I have recently bought Tamerisk - No 39. She has a winch handle lowering point on the top deck of the boat. This is not very convenient and takes ages to lower and raise the Keel (I had a Swift 18 before which was a speedy 35 turns of the handle). I am aware of other owners who have a system that works with a rope back to a winch in the cockpit. Far easier and quicker. Has anyone converted theirs to work this way? I am not particularly practical so does anyone know anyone who could do this conversion? Thanks in advance Iain

I replaced both the blocks in the keel raising rig with ball-bearing blocks. This (and a bit of grease on the inside of the keel trunk) meant I could raise the keel with about four hearty heaves in the rope - just a few seconds work! The Barton bb blocks had plastic balls which weren't really up to the strain but new ones every couple of seasons kept things going.

Geoff Harwood P21/30