Keel position, winch view obscured

[Mike25]

If you have a Venture 25 and the keel winch is just inside the companion way how do you monitor the keel position when the winch drum is out of sight? The PO cracked the trunk top by over tightening while raising the keel. I just installed a new dutton lainson 1500 DLB. It was around $100 from Northern Tool. My primary question is how can you know the keel position? When returning to the ramp I want to prevent damage to the keel trunk by cranking the cable beyond its fully raised height. I was thinking of drilling a view hole on the starboard side of the winch casing.

Other discussions include handle clearance and sealing of the cable through hole in trunk top where the wear pin resides. Is this hole below the waterline?

[Justpics]

I have not had my Venture out yet, just got it. but my thought would be the first time you lower it would be to count the number of turns of turns it takes to get to slack (fully extended) then figure out how many turns would be i/2 and 1/4, 3/4

just a idea.

[topcat0399]

BINGO!

"..... to count the number of turns of turns....." as justpics said.

been doing it for years....

[Mike25]

I would have thought due to the nature of a brake winch, lowering revolutions would be different from raising because you are unscrewing the handle off the shaft then the drum turns but I guess in the end they rotate the same quality.

Doing the math with 2.5 " diameter drum makes 7.9" for each wind plus a little for center of 3/16 cable we'll call it 8. The winch is at a 5.4:1 ratio making 32 turns (a number of turns I've heard from others) 5.9 rev at 7.9 equal 47" of travel.
OH NEVER MIND. I'll just do what experience says and count turns. Although age requires an index card hanging on the handle.

[topcat0399]

"Other discussions include handle clearance and sealing of the cable through hole in trunk top
where the wear pin resides. Is this hole below the waterline?"

when i replaced my brake winch i had to relearn the count a dab...sometimes sailing is soooo annoying!
Also my new winch handle is a bit too long for the space, a trouble i have been meaning
to address one of these days. My knuckles would really appreciate that.

My winch is outside hanging from the bridge deck with the cable going thru the scupper to the keel trunk.
When water splashes up from the scupper i just stuff a piece of sponge in the hole around the cable. works.

the hole that your winch cable goes thru is ABOVE the water line, but water can and will splash up
from below into the boat soooo.....stuff a sponge in it.

keep extra sponges handy, you'll see why....

[Wyb2]

I’ve only been on one quick shakedown cruise so far in between boat work, but the way I figured out the keel was fully raised was pretty simple: the winch got quite a bit harder to turn. It actually took fewer turns than I was expecting (didn’t count, just by feel), so I lowered it one turn and tried again, and hit the same resistance again. Guess it’s up.

I gotta think in order to damage the keel trunk the PO must have been ham-fisting it a bit. You will be winching up about 400lbs of weight. I would hope it would take more than 400 lbs to damage the trunk, so when the resistance in the winch handle doubles after 20 or so turns, take the hint and don’t just try to power through.

[Mike25]

Yesterday was 1st splash! Win or fail you decide. After custom cut of 8mm main sheet and connecting new double pulley on boom, installing last bolts on bulkhead and registration numbers, new tires on trailer we rolled to the lake. Last gas station stoped to get fuel for outboard and saw grease all over new rim and wheel and up trailer and boat. Buddy bearing cap/dust cap had flew off. Group discussion said find part store and begin curbside repair or go home. 1.5 hours later at ramp we tried to MANually step mast. I should of had a system and will next time but I've done before with ease. 2 64 year old overweight boys and 1 16 year old adult struggled, (I was younger 10 yrs ago) got it set but the captain was pulling the forestay and it was 4 inches short. Not anticipating the norm an upper stay at chainplate was misaligned and broke the stay out of the spreader end. It's now 6 pm we're tried but NOT defeated. Lowered mast (I'm not sure how weak the rigging is without the spreader connected) and don't want to find out. Launched and motored around for more than an hour. Tested the keel and winch, new rudder and castle work fine. The keel moves up and down great but there is no hole for locking pin/bolt in down position. This is same boat where keel cable attachment is 6" forward of wear pin. Could PO have put pivot bolt in wrong hole. I don't think geometry willl allow it but just a thought. Must be replaced keel, it's a little short and no locking hole. The hole is there in the trunk and you see the keel head as it lowers but no hole. What a shakedown. I won't even discuss the trailering and ride home except we are safe and I need a winch post, oh yeah there is a bent axle too. Ready to retool and retry. Found spreader end at BWY.

[Jimmyt]

I set my mast rake, and worked out my mast raising bugs in my driveway. Still had to make a few revisions after raising it at the ramp. I also fire up the outboard, using the water earmuffs before I leave the house to try to head off the embarrassment of a No-start at launch.

All that to say, do what you can, but there may still be surprises at launch.

Seems like it was a challenging day, but you persevered and got it splashed. Way to hang in there! Maybe not the day you envisioned, but you did get a boat ride. That makes it a good day in my book.

[Be Free]

Mike,

Congratulations on a (semi) successful first splash!

I had the same problem with a buddy bearing coming off on my first trip out. I'd never used them before and found out later that I'd over-filled them. I did not know that the plate should just touch (or just not touch) the front of the buddy bearing when it is full. More is not better.

Other things I learned on that first trip:

• Always have a jack and tools with you to work on the trailer

• Always carry a spare hub, greased and ready to swap. Try to avoid repacking bearings on the side of the road.

• Spare grease will come in handy when the buddy bearing comes off and all of your grease is on the wheel and boat.

• A couple of extra lug nuts are a good addition to your tool kit.

• Check the valve stems as well as the tires. An old valve stem will crack and leak when you stop to top up the tires.

• Hand cleaner and a couple of rolls of paper towels are important part of your trailer tool kit.

Regarding rigging, all of it is important. Personally, I would not trust a stay with even one broken strand. You certainly don't want to try to sail with an entire stay out of place. The mast, boat, and stays are all participating in a high-tension dance with forces you don't want to have out of balance. If you are lucky something just gets bent; all of the unlucky alternatives are much worse.

[coperlio]

It can be tricky to monitor keel position on a Venture 25 when the winch drum is hidden inside the companionway, especially after a previous keel trunk top crack caused by over-tightening. If your keel has markings for its fully raised and lowered positions, use Insulated Bearing as a reference. You can also add your own markings on the hull or keel itself (waterproof paint or tape) to indicate these positions. As you raise the keel, listen for a change in sound. Often, there's a slight shift in pitch when the keel reaches its top position. Develop a sense of how much tension is on the winch line when the keel is fully raised. This can be tricky, so use it as a secondary indicator along with other methods.