lifting keels

[tonyc]

The iron lifting keel on my Feeling 920 is stuck. After lifting out on a sling I freed it off, cleaned off and antifouled, oiled the pivot point and it worked. But three weeks later it has stuck again. I think the problem is a corroded pivot point which is up inside the stub keel. Has anyone any suggestions on how to undertake a replacement? Any Feeling experts out there?

 

[billmacfarlane]

If it's anything like my recently sold Jeanneau the pivot point might be inside the keel but access to it was from the outsude of the keel. The pivot bearing was countersunk from the outside and glassed over. I got my local boatyard to knock it out, clean it up and put it back again.

 

[Guest]

I had a 920 with a similar problem. Inside the keel box there are two round guides which keep the keel in a central position. Over time these had obviously worn through the external protection causing the keel to rust in an arc shape corresponding to the location of the guides. The rust increased the width of the keel which then jammed between the guides.

You can get at the keel from inside by unbolting the table and sliding it up out of the way - a broom handle and mallet down the slot will usually free it up. Be very careful to re-fix the table firmly as sea water will slop up the casing and into the cabin in choppy conditions.

A more permanent solution which I eventually resorted to is to remove the keel and have it stripped and re-galvanised; never stuck again after that.

While you are doing that, it would be a good idea to replace the pivot pin, corroded or not - it isn't something you would want to fail on you!

 

[tonyc]

Thank you Richard - reassuring to know it is a common problem. How did you drop the keel? Did you break through the glassed in stub keel as Bill suggests?

 

[Guest]

Sorry, can't help with that bit. Don't trust my mechanical skills sufficiently, so let the boatyard do it for me. The bill wasn't huge though so it can't have been too difficult a job.