jammed drop keel

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bobg

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I have a friend who has (I think) a Westerly Jouster with a drop keel. Only the keel won't drop. It is well and truly stuck in the upright position. Attempts have included soaking with diesel, vigourous hammering, trying to drive a sheet of flat steel up it. The next step is aka Basil Fawlty and give it a good kicking. Any alternative ideas? And boy oh boy - I sure will never buy a drop keel boat!
 
I've never done this myself but could you drill it and attach a shackle to the bit furthest from the pivot point and then winch it down with a turfor winch?
 
Depends why it's jammed...

If kept on a drying mud berth, it might be bunged up with mud inside. Prevention - never raise to the very top, but always leave 1-2" play. Cure - soak with water and vibrate/bash.

Or it could be bunged with barnacles - try brute force & ignorance. But possibly vinegar to dissolve/soften those barnacley shells.

Or bunged with something 'orrible like a strand of fouled wire. That might become obvious if you beach the boat & heel her over for a shufty at her bottom.

Or is the drop keel bent out of shape? Brute force is probably the only answer.

Or is it rusted in somehow? A gallon of WD40 might help. Accompanied by brute force.

Your options really revolve around getting something in there to loosen whatever's bunging it up, vibrating the hell out of it, and brute force - bash, pull or lever.

Don't dismiss drop keel boats! Yes, it's frustrating when they jam, but if you keep them moving and always leave a little play they're quite reliable. Even if they stick up, you can still sail, though not as close to the wind. But when they work, you get fin-keel performance for a bilge-keel draught (if that doesn't sound too troll-like!)
 
Could it be the boat has settled on the ground and a stone has been forced between plate and keel?

1. Prepare a hook from stout steel rod and bend the end into a hook. Bend the other end into a handle.

2. Dry out boat on firm sand. Dig in wooden boards at fore and aft of keel to prevent her dropping into the shallow hole you will dig where the plate pivots out.

3. Grope about with hook and locate stone. A sharp tug should shift the bugger.

Continue sailing drop keels as the best, the most picturesque and the cheapest places are those that dry out.
 
You said "trying to drive a sheet of flat steel up it" so I assume you are out of the water. It sounds like it is bunged up if you can not get sheet metal up the sides.

High pressure jet washer and/or vibration. Think of it like driving a pile into the sea bed. They use fast vibration not big hammers. You don't have to vibrate the keel just something embedded into the mud to liquify it.

Careful what you wish for, it might happen just when you don't want it to! Take care.

Do not assume the pivot is intact it might fall out the wrong way! It could also be jammed because the pivot has rotted through and the whole thing has gone forward/backwards and jammed between the stub ends of what is left.
 
Remember the first law of maintenance engineering;
"Before you apply any remedies, try to find out just what the problem is!"

You have been given several possible scenarios. Eliminate them until you know what is causing the jam. Then you can consider possible solutions. Just poking stuff up can make the problem worse or damage the housing.

Does the plate move at all? Can you see light past it? Can you see anything jamming it? Is the pivot in good condition, will it move? Can the pivot be removed? Does the board remove from the top or the bottom? Gather as much data as you can before deciding what to do. Good Luck
 
It sounds like a real b... Most responders are talking about a swing keel. I don't know the boat and wonder if it is not a drop keel as in mine which drops vertically.
My keel is lead in fibreglass foil shaped. When up, the top hits the inside of the cabin roof and drops into a case a bit like a dinghy. Except the keel is lifted by 4 purchase tackle from the cabin top.

The keel drops into a foil shaped hole in the bottom of the hull and when fully retracted can tend to move at of alignment with the hole. The box being rectangular. hence it is easier to drop if not pulled right up.
When dropping the keel the fore and aft trim of the boat is critical as if it is stern down the keel has too much pressure on the aft edge of the hole. When it is down the rectangular top of the keel fits perfectly into the rectangular box of the CB case so is very stable.
My boat has no fixed keel at all (like a dinghy) so can float in very shallow water but is directionally unmanageable without some of the keel extended.
I think the good performance is a result of this good keel arrangement in the keel root area.
Anyway you probably have a swing keel in which case this is not applicable but just in case it is similar or just as a matter of interest.... good luck olewill
 
Had a similar problem on a little sailfish 20 years ago. That has a lift keel in a sealed box, works via a screw. Keel swelled up for some reason (corrosion inside the GRP casing) & was completely jammed 2/3 up. Neither use for man nor beast. Solution - Cut a good bit off the top of the keel box - Got a screw jack in & hey presto - movement downwards. Glassing back together the top of the box easy. Next bit to get keel out, repair & replace a bit of a sod but ok on a little boat (lots of bricks, a jack & a lever job. - keep kids well away !)
 
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