Southerly32 keel photos

[Mistroma]

Not had a chance to read all the posts but I witnessed a Southerly yacht under repair and from. memory, there were problems with large cracks on the casting and siezed hinge pin so there is evidence that there could be issues with these types of drop keel designs. I was quite shocked to see the extent of the problem and took some pics. If anyone wishes copies of the pics, send me a PM with their details and I will forward them when I return home.

Might have been my old S95 if it was at a yard in Grangemouth. If it was then the "cracks" would refer to the aft end at the top. Original design was poor and a had the lifting bracket as part of the keel casting. Metal was thin and brittle at that point and would snap off if dropped too quickly (metal keel meets metal plate with a bang). Later models had a bracket bolted on to the keel and this was a much better arrangement.

Hinge pin didn't seize on my S95, but I left it down for a whole season on a deep water mooring and did not antifoul inside the keel case. Build up of growth was like a lump of concrete. Never made that mistake again.

You can see the broken section below.
http://www.mistroma1.webspace.virgi...ly_95_images/Southerly95_Keel/KeelBracket.jpg

I'm afraid that I don't have pictures of the original design and they would all have been repaired by late 80s. It had a slot for a locking pin near the trailing edge and that made it even weaker, so bound to break at some point.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Victoria Sponge,

for a start I'm still chuffed with your good news !

I can sort of understand the thread going as it has; when I published something about maintaining and checking the Anderson 22 & 26 lift keels, it was seized on by my detractors as a glaring fault, when in fact it's anything but and I was just trying to pass on tips !

I must say I too am curious as to why a two year old boat needed the keel assembly removed, but there could be all sorts of good reasons, as I say I'm just curious rather than critical.

Thanks x

We had a lift keel and yes it did need maintenance and a couple of times it got stuck, so they can have their problems.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Might have been my old S95 if it was at a yard in Grangemouth. If it was then the "cracks" would refer to the aft end at the top. Original design was poor and a had the lifting bracket as part of the keel casting. Metal was thin and brittle at that point and would snap off if dropped too quickly (metal keel meets metal plate with a bang). Later models had a bracket bolted on to the keel and this was a much better arrangement.

Hinge pin didn't seize on my S95, but I left it down for a whole season on a deep water mooring and did not antifoul inside the keel case. Build up of growth was like a lump of concrete. Never made that mistake again.

You can see the broken section below.
http://www.mistroma1.webspace.virgi...ly_95_images/Southerly95_Keel/KeelBracket.jpg

I'm afraid that I don't have pictures of the original design and they would all have been repaired by late 80s. It had a slot for a locking pin near the trailing edge and that made it even weaker, so bound to break at some point.

The one I saw was in one of the Clyde based repair yards. The damage looked so bad, I think the keel and the "shoe" through which the keel swung, were beyond repair.

 

[Mistroma]

The one I saw was in one of the Clyde based repair yards. The damage looked so bad, I think the keel and the "shoe" through which the keel swung, were beyond repair.

I'd be interested to see pictures. Southerly keels are solid and find it difficult to imagine one getting into a really bad state. Very early ones didn't have bushed bearings and there were some (like mine) with a silly lifting bracket. All the others seemed to be well designed and heavily built.

Perhaps it was dropped on concrete from a few metres