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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Keel Cabel Access

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John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/24/2005 : 15:40:32

I rec'd may keel cable from CD, and hope to replace the old one this weekend. My question is this: How do I access the location where the cable attaches to the keel? Is this done from above or do I crawl underneath?

1987 C 27
#6387

Edited by - on

Happy D
Admiral

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921 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2005 : 19:56:42

Yuo have to craw under the boat. Let the keel down to relieve the strain on the cable first.

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2005 : 21:08:44

Your boat's out of the water, right? Just askin'.

Steve

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2005 : 12:01:31

John,

It's a given that you are out of the water and that you will exercise all caution when working under your boat, right!

Ok then lets determine if the swagged fitting on your cable where it makes up to the keel is small enough to be pulled up from the inside of the boat( it's been 7/8 years since I worked on a swing)and I don't remember. If it is then uncouple it from the keel and while pulling the old cable up use it as a pennant to feed the new cable up.
If on the other hand the cable swagged end won't pass you will have to unwind the cable from the winch and pull it down from under the boat. It might be advisable to tape a line stout enough to the end of the cable to be used later to pull the new cable up.

I'd also suggest that you check the bolt securing the cable to the keel. I had one pull out and deploy the keel. The threaded portion of the keel had over time rusted to the point that it lost its purchase power. NOT A GOOD THING.

There is a possibility the the PO passed the cable on the wrong side of the ball so before you use the old cable as a pennant determine that it is passing on the right side of the ball. I seem to remember that it should pass to the aft side of the ball.

If you do pull the keel/cable bolt be sure to apply some gook to prevent rusting of the threads. Boat Life Polysulfide will do it but avoid 5200. Its bond is difficult to break if at all should you wish to remove the bolt at a later time.

That about does it. Hope all goes well.

Val on the hard DAGNABIT

Edited by - on

John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2005 : 05:14:44

I suppose each boat/trailer configuration can be different. When looking under my hull it look's like it will be questionable if there's enough room between the keel attachment and the hull to work. The keel is resting on it's trailer support.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2005 : 08:34:51

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by John J.
 I suppose each boat/trailer configuration can be different. When looking under my hull it look's like it will be questionable if there's enough room between the keel attachment and the hull to work. The keel is resting on it's trailer support.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
My Trailrite has a board on the keel support, take the board out and there is enough room to work. My keel bolt will not come out so I am leaving it alone. If you brake it then you will need more access than you have.

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ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 03/26/2005 : 11:14:44

IMHO commentary based on my experience follows:

John, there some other things you should look at while you do this.

1) If you have the 'old style' keel fitting (the part that screws into the keel), it should be replaced with the upgraded fitting available from Catalina Direct. The old style fitting can twist, putting the cable fitting in a bind and causing a cable break or fitting failure. The new style fitting has a retaining pin that prevents it from twisting.

Getting the old fitting out of the keel can be a task... plenty of patience, PB-Blaster, and heat may be required. Once you get the fitting broken free, don't try to unscrew it all at once... unscrew it a little bit... then turn back a little bit to prevent rust from binding in the threads... keep the PB Blaster coming while you do this. If you're hasty or unlucky, you can break the old fitting off in the keel.

If that happens, you have to drill out the old fitting... this is a real hassle... it's up to you to decide if you want to take the risk.

At the very least, be sure to thoroughly clean and inspect the existing fitting for wear, corrosion or any signs of cracking. If this fitting fails with the boat in the water and the keel up, it can cause major hull damage and/or sink the boat.

When you put a new fitting in, use plenty of 'Never-Seize' on the threads.

2) Inside the opening in the hull that the keel cable passes through is a 'turning ball'... a little bronze ball on a stainless pin that guides the cable inside the pipe. Over time, these will seize up and get 'sawn through' by the cable. This can cause a variety of big headaches. At a minimum, remove, clean, inspect and lubricate with never-sieze. To get at the turning ball, you must remove the 'keel pipe hose'. (next)

3) The hose that forms the cable 'pipe' should be inspected (and preferably replaced)... with new double-hose clamps at the bottom. If the hose or clamps fail it can give you a sinking feeling.

In my experience, keel pipe/turning ball maintenance is a lot easier with the companionway stairs removed. This step only takes 10 minutes but saves an hour of frustration. Good time to clean and inspect the winch too.

4) When feeding the new cable, have someone under the boat holding as much tension as they can on the wire while it gets spooled (neatly) on the winch drum. A sloppy spooling job can allow the cable to slip under a wrap... which can trap the cable in a 'bind' and get stuck with the keel halfway down (no fun). To spool properly, you'll need to hold tension on the cable while you get everything together or it will 'spring' back into a mess... this part of the job really takes 2 people or some clever rigging.

5) The cable fitting won't pass by the turning ball. The cable must be removed by pulliing it through the opening from the outside or you can cut off the swaged fitting and pull to the inside.

The C25 is pretty easy to lift with a couple hydraulic jacks and appropriate blocking. I put a beam across the trailer rails and a jack under each aft roller support frame to lift mine.

(Note: this works on an EZ-Loader trailer).

Jacking will tilt the roller frame and the rollers themselves will lift the boat. If you're not experienced at safely lifting and blocking big/heavy things (like a C25), find somebody who is to give assistance.

Never depend on a jack for your safety. Always put some 'positive' safety blocking, a jackstand etc. in place to prevent the boat from falling in the event of a jack failure. The few minutes it takes to do this might just might save your life or limb.

Last tip: If you haven't purchased the 'Catalina Owners Bible' from Catalina Direct... do so. It's the best $12 (or so) you'll spend on your boat. Lots of advice, parts, how-to etc.

Edited by - ClamBeach on 03/26/2005 11:22:18

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