Keel Diving

[Love MACs]

I had to dive on my boat today. We went out yesterday for a ride and and a swim. Pulled the boat into a beach (if you could call it that..small rocks). When we left the swing keel would not swing, wouldn't come down. Motored back into the Marina and slipped her. I was afraid I might have hit something and broke the keel. So this afternoon I put on my scuba mask and dove down and removed some small pebbles that had lodged in between the keel and its cradle. The pebbles were holding the keel in place. It took five or six dives as I had no tanks and a bit of prying with a long screw driver. I don't think I did any damage Anyone else ever have this happen?

I think I need to anchor a bit farther out when anything but sand is on the "beach".

Allan

[restless]

mud can do this too. Some folk, who keep their boats on tidal moorings have even put a plug and hole at the back of the cb trunk so they can poke a bar down and push it out.

[alanmoor]

I beached my Gulf Coast 19 once and slept on it. When I got up the next morning the keel would not go down. It was a 150 lb keel and even beating on it wouldn't let it drop. I had to take the boat out of the water, take the boat off the trailer, and get the keel down that way. It was quite an ordeal.

[Zoran]

Few times I am beached my X, centerbord, engine and rudders are up all the way of course. As I am beaching on fine sand or mud only the centerboard is allways stuck in the well when I am back floating. Al l do is go out full speed for about a minute or two and water will rinse the sand out, then slow down, drop the centerboard, rise the sails and go sailing happily ever after. Works for me every time. I am not sure it will work with gravel, but on the other hand I would never beach on gravel as it will likely leave the damage on the boat hull.

[puggsy]

When beaching, have you thought about a canvas 'patch' over the keel slot...just like the old sailing ships used for patching a holed hull...held in place by four ropes...should stop all the small rocks from jamming there.

[Chinook]

We had a problem with centerboard sticking and not dropping. It turned out to be due to a piece of driftwood that somehow got jammed up into the trunk by the retracted board. It was a real challenge to remove.

[vizwhiz]

It was a real challenge to remove.

Required some moose antler, didn't it?

[restless]

obviously not got a henweigh fitted.

[David Mellon]

I had the same issue with my Oday 17'. I pulled her over with the main halyard and found rocks in my centerboard trunk also. I'm thinking beaching just isn't a great idea. Take a few steps in the shallows instead.