has anyone come up with a good idea to reduce the amount of swinging that goes on with the keel and rudder up when the boat is on a swinging mooring

Hi Sean

I've had both a 275 and 325 on a swinging mooring. The only thing I tried was to have a bucket attached by a yoke to either side of the transom. The bucket does need a small hole to let water through however. If not it is likely to pull the handle out.

I always moored with both the keel and rudder in the raised position.

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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I have an extra rudder made of plastic sheet which is the same size and shape as the rudder stock and attached using the main rudder hinge bolt but outside the stock. I keep this down when moored and also when trying to get to and from the mooring when there isn't enough water for the main rudder. Pic attached - a bit pixelly but it's cropped out of a rather distant view!

After watching my boat swinging on its mooring in these gales i need to do something how effective is the rudder, and what is the yolk made up from, i tried hanging a bucket of the back but the rope was cut by it rubbing against the rudder stock.

Sean

I had no problem with the rope - more with the bucket.

What I should warn you though is to keep a close eye on your mooring rope as you will never entirely stop the boat swinging to some extent. I was approaching my 325 one day only to find the Harbour Master tying another rope to the buoy. He was checking as another boat had broken free in strong winds.

I was amazed to see that my mooring rope, which must be 2 inches diam, was down to a single strand. I had a plastic cover over the attachment hence had not noticed it wearing. Obviously the continual sawing back and forth had slowly warn it though. After that I always used two mooring ropes.

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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hi sean
another approach might be the use of small storm -like jib hanked on to backstay with sheets taken forward and secured.
will need extra halyard or topping lift to hoist sail.

you often see fishing boats using a 'mizzen' for the same reason.
i am on a swinging mooring [ 285 ] and watch the boat dancing in strong winds. keep checking the ropes!!!

regards
charles

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In the area where I sail on the Crouch (Essex), we have to keep our tiller to port when on a swinging mooring. I may therefore have to consider fitting a dummy rudder blade to stop boat from swinging too much.

Regards
Brian Banham
My boat (No. 59) due July


Brian Banham

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Brian

It may not be too bad on a 235, but I tried lowering only the rudder on both my 275 and 325 and was surprised at the pressure on the tiller/wheel when the boats swung in strong winds, putting tremendous strain on the rudder fixings I would assume. Needless to say - I didn't leave the rudders down.

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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Brian

The tiller lashing thing is to make sure all the boats lie the same way and don't clonk into each other with the tide. To make that work you need at least some rudder down. Unless there is NO chance you will dry out you will need a short rudder like mine - you wouldn't want your proper rudder to hit bottom and the system wouldn't work with it right up. As Don says half-up is bad news with big forces!

Geoff

Are these problems all related to drying moorings where you HAVE to leave the keel up?

Presumably on a deep swinging mooring you just leave the keel down, but what about the rudder - should it be lashed centrally?

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

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spoken to a freind whom had a p 21 and he had a sea drogue which he hung of his stern, so he is going to let me have it, i will let you know how it goes, we have 10 mtr tidal range here so plenty of flow to fill the drogue.
i think i will try the dummy rudder idea as well

Stephen

Actually mine wasn't a drying mooring. I simply wanted to reduce the fouling of my rudder and keel. Also, the 325 uses a hydraulic ram to lift the keel. This has an anode inside the keel, which is not a simple job to change (see my postings on the 325 Forum). I also wanted to protect the retracting arm which is in the water when the keel is down as the vertical part of the wing keel fills with water.

I am now in a marina, but still raise the rudder and keel when I leave the boat.

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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I've seen boats in Brancaster Harbour (Norfolk) with an old tyre floating off the transom...!!!!

My signature.

Parker 235/ 40 Lady Penelope...

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Don: Thanks, very interesting. I was thinking that the best option for me is keel down (for stability) and rudder blade up (for protection). Is this likely to be effective?[?]

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

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Stephen

In my opinion I can see little to be gained by lifting your rudder if your keel is down except to keep it clean.

If you intend to keep your keel down there is the issue of maintenance to consider.

I have had a 21, 275 and 325 and except for the 21, which was dry sailed, the keel has always been an issue.

With the 275 I had trestles made that held the boat at such a height that I could drop the keel for antifouling see



With the 325; not wanting to work at such a height on deck, I had the trestles made just high enough to enable me to get under the boat for antifouling.



I can only antifoul the keel when the boat is lifted by the crane


(Bruce Parker under the boat in this instance)

I think you said there was no possibility of cranage on Mull, so I guess the question I have is; do you need to moor the boat during the season, or can you dry-sail it?

If so, you can then forget about all these issues of swinging around a mooring, and your keel will stay relatively clean for the periods the boat is in the water (or so I found with my 21).

Of course - what I don't know about the 235, is the possibility of drawing the keel up through the deck (as one could with the 275 - though I never did it), in which case this could be a solution.

(Perhaps I should start a new topic on Boat Maintenance as I have drifted away from swinging moorings)

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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Hi,

Yes, the keel on the 235 can be lifted straight up out of the keel box. That is the way they are initially fitted.
I have not carried out this myself but I understand that by unscrewing the deck cover plate and then the stainless bracket holding the top of the lifting system, the keel will slide straight out. However, it weighs in at a third of a ton so is not something to be done without serious equipment.

Graham
235/25 Blue Jazz

Graham

So you wouldn't recommend anti-fouling it this way? [;)]

Seriously though - how do you normally antifoul the 235 keel?

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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Hi Don et al. My boat is going in next week for several months, without any obvious need to raise the keel!

My mooring is deep enough not to require it raising, although I did ask Bill initially and I sort of of summised(?) that a weekly winch up and down might help keep it clear and operative. I shall of course lift it occassionally for beaching, but not often.

Notwithstanding potential problems of fouling, I will find a way of taking the keel out for treatment next winter (from the top - weight appreciated!) so given all that you seem to be suggesting that I should leave both keel and rudder down whilst on the mooring? Should I lash the tiller?

Thanks for the photos Don.

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

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Stephen, putting the problem of fouling to one side - your keel will have the greatest effect in stopping you swinging. The rudder will help but if down all the time I would be concerned about the effect of the constant sideways drag on the rudder fittings. Afterall, it is desiged to go forward through the water not sideways. Of course if it was free to move it would eleviate the pressure on the fittings, but this would likely cause other problems so you had better lash it.

I suggest you watch the severity of the swinging with only the keel down; if you choose this option. If you need further damping then try the rudder down also, lash it, and simply keep an eye on the fittings.

Personally, I always had both keel and rudder up (on both the 275 and 325) as there was no way the boat would make contact with its nearest neighbours. The 21 was dry sailed so I didn't have the problem.

Is dry-sailing out othe question? All 235 owners at Bucklers Hard do so, and contrary to what you might think, Bucklers Hard is not an easy place to launch and recover when there is any tide at all (unless you have a wife willing to wear chest high waders, as I had)

Regards
Don Harvey
Web Master
Parker 325 'Calypso'

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Thanks Don.

I could retreive it but the whole point was not to! The slip has a nasty 90 degree bend in it, the car-park is packed in summer and my mooring is only two minutes from the pontoon where I keep the tender. We will go out to the boat virtualy every day, if not every other day, if only for a coffee with a harbour-front view! I really want to launch and forget the trailer for the summer!

I think I'll start with keel down (I even ordered a keel lock-down rod for permanence!)and will maybe loosely lash the tiller with a bungee so that it can move a small amount but without 'banging the stops' or taken all the pressures on the fittings. Depending how near my neighbours' boat swings I could otherwise leave it up (which presumably acts as a small mizzen for steadying.....?)!

Stephen Godber
235/51 "Exodus"

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