lift keel

[Alan1]

I am thinking of buying a lift keel yacht this spring, probably a Beneteau 311 or Parker 31. Does anyone out there have any experience of this type of boat or can they suggest other s of this type .. Does anyone know of any known problems, things to look out for or just have any experience (good as much as bad) with them?

Regards

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[snowleopard]

potential drawbacks of lift-keel boats include:

-keel gets stuck in up (or occasionally down) position.
-keel not locked in down position so can retract during a knock-down
-stones get in slot when grounding
-difficult to clean/paint inside slot leading to rust/fouling/jamming
-dagger-type keels can damage slot when hitting bottom.

so check your chosen model for these potential problems.

on the plus side:

-able to go where fixed keelers fear to tread
-often deeper than fixed keel version of same model
-swing keel automatically retracts when creeping over the bar while fixed keelers are hard aground
-easy to beach for a tide
-easy access etc when laid up ashore

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[cynthia]

Had a Parker 275, no problems with lift keel. It did lock down, never got any stones lodged etc. The keel rope is best replaced every couple of years and mechanism needs to be maintained at the end of the season. Just make sure you have an electric lift mechanism - we didn't and it really was like a workout in the gymn!



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[amadeus]

Try the Seal Association website, http://www.sealasc.org.uk/ there is a very nice Parker 31 on the For sale board. Lovely boats, very well made, I've just bought a 275. Interestingly when I scraped down the cast iron centre plate there was a crack in the glassfibre rectangular panel at the upper end which allowed water to flow in and out of the centre of the plate. Bill Parker reckoned this wasnt a problem so having repaired the crack I've left a small (drilled) hole. The panel is to keep the weight low down in the plate and is of no structural importance that I can see.

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[muddyfeet]

Recommend Parker Lift Keel Yachts - I had a 325 for six years, the keel and operation (apart from the awkward position indicator) worked faultlessly.
AND you can speak to the designer/builders who were always helpful.

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[sparkie]

Would endorse Cynthia's comments re gym work out- mine is a 750lb lump of cast iron and it sorts the men from the boys. Drying mooring means lowering/raising every trip. Would love to convert to electric but never been able to find a suitable winch.
As with most things in life, pros and cons. For me the shallow draft is the big plus point, I can sneak in and out in 18" of water!

Sparkie


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[charles_reed]

I've had the original pre-production prototype Parker 31 since 1990 and I've done about 35K sea miles in her.

The mast spec is probably suspect and I've had a snapped rudder-blade, but apart from this build quality is outstanding.

Later versions used a lighter keel, a re-positioned (and larger) water tank and PU foam instead of Corex for the sandwich.

Having the lift-keel was ideal for tidal waters and exploring rivers but has proven less valuable in the Med.

The boat is mainly used for single-handing and is very fast in sufficient wind, quite frequently putting 11 miles into the hour and over 200M into 24 hours.

Light weather performance is sluggish due to high wetted area, but windward performance outstanding, with the solent she'll tack through 70 degrees in >F3.
Adding a genniker on a stout sprit has proved valuable for reaching and I'm using a well over-area, fully battened main to get adequate sailing performance in light airs Med conditions.

The hydraulics on the keel need regular maintenance (electric pump and changeover valve) and replacing the original Gori folder by a fixed 2 blader and then an Autoprop vastly improved motoring and motor sailing performance.

The foam PU backed headlining has disintegrated in hot conditions but as a live-aboard for 2 she's proved excellent.

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