sitting on her keel

[Jeff Tancock]

I now have access to a marine way....the type where the boat just rests on a grid as the tide drops. I have only had my boat lifted out of the water by a marine way so this other way makes me a bit nervous. I am wondering if anyone out there has experience using this type of way and can tell me how the boat behaves if left to rest on it's keel. Is it stable or does it want to tip forwards etc? I just want to change my zincs and clean off my shaft and prop.

[Stu Jackson]

Jeff

I think we kinda "have" to assume that the yard will prop the boat "as necessary."  It would seem incongruous to have them depend on only the keel to "balance" the boat.  My recollection from our last haul is that the bottom of the keel is pretty parallel to the normal fore and aft balance of the boat's lines.  Since they must have done this lots of times before, you may want to ask them how they deal with the situation.  Otherwise, unless I'm missing something, it should be a short haul and splash to do what you have to do.  It'd be great to take some pictures and post them (yup, pictures of our members workin' sure is hard to beat!  )  Hope it goes well.

[Ron Hill]

Jeff : As I've posted before, the total weight of the boat should not be set on the keel.  This is especially true of the wing keel.
Catalina recommends that 75% of the weight be on the keel and 25% on the pads of jack stands/cradle. 
If the stern portion of the boat is not supported, the weight of the engine and fuel will rotate the stern down.  This causes the keel (which stays in place) to start a hull-to-keel separation in the front called the "Catalina Smile" !!   

[Susan Ray]

Jeff...If you just want to change zincs and clean prop why not hire a diver? The divers here do that on an anytime call. Is the water too cold? Susan

[John Langford]

Calypso comes up on a marine railway and all of her weight rests on her keel for 2-3 days each year. The hull keel joint is tight, there is no hull distortion and there seems to be no problem with tipping forward or aft. I am assuming that the boat would be just as happy on a tidal grid for a few hours.

[Rick McCall]

Hi Jeff, I'm at your marina in R-44. Last year I hired a diver to scrub the bottom and change the zincs. I'll be doing the same thing this year, if 2 people do it together the diver splits the flat cost of getting in the water. If you're interested in doing that let me know. I can't remember the cost from last year but I believe it was jut over $100.

[Jeff Tancock]

Thanks for your feedback guys. Thed tidal grid that I have access to is at a private club so no yard with jack stands or staff to take responsibility for any misadventures. I think that I will call Rick and go with his diver or just use the sling as per usual!