Lifting keel problem

[broadcaster]

We have a lifting keel Gib'Sea 76 and it was lifted out today at the brokers to be sold. It all looked good until I noticed the pin holding the lifting keel in, there are two big chunks missings from each side of the stub keel where the pin is fixed and the pin itself seems to have worn through on one side and is now twisted in the hole. The hole in each side of the stub keel seems very worn as well. Is it normal that when the pin is welded in, the hole is epoxied over or something as the bits missing seem to be the same size and shape. They weren't there 18 months ago.

How do they normally fix this as I didn't think you could weld cast iron very easily to get a new pin in.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Andy

 

[mirabriani]

Sounds like a bodged repair.

The pin and pivots can wear if subjected to sand and mud
as it can be the consistancy of grinding paste.

It sounds as if you need an expert or at least a knowledgable
person to have a look.

It might be possible to drill out a fit a larger pivot pin.

Hope this helps

Regards Briani

 

[brianhumber]

From your desription it sounds as if stub needs an extensive repair as well as a new pin fitted into it and matched to possibly reamed out holes.

You can weld cast iron by the use of gas torches and cast Iron Rods and Fluxes, or stitch using metalock process. Sounds as if you need to get some specialist advise from more more than one source in order to help you. Have a chat to a surveyor who knows about metals and metal repairs would be a good starting point if you do not have this type of knowledge.

 

[broadcaster]

I have now found out that the chunks missing from the stub keel are meant to be missing. A stainless steel rod is pushed through the holes in the stub keel and through the lifting keel. At each end of the rod, bolts are screwed in with large washers. The heads of the bolts are recessed into the cut outs in the stub keel and then the whole thing is made flush with filler.

When I cleaned all the filler out, the bits missing from the stub keel were actually a perfect shape on both sides.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[snowleopard]

on my swing-keel sonata, the swinging section weighed around 70kg. the pivot pin was a 1" dia nylon rod driven into the outer keel and loose in the hole in the moving part. i was amazed that after 20 years heavy use there was virtually no visible wear.