gibsea 84 keel missing - what now?

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dedwards

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we got our gibsea84 lifted today because the keel lifting rope had come apart from the keel but we have found that this is because the swinging part of the keel is no longer attached to the boat. If we can't find it at the bottom of our berth then I guess we've got to source one from somewhere. Has anybody got any ideas of where to get another or specs so we can get another made?

cheers
 
" gibsea 84 keel missing "

Is this a wind up?..No, I know it was a wind up but is ..ah! never mind. A wander round boat yards with a tape measure sounds a plan or perhaps there's an Gibsea owners website.:encouragement:


Here you are mate, give this a try..http://www.gibsea.org.uk/
 
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I cannot imagine you would have lost it while underway without knowing, so I imagine it will be found under your berth. A big magnet should help find it.
Did you leave the boat with the keep up? Maybe the strop parted and the keel dropped breaking free from the fixings.
A similar thing happened to us with a swing keel Jaguar 25 when we were beaching her, the (new) strop failed and the keel swung down. It didn't break free but it made a real mess of the interior GRP mouldings when the hull had flexed.
The chandler who made the hard eye in the strop that failed paid for the repairs
 
Thanks for the link but tbh, the website seems a little dead.

Bluechip: you are right. The last time we went out the boat was not sailing properly and making strange noises below.
We never bother lifting the keel on the mooring and I suspect it may have been damaged in the winter storms (excessive swell slamming it against the sea bed?). My worst case scenario is that it was only weakened on the mooring and then dropped off when we took her out - hence I'm now investigating options...
 
sarabande said:
haven't we had a similar thread recently ?
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I think that was a Gib'Sea 76.

Slight thread drift, but we took the swing keel out of our (fairly new to us) '89 Benny over the winter and amazingly all the fastenings were in excellent condition and I was pleasantly surprised to find the whole thing is really well engineered. It uses a screw jack which is less prone to sudden failure than the strop system on the Gib'Seas / Jaguars etc.

Swing keels are very convenient but you do need to be aware of exactly what's in there and inspect / service it regularly.
 
Have gone fishing in my mooring today and it's def not there so it's either in the solent or at a mooring in cowes (our only trip this season). Our yard does happen to have a swing keel gibsea 282 ashore ATM so assuming their keel is the same as ours I'm looking at getting a mild steel plate of dimensions v approx 1.5m x 0.5m x 2cm made. Has anybody got any experience of getting this done?
 
Getting the plate cut should be no problem for a local steel fabricator, who may well be able to get it galvanised as well. The bit that needs a bit of care is making the pivot hole as I expect it is locally reinforced. You need to be able to see how that is done on the boat you are copying from.
 
mrming said:
Swing keels are very convenient but you do need to be aware of exactly what's in there and inspect / service it regularly.
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This is why I have my boat ( vertical lift keel on a pulley system) placed on high trestles every winter, so I can maintain the keel plate; it has the bonus side effect of placing the boat up high away from casual scrotes too.

There have been some instances on here lately with swing keel boats suffering fairly dramatic wear to the pivot pin, which is not often designed to be accessible; one culprit seems to be people leaving the plate slightly loose on half tide moorings so it goes up & down dislodging any mud, wave action must play a part too.
 
dedwards said:
Have gone fishing in my mooring today and it's def not there so it's either in the solent or at a mooring in cowes (our only trip this season). Our yard does happen to have a swing keel gibsea 282 ashore ATM so assuming their keel is the same as ours I'm looking at getting a mild steel plate of dimensions v approx 1.5m x 0.5m x 2cm made. Has anybody got any experience of getting this done?
Click to expand...

Once you have dimensions (can't help you there) look for a local fabricator with a lazer cutting machine. You say you are in Solent area so http://www.pdssheetmetal.co.uk/ might be able to help. If not they will know who can. While you are at it you might consider asking how much to make one in stainless...... If this is prohibitive mild steel will of course be OK but it's just a thought.......
 
Downsman said:
" gibsea 84 keel missing " Is this a wind up?../[/url]
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I don't think its a wind up as I spent 15 minutes with the snorkelling kit on this afternoon checking the berth. Nothing, just lots of smooth Portsmouth Harbour mud unfortunately.

Pete
 
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Pete, appreciate you've had a look snorkelling but as mrming says it could have covered in a tide. Is it worth dragging a grapnel across the berth? It may be an inch or two under the mud.
 
Haven't a clue and no way am i touching it, I dread to think what the RN have thrown overboard during the last 200 years.

The water was 2.6m deep so just swam along just above the bottom looking for anything that looked different. The berths were dredged a couple of years ago so the bottom around the berths is fairly flat and smooth. Visibility was about 1m either side of me so I was expecting to see something sticking up or a 1m long narrow slit in the mud possibly with the remaining rope floating above. AT LW springs we have about 1.7m so there wasn't even a trench from the keel or rudder showing were the boat is normally moored. Just flat with a very light coloured mud on top.

Pete
 
Downsman said:
Pete, appreciate you've had a look snorkelling but as mrming says it could have covered in a tide. Is it worth dragging a grapnel across the berth? It may be an inch or two under the mud.
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I saw the owner about to start fishing with one of those strong sea search magnets which is why I stopped and offered to go for a swim, I am moored nearby. I think a grapnel would just slide across the top and even if it did find what is a large steel plate how would you know when it touched? At least the magnet on thin line pulled slowly would hopefully stick and give a clue.

I would be surprised if the mud had leveled out completely without leaving a trace, but it is possible. What is the alternative? a commercial diver would cost more than a new plate and it might not even been under the berth. Sadly I think the best option is a new plate.
 
That might be an option, but it is going to be a very long pole because you want to go in at an angle from the finger pontoon, assuming the keel dropped edge on. However, there is no evidence the keel is on the mooring, it could be in the Solent somewhere.
 
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Pete7 said:
I saw the owner about to start fishing with one of those strong sea search magnets which is why I stopped and offered to go for a swim, I am moored nearby. I think a grapnel would just slide across the top and even if it did find what is a large steel plate how would you know when it touched? At least the magnet on thin line pulled slowly would hopefully stick and give a clue.

I would be surprised if the mud had leveled out completely without leaving a trace, but it is possible. What is the alternative? a commercial diver would cost more than a new plate and it might not even been under the berth. Sadly I think the best option is a new plate.
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True, a grapnel is a bit hit and miss but occasionally you get lucky, even if it just lifted the keel out of the mud without retrieving it at least it would be located. A new plate sounds the answer, I'm sure there's someone in Pompey who can sort the problem out given the correct specification for the plate.
 
Seajet said:
Pete,

I might try with one of those sea-searcher magnets but even if you find it lifting through mud might be tricky.

Once you are sure of the pattern try this lot;

http://www.bdmarine.co.uk/

They made a new keel plate for me, including galvanising; just give crystal clear instructions.

Andy
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I wouldn't have thought galvanising below the waterline to be a very good idea. Surely Zinc coating would turn the keel into a gert big anode???
 
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