qbot2
posted 23 March 2002 04:34 PM
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Hi all,
I have just got a lifting keel sonata. One of the jobs I have to do is free off the lifting keel. The keel blade is in the up position at the moment, probably for about two years! Has any of you done this job? Are there any tips for me, before I start using brute force?
Cheers,
Austin Holden
qbot2@aol.com
qbot2
posted 15 May 2002 05:19 PM
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My swing keel is still stuck, although I have now removed the keel bolt with a large hammer and a cold chisel.
A technique that has been suggested to me is to attatch a winch to the yard cradle, at the back of the boat, and then put tension on a line taken to the rear of the keel blade, then carefully tap the blade at the rear and through the pivot bolt hole. I’ll let you know how I go on.
Cheers, Austin Holden.
GORDON
posted 19 May 2002 10:26 PM
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Some weeks ago my swing keel fell off. The forst sign that something was wrong was when we tried to winch it up…It was very heavy..then suddenly all weight was gone. I asumed that the shackle on the end of the uplift rope had parted and the swingkeel would still be there. When we took the boat out of the water however Swingtime was sitting neatly on her stub with no sign of a lifting keel what so ever. A quick check of the nylon pin showed it to be intact so the dissapearing swing keel is a complete mystery.
I have just received my new swingkeel and new pin from Hunter Boats (I anticipated that the old pin might get a bit chewed up getting it out) I have tried to slide the new swingkeel in from the back of the stub but it gets stock about one third of the way in…..I assume you have sorted your problem by now and wonder if you have any thoughts that might help me get the new lump of cast iron in !!
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musicm
Our keel has been stuck ever since we moved to a drying out moorings – has any of you guys any success getting it released. Otherwise I assume we’re going to have to do something once it’s out of the water for the winter
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Administrator
Looks like this is a recurring problem. If any of you want to write an article for the web site after all the banging and winching is over then I’ll publish it in the hints and tips section. In fact, we don’t have much on the website about lifting keel sonatas so articles on any relevant topics would be welcome.
Jack Hardie
timowen
When I bought my lifting keel Sonata the cradle had been modified so that car jacks could be used to raise the boat 3 or 4 inches. I was told that it was to enable the keel to be dropped to service the pivot annually (!). I don’t have the cradle now, but it sounds like a useful facility. If anyone is interested in the mods I think I know where the cradle is now.
BrianBrowne
Looks like this is a recurring problem. If any of you want to write an article for the web site after all the banging and winching is over then I’ll publish it in the hints and tips section. In fact, we don’t have much on the website about lifting keel sonatas so articles on any relevant topics would be welcome.Jack Hardie
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I managed to free mine whilst afloat by making a hi-tec freeing device. Basically two oars with an 8 foot rope tieing the ends together. With 2 people holding each oar on either side of the boat, it is easy to slide the rope along the underneath of the hull until it is stopped by the lift keel stub housing. If both people then push down the rope catches on the end of the lift keel blade and it can be pushed down.
I had to do this every time I dried out in soft mud.
Brian
keiron fraser
When I bought my lift keeler we had to road transport the boat from Eastbourne to the Orwell. As a result we had to force the keel which was stuck half down, back in to the casing on the hull. I had a go at moving it with a large crowbar and a block of wood without success. I was doing some other work and had the boat put in a cradle after unloading and managed to release the keel using a ratchet tie down round the section of keel sticking out of the casing attached to the cradle frame. I just kept the tie down as tight as possible and tapped the keel. It took a while and some whacking with a lump hammer but I did free it up. Keel sticking seems to be a big problem with these boats. I am going to drop mine this winter and hopefully sandblast the plate and casing to remove the corrosion. But if anyone has found a long term fix for this I would be interested.
Cheers Keiron
Rob
I take my lifting keel out each winter lay up once the boat is on its cradle without too many probs. I scrape out the mastic, and knock the nylon pin out using a 6″ bolt (held by a mole wrench!) and heavy hammer. If the keel is stuck, I take the head off a pick-axe, and put its blade end under the keel. Put a length of scaffold pole onto the pointed end, and the curvature of the pick head then allows a good force to shift the keel up and down to unstick it. Take the winching wire off its D-shackle, and feed a length of rope through the shackle and back beyond the stern. Then with someone hauling back on the rope, while you waggle the keel up and down with the pick head, it pulls out ok.
(Can even be done single-handed by knotting the rope as a loop round your back, and leaning back as you waggle, if you’re stuck short-handed!)
For cleaning out the casing, I’ve bolted a wire brush firmly onto a length of wood, bent the brush wires outwards like a centre-parting, and that pushes backwards and forwards to clean each inner face, with some WD40 as required. Cleaning off the keel itself is straightforward. I leave it out over winter, then anti-foul and slide it back in near crane-in. Again if needed the pick-axe head pointy end can align the keel and casing holes from one side while you knock in the pin from the other, then mastic/filler a smooth finish to the hole.
Rob
keiron fraser
How much do the lifting keels actually weigh roughly when you get them out. Can 2 people lift them quite easily? I have to drop mine out and don’t like surprises!
Dave Horrocks
I’ve recently bought a lift keel Sonata that suffers from the same problem – clearly common. Fortunatly the guy I purchased from was well used to it and supplied with the boat his own solution. A flexible metal rod with U shaped brass fitting on the end that is narrow enough to pass down the plastic pipe beside the cable to the top aft edge of the keel plate. The brass end engages with the top edge and a gentle tap with a wooden block or mallet usually does the trick.
You do need to be careful that the rod has travelled right down to the plate – its possible to end up bashing away at the edge of the hull instead – presumably not recommended.
Pete Sopowski
We have got our lifting keel down and now it moves easily. We did not want to lift Summersong out and into the yard because the yard cradle has started to disintegrate and it would mean we would be stuck in the yard until lift-in in April 07!! Also lift out and lift in costs
calkin
posted 15 May 2002 12:42 PM
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‘Seasprite’ is faced with the same problem. Have you been successful in freeing the keel on your boat yet? If so were you able to do it without paying to have the boat lifted in a sling?