Think swing keel cables rarely break? Think again. Following is a small sample of the confessions of sailboat owners in a certain online forum over the past few years.
Category: Keel
Why Your Swing Keel Lock Bolt Won’t Save You in a Knockdown
If you spend much time around other C-22 owners or online C-22 forums, you’re bound to hear the following myth over and over. It goes something like this… The Catalina 22 uses a locking bolt to keep the keel down in case of a knock-down.
Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 5: Installing
This post is the continuation of Refinish your swing keel for best performance – Part 4: Sealing and painting and the last post in the series. I describe: how to prepare the hull, tips for keeping the keel centered in the trunk, the proper method to tighten the hanger bolts, and end with a materials list and a…
Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 4: Sealing and Painting
This post is the continuation of Refinish your swing keel for best performance – Part 3: Fairing. I will describe: building a fiberglass reinforced guard on the leading edge, applying the final waterproofing coats of epoxy, bonding centering spacers on the upper end, priming with a barrier coat of epoxy paint, and applying ablative bottom paint last.
Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 3: Fairing
This post is the continuation of Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 2: Cleaning. I will describe common keel defects, the fairing system I used, sealing a freshly sandblasted keel, applying body filler to build up an accurate hydrodynamic foil shape, and paying extra attention to the shape of the leading edge…
Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 2: Cleaning
This post is the continuation of Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 1: Removing. This week, I describe using hand tools and power tools to remove most of the old coatings and rust, one way to lift and move the keel so you can work on it elsewhere, and the different methods of removing…
Refinish Your Swing Keel for Best Performance – Part 1: Removing
Does your swing keel look like it has leprosy? Does it make a disturbing klunking sound when you switch tacks? If it has exposed rust, do you know for a fact how extensive it is? Would you be surprised to learn that the swing keels of many older C-22s are not properly shaped to minimize drag and have…
Why a Stuck Swing Keel Pivot Pin is a Good Thing
A reader recently asked me about the pivot pin stuck in his swing keel. Over the years, I’ve read other owners’ calls for help for the same thing in online forums. They assume that the pin has to rotate freely in the hole in the keel. In my opinion, the pin is better off stuck inside the keel hole…
The Error in a Popular DIY DVD that Will Slow Down your C-22
You want to refinish your C-22 swing keel the right way, so you’re planning to buy the Swing Keel Refinishing DVD from a certain Catalina parts dealership. It’s been around for over 15 years and is the de facto authority on how to do the job. I’m sorry to break it to you, but if you use the template that’s…
The $tingy Sailor 