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Author Keel cable broke!
Chris Achtschin
Middlesex, NY

Boat Name: Whatever

Model/Year: catalina 22 '81

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Canandaigua Lake, NY
07/25/2006 7:00 AM Pacific Time

While on my way to go out to sail, I attempted to lower the keel and heard a clunk...then a thud!
Well, you know the rest of the story.
I am now at my dock with the keel forever down, some help would be appreciated.

I have heard about using a trailor strap anchored around the jib wenches to bring the keel back up. Wont the keel slip off the strap at a certain point?
Is there any way to motor to the boat launch and use the trailor to bring the keel back up?
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris
Vic
Indianapolis, Indiana

Boat Name: Summer Zamboni

Model/Year: 1985?

Hull No. 13100

Hailing Port: Geist Marina, Indianapolis
07/25/2006 8:36 AM Pacific Time

Chris-- The same thing has happened to me this year. I am going to hire a scuba diver to try to re-attach a new keel cable to the keel while it is in the water. Since it is a royal pain to change the keel cable on dry land (as you must lift the boat to get to it) I figure that it will be just as cheap (expensive) to fix it in the water.

I thought about the strap, but I was concerned that the weight of the keel would make "strapping it up" a real chore without a team of large deck apes to help me pull.

Good luck and I would appreciate any suggestions that you receive.
Garrett
Phoenix, AZ

Boat Name: "Sting"

Model/Year: C22 1974

Hull No. 3627

Hailing Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
07/25/2006 9:41 AM Pacific Time

BUMMER!

This happened to a friend, the ramp at our lake is steep enough, that he was able to get the trailer winch to the boweye, and pulll the boat up onto the trailer, as the keel moved forward, it contacted the back of the trailer/roller and came up with the boat as it moved forward...

GOOD LUCK!

Garrett
Fred Apstein
Gabriola Is BC

Boat Name: Scruples

Model/Year: 1976

Hull No. 95

Hailing Port: Gabriola Is BC
07/25/2006 11:38 PM Pacific Time

Folks,

The keel is really not that heavy, especially in the water and only lifting one end.

It weighs 500 lbs on dry land. The water it displaces is at least 50 Lbs, and the pivot pin holds half the weight, so you only need to lift a little over 200 lbs. Sling a line under the keel as you haul it onto the trailer as usual. If it slips, it will slip slowly forward. Pull (with a friend or two if they'll work for beer), as the boat goes onto the trailer.

I found that when I dropped the trailer front wheel/jack as far as it would go, blocked the stern with a couple of metal barrels and wedges (and plywood, and whatever it takes to fill the space) , and then jacked up the front of the trailer, it lifted the stern fee of the trailer enough to easily work on the keel attachment in the driveway.

Half the fun of a C22 is that it's a small, relatively light boat that can be lifted and moved without big machinery.
Artur Piotrowski
Burlington, Ct

Boat Name: Spirit

Model/Year: C22 1986

Hull No. 13485

Hailing Port: Bantam, Ct
07/26/2006 5:56 AM Pacific Time

If you have access to a steep ramp, go for the option with the trailer and then fix the cable on land. Folks, could you share with us more details, how old was the cable when it broke and where exactly it happened? Usually, people report the weak spot to be 1-2 inches above the swage. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks and good luck.

"Spirit" #13485
Dick King
Melbourne, FL

Boat Name: Twilight Zone

Model/Year: Sport/2005

Hull No. 15546

Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL
07/26/2006 6:45 AM Pacific Time

Hi Chris - Welcome to the "broken" keel cable club. Without inspecting it closely, it will be difficult to tell exactly what happend and affect the appropriate repair. The cable could have broken, the clevis pin could have come loose or the eye bolt may have failed.

You should haul the boat. The first time it happend to me, I was able to get to a marina that had a big forklift that they used for launching and rack storing powerboats. With the keel fully down, I backed into the forklift slip over the forks of the lift. They picked the boat up and placed it on jack stands for me. It turned out that the keel eyebolt had snapped off where it screws into the keel. Good old galvanic corrosion had been at work. I had to have the eyebolt replaced, a task that could not have been accomplished underwater.

The second time it happened, I had just launched the boat and was trying to move away from the ramp before I lowered the keel. However the boat would not move. We shortly discovered we were anchored by keel. We were stuck at the ramp. We tried the lift-the-keel-with-a-line trick, to no avail. The line kept slipping sliding up the leading edge of the keel. My crew (God bless him) went over the side with one of the 3/8 inch jib sheets, swan under the boat, reached down into the awful muck on the bottom and tied the sheet around the lower end of the keel. We were then able to winch the two ends of the sheet and bring the keel up about 1/2 to 3/4s of the way.

I backed the trailer in as deep as I could and hauled the boat on to the trailer. My trailer had a rear cross bar that pushed the keel up as it dragged over the cross bar. After we hauled out, I discovered two things.

First, the filler on the leading edge of the keel had been badly damaged by dragging it over the cross bar. Lesson Learned. If you have to use the drag on method, wrap the trailer cross bar heavily with an old blanket or towels or whatever you can find to prevent the edge of the cross bar from contacting the keel.

The second thing I discovered was that the head of the eye bolt had broken off right across the hole in the eyebolt. Again, the repair could not have been affected under water. On close examination of the eyebolt, I found evidence of a crack in the head that had propgated right across the center of the head.

I highly recommend that when you are inspecting/changing the keel hanger bolts, check the head of the keel eye bolt as well. It could save you a lot of pain later.

Finally, when you raise your keel, be careful not to raise it so high that it jams into the bottom of the boat. This coused shock loading to the whole keel raising system which WILL cause eventuall failure of the weakest link in the system. Count the winch handle turns when you lowering the keel, so you can raise it that many. When you get close to the end of the number required, turn the winch handle very slowly until you feel the resistance begn to increase. Back off a half a turn and call it up. This procedure will prevent undue tension on the cable and the eyebolt.
Chris Achtschin
Middlesex, NY

Boat Name: Whatever

Model/Year: catalina 22 '81

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Canandaigua Lake, NY
07/26/2006 12:40 PM Pacific Time

Thanks to all who have responded!
I purchased the boat about 5 years ago, I think the Keel cable is the 1981 original.
My wife dove down (I am blessed!) and advised that there was about one foot of cable left connected to the keel.
I presently have a strap under the boat going around the jib wenches. There is alot of resistance but it seems the keel is raising a little bit.
I will have to wait till this weekend to have someone dive and see where the strap is located.
I wonder if a combination of strap and trailor method can be used.
I'm going to check my trailor and see the possibilities. I cant do anything till next week when the ramp will not be as browded.
Thanks for the suggestion of wrapping the trailor with rags/towels.
Thanks to all, I'll keep you advised.

Chris
Fred Apstein
Gabriola Is BC

Boat Name: Scruples

Model/Year: 1976

Hull No. 95

Hailing Port: Gabriola Is BC
07/27/2006 10:15 PM Pacific Time

Good suggestion to put something on the trailer cross bar as you drag it up.

If you can split a piece of black plastic pipe (the kind that comes in big rolls and is like hard rubber, not the rigid section kind) and put it over the crossbar, it will last for years and protect both the trailer and keel, as well as make things slide more easily.

If you split the pipe on your table saw, DON'T cut the last inch of pipe. If you do it will pinch the blade and kick back at around the speed of light, causing serious injury to people and things in the way. This is the voice of experience. Luckily I was off to one side, but the window behind me dissapeared so thouroughly that it took a while to realize it was gone. It was as if the pipe had vanished by magic.

It sounds crazy, but it's safe to cut the pipe up to that last inch, then finish it with a hack saw or sabre saw.

Always stand off the the side when cutting anything on a table saw if possible. Kickbacks happen with all kinds of material.
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA

Boat Name: SAILYNN

Model/Year: SWING 1984

Hull No. 11994

Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA
07/28/2006 9:19 PM Pacific Time

I bought my 73 #2431 boat in the water with a broken keel cable. Used a sheet line for the width of the boat and tied another sheet line in the center. If you laid it out it looked like a "T". Line went underneath the keel with the two ends side to side to the winches. The other line was used to keep the line from slipping off the keel as it winched up. Took two people, but it winched up like a dream. You're going to have to haul the boat and do some inspecting, so don't pay a diver and save the money for a new cable or parts you will need. The cheapest and easiest way to get to the connections is jack down the front or your trailer to raise the rear and block it up. Other options are a forklift, a boat lift, or an A Frame to lift the trailer as described in earlier posts.
Chris Achtschin
Middlesex, NY

Boat Name: Whatever

Model/Year: catalina 22 '81

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Canandaigua Lake, NY
07/29/2006 6:38 AM Pacific Time

Lynn,
Thanks for the idea of the "T" line.
Does the line in the middle, the verticle part of the "T", go towards the front of the boat to keep the line across the boat from slipping off the keel?
Thanks,
Chris
steve smith
rothesay nb canada

Boat Name: all hours

Model/Year: 1975?

Hull No. 4928

Hailing Port: rothesay yacht club
07/29/2006 9:44 AM Pacific Time

Hi all,our cable snapped at the mooring a week after bouncing over a rock.Like trying to pull a string in half,forget it, but put your fists together and snap it,no problem.It sheared right at the swage,so I would stongly suggest pulling the boat out and replace the cable if you hit something solid,even if you think it MIGHT be ok.
I don't use a keel lock down bolt just for that reason.In fact I tossed it in a drawer and had the hole glassed over by a pro.
Oh yeah,repair,cable replaced by diver friend,for pizza and beer.
Cheers!
Lynn Buchanan
Nevada City, CA

Boat Name: SAILYNN

Model/Year: SWING 1984

Hull No. 11994

Hailing Port: SCOTTS FLAT LAKE, CA
07/30/2006 11:57 PM Pacific Time

It was almost ten years ago, but I barely remember the line wanted to move forward and slip off the front of the keel as it was wound up by the winches. So we had the T part come up over the stern under the traveller.

We had thought about using straps brought to the topside, tie the main halyard to the three strap ends and use the mainhalyard and winch to raise the keel with the broken keel cable as a second alternative if the first genius idea didn't work, but it did. After we got the boat on a borrowed trailor and to the parking lot it was a fight to keep the swarms of gulls and local birds away from the six inches of edible sea urcen crawing, falling and being scraped to the ground by my faithfull crew. It was quite a sight and a good story to tell when people ask about the boat..
David J. Pierce
Sunset, Louisiana

Boat Name: Little Miracles

Model/Year: 1985

Hull No. 12822

Hailing Port: Cypermort Point, Louisiana
07/31/2006 6:33 AM Pacific Time

Getting the boat off of the trailer is no big deal if you have a hard surface area in which to work. I use 60 - 6" X 6" x 12" cinder blocks, 1 - 6" X 6" X 12' pressure treated timber, 2 - 6" X 6" X 8' presure treated tembers, some carpet padding, 2 - welcome mats, and a 5 ton hydrolic jack to elevate the boat above the trailer. The boat can be elevated as high above the hard as is necessary to accomplish any task.

The cinder blocks are stacked on each side of the trailer just high enough to allow the timbers topped with a rolled carpet pad and covered with a welcome mat to be inserted beneath the hull. The 12' timber is placed in front of the trailer wheels if the trailer is to be removed.

Once the cinder blocks and timbers are in place, the hydrolic jack is used to lift the timber by alternately jacking from the port and starbord sides. As the sides are jacked, additional cinder blocks can be added and the process repeated until the hull and timbers clear the trailer. After the trailer is removed, I stack another set of cinder blocks and use the other 6" X 6" X 8' timber to reduce the width of the footprint on my driveway.

I have my C-22 elevated 6' above the driveway. This requires 24 cinder blocks per timber plus an additional 12 cinder blocks for jack supports.

This process can also be used when removing and reinstalling the keel, as the boat can be lowered to the point that the keel will rest on a heavy duty furniture roller modified to provide a cradle for the keel. Once the keel is resting on the cradle, the hangers and keel cable can be disconnected. The hull is then elevated to clear the keel and then the keel can be rolled from beneath the hull. If this process is going to be used on a rough surface, 1/2 " plywood can be placed under the boat to provide a smooth surface on which the keel cradle can be rolled.

The entire set-up cast less than $150 and can be re-used. If you are just going to replace the keel cable, the set-up is much cheaper, since only the rear of the hull must be elevated to allow the eye bolt to be accessed.

When not in use, I stack the cinder blocks to form a partition wall around my garbage cans. The timbers can be stored in the weather, but not in contact with the ground.
Dick King
Melbourne, FL

Boat Name: Twilight Zone

Model/Year: Sport/2005

Hull No. 15546

Hailing Port: Melbourne, FL
08/01/2006 3:27 AM Pacific Time

David - I would be very concerned about the stability of a 6 ft column of cinder blocks. Aren't you?
David J. Pierce
Sunset, Louisiana

Boat Name: Little Miracles

Model/Year: 1985

Hull No. 12822

Hailing Port: Cypermort Point, Louisiana
08/01/2006 8:30 AM Pacific Time

Each column is constructed by stacking two cinder blocks on their sides with the next pair oriented 90 degrees from the first. It is very stable, although I would not leave the boat on blocks in a huricane.
Vic
Indianapolis, Indiana

Boat Name: Summer Zamboni

Model/Year: 1985?

Hull No. 13100

Hailing Port: Geist Marina, Indianapolis
08/02/2006 6:01 AM Pacific Time

A Happy Ending-- I got it fixed.

I was a little concerned about fixing the cable on dry land, so I decided to fix it in the water. I called gentleman I know on the local police Dive squad team, figuring that almost every officer I have ever known is always looking for some extra cash. He graciously agreed to help fix it, and I graciously agreed to pay him $100.00 for doing so.

We met at the boat, at its mooring, and had everything finished in about 45 minutes, of which only about 15 was actually spent under water by him. He wore a magnet to hol on to the parts and had a little trouble shoving the new clevis pin through the hole in the keel. Having a small hammer would have probably helped.

Otherwise, everything went smooth as clockwork. The money I paid him was a great investment as I would have spent probably almost as much in Cinder blocks, and time to haul the boat out of the water.

Vic
Summer Zamboni #13100
Fred Apstein
Gabriola Is BC

Boat Name: Scruples

Model/Year: 1976

Hull No. 95

Hailing Port: Gabriola Is BC
08/02/2006 6:01 PM Pacific Time

Vic,

It sounds like quickest way to get sailing before Summer gets away from us.

Good Work!!!
Chris Achtschin
Middlesex, NY

Boat Name: Whatever

Model/Year: catalina 22 '81

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Canandaigua Lake, NY
08/03/2006 6:05 AM Pacific Time

Finally got the boat out of the water.
Used 2 trailor straps, 1 anchored through and around the jib wenches, another anchored to the stanchons just in front of the cabin.
we raised using the most rear strap while keeping the slack with the forward strap.
when the rear strap eventually slipped off the keel, the forward strap was there to catch it.
Never had to raise the keel up any more, it was high enough to get the boat on to the trailor at the launch.
The parts just came in from Catalina!
Thanks for the help!
Chris
Chris Achtschin
Middlesex, NY

Boat Name: Whatever

Model/Year: catalina 22 '81

Hull No.

Hailing Port: Canandaigua Lake, NY
08/04/2006 11:02 AM Pacific Time

The boat is back in the water...all fixed!
Thanks again for all the comments and help!
Chris
 
 
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