Keel Removal.

[ianandtracey]

Can anybody tell me the weight of the keel??

also what stops water coming in the top of the keel winding mechanism?

The previous owner of Vital Spark didnt look after her at all. Roy from Preston wants his backside kicking so were doing a total strip. renewed all the internal lining, wiring, put in led lights, added bulkheads, new windows, perspex washboards, switch panel, battery, clipper depth, dsc vhf etc.
The list is so long and im only half way there. Its gonna be one lovely boat if it doesnt kill me first. Now renamed "Aries II"

Now, the top stainless plate for the winding gear is bent so decided to go the whole hog and take it all apart and have the keel out. taken all the mechanism apart, found a new bearing and a place to make me a new thicker longer plate. Luckily the boat sits so snug on the rollers that the keel is just touching/resting on rollers also, so the main bolt came out easy.
A friend has teletruck to lift her so were going to lift the boat off, leaving the keel on the trailer, put the keel to one side for an overhaul and block the trailer up a couple of feet then put the boat back on to work inside the keel housing.

A puzzle for me is from the winding hole in the fibreglass, up through the stainless plate then the 'nylon' white bush up to bearing and winch socket, what is there to stop any water ingress. should there have been a rubber seal or two, does a small amount of grease do the job or is the winder above the waterline. there seems too many moving parts to be able to seal the top of the winding mechanism.

Also how much weight are we talking of for the keel to be lifted off the trailer?

[Colne Bar]

I don't know how much the keel weighs, but I do know that the winding hole is just above the static waterline, so a good blob of grease will be a sufficient seal. Any good waterproof grease should do the job.
To prevent excess grease finding its way into the cabin I use a jam-jar lid as a cover for the winder

[ianandtracey]

Thanks. It was the only option really i suppose. boats being lifted this weekend so will find the weight either way. gonna pull the trailer out of the way and use breeze block towers with 6x4 joists to hold her up in the air. should be fun.

[Swift decision]

We recently carried out the keel removal operation. The keel is quite heavy and if not secured will fall over once the hull is raised. I made a steel bracket which clamped to the trailer and held the keel upright. You can fit the bracket having raised the hull a couple of block heights as it will still hold the keel upright.
We used 3 block pillars. Placing the first at the skeg just in front of the outboard opening, with the other two placed outside the trailer just in front of the keel box opening. As a cross support we used steel channel with a length of soft timber and wedges on top.
The whole operation was easy enough to do. The hull was secure and stable in the raised position. Remember to drop the mast first to reduce windage :)

[robvega]

I've got an old magazine report on the Swift when it was first launched in 1982 which quotes the keel weight as 375lbs and the displacement as 1450lbs. I know later boats had a heavier keel and on the home page of this site the displacement is quoted as 1520lbs, 70lbs heavier with the later keel? So the keel weighs either 375lbs on early boats, up to sail number 96 or 445lbs on later boats, I think!!! Thats 170kg and 200kg in new money if you're all modern!!!
Rob

[ianandtracey]

All pulled apart safely.
Thanks for the advice with blocks and waterline, ive done the same thing with the three pillars. She sits lovely.
before lifting i found a small ratchet strap which was just threaded from the rollers up inside keelbox, over the keel and back down the other side. while lifting i took the slack up then just as the keel came clear tightened it up. worked lovely
Bygod the keel is heavy. two of us just lifted it off.
Found two of the three bolts securing the winder mechanism were kaput so its all apart, keel cleaned, kurrust, primer and heading for paint.
All going well.