4 generation of keel setup....

Posted By: Steve, Pleiades, CM26, Albuquerque, NM
Date: 2/18/08 4:02p.m.

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In Response To: thanks (pic) (Jake - Cm26 - Portland, OR)

Hi guys, I have been determined to make the keel a "non-issue" and also not take on water. It has been trouble for me from the start but I think I have a solution that will work for me. The pictures you are looking at are 3rd gen, meaning it failed and I had to re-do it. At the end of the season we had a particularly bad storm that put 2-3' waves on our lake and I do not typically leave tension on my keel cable. I have strengthened the front of the keel housing so much that if the keel cable does break it is relatively harmless, and it proved out the Fall. So of course, I had tension on the keel that day and it proved to much for my hack set-up. Anyway, on gen 3 I fastened the 2 x 4's at the ends to the woodwork and even though I drilled holes for the screws it was still enough to put a slight split in the ends of the wood and the 2 x 4's split under load, causing the roller to drop. Since then I have epoxied in small wooden supports to support the 2 x 4s on each end. I also have only the cuts in the wood I need since I know what the dimensions are now. I also fortified the plywood near the aft of the seating area with two 1/4" pieces of plywood to spread the load, that makes 3/4" of plywood for the aft portion. I also hand-picked a piece of 2 x 4 that was the center cut of the tree to get what I hope to be the most solid piece I can get (pine). I bought a 5/8" galvanised steel rod that is used for bow rollers and a bow roller. The rod is at a slight angle pointing torawrd the winch. This arrangement allowed me to raise the keel cable hole and make it smaller (I drilled out & replaced the original). I just finished the 4th gen and feel real good about the fix. I also drilled holes in the "false bilge" from the bottom of the boat(search that little "false bilge" drama) and filled it full of expanding polystyrene foam (waterproof-important-some soak up water). I then ground out the holes with a bevel for better epoxy adhesion & coverage and sealed the holes with a mix of epoxy and cut up fiberglass. This is extremley strong in my experience. This resolves two issues as I see it. If the keel housing ever does crack from a dropped keel again there will be no place for water to enter (search that drama I was talking about). Also, my biggest concern was that the wood in the floor which is exposed in the false bilge was not sealed with polyester resin when the boat was made. Almost everyone's boat has had a keel drop, and it can turn the front of the housing to mush (check with an ice-pick)and leak water into the false bilge (which is sealed up unless you open it). Anyway, the foam expands and is under pressure and this stuff sticks to everything and I now hope the wood is sealed to there will be no rot in the flooring. There is a 1/2" plywood floor in our boats. They were built like tanks, at least mine was. I can't provide pictures right now, as I am in East Tennessee, but when I get back home in a couple weeks I will post a follow-up and the pictures as well. I really like the position of the winch now. I have yet to decide if I prefer sta-set to wire rope, but I and staying with sta-set for now. It fills the tube enought that water does not come in, even under heavy seas and at 6 knots. After 5 years I have a completley dry boat!!!! and I don't bang my shin on the keel cable winch..... Gen 5 will be electric someday, but I am still too cheap. Masterlock makes an electric trailer winch for $100 that is 12 v, will fit in the space of the present winch, and has a manual back-up handle that I have been slobbering over..However, it wants wire-rope, of which I do not want, enough meat-hooks for me. Have fun.