Catalina 22 Swing Keel wobble

[FlyingScot255]

Anyone know how much at risk my 1979 Catalina 22 is of losing the swing keel or experiencing hull damage if the keel wobbles and makes a pounding sound against the hull when it's moored? I would like to get through the season without changing the pin and installing shims.

Has anyone you've known lost a swing keel? What should I do if it happens -- cut the cable as fast as I can and let the keel sink?

Thanks, Dean
I sail on Cayuga Lake in Ithaca, NY -- one of the finger lakes.

[Capnblu]

Why on earth would you plan on how to throw away your keel? Take your boat out of the water, and get it repaired. Geesh!

[Ogrenaut]

According to Practical Sailor, your swing keel is about 550 lbs of cast iron. Sounds like an expensive part of the boat just to be thrown away, not to mention what the sudden change in ballast could do to the stability of your boat. Would you drive your car if you knew the lug nuts on the wheels where loose or worn? Fixing the swing keel now sounds a lot cheaper than replacing it later.

[GaryHLucas]

I used to be on the Catalina Direct C22 newgroup and quite a few keels have been lost. The one on my boat was nearly worn through to the top edge before I fixed it.

I have come up with a quick cheap fix. Pull the keel off and flop it on it's side. Get a short piece of 3/4" pvc pipe which measures 1.050" diameter. Put some wax on the pipe so epoxy won't stick. Then put the pipe through the hole and use putty on the bottom to seal around it and locate it where the hole belongs, and make sure it is nice and square to the keel. Mix up some epoxy with graphite filler and pour it around the pipe. When it sets flip the keel over, remove the putty and pour in some more epoxy with graphite. After the epoxy sets hard pound the pipe out with a hammer. Put the keel back on and go sailing! You can do this repair over and over again if needed, but it should last several years at the least.

Gary H. Lucas