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NickM

United Kingdom
53 Posts

Posted - 17 May 2009 :  20:22:10  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Anyone out there invetrted a Keel before or do I get a prize? I was out yesterday beating to windward in 20 knots plus on the Medway and got flattened by a big gust. The boat did not come straight back up due to wind over strongish tide, and then went to about 120 degrees. At that point the trip cleat which the keel strop was cleated in tripped and released the strop, and the keel slid back into the boat. (The standard Laser trip cleat for this job is clearly not right.)

The way to recover from this? The rescue boat ties a rope round the bulb and pulls, and this pulls the keel back out of the boat and it pops back up. Obvious! Well I wish we had thought of it before the mast had a chance to bounced around on the bottom of the river for 20 minutes.

I now have a problem with those members of the family I have assured that the Keel won't go over. A Club colleague mentioned the "Titanic Syndrome."

NickM

peter_chinnock

United Kingdom
3 Posts

Posted - 24 Dec 2009 :  19:54:58  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
During the summer, we had a sailability session, it wasn't particularly windy, but essentially, boat got knocked over, the main wasn't released in time, however then the 3 handicapped people onboard hung onto the metal frame in the middle, who can blame them? Water is chilly! It eventually inverted and the keel slipped down.

Pete
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Simon Perrier

France
15 Posts

Posted - 13 Jan 2010 :  15:31:33  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
"(The standard Laser trip cleat for this job is clearly not right.)"

It is this one, I think :
http://www.clamcleat.com/cleats/cleat_details.asp?theid2=78
In France, if you speak french, you can read that :
http://www.plastimo.com/catalogue/2/8160005.html
There is an interesting point because they say, if I try to translate : "A special cam makes it possible to regulate the tension of release, of 20 kg (minimum adjustment) to 240 kg (maximum adjustment)." It is the same one (Clamcleat CL257).
But your experience means perhaps it could be for us a good idea to put a second cleat, not this one, behind, to use it in case of strong wind. I will do that for mine.
S.P.

S.P.
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