Emergency Keel Raising
Hi Everyone,
Over the years I have seen a number of trailable yachts suffer a broken centreboard lifting cable or winch. Is there a procedure on Magnums for raising the centreboard in the event of a hydraulic failure ?
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Re: Emergency Keel Raising
Hi Timo,
This is a good question. The answer of course depends on what sort of problem is causing the keel failure at the time. If the electric pump has failed and provided there is sufficient hydraulic oil in the system and no leaks etc, the hand pump is used to lift the keel. If there has been hydraulic oil leakage it may be that the cause is insufficient oil in the tank to pump the ram fully up. This happened to me several years ago. I took the boat to a jetty near a chandlery and purchased some hydraulic steering fluid, topped up the tank and all was well. After retrieving the boat I found the leak and fixed it and no problems since.
If the leak has occured internally around the fittings of the hand pump or the electric pump you will see oil accumulating in the stern locker which one of the lowest parts of the boat and this needs to be cleaned up. Use plenty of clean rags or cotton waste with warm water and detergent.
On the other hand if it is a corrosion problem or failed seals it may be that the ram becomes seized in the cylinder. This is rare and normally happens in storage with the keel up so that you can't lower it. In this case the only way out is to remove the entire keel assembly and have the ram repaired or replaced. Other things that could cause a problem but again are rare are the non return valves sticking in the hydraulic lines.
I would recommend that every season, you replace the filters in the lines (you should have one on the outlet and inlet side of the tank, Check the tank level with the keel fully down, check al lines and connections for signs of leaks and remove the keel box inspection on the cabin top and inspect the top of the keel and the lines connections etc fro tell tale signs of leakage or corrosion. Galvanic corrosion from Electrolysis is the biggest threat.
If the hydraulic oil looks dark brown or black, drain and replace it with new oil and replace the filters. If you have not got filters you should install them.
Annual inspection and maintenance can go a long way towards prevention of ruining your sailing plans.
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Re: Emergency Keel Raising
Hi Timo,
This is a good question. The answer of course depends on what sort of problem is causing the keel failure at the time. If the electric pump has failed and provided there is sufficient hydraulic oil in the system and no leaks etc, the hand pump is used to lift the keel. If there has been hydraulic oil leakage it may be that the cause is insufficient oil in the tank to pump the ram fully up. This happened to me several years ago. I took the boat to a jetty near a chandlery and purchased some hydraulic steering fluid, topped up the tank and all was well. After retrieving the boat I found the leak and fixed it and no problems since.
If the leak has occurred internally around the fittings of the hand pump or the electric pump you will see oil accumulating in the stern locker which is one of the lowest parts of the boat and this needs to be cleaned up. Use plenty of clean rags or cotton waste with warm water and detergent.
On the other hand if it is a corrosion problem or failed seals it may be that the ram becomes seized in the cylinder. This is rare and normally happens in storage with the keel up so that you can't lower it. In this case the only way out is to remove the entire keel assembly and have the ram repaired or replaced. Other things that could cause a problem but again are rare are the non return valves sticking in the hydraulic lines.
I would recommend that every season, you replace the filters in the lines (you should have one on the outlet and inlet side of the tank, Check the tank level with the keel fully down, check al lines and connections for signs of leaks and remove the keel box inspection on the cabin top and inspect the top of the keel and the lines connections etc fro tell tale signs of leakage or corrosion. Galvanic corrosion from Electrolysis is the biggest threat.
If the hydraulic oil looks dark brown or black, drain and replace it with new oil and replace the filters. If you have not got filters you should install them.
Annual inspection and maintenance can go a long way towards prevention of ruining your sailing plans.
|
Re: Emergency Keel Raising
Hi Timo,
This is a good question. The answer of course depends on what sort of problem is causing the keel failure at the time. If the electric pump has failed and provided there is sufficient hydraulic oil in the system and no leaks etc, the hand pump is used to lift the keel. If there has been hydraulic oil leakage it may be that the cause is insufficient oil in the tank to pump the ram fully up. This happened to me several years ago. I took the boat to a jetty near a chandlery and purchased some hydraulic steering fluid, topped up the tank and all was well. After retrieving the boat I found the leak and fixed it and no problems since.
If the leak has occurred internally around the fittings of the hand pump or the electric pump you will see oil accumulating in the stern locker which is one of the lowest parts of the boat and this needs to be cleaned up. Use plenty of clean rags or cotton waste with warm water and detergent.
On the other hand if it is a corrosion problem or failed seals it may be that the ram becomes seized in the cylinder. This is rare and normally happens in storage with the keel up so that you can't lower it. In this case the only way out is to remove the entire keel assembly and have the ram repaired or replaced. Other things that could cause a problem but again are rare are the non return valves sticking in the hydraulic lines.
I would recommend that every season, you replace the filters in the lines (you should have one on the outlet and inlet side of the tank, Check the tank level with the keel fully down, check all lines and connections for signs of leaks and remove the keel box inspection on the cabin top and inspect the top of the keel and the lines connections etc for tell tale signs of leakage or corrosion. Galvanic corrosion from Electrolysis is the biggest threat.
If the hydraulic oil looks dark brown or black, drain and replace it with new oil and replace the filters. If you have not got filters you should install them.
Annual inspection and maintenance can go a long way towards prevention of ruining your sailing plans.
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