That's one of the things that attracted me about the retractable keel on my Etap 26. It is power driven up and down by a husky stainless screw. She sits on the extended keel on land just like any other keel boat. In fact Etap offered a set of stiff legs for drying out on tidal flats!
Swing keels are fine, just know that they do require maintenance from time to time. If you are in Souther waters where your boat only comes out of the water every two or three years, that's something to consider.
John,
This is my first boat and I am looking for all good advice. Previously, the boat was hauled every winter (in CT) and stored in a shed. This kept her in great shape. But now she is in NC, docked at our house, and I will only haul her as needed. Can you elaborate on the maintenance you refer to? The keel swings about a 'thick' metal pin that is accessible from inside, but I have no idea how to judge wear on it.
I would assume if I start to hear some 'klunking' of the keel as it rattles around in its trunk it is probably time to check it. So far its operation has been very smooth. When the keel is down it sits snuggly in a tappered slot and fills it.
The boat seems sturdy made, but I can imagine there is a lot of stress in the area of the pin.
Ron,
Congrats...I really like that boat, my brother has been looking for one. If your surveyor didn't I would pull the keel pin and check it for any wear. Mine was replace by the previous owner after 7 years I plan on pulling it again (its been 8 years) for inspection before spring launch. I'm not sure how yours retracts but I would come up with a way to lock your keel down for heavy weather. However unlikely, a rollover would get uglier with a suddenly retracted keel .. I can put in place a strut that locks mine down. The way Walters designed his keel and trunk is about as solid as you can get...I have absolutely no play or rattle as the cassette bit of the keel that contacts the trunk is sheathed with 1/4 delrin sheet...its 15 years old and works flawlessly.
Ron you have one pretty boat! the shallow draft at rock hall is a big plus! I'll never forget the "terror" of trying to enter RH for the first time, on late dark night! shudder.
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Denise, Bristol PA, Oday 30. On Tidal Delaware River, Anchor Yacht Club.
TomL;
I looked a long time to find an affordable, sturdy built, well kept boat for our needs. The Southerly's were too expensive for us, there is not much of a seconds market in them yet, and the Seawards are not in the same class. There has been 3 Clearwaters for sale over the past 3 years. Sorry to say I think this one was in the best condition of the 3 and we are happy to have her. The other two were in Fla and the PNW.
I am pretty sure the PO also changed the keel pin at least once, but I will check again. The surveyor did not check the pin, other than to look at the access location. He had no experience with swing keel boats, but the boat had been so well maintained in a yard that I relied on the sea trial to make sure it all worked well. The keel lifts with a line (that the builder indicates could lift the boat!) to a two speed winch. The keel is lead and so it takes a bit to lift it, but its not that hard, just a few minutes. One modification the PO added is a pneumatic cylinder on a separate line to keep the keel from just dropping down, it lowers slowly.
Can you tell me how to inspect the pin? I assume when the keel is fully down the pin can be removed (and replaced), is this correct? I have not identified (nor looked, yet) for a way to lock down the keel. There are a couple of inspection plates, in the trunk, that allow some access to the keel, but neither offers any indication of a method to lock it in place. Could you post some pictures (or PM me) with more details of how yours locks down. As you say there is absolutely no rattle of the keel and we have tried sailing her with the keel in different positions. The builder (I spoke briefly with Barret Holby, but it has been a long time since he built these boats) indicated that she can be sailed with the keel in any position, her performance will vary accordingly.
Denise,
Thanks, many people have commented on her good looks. Inside and out.
I hope I am up to keeping her that way. We raise the keel motoring, downwind and when entering shallow(er) marina's. Also when entering our creek in NC, as the water level can change with a prevailing wind. The Pamlico sound bottom is all soft (you have a hard time finding a rock!) so if we touch we just raise the keel some more.
Ron,
Congratulations on your new boat!-those Clearwaters are neat-I didn't realize they made so few of them, there's 35's and 37's I think?-I guess for some reason the typical US yacht buyer just defers to 6 foot draft (give or take) when all is said and done. Folks just seem to get nervous about a centerboard (especially a true centerboarder), hear a story or two and default to the usual...Gotta love those intrepid few sail the thin water! I guess the only real drawback to the Craig Walters boats like Tom's boat and yours, some of the Seguins is the divided cabin due to the big integral board. I imagine you get used to it and perhaps it even lends to some privacy on board once you do. Good luck with her. Maybe after this economy heals a bit and the remaining boatbuilders get back to work there will be some fresh thinking in new boats and we'll see more offshore capable true centerboarders that aren't French and don;t have whopping great arches on the transoms and turquoise sailcovers...!
To cdragon: "turquoise sailcovers"? Like mine, you mean? I cannot answer for the tastes of all Ovni buyers, but they do have a choice, you know. Mine is dark blue.
As for "whopping great arches on the transoms" - I wonder if anything more useful was ever invented. From mine hangs the dinghy, and on top sits the radar, GPS, windmill, search light, TV antenna - and the bosun's hook along with a deck broom both fit snugly alongside. The EPIRB is bolted to the upright. Try fitting this on another boat and let's see how many Christmas trees you end up with, usually in ugly skimpy tubing looking like clothes hoists. I would come very close to specifying a targa for all true blue water cruisers.
Just a quick observation about lifting keels: there are two opposite approaches to these. To keep ballast as low down as possible, some lifting keels are heavy, like a fixed keel. At the opposite end, the solution is a virtual "centerboard" like a dinghy. Both regards maintenance and safety these are radical opposites.
The heavy solution ought to have characteristics similar to a fixed (fin?) keel, although there may be some compromise in aerodynamic shape in order to fit it in the upright position. Obviously, the weight requires complex mechanical systems for lifting, often hydraulic. Such a system requires maintenance, and my personal fear would be what happens if it should fail - we have seen the Volvo Ocean racers and other boats with mechanical canting keels turn into real disasters.
The alternative, a light centreboard, does not get ballast as low down. On the other hand, it has a huge maintenance advantage. On my (Ovni 395) the weight is 80kg and I lift it with a thin rope, no assistance or mechanical complexity. I love it. Additionally, this light keel will tilt back if you hit ground, and you can in most cases sail on without any damage.
In my view, the second advantage of the light centreboard is that the ballast is instead part of the boat - several tons of lead baked into the bilge. Therefore, it makes absolutely no difference to stability whether the keel is up or down - worth remembering for those who swear by fixed keels and count on not losing them...
Many years ago, I was working with a boat builder who built lifting keel boats with keels of the heavy variety, and our experience with hydraulics and the heavy-duty pivoting systems associated with a heavy keel were not encouraging; I would be quite fearful of owning one of those.
Osmund,
As has been said often, "every boat is a compromise." As far as I am concerned on the mechanics and stability of the lifting 'heavy' keel, ignorance is bliss (at least for now! ). Your Ovni (much like the Southerly) was beyond our reach, both geographically and financially. I looked at centerboard Tartans and Pearson's but the local knowledge said they were just not shallow enough for our creek. I suppose we should have addressed that issue when we purchased the property years ago, but we were sold on the view.
As I understand the Clearwater lead keel does have an aerodynamic shape and with it fully down it is quite stable and she sails well. But I have to be just as cautious in shallow waters as a normal deep keel sailboat, because while the keel will swing up, it will stop the boat when it hits bottom. The advantage is that I can just crank it up and we are off. It also lifts with only a line, but with pulley advantage. The concern was with the keel dropping too quickly and so a damper system was added to reduce shock load to the structure. As I get to use the boat more (we have had it less than a year) I plan to become more knowledgeable about the maintenance concerns associated with the lifting keel and rudder. The PO indicated he had very few issues with them. The trunk in the main salon probably poses more of a concern on resale than in actual use, for the 2 of us the boat has plenty of room. The salon table was engineered to accommodate 6 with removable seats in front of the aft berths to make up for some lost room. The keel trunk reduces the distance you can 'fall' down below, provides a comfortable backstop working in the galley and offers convenient hand holds (as well as storage for cups and bowls).
I have my concerns about using this boat in blue water,because of the added complexities of these systems (and there currently is no provision for locking the keel down); but coastal cruising is our main purpose anyway. However, I understand 1 of the 7 Clearwater 35's has circumnavigated.
Nice boat, Ron! And if we didn't have each our things to worry about, SailNet would be no fun
I just posted to another thread that I'd rather have a Beneteau - not entirely true, but when a sailor says his boat is so perfect he would not trade, I don't believe him. There is always something we hanker for :-)
.. I can put in place a strut that locks mine down. The way Walters designed his keel and trunk is about as solid as you can get...I have absolutely no play or rattle as the cassette bit of the keel that contacts the trunk is sheathed with 1/4 delrin sheet...its 15 years old and works flawlessly.
). Your Ovni (much like the Southerly) was beyond our reach, both geographically and financially. I looked at centerboard Tartans and Pearson's but the local knowledge said they were just not shallow enough for our creek. I suppose we should have addressed that issue when we purchased the property years ago, but we were sold on the view.
