as on her first launch for me in 2003 at lake Coniston she leaked badly around the keel bolt and as I came in to the pontoon and was lifting the keel the mechanism failed and the threaded bar completely stripped the bronze saddle just as I was reaching the top of it's travel---- "THUMP" :shock: went the keel, a noise I wouldn't like to hear again! but this stands as testimony to the strength of the bolt and housing as no other damage was done. I discovered that the mechanism had been previously repaired by a professional marine company, but not properly. I was told the name of the company that did the repair although I was so disgruntled with the whole affair that I put her in the boat yard and left her there for 3 years!!! ..................anyway I have now completed the repair myself and was suprised how easy it was to take out the whole mechanism leaving the keel resting on the trailer with a metal rod through the bolt hole. After getting an engineering company to copy the original I fitted the new one in.
One point though was that I didn't replace the inspection hatch as this was catching on the nuts that hold the "lever/bars" to the saddle instead I opted to fibreglass the whole thing shut. If it goes again I can just cut out in the same spot.
HAPPY ENDING -
New mooring has just been dropped in at her new home Llyn Brenig in N Wales and BeBop will be launched next Sunday - wish me luck!
In answer to another listed topic about getting the boat on it's trailer when keel is down. I found this quite easy as it just swung back as I winched her up the trailer. Good strong winch needed though
Woody