Sirenia - The leak

[CliveG]

Today we put Sirenia in the water for about 3 hours.
There was no evidence of any water around the back of the keelbox where I expected it.
The was a small amount in the locker to the port side of the keelbox.
It appeared to be coming from the front end of the box.
There was no leak from the stern gland.

I think that we need to get the keel out of the box to see what is going on.
That is going to be difficult.
It weighs about 300kg.
it can't be dropped out of the bottom for 2 reasons.
it is sitting on a cross member of the trailer she is on and I have no way of lifting her off the trailer.
There is a large top block on the keel that has been bolted to it for 20 years and for most of that time has been in salt water.
It will have to come out into the cabin if that is possible.
I have e-mailed the Designer Julian Everett to ask his opinion.

 

[Ecosse120]

I have the little sister to your Sirenia (E-Boat) and I have read on the class association of several people that have lifted out the keel on the e-boat (through the cabin if I remember correctly). I do not know the Evolution 25 set up but the E-Boat system sounds similar. If you want me to find out more please let me know. There is also an e-boat yahoo group which may well have similar experiences.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/e-boats/

 

[CliveG]

Thanks for that
Any advice you can find would be helpful.

I have just been looking at the situation.
There is no way that the keel is coming out through the bottom.
The keel bolt heads are way the far gone to expect to be able to undo them.
I think that with a lift from below and removing the starboard compression strut we may be able to lay it over enough to get it out. there will need to be a few Strong chaps around it and some way of controlling it.
Have to put my thinking cap on.

 

[moondancer]

Would hiring an engine crane help? The lift can be quite controllable and being on wheels they get into some difficult places.

 

[CliveG]

That is a thought.
It would have to be small and be able to be dismantled to get it into the cabin.

 

[Sixpence]

I think you can get them with a collapsible frame, but if you need manpower I have a feeling we'll be passing you some time soon with something to return. Never made it to Twickers so couldn't drop off as we had hoped

 

[CliveG]

To get it out as I plan I need to get her on the lorry lift at work and lower her down with a pole under the keel to lift it up as high as it will go.

I did wonder what had happened to you.
I thought that you had got lost.
You have been very quite.

See you soon.

 

[Sixpence]

Had to divert and been busy since getting Sixpence ready

Sounds like that plan should work, though I was thinking of jacking the whole trailer with Sirenia on it, up with bottle jacks or similar, then lowering the trailer with Sirenia supported on steel barrels. But that's only going to work if you could drop the keel out of the bottom

 

[bastonjock]

clive,there was an article a few months back in PBO mag about dropping the keel on a Kelt in order to service the lifting keel.

from memory,the hull was attched to the bottom by about 8 bolts,they removed the bolts one at a time and replaced them with stud bar and nuts,once all of the stud bar was in place,they slackened off the nuts (not the stud bar) and the hull was gently lowered to the ground and the keel exposed.

 

[CliveG]

Matt
I saw that.
Sirenia is a different and much simpler design.
I will take some photos and post them on here tomorrow evening.

 

[DRANNIE]

Is there any argument to suggest that if you are doing a full refit it might the time to sort out the keel bolts and top pan. There have been stories of eboats losing the keel due to bolt failure. I don't know what ecosse thinks of this, It seems my eboat has had the keel pan and bolts renewed. Just a thought.

 

[Ecosse120]

Good point Drannie. I undo mine each year so that I can repaint the keel pan (obviously if I did it properly the first time !!). I also have a gasket between the keel pan and the keel, I put some waterproof car sealer on it to stop it sticking.

 

[CliveG]

Photos as promised

The keel box from starboard

The lift frame
The wire goes over a sheave in the frame and forward to another sheave, down the a block on the top of a hydraulic ram on the forward side of the bulkhead and back up to a fixing by the second sheave.
The keel is as high as it will go on the wire hoist in the photo.

The top of the keel.

Looking down the front of the keel box.

Looking down the back of the keel box.

 

[bastonjock]

and i thought i had problems with my trailer,glive that looks a tough one

 

[Sixpence]

Not a lot I can suggest other than try again from underneath, there's not a lot of room to work inside as I remember