lifting a keel

[tyce]

i have a parker 27 that i would like to lift the keel out of for inspection.
the keel only ways 300lb so i was thinking of using the genoa halyard to lift it out, anyone have any expierience of doing this

 

[paulburton44]

Why not ring Bill at Parker yachts...he is usually very helpfull.

Don't do it when afloat........

 

[fibz99]

www.sealasc.org.uk

Is the seal owners club, all Baker and Parker yachts covered, seem to recall a post on that subject. Very good maitance tips for your yacht on this site.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

Hi,

I have 275 and have had the keel out twice in 10 years.

I don't think the halyard will work very well, the keel moves foreward quite a long way as it comes through the box and will put a very difficult angle on the halyard and as soon as the rollers come out of the box you'll be rubbing the leading and trailing edge of the keel. if and when the keel comes out of the top of the box, it will swing back into the mast and will be very difficult to control, so I wouldn't chance it.

We use a chain block from a roof beam in the club boat shed, but you need quite lot of head room since the keel is approximatly 2m long.

Hope this helps.

cheers
Ian

 

[Seal_surfer]

Tyce, yes this is quite possible as I have done it with my Seal26 which has the 300 pound keel also (although I had heard gossip that the Parker 27 which succeeded it may have a heavier keel).

I spread the load over a Genoa and Spinny halyard from which I hung a mainsheet tackle/jammer attached toward the aft top corner of the keel (safety strop attachment I think). by hauling throuhgh the janner forwards (and also rogging a control line from the forward top corner to the bow) I was able to ease her compeletely out. I laid out lots of old carpet to save scratches to topsides, removed guardwires one side and with a lot of effort slid it over the side and tilted onto waiting tender - yes whilst afloat!!!

A good idea was getting some plastic tube slitted lengthways and slipped over toerail to save any damage.

I did it alone, but it would be much better with help. Just take it slow and regularly check all is running OK - no jamming. I am sure the 27 has no rollers (unlike 275)and is just using plastic guides like the 26 - in fact it is a re-badge plus a couple of inches more freeboard/headroom.

This is described in the Superseal handbook from SSA I think.

 

[tyce]

thankyou very much in deed,
just the info i was after.
thanks again

 

[Bergman]

I would think very carefully

I have taken the keel out of a Parker 31 - which with the wing removed isn't that much heavier than the 27, and I would not use the boat's gear.

Firstly the risk - if anything lets go the damage is likely to be substantial and are you insured for this?

Secondly as Ian Edwards says the lift is not vertical and you will have a problem as the keel clears the box section.

Thisdly what are you intending to do with it when its out - If you try to put it on the ground (assuming you are not afloat) alongside you will place a considerable heeling moment on the boat and may roll off any cradle or blocks. If you put the keel on the deck there is the chance of cosmetic damage.

For the sake of a few quid I would have the thing craned out and back in - cos putting it back could be even trickier.

Wonder whats wrong with it

Best of luck anyway

 

[tyce]

thanks again for advice, i do not think there is anything wrong with the keel, its just that i have just bought the boat and being paranoid as i am with such things i thought i would lift the keel out and see if anything is wrong or if there is anything that requires maintenance.
maybe i should leave well alone

 

[Bergman]

Not sure if the 27 is the same as the 31 so maybe I'm talking rubbish - however

The things I think you need to check are:

The bearing at the front of the keel housing, on the 31 its held by a stainless plate bolted in position. The bearing is made from 2 pieces of nylon and requires no maintenance. If not broken should be ok

There is a roller bearing at the rear of the keel which you can chek by removing the stainless plate on the hull.

With the keel raised you can see the top of 4 nylon plates that lock the keel in the down position - if they are complete and dont move when you push them they are probably ok

The bracket on the top of the keel to which the lifting cables are attached should be in good condition and not rusted or wasted. It should have a galvanic anode connected to it by a fly lead with the anode resting on top of the keel which is in the water with the keel down.

The lifting cables can be checked in position.

That was my routine stuff with the 31 keel - I took it out cos one of the nylon plates that lock it down had broken.

The front bearing on the hull was originally a roller - the 2 nylon plates were a retro-fit - not sure on age of your boat but maybe worth a check - Parkers will sell you the replacementif you need it.

Hope this is some help - I loved the 31 - had it for 13 years - only sold her cos SWMBO and I are getting a bit too old to make the best of a boat like that.

 

[Seal_surfer]

There are very few differences between my Superseal 26 (the last one made before Parkers rebranded the Parker 27)) and yours, mainly extra freeboard and interior trim. They are essentially the same boat as far as I am aware. Therefore, the keel will have none of the rollers and other refinements in larger/later Parkers - it is simply a plain raked daggerboard running directly against the GRP casing and hull aperture at bottom, except for some Acrylate packing/wear strips bolted through the top foot or so. These strips can suffer damage if the keel is just dropped on its lift tackle and the check strop is over long, as they can hit bottom of casing and also damage aperture area underneath. Teach the crew to always ease it down that last bit. I have found /repaired a ragged trailing edge from where the keel has been graunched aft a little, probably due to "testing the bottom" in shoals. Not much else to go wrong.

Just check (via SSA or Parkers - both v helpful) that your keel isn't a bit heavier than 300 lbs.

By lifting from the top aft corner of the keel, the keel stays at a reasonable angle/balance and can be managed as it comes out by having another person to steady it via a check line forward. 300Lbs is not really that much - the weight of a larger sailing dinghy or couple of crew (well it sat on my tender with me on top paddling it ashore OK!!!).