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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Rattling keel

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indecentseas
1st Mate

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Canada
67 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/01/2013 : 22:31:09

My keel is acting strange. It seems to be rattling around. Every so often it feels like the keel sort of shifts position and it makes a noise. You can feel it shudder through the whole boat. Sometimes it feels as though the keel might have lifted up for a second before falling back down. Sometimes it feels like the keel is just repositioning itself a few millimetres to one side. Sometimes it feels like a whale is banging his head into the keel. Sometimes the banging may happen once or twice a minute. But usually it settles down and only periodically makes the noise.

My boat is a '78 Catalina 25 with a swing keel. I suspect this all started happening when my fellow owner ran aground. I was not there. He tells me he hoisted the keel to go through some shallows and then ran aground. It sounds like he may have been there for a bit trying to get himself free. He then realized the keel was not all the way hoisted so he brought it up a bit more and got free. When he was safely back in deep water he let the keel back down.

Any suggestions for us on what might be going on? Any suggestions to fix it?

David Hopkins
Vancouver, British Columbia
'78 Swing Keel, Standard Rig, Dinette
#534

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2013 : 05:40:58

I had similar symptoms on a 1981 C25. I believe it was caused by either a worn keel pin or an enlarged hole.

Edited by - OJ on 08/02/2013 07:36:44

Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2013 : 06:48:57

Hi David,
Catalina made a "spacer" kit in the 80's which included new shoe castings, spacer washers, and I think a new pin. You might check Catalina Direct to see if they have 'em.
You might find that the hole in the keel for the pin is elongated. If so, you'll want to drill out a larger hole and put a correctly sized insert in the new hole.
Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2013 : 08:19:39

Catalina Direct has some [url="http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=107"]swing keel hardware components[/url]. Check the description of the [url="http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=1140&ParentCat=107"]Keel Pivot Pin Bushing[/url]--sort of what Bill is describing--as well as the other items.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/02/2013 08:20:46

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2013 : 10:31:34

I would try the spacer kit first. It solved the problem on my former boat and does not require dropping the keel. If that doesn't work, then look at the other alternatives. Understand that any swing keel in the full up position will be more prone to side-to-side movement or wobble because there is less surface area being held in position by the keel trunk.

Edited by - dmpilc on 08/02/2013 10:34:38

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2013 : 15:58:22

Are you sure the keel is all the way down? My keel started to have exactly the same symptoms that you describe after I put in a new bronze pivot pin last year, but only when I motored or sailed down wind with the keel UP.

The old pin had worn a slight depression across the top of the middle of the pin so that the keel must have stayed in the middle of the pin and did not shift around. With the new pin without the depression, the END of the keel was able to slide back and forth and bang against the slot in the hull that it ascends into, despite there only being about a 1/16" of an inch of space between the keel and the hangers.

This year, I put in the keel spacer kit from Catalina Direct. This solved the banging problem.

I'm afraid you're going to have to get the boat out of the water and drop the keel to inspect the keel hanger hardware, to see what has changed and if any damage was done. If you have not done so recently/previously, this might be a good idea anyway. As the others have mentioned, Catalina Direct has keel hanger retrofit packages that include a new pin and new hanger hardware, as well as the keel centering spacer kit. Inspecting/replacing the hanging hardware is a good idea anyway if not done recently/previously. There are lots of other threads on this forum and discussion about the significant dangers of not maintaining the swing keel hanging and lifting hardware.

It occurs to me that if your pivot pin has the same worn depression in the middle, that the grounding may have pushed the keel up and out and across the pin so that it is out of the depression and able to slide around. Perhaps you could try raising and lowering the keel a few times on a beam reach port tack and again on a beam reach starboard tack, which may help the keel work its way back into that depression.

Here's a photo of my old pin with the depression worn into the top.

Edited by - on

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2013 : 16:09:22

Here is a photo of the tail end of the keel when raised into the slot in the hull. You can see how there is space on both sides for the end of the keel to move back and forth and bang against the sides of the slot.

With a new hanger set, fitted with little space between the hangers and the keel, and the keel spacers providing additional lateral stability, the keel even at the end cannot move too much. A depression worn into the top of the keel pivot pin like in the photo of the pin in my post above may have a similar effect of keeping the keel centered and somewhat stabilized laterally.

Here's a photo of the keel centering spacer ket being installed.

Edited by - sethp001 on 08/02/2013 16:12:36

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3754 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2013 : 04:39:40

Try these:

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=19780
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=21678
http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=22172

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.