Keel pin issue

[GWBear]

Yes I have keel pin issue with my C 22 .......does this look like I need to replace the keel pin brackets? .your opinion please ....It looks like the brackets have been replaced before
because the pin looks to be stainless steel and their is some extra holes that have sealant oozing from ...does anyone have blue prints, sketches, drawing, dimensions or maybe an old part .... so I have something to go by ..... what should it be made with ,17-4 ph, 303, 304, 309 stainless steel ,what should I seal it with ECT. ECT. what other things do I have
to look out for, please add your comments, opinions, advice, ECT

[CaptainScott]

Well,
Here are my thoughts wich are worth a hill of rocks . . .

If you are seriosuly missing the amount of metal that you show in your drawing, YES, REPLACE THEM NOW! There could be pretty sever damage to what is left and you can not see it.

Remember the keel is 800 lbs. It is not just sitting there either. It is bouncing along with each wave you hit. Rocking and rolling with your boat. IF you loose the keel, you will roll your boat. IF you do not loose your keel, you run the risk of a major leak. I had LAdy Jo moored in the Everett Marina. Got that call one day. YOUR BOAT IS SINKING! Yikes! That is NOT a call you wish to receive! I took the oppurtunity as a hint to replace my keel brackets. I'm very glad I did. Lady Jo is not only water tight but I'm comfortable that she is not going to loose her keel.

FYI: The original brackets were aluminum.

Scott

Oh yeah, here is one of my originals, you can clearly see where the water was coming in through the bolts! Just follow the corrosion!



and the replacement:

[Alanhod]

[mariner]

I can see gwbears plate is missing and corroded and understand the concern. I looked at Cpt. Scotts page, great info thank you. But here us my question ... After the removal of Cpt. Scotts pin and brackets you can see the corrosion on the bracket , I'm wondering what if any other "simptoms" were you experiencing that prompted you to replace the brackets and pin? In my case the inside of the inspection port looks like it's brand new, no leaks observed or discoloration. I have not yet crawled up and inspected the brackets (I didn't know you could see the ends) the PO had the entire bottom epoxy coated, there is a thick coating on the bottom ... I'm wondering if that helped or hurt that area (encapsulating rust) I didn't give much thought to this issue but now I'll look closely next time I'm at the boat.... I hope I can sleep tonight!

[CaptainScott]

I'm wondering what if any other "simptoms" were you experiencing that prompted you to replace the brackets and pin?

Well, Lady Jo was taking on water. THAT is what prompted me to change it.

Scott

[Paul]

Just a thought, and not highly addressed in our pin & bracket exchanges. There should be 2 nylon spacers on each side of your keel. They reduce the friction and also take up the space so the keel is snug in the pocket, side-to-side. In your picture, if you can see the pin with the keel still in place, they are missing. Just another excuse to go towards the heavy lifting, and BTW I was greatly intimidated by the thought of removing my keel but it all went very well and produced a level of secure feelings that is well worth the effort.

Paul

[GWBear]

[Jmckamey]

Yep!! That's a fitting that holds a nylon rod that applys pressure on the keel to keep it from banging around. Might as well plan on replaceing that when you do the keel brackets. They are easy to obtain off the shelf fittings.

Looking at your drawing I see yours has a spring and steel rod. Mine has rubber spacers pushing on a nylon rod.

[Paul]

My 75 doesn't have the snubber. Maybe that's why I had the nylon spacers and yours doesn't. Need help from some of the other guys to sort this part of the question out.

Paul

[Banshi]

Yeah those brackets look real familiar, time to replace them. As to the "snubber" I removed mine and have not looked back (it was non functional due to deterioration of the fitting).

[mcrandall]

My '75 has it. Haven't checked into it's condition, that's next Spring.

So it just puts pressure on the one side of the keel to keep it from moving side to side, eh? I had guessed it might be and endstop of some type to keep the keel from flying forward and damaging the trunk, in case of a winch cable break. Hadn't looked at it close yet (and it was before I dropped the keel and saw the shape of it up in there), so that was just a guess.

Also, my brackets are in great shape and have a vertical ridge that runs down from the pin hole. They appear to take up the space between the bracket and the keel. Only have nylon bushing in the keel hole, no spacers. BTW, dropping the keel was a very tight/grinding manuever. Course, I did have some ancient baby zebra mussels to grit through....

Cheers!

[Fpellegrini]

My boat has the nylon post. After removing the end cap I found the nylon post to be very stuck. I have gotten it to twist slightly, but it really doesn't want to move. My steel pipe needs to come out as well I am assuming. Has anyone found replacement nylon posts, can you recommend a replacement ... etc.

[astrorad]

nylon post should be easy to find online...nylon rod is quite common and you can cut off what you need....just have to determine correct diameter.