David Bamber has emailed me with this question.

"Sea Lady is developing a problem and I need some advice - can you help?

With the keel down, when the boat swings from side to side there is a
loud bump as the lifting part of the keel bangs against the fixed part.

Something is obviously worn - can you please advise what it may be?"

There are doubtless experts on this forum who have had one to bits and know what might be amiss

Geoff Harwood Tech Librarian

If Aztec's keel is not all the way down then it tends to swing on the cables making a slight bonk noise every so often with the swaying of the boat.
Check that all the tension on the winding mechanism goes off the wire cables and the winding handle goes slack, thus indicating the keel is at its bottom limit.
I don't believe the method of construction of the keel would allow it to bump around in the keel unless under the most violent of sea motions, and then everything in the boat would be bumping around.
The only other cause I can think of is worn keel cheek blocks where the bottom of the cheek block has been rubbing and wearing on the top of the fixed keel stub, so the keel is hanging on the cables.
Alternatively maybe the keel lifting cables have always been a bit on the short side and it has not been noticeable because of mud and debris in the bottom of the keel slot, this may have now worn and washed away.
There is one other thing I can think of, if the keel has become wedged in the slot and the winding handle has continued to be wound down allowing the cables to become too slack it may be possible for the ferrule crimped on the ends of the cable to push out of the "bronze nut". When tension is reapplied the ferrule may not return into the recess because it catches on the edge of the recess in the nut not very likely) thus shortening the strops by about 15mm.
Anyway check the handle goes slack.

Mike Edwards
Seal 28 "Aztec"

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The problem with the lifting keel banging agianst the side of the fixed keel has been solved. No more problems have been noted over the last few months.

The solution was to screw three stainless steel screws into one of the nylon blocks situated at the side of the keel. After a few adjustments it was possible to lower the keel all the way to the bottom. The screws had the effect of wedging the keel into the keel box. This solution is simple, robust and works much better than trying to fit shims to the inside of the blocks or at the bottom.

Last weekend I carefully measured the vertical travel of the keel and the depth of the keel housing. The steel cables used to raise and lower the keel are still taught when the keel is fully lowered. I consider that the time, effort and risk involved in replacing the steel cables by two others that are maybe just 10mm longer is not worth the effort.

(Risk in the sense that the cables are in good condition and have worked for 30 years. So why replace them by two others which may not be made to the same standard?)

regards

David Bamber

David Bamber

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