Swing Keel Stuck . . . Help, Please !

[Dutty999]

Hi

I'm afraid Im new to this game and as such am here looking for any advice you are able to offer....my issue, is the swing keel on my jeanaue Brio, 21ft. It has for some reason stuck in the keel and wont drop despite encouragement!!! I just cant find any tech info or similar issues on the threads already posted. Can anybody help.....please?

[DaveC]

If the boat is in the water:

Maybe you can loosen the cable a little (only a LITTLE) and swim under it and try to pry on it a little to get it going down? It could be jammed with barnacles or something. Be careful as it could weigh a thousand pounds or more.

The other side of the coin is maybe it's all the way down and the cable is broken so it acts like it won't go down, but in fact it's just the cable that has no weight on it?

[sestina]

Try http://jeanneau.tripod.com/ for help.

[Steve Pope]

Yes dive over the side and make sure that it is jammed and that the pennant isn't broken. If the pennant is broken and it was wire replace it with Dyneema, much kinder to use.
If it is jammed up release the pennant a little and as the previous poster has suggested see if you can wriggle it, it may just be a stone. Try running a longish piece of steel 2inches wide by 1/8th thick along either side of the board, this will soon tell you if something is stuck up there.
Good Luck.

[Boomp]

Mine used to hang up and I'd put a long screwdriver shaft [a thin long rod would work too] through the top of the slot from inside and tap the keel [with a hammer] down. When I had it on the trailer I'd spray some silicone into the moving parts and it worked. I know this old Harley remedy is not popular but pullin on it from below sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

[Will11]

I have a simillar situation with a 1977 Clipper Marine 26'. I read the owners manual, but it does not have any illistration of what they are talking about, i dont know where to look. I attached the winch handle to ativate and it does not come down. it mentions :To lock the keel in place, locate the locking bolt hole. It is a 3/8 inch hole on both side of the keel trunk, located just aft of the pivot bolt.

the locking bolt is 3/8 bolt with two large squares washers and two rubber gaskets. the gasket go on both sides of the keel housing with the washers on the outside of them. Note: this locking bolt is located just above the waterline?????????? To a person that just got thier first sailboat this does not make sense with out a diagram.... Please if any body can tell me or draw a diagram where these are located so I can try to get it down...thx

[S/V_Surya]

OK maybe I can help. I had a clipper 23 that had swing keel stuck along time ago. When it came down it bent locking bolt. Im going by memory now. But the pivot bolt is what the swing keel as it says pivots on at the top of the keel. The locking bolt near water line will stradle the keel when it is up to prevent it from falling and again straddle when down to prevent it from swinging back and forth as boat rides waves. Can you take a picture so maybe I can see it ( if this is not clear)?

[Will11]

Originally Posted by S/V_Surya

OK maybe I can help. I had a clipper 23 that had swing keel stuck along time ago. When it came down it bent locking bolt. Im going by memory now. But the pivot bolt is what the swing keel as it says pivots on at the top of the keel. The locking bolt near water line will stradle the keel when it is up to prevent it from falling and again straddle when down to prevent it from swinging back and forth as boat rides waves. Can you take a picture so maybe I can see it ( if this is not clear)?

Im not clear, is the locking bolt located in the area that the winch is or under the boat on top of the keel area??? Im not going to be at the boat till the weekend, so when I go I can take a pic. Im not sure if its located in that area of the winch, theres a few bolts there. Just dont want to loosen something im not suppose too.....thx

[capngeo]

ASSUMING you have a plastic boat and ASSUMING you are in salt water, and ASSUMING you have checked all the running rig for the swing keel, I'll ASSUME it is fouled with marine growth..... now all this ASSUMING can make an ASS out of U and ME, but I freed one once by packing plastic shopping bags into every underwater opening I could find and pouring a 25% mix of Muriatic acid and fresh water into the hawsepipe from topside.

BE VERY, VERY, CAREFUL! IT IS A DANGEROUS CONCOCTION! (INSERT ALL SORTS OF USUAL EYE/LUNG/SKIN PROTECTION DISCLAIMER HERE)

The acid will eat all the marine growth, and likely spew a foamy noxious froth out of the hawsepipe so protect any surface you don't want eaten by acid. In a couple hours, the keel swung freely.....

The downside: it ate through most of the wire, and I had to replace it... It also ate the anti-fouling paint off (but I guess THAT wasn't working anyhow).

Good luck AND BE CAREFUL!

[S/V_Surya]

Originally Posted by Will11

Im not clear, is the locking bolt located in the area that the winch is or under the boat on top of the keel area??? Im not going to be at the boat till the weekend, so when I go I can take a pic. Im not sure if its located in that area of the winch, theres a few bolts there. Just dont want to loosen something im not suppose too.....thx

On my clipper the keel came up into a enclosure. The winch had a cable attached to pull it up as it rode on the pivot pin. I remeber the locking bolt passing through the enclosure. You should see it on either side of the keel enclosure of course inside the boat near floor above water line or water would come in and sink it.

[Will11]

Originally Posted by S/V_Surya

On my clipper the keel came up into a enclosure. The winch had a cable attached to pull it up as it rode on the pivot pin. I remeber the locking bolt passing through the enclosure. You should see it on either side of the keel enclosure of course inside the boat near floor above water line or water would come in and sink it.

Yes I notice that, It has 3/8 bolt on both sides...So I should lossen that, remove it, and lt should lower it. And once I lower it put the bolt back and lock it in place, correct?

[S/V_Surya]

Yes loosen and remove. Then lower and reinstall. My keel got stuck because I winched it in to hard. When it let go it made the bolt that was straight into a U shape. Be very careful. Loosen cable from winch just a little while you try to free it so when it comes down it does not come crashing down.

[Will11]

Originally Posted by S/V_Surya

Yes loosen and remove. Then lower and reinstall. My keel got stuck because I winched it in to hard. When it let go it made the bolt that was straight into a U shape. Be very careful. Loosen cable from winch just a little while you try to free it so when it comes down it does not come crashing down.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, I really appreciate all your help. I think that will do it, just as a new boat owner its very difficult to go just on reading along with out any illistration of what is what. Once again thank you so much!!!!!!!

[Will11]

Originally Posted by Will11

Thank you, thank you, thank you, I really appreciate all your help. I think that will do it, just as a new boat owner its very difficult to go just on reading along with out any illistration of what is what. Once again thank you so much!!!!!!!

I finally went out yesterday to take care of the keel, had to take the winch off because the cable was jam on the side. Got it handle, removed the locking bolt and alot of water started coming in when i tryed to put it back it continue to leak water. At that point I was freaking out to say the least. Anyways I tryed several things to make it stop, finally got a cork and plug it, but still had water coming in.

After several hours and a trip to west Marine got a epoxy and finally plug the hole with the cork and the epoxy( left the cork in and put the epoxy around was scare to remove cork and have ton f water from comming in). I never got a chance to proceed to get the keel down after the adrenaline rush of having all that water gushing in. But I believe its stuck due to being up so long and in the water.

On my next trip after I recooperate from the scare I will try again. Do you think if I go under water and clean up the hull and the keel and possibly pry it with a pry bar gently it would be a good idea???? also any feed back on puting back the locking bolt????? Or any special caulking to put the locking bolt back and keep it from getting water in????

[Will11]

Originally Posted by S/V_Surya

Yes loosen and remove. Then lower and reinstall. My keel got stuck because I winched it in to hard. When it let go it made the bolt that was straight into a U shape. Be very careful. Loosen cable from winch just a little while you try to free it so when it comes down it does not come crashing down.

I finally went out yesterday to take care of the keel, had to take the winch off because the cable was jam on the side. Got it handle, removed the locking bolt and alot of water started coming in when i tryed to put it back it continue to leak water. At that point I was freaking out to say the least. Anyways I tryed several things to make it stop, finally got a cork and plug it, but still had water coming in.

After several hours and a trip to west Marine got a epoxy and finally plug the hole with the cork and the epoxy( left the cork in and put the epoxy around was scare to remove cork and have ton f water from comming in). I never got a chance to proceed to get the keel down after the adrenaline rush of having all that water gushing in. But I believe its stuck due to being up so long and in the water.

On my next trip after I recooperate from the scare I will try again. Do you think if I go under water and clean up the hull and the keel and possibly pry it with a pry bar gently it would be a good idea???? also any feed back on puting back the locking bolt????? Or any special caulking to put the locking bolt back and keep it from getting water in????