at the blocks and they are all turning freely even when under load.
I should explain the problem better.

The boat is fitted with a cast iron ballast plate fitted with stub bilge keels and a GRP lifting dagger board. There are three ropes to lift, fix and lower the dagger board.

Lifting Rope: This goes from the dagger board round a pully through a pipe in the saloon to deck level and back to the cockpit. I used to be able to pull it up by hand and very easily using the winch. When lowering the Dagger Board you simply release the lifting rope until the fixed rope stops it going any further.
Down Rope: This also goes from the Dagger Board through two turning blocks through the same pipe in the saloon to deck level and back to the cockpit. This is used to hold the keel in the down position and stops the Dagger Board from lifting as you are sailing/motoring along.
Fixed Rope: This rope goes from the Dagger Board to a fixture in the boat and stops the Dagger Board from going down to far.

Problem: It is very difficult to lift the Dagger Board using the winch and there is far to much weight on the lifting rope.

Having checked the bolt and bush as well as the turning blocks, I think the only other option is to get the boat out of the water and drill a hole in the dagger Board to see if there is water in the dagger Board which is making very heavy when lifting. Thoughts?