I am going to ask Clyde Marina to lift out the keel from my 285 this winter. It seemed the easiest way to check it and replace the eyebolts and then antifoul.

Apart from being very careful ! in the lift, are there any tips which would help removal and replacement?

Thanks

Bob S

Teal 285/74

Hi Bob,

I have a Parker 275. When it comes to keel maintenance, if your boat is ashore on blocks it is quite straightforward to change the eye bolts without removing the keel, if you wish to proceed this way. You may wish to remove the keel to inspect the sliders attached to the keel, though I have not felt the need to do this in over twenty years of ownership.

To change the eye bolts

1. Raise the keel as usual.

2. Cut a length of wood to so you can wedge the keel from the ground below and well up into the keel box, to support the keel.

3. Slacken your usual keep uphaul wire/line, remove the keel box cover on the deck and undo the shackles around the eye bolts. It is a bit fiddly but your patience will be rewarded.

4. Now remove the keel eye bolts. An easy way to do this, is to get a long metal tube of the correct diameter so you can bash one end to make an oval that will fit over the eye of the bolt. Drill a hole at the other end and insert a tommy bar. Lower the oval down the keel box slot over the eye bolt, turn your tommy bar and in moments the bolts will be out.

5. The wear on the bolts is usually around the eye itself, not on the threads. When inserting your new eye bolts, be sure to smear the threads with copper grease to eliminate corrosion and have an easy time removing the bolts next time. Don't worry, the bolts will not work themselves out on their own.

Antifouling of the keel

If your keel is up when on your berth or mooring, you will find that being dry most of the time means that not much maintenance is required. My boat is ashore on blocks for just six weeks of the year and I can drop the keel just over half way down. I will measure it next time she comes out, which is next week. I'm always surprised how the upper half of the visible keel is in good condition and even the lower part doesn't need much attention. The main areas to maintain are the leading edge and underneath the bottom. I now only give the upper visible part one coat of antifoul each year as it doesn't need any more. I apply two coats to the lower part of the keel.

In summary, if you would like to save a few pennies, don't feel that removing the keel is a routine necessity. It's rarely done and usually only when there is either significant clunking if the guides have worn or when the antifoul has built up so much that a good blast is required. If you'd still like to go ahead and talk to someone about how it went, the only recent case I can think of in my part of the world is Parker 275 Speedwell. Do look them up in the member's handbook and give them a call. They are very friendly and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to chat with you about their experience.

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Thanks Ken as always. I shall certainly have a good look at the keel once it is fully lowered. I think the 10mm ring bolt and 12mm ring nut have been mentioned before somewhere on the forum with Wichard stainless steel being suggested as a replacement. Do you have any thoughts on that.

Cheers

Bob

I'm back with measurements. When Vol-au-vent is on her berth, the keel is left raised and does not suffer from fouling. Look at the photo showing the keel after lift out and with no pressure wash, scraping or anything at all. The colour change is there because we are often sailing or motoring at half keel. Our tell tale wire strop can be pinned either all the way up or halfway up, through an extra eye at roughly half way position. This then gives the dyneema lifting line a nice easy life once raising and lowering is complete. The fixed position of the extra eye in the tell tale strop means the dividing line visible between half and full keel is well defined.

The boat is resting on three large blocks of wood fore and aft. In this position:

- The top dark keel section is 0.35 metres high

- The lower lighter keel section is 0.44 metres high

Given the always decent state of the keel, I have not seen the need to lift out the keel and I’ve learned that just one coat of anit-foul paint is sufficient.

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Hi Ken,

Excuse the delay in replying. The keel was removed and although not too bad (sorry don't seem to be able to upload the photo), there were quite a few areas of rust including the base and leading edge. I have arranged to have it sand blasted, treated with epoxy and will antifoul it as you suggested. The bolts were both eyebolts and have been renewed.

Thank you again for your advice.

Bob

Hi Ken and others

Having removed the keel from Teal and had it sand blasted, the Marine tell me the two previous eyebolts were M16. The new SS ones they have sourced are M16, (Wichard only make up to M12) but the aft one cannot be inserted as it catches on the housing. Has anyone else had this problem? The yard have asked "When they refer to M10 & M12 are the talking diameter of the metal making the eye loop?"

Any comments would be welcome.

Thanks

Bob

Hi Bob, I’m not able to confirm the size of my eye bolts as the contents of my garage are currently removed and in storage during some building work. What I do know is that I have two diameters of eye bolt, bought at different times, and they both have plenty of room around them. They are made of steel, not stainless steel. Coat the threads in coppaslip or alternative copper grease when you insert them and the threads will be just as good when you change the eye bolts in the years to come. I get four to five years from my eye bolts. The only wear is flaking rust on the inside of the eye. If you are using stainless then you should not have this problem.

I should be able to get my hands on my eye bolts to measure them in a couple of weeks. Perhaps someone might respond in the meantime. Meanwhile the correct size of eye bolt is clearly the size that matches the thread in the keel. I’m not at all sure why your new rear stainless bolt appears to be too wide to fit.

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Many thanks Ken,

The yard seem sure that the eyebolts are M16 and that would fit with other posts. The issue seems to be that the outer diameter of carbon steel eyes is ~44mm and Stainless steel eyes about 65mm for this size. Presumably that is a strength issue. I shall go up to the yard and check personally and may just have to use carbon steel.

Please don't worry about looking out your eyebolts.

Best wishes,

Bob