Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn't?

ruthhobson

ruthhobson

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Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

Afternoon

We have had a Fox Terrier with a lifting keel for almost 12 months and after a very nice sail on Sunday we were heading back to our jetty making all the usual preparations - fenders, lines, lift keel etc. But the keel was well and truely jammed, as if we had hit something very hard while in reverse /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and believe me I would have notice if we had been screaming around Ullswater quickly in reverse!

So we were stuck can't get to the jetty as there is a 'sand' bar in the way. The keel is not moving at all - up or down. No amount of persuasion even with a hammer was working. The set up is very simple a winch is mounted above the keel and you turn the handleand up she pops (usually)

After due deliberation and lots of suggestions and advice we attempted to get over the bar by heeling the boat over. Managing to establish exactly where the bar was for everyone. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif So now we have a stuck keel and it's looking like we are firmly wedged on the top of the bar at a very jaunty angle /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

This was actually the solution to the problem - everyone who had been leaning out to get us over the bar moved back to the middle of the boat and she slowly began to straighten up putting more weight on to the keel jammed tight into it's box. We were almost upright and then with a plop the keel was free /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I have never seen anyone winch a keel up that quickly before.

She'll be out of the water for a thorough inspection this weekend but we really can see what caused the trouble. The only thing we can think of is that something got in the space between the keel and the box and jammed it.

So .................

Any one had a similar experience?
If you have was there a modification the could prevent the problem?

Cheers.

Ruth
 
Re: Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

For lifting keels to be effective they need to be a good fit, otherwise they slap about.

I suspect if you continue to work it up and down, the mud / fouling or whatever will work its way out.

Alternatively, does it have a hinge pin? Is it lubricated adequately?
 
Re: Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

Lifting keels can be either vertically lifting or swing. on one occasion the tang broke on my vertical lifting keel. The tang was way down in the CB case.
It was not so difficult to run a rope from one sheet winch under the tip o0f keel to the other sheet winch then apply pressure. I was able to lift the keel about half way up to enable repairs to be made at the top of the keel.
This method may give you some ideas. olewill
 
Re: Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

The traditional answer would have been a stone jamming the keel after you'd taken th emud... But inland I don't think so. How does the Foxterrier system work? Amber's runs on a roller at the bottom forward end of the stub keel, and the original design was a bronze roller on a steel axle. Previous owner had that jam up, and gave the symptoms of which you speak. That required removal of the stub and lifting the boat off the lifting keel to fix.... Now has a S/S pin and Bronze roller...
 
Re: Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

Hi

The keel lifts vertically and we have a winch on a metal post. The post (and winch) slot in securely next to the keel box.

The top of the keel looks like an open topped box inside which you can see the keel bolts and where we attach the winch (hope that makes sense). And this all sits inside the keel box.

We think that there is the right amount of room between the keel and the box only a few mm, this is the first time we've had a problem. I think it jammed so firmly because it was wedged at an angle.

Will - I like your method, one to keep in reserve (but fingers crossed it will not be needed).

Thanks for the help.

Ruth
 
Re: Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

My vertically lifting keel gives more trouble dropping down than in lifting. I have found it is sensitive to fore and aft trim of the boat which dictates the angle the keel tries to drop down. My keel 100Kg has a foils shape and emerges from a foil shaped hole but the keel box is rectangular and the keel has a rectangular section on top to stop it falling right through. It is lifted with a 4 purchase rope tackle to a sheet winch on cabin top.
One mod I did was to fit a bolt right through the keel box just above the keel to stop it retracting (in a capsize) (we do saill hard) The bolt was fitted at the aft most point of the keel box and when we run aground this takes the shock of the keel trying to swing back. Before I did that the aft fine edge of the keel got damaged a few times. Now the bolt gets bent.
The boat performs very well and I atribute this to the keel arrangement ie a flat bottom with foil constant chord keel emerging from it. The keel is about 55 cms chord and about 1.5 metres emerging from the hull. (on a 21 fter) (and a similar shaped deep rudder) It floats in about 20cms of water with keel and rudder up. good luck olewill
 
Re: Lifting keel - what do you do if it doesn\'t?

I did wonder if the problem could have occured when it was lowered but HWMBO said it seemed to be fine. But we'll be extra careful in future!

The box arrangement on the top of our keel stops it falling through and we already have two bolts we can use to stop the keel retracting.

Thanks for the advice - hopefully this is a one off!!

Ruth
 
hey

you have a lot of advice but these keels dont get mud stuck like some other keels, but barnicals and stone jam them solid,, my solution has been keep the box clean i use an extented bog brush and a scraper with a long handel and also a window bar scraper for thoughs deap corners,,, and finaly bit greace to lube it but not to much because it gets everywhere,, (a smige to poli****)

colin
 
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