Due to circumstances we have only managed to get Ossie afloat this week for a brief trip to make sure she wouldn't sink, the mast fall down or the keel go through the bottom of the boat! So far so good.

However a close inspection of the keel bolts indicated replacement sooner rather than later! I have read all the previous postings on this subject, latest about 2 years ago. Has anybody replaced the bolts recently and can add anything new to the previous posts?

I plan to lower the keel down so it sits on the central bar of the trailer, then, one a at time release and replace the eyes, having given them the day before a good dose of WD40. I did read comments about the difficulty in getting sufficient leverage on them whilst in the keel box and it would be better to have the keel lifted to get space for a longer "tommy bar". Any thoughts or experience on this?

Stainless or steel. Any thoughts on here?

We have a triple and a double block lifting tackle on a single speed winch but it's hard work! Anybody using a two triple block system on a 325 and are there any problems? I've read the post on have the blocks at right angles to stop and rope on rope friction. Years ago Tim Reader posted that Parkers or a member had a triple and double block system, which worked very well, where the tail "ends in a stopper knot above a hole drilled in the keel box cover". Can anybody throw further light on this? Would the cover be strong enough to support the weight?

Any advice greatfully received

Robin and Maggie Cooter 235 Ossie.

Robin,

We change our keel lifting eyes and rope every 2 years as suggested in the boat manual. We are due to do it next season and use length of pipe that just goes over the eye with a hole through it to take a bolt. At the other end of the pipe is a tommy bar. It has been relatively easy to undo the eye and lift it out. Note that there is probably a washer between the eye and keel top (easily dropped down the keel slot!To prevent things going down the slot and jamming the keel, we stuff out the slot using rags.) The new eye goes back in the reverse way (may be a bit awkward starting the thread and keeping the washer in place) We put a bit of silicon on the tip of the eye thread as this was how we found it the first time we changed the eyes. You may find that new eyes won't tighten in the same alignment as original but can be shimmed out using a different thickness washer.. but a misalignment may not the critical, you will just have to make sure that the blocks lay ok and there is no adverse twisting.
As for using Stainless eyes, I once spoke to Bill Parker about this and he said that you would need a larger diameter eye as s/s is not as strong as steel. It would also be necessary to drill and re-tap the holes in the keel - apparently it can be done but.... We get our replacement eyes from a firm in Ipswich (local to us) that specialises in lifting and safety gear. These are not plated but we have had no problems as we coat the eye, after reassembly, with waterproof grease. After 2 years there is a little rust but nothing significant.

As for the block arrangement, we have a stopper knot at the upper block mounting but don't know if this is the same as you describe. Tarakihi has a 2-speed winch for raising the keel but we also use an "easy winch" that is effectively a winch handle that has a gear box and gives a halving of effort - still a bit of an effort for us oldies and takes a bit longer to wind up the keel. Sadly, the easy winch is no longer made as the owner of the engineering firm who sold it, sold the business but not the winch and then went to California (I think). I have tried to find if he continued making it in the US but to no avail! Don't quite know what we will do if it stops working! If you are using a single speed winch, I can see you might have some trouble...

Hope this helps.

Chris Cobb 23548/Tarakihi

Chris

Many thanks for a really useful post. I will use steel eye and first try my local specialist engineering supplier but if he can't supply I have several Email addresses to follow up on.

I think we may have to bite the bullet and buy a two speed winch, I really don't understand why the first owners, a couple of medics, did not have one. I understand that the 2 speed winch was the standard starboard side winch!

My next problem is that I live in Rugby and the boat is in Brightlingsea and that is a 3 hour drive away. As such I would like to make up the bolt extractor bar at home where I have the workshop facilities for this. Are you able to tell me the inside diameter of the tube that goes over the bolt and the size of the bolt the you pass though the the tube and the eye? Basically what is the size of the eye in the bolt? It would be helpful to know the approximate height of the extractor tube to clear the deck?

Do you grease the bolt thread when you fit it?

With regard to the block set up I will have a closer look at the set up when I fit the bolts. I hope I find ball bearing blocks and that they are properly rove to avoid any rope on rope friction. Time will tell.

Once again thanks for the post.

Robin Cooter 235/11 Ossie

Robin,
My memory is not as good as it was... I should have said that the pipe had a rigging toggle in the end secured by a bolt. My sailing partner has taken some pics of it which I will try to attach.
The pipe is:
600mm long
42 mm diameter
3 mm thick pipe wall

Chris Cobb
235/48
Tarakihi

Chris,

Once again that is really helpful. The dimensions, and particularly the photographs, make everything really clear so that I can reproduce it at home without any difficulty.

Many thanks, Robin Cooter 235/11 Ossie

Just a word of warning about a two speed winch, I ordered one thinking it would make things easier, but in fact this is not the case. Winding in one direction gave a direct drive (for winding in sheets quickly when racing et cetra) and winding in the other gave a gearing similar to the single speed winch. Suggest you carefully check the spec before ordering! My winch was a Lewmar.

PS I have tried a stainless steel eye for the support strop as an experiment, it had the same thread as the steel eye, and doesn't appear to have caused corrosion so far. It is not rated quite as high strength as the steel eye but so far has been ok, presumably safety factors are quite high on these items.

SS eye after 18 months

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