seeSimon
Well-Known Member
6 x 6 fence posts, or railway sleepers are good, and can be readily cut to useful length with a chainsaw. Not too heavy, unless waterlogged. Not too expensive, compared to "boat props"...
How to check my swing keel is working?
- Thread starter teensailer
- Start date
langstonelayabout
Well-Known Member
If your boat is sat on mud, grass, etc. then you could dig a slot in the ground about 2'6" deep; enough to lower the keel into.
Make sure you fill it in afterwards...
Make sure you fill it in afterwards...
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
Alternatively, you could tell everyone you’ve filled it in and lightly cover it over with brushwood.
teensailer
New Member
Glad to know wood is the way to go, makes sense instead of the props.
Our boats in the garden and not sure how keen the adults are on digging a hole…tho I did think about that already.
The trailer doesn’t have a slot for the keel and pretty sure not a continuation for winching on and off either but I need to check next time Im at the boat (it’s actually in my friends garden). I do know it’s not the trailer meant for our boat
Our boats in the garden and not sure how keen the adults are on digging a hole…tho I did think about that already.
The trailer doesn’t have a slot for the keel and pretty sure not a continuation for winching on and off either but I need to check next time Im at the boat (it’s actually in my friends garden). I do know it’s not the trailer meant for our boat
William_H
Well-Known Member
Likely a bad thing if weight of the boat is on the swing keel. It may have rollers or bunks which can be raised to take load on hull. need to lift hull to adjust or modify.
I would not want to use it on the roads with weight on the keel. ol'will
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
That’s certainly something to bear in mind, but this isn’t a big boat. Very likely she’ll be fine as lomg as the trailer gives her some support, is adjusted to fit the boat. That kind of problem increased exponentially with the size of the boat.
chriscallender
Well-Known Member
A lot of these ideas like digging holes and jacking boats up off trailers are quite a signifcant effort. Anything can be done if it needs to be, but it seems to me it would be far easier just to launch the boat and see how it works. I know you said you had a concern that it might drop off, but even if the very worst happens like that, as long as you've done it somewhere where the keel could be recovered at low water (like on a slipway), you can sort things out. And if you've visually inspected the whole lot beforehand I'd say its more likely you'll be hit by a lightening bolt doing the job than it falling off. If it jams, you can figure out why.
Alternatively (or in addition), can you remove and check the conditon of the hinge pin with the keel still up and on the trailer? That's what supports the weight of the keel so as long as the hinge is in good shape and everything else looks fine through the inspection hatch, I'd say the boat was good to go. If it were mine, I'd probably just look everything over now, wait a few months until Spring, launch it and try it first time around in the water carefully/tentatively. Maybe I'm too lazy for digging holes - although I've dug plenty in my time it isn't my favourite pastime ;-). Or it is fun with a JCB, but that's a different story.
Alternatively (or in addition), can you remove and check the conditon of the hinge pin with the keel still up and on the trailer? That's what supports the weight of the keel so as long as the hinge is in good shape and everything else looks fine through the inspection hatch, I'd say the boat was good to go. If it were mine, I'd probably just look everything over now, wait a few months until Spring, launch it and try it first time around in the water carefully/tentatively. Maybe I'm too lazy for digging holes - although I've dug plenty in my time it isn't my favourite pastime ;-). Or it is fun with a JCB, but that's a different story.
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
Yup I think we might all have been over-thinking this a bit.
Launch at high tide and check out the keel, if it's not good then go back on the trailer. If it fall out the bottom of the boat, go and collect it at low tide!
And if there's a suitable spot, beach the boat and careen it over (halyard tied down to a tree or a car) and you have unfettered access to the keel area. For a few hours.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
OK .. agree ... but don't forget that such boats also sit on the bottom dried out in tidal waters ... if the keel cannot do that - then somethings wrong.
teensailer
New Member
Thanks, your right I reckon we can just leave it for now, maybe check the keel pin, and just launch her and see how that goes. I was wondering though if the keel needs a repaint as it’s flaking quite a bit or is that not an issue for something metal that’s underwater anyway?
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
What does the metal look like underneath the paint? If it's galvanised then you might be ok for a while. Ideally you'd remove the keel completely, take off all the existing paint, and then prime and antifoul. But I wouldn't worry about it too much in the short term.
If, on the other hand, the keel is a horrible rusty mess, then yes you have a problem.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
I’d put Seachanges idea on your list for sure. But this boat being new to you, you’ve got a long list I daresay. You need perhaos to decide what stops you going sailing and what does not. Having a lovely smooth freshly painted keel is going to make you sail faster and better. Not stop you. If you’ve got the time and money, go for it.
William_H
Well-Known Member
Yes agreed . However jolting on a road would be much more severe than sitting on the bottom with probably some of the weight taken by the chines.
Anyway as I understand it with the keel protruding pressure on the keel upwards when retracted would be on the pivot pin at the front and that mechanism pictured previously with screw jack. Unless the pivot and screw jack had sufficent play in them to allow the keel to move upwards and pressure to be taken by the cover of the keel box. Where I imagine a sharp trailing edge pressing in to GRP cover. (with much of the boats weight on it. )
All from someone who has never seen this boat type so possibly very wrong but worth a worry (investigation) and or an attempt to take some of the boat weight by trailer rollers etc, I would think.
oldbloke
Well-Known Member
When trailering, let the keel down so it is resting on the trailer. That way the trailer , not the boat is taking the load, also stops the keel from banging around. Do remember to wind it back up before launching
coveman
Well-Known Member
Be careful using a telehandler - the forks are usually quite close together which can make the boat unstable when lifting. Ideally you need a rectangular frame which fits the forks but is longer and wider, with attachment points for the slings. It also prevents the slings from crushing the sides of the boat.
seeSimon
Well-Known Member
Agree.
However , imho, you really don't want to road tow the boat with the weight of the swing keel sole supported by the boats lifting mechanism.
Similar issues with an outboard dangling off the transom.
Chiara’s slave
Well-Known Member
I might think about wrapping it with a ratchet strap if, on inspection, this was a concern.
