Well we've had a fantastic start to the season, the boat has far exceeded our expectations and we have had some cracking sails in and around Poole harbour, but unfortunately I won't be getting any sailing in this weekend.
Our 235, Amainiris sits on a drying mooring and in order to stop her veering so much I was asked to partially drop the keep to give her some stability, which I dutifully did. Unfortunately a couple of tides later I noticed that the keel had been pushed back in to the keel box and was now stuck in the raised position. I waited for some water and then tried to free the keel, with a gentle tap. sadly I had also slackened off the raising rope. Well, the keel free'd and then plummeted to the bottom of the box, snapping a shackle holding the lower set of blocks. Now the keel is stuck in the down position. I have managed to get a couple of halyards on to both keel eye bolts, but daren't put any further force than I already have. I snapped the winch handle!. Now I am planning to have the boat hauled out in a hoist and see if I can unjam it. I am also planning to replace the old 3 x 2 black with a 4 x 3 block system. The keel box is greased currently, so am also considering cleaning this off and replacing with silicone. Any further advice would be really appreciated.
Points to cover:
Unjamming Keel
Keel box lubrication and nylon blocks
Block system
Ideal configuration to reduce veering when on the mooring. ie Keel half down or dodgers on. Not proposing a staysail at this time!
Thanks in advance
Liam

Liam
Sorry to hear about your keel woes. Our 235 dries out and happily sits with the keel right up. We have successfully reduced veering by using an old tyre on the stern. Attaching in a trouble free way took a while to get right but now works well. The lines have spliced loops on either end, those shackled to the tyre also having steel thimbles to reduce chafing. Two holes were cut in the tyre in order to poke through one link of the chain that traverses the inside of the tyre. A refinement was plastic tubing covering the chain making it less attractive to seaweed.

I have made up a 2m line with spring clips spliced on each end and when leaving the mooring simply attach one spring clip to the loop at the stern cleat, pass round the stern, attach the other loop to the same spring clip and walk forward to my mooring buoy, loop through and attach the second clip. Or ... if I have the tender simply drop it in there. It takes longer to explain than it does to do it!

As for releasing the keel ..... a combination of lift from above and levering from below should free it. Current thinking is no grease and lots of silicone on blocks and pulleys. Mine is considerably easier to lift as a result.
Good luck!

Nigel
Little Grebe P235/14

Hi Nigel
Thanks for your response. I will certainly look at this option. Is the tyre attached to the transom with the 2m line when moored and to both stern cleats? As for the silicone, I think that is the way to go. At least I have her afloat and on a deep water mooring so am getting to use her, pending haul out.
Thanks again
Liam

The two lines are permanently attached to the tyre with loops for stern cleats. The separate 2m line is only used to transfer tyre to the mooring buoy or tender. Without it you would need long arms to reach round the raised rudder and it makes it quick as there are no knots required. N

Thanks Nigel and Peter. I have managed to get the keel sorted, with a new set of blocks and a little persuasion from a Manitou, so Amainiris is now back on her mooring. Need to sort out the veeering now!

Hi

a secondary rudder blade attached to the side of the rudder stock will stop this .
several seal have this and it works well.

if any seals out there have this pls send or post a photo on the thread so liam can see how it works

cheers
Peter

Thanks Peter. Have slung a tyre off the transom as Nigel has suggested, but I feel I may need something more, as she continues to veer around.

The slot in the bottom of the keel box matches the profile of the keel but the box is rectangular. By leaving the keel attached to the wire strop it projects a little way and so prevents mud etc being forced into the box when the boat dries out. If the ground is soft the short bit of protruding keel sinks harmlessly in but on hard sand the keel is pushed back. By attaching the keel to the strop it takes the weight off the lifting tackle when the boat is afloat.

this has always worked for me. Peter Scrivens

Thanks Peter. I am finding that I am having to leave out slightly more keel than the strop would allow. It appears some mud and bottom debris did enter the slot and help jam the keel last time, but I now intend to remove all the grease previously applied and replace with silicone, when next hauled out. Hopefully this should reduce amount of dirt that gathered in to the slot.