Just noticed there's an article in this month's Practical Boat Owner about doing the mod to fully lift the keel.

Pretty similar to Chris Turner's article  on our website!

Geoff

Parker 21 / 18 Dawn

Interesting.
I have a 4 to 1 rigged along the cabin top, with roller bearing blocks. The keel comes up very easily, one handed. I see that although the article says the keel is easy to lift there is a photo of the winch being used.
My keel does not go quiet fully up, but drying on a hard surface will push the keel if it's needed to rise further.
My own grudge with all of these systems is the hole and trips on the foredeck. Having put a foot down my keelbox when laid up, keel out, last winter I would hate to think of doing that under way!

http://www.parkerseal.or...es/modsmaint/sskeel.aspx 

I've mentioned, Philip, about the 4:1 over the deck. I too can lift it single handed while steering. He can't do that because he has put 2:1 in the keel box (unnecessarily in my view) so the length of rope to pull is twice too long!
The full lift does come at the price of an open hole ... despite the fact that I could have arranged a simple cover while under way, I never bothered and, in the 16 or more years I have had it, I have never fallen down it!
Our 'new' Super Seal at our club dried out on a bit of hard mud the other day and she found the keel box cover round at a right angle after floating again. It had been split under the strain.
Chris. SS 26 (103) Elsa.