Chrysler Sailors Forum

On the C-26 swing keel does the winch or is the winch supposed to have
a dawg on the winch or some other method of the winch holding the keel raised other than holding or against the table?

Greetings from an easy chair 300 feet off of runway 30/12 of 4R9, and just a few feet south of the 124 mile point of the ICW, from which I may never leave !)

If I understand the question, the winch on the C26 has an auto-braking system to hold it in whatever position, but no pin or ratchet to lock it in place.

If I'm off on the question, point me in the right direction !

EE thank you when I can get the snow off her enough to get inside I will have to disassemble the winch housing and check into it I know where to get a brake winchif I need to replace it. Also Happy New Year and enjoy
your easy chair at least till you can hiost the sails again.

Enjoying one last sunrise from that easy chair right now, and then packing up to head back.

If needed there's a good thread on the winch at:
viewtopic.php?t=415&highlight=winch+brake

Enjoy it while you can. At least you are not in the northeast or as it looks
Washinton state has gotten their share but they will warm before us. Enjoy EE when you get home and have a safe trip.

In Jan 2008, I helped take an Elite 32 from Galveston Texas to Tampa Florida by route of the GIWW. It took three weeks with many trials and tribulations . . . but thats another story.

However, the Elite 32 has a swing keel similar to the C-26. The winch used on the swing keel is actually the same type of winch as you use for your sheets, and the line tied off to a cleat. A rope was spliced to the cable, so only the cable was exposed to the water, and the rope was easy to pull by hand with a few wraps on the winch, but if it was hard to pull, you just popped in a winch handle.

On nice thing was that the rope was marked at different points so that you could lower the keel to a specific point consistently.

If I ever need to replace my winch, I will consider that setup.

My C-22 is self locking like Alan's system. Once in place, it won't move either up or down unless I move the handle. I would guess the 26 is the same.

Steve