bottom work in the slip

[rskaug]

I''m thinking of using the halyards to pull my boat over in the slip to take a look at the swingkeel hardware. Is this a bad idea?

[jbanta]

This is a swing keel boat and you don''t want to take it out of the water fir such an expection? Why? A boat with a shallow draft would be a snap to pop out and back in the same day, or if you need some work done the next day. It would be safer and IMHO easier
to just pull her out....

[Sailormon6]

I''ve seen it done, but I didn''t think it was a very good idea then, and still don''t think so. Depending on how the mast is stayed, and, if the stays are adjusted correctly, and, if the stays are in good condition, the mast and rig are probably strong enough, but a lot of things could go wrong that you might not anticipate. The halyard could be frayed and snap, or it might be cut by a sharp edge at the masthead, or a sheave might be damaged. If the rig isn’t adjusted correctly, you could break the mast.

If you have a trailer, I agree with Jim that you should just pull the boat out and inspect it. If you don''t have a trailer and will have to pay to have the boat lifted out for inspection, perhaps you can delay it for a little while by leaving the keel all the way down, and sailing with it that way.

If the cable on a swing keel boat fails while the keel is in the up position, there is a real possibility that it will do serious damage to the boat, and/or cause it to sink. Lightly built fiberglass boats can’t take the stress of the sudden drop of a few hundred pounds of keel. If the condition of the keel mechanism is suspect, you would probably be better off to just bite the bullet, have it lifted out, and inspect and repair it.

[Jeff_H]

I have done this on a number of boats. The trick is to put a loop of line around the mast and haul it up just below the spreaders. You will be amazed at how much force it takes to heel the boat over. You will need to block your swing keel so it can''t slam shut and do damage.

If you have a way to haul the boat, the pro-hauling lobby are probably right.

Regards,
Jeff

[rskaug]

Thanks everyody. My reason for wanting to look at the bottom is that I''m looking for a trailer but haven''t found a suitable one yet. I''m getting nervous about continuing so use the boat when I don''t know what is down there. Jeff, I will probable follow your advice. Thanks, Dick

[jbarros]

if the mission is recon only, then grab a mask and have a towl and change of clothes waiting. it may be a bit nasty, and cold, but it''ll be over in a few minutes without risking your rig.

-- James