Keel hoist

[ryderp]

I'm thinking about adding a keel hoist, much like one found on a Melges 24. I know that Hot Canary has a side mounted crane, but I was thinking about installing a well directly behind the keel-box made out of a carbon fiber sleeve with a bottom on it. Of course water will get in there but it will be completely sealed, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I could always put a deck plate over the well for when the crane is not in use. I was thinking about using aluminum tubing for the hoist itself. Has anyone built something like this? Is it a good idea or a bad idea? I'm almost ready to glue down the cockpit floor so now is the time to do this if at all.

Phil

P.S. The advantage of a hoist is that it could be used while the boat is sailing for getting into and out of a dock area.

[jray]

Is your boat the short cockpit long cabin version or the long cockpit short cabin? I can't tell from the pictures I've seen. I have figured out a light portable way to lift the strut in my short cockpit, turbo charged camper large cabin version.

What your suggesting sounds good except where dose the water go? Lots of extra work and weight to carry along. Most everyone I know are using the main halyard as a lift point. Others that have been sailing should have more input on what works best and what doesn't.

[ryderp]

my boat is the short cabin - long cockpit version.

Phil

[Chad]

For long cockpit, how about two sockets, p&s and adjacent to the keel box, to support an inverted-U shaped crane? Open 5.7's do this, but they use deck mounted sockets and need to brace the top of the "U" to the mast. With deep sockets/tubes, no bracing should be needed. You can drill a hole from the bottom of the tubes and drain to the keel box, if the tubes are adjacent and attached.

[Kevin]

The trick with hoisting the keel while sailing is the dealing with the boom. That's why canary has that side mount crane and a slot in the top of the keel to allow the hoist to stay below the boom I think. Anything that goes above the keel will run into the boom when you factor in room for a purchase unless you are using a winch.

I use the main halyard with a 10:1 purchase to hoist the keel. (a 2:1 primary and a 5:1 come along that I also use on my jib halyard to tension my rig while I attach the forestay (and leave the shrouds as is). I launch the boat, motor out past a sand bar, then drop the keel and pin it in position. drop the rudder, hoist some sails and away we go. I also pull the motor because I've found that it ends up in the water with my rather short fixed mount point that I have.

A simple a-frame based at the cabin/sole with a line aft for stability would be a good and light stand alone design. I toyed with that idea but never built it and have gotten the main halyard setup to work.

Kevin.