Hi, I am a new member to forum.Recently took possession of second hand stratos keel in good condition but on first sail at weekend had horrendous difficulty lowering and raising keel.Need to come up with a solution. The rope used for block and pulley system appears very thick say 10mm and has difficulty going through freely on pulley and am thinking of replacing with 6mm but unsure this is the problem. Another member posted in 2013 that this may be an issue but not sure if it cured the problem. Any advice would be appreciated particularly on the thickness specification for rope Could the manufactures have put on the incorrect rope? Should I try again without changing rope and just spray lubricant on system. Not sure. Help!
I had the same problem with my keel. It was very stiff going up and down. I replaced the keel rope with a 6mm rope (same as spinnaker sheet) and I also spray the blocks with Holts Prolube several times a year. I no longer have any issues with lowering or raising the keel. The boat has been in constant use over the last five years since replacing the keel rope. The only issue I now have with the keel is the Clam Cleat that the rope goes through needs replacing every couple of years. Regards Richard Harwood
Hi Richard, i very much appreciate you taking the time to respond.I will change the rope spec and hopefully should have similar results to yourself. Thanks again. Angus
Problems with lowering and raising keel
Posted - 05 Jul 2015 : 10:30:17
