[Rhodes22-list] Swing Keel Problem

[Graham Stewart]

If you ever take the cap off the centerboard housing it is worth coating the inside of the trunk and centerboard with antifouling. I did that and was surprised to see years later that the paint was still good and no zebra mussels were present. I suspect that because there is no light exposure there the paint lasts. 

Graham Stewart
Agile, Rodes 22, 1976
Kingston Ontario





-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Steven Alm
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 1:45 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Swing Keel Problem

Got Fandango up on the travel lift and indeed found quite a clog of zebra
mussels. We went after it with a pressure washer and got most of them off
in just a few minutes. The board moves freely now. They don't attach to the
anti-fouling paint at all but the inside walls of the trunk are not painted
or likewise much of the board itself. Most of the zebra mussels were up in
the trunk. I've only painted as much of the board as is exposed when I jack
the boat up off its trailer bunks a foot or so. I could pull the board out
and give it a full paint job but I don't know how I'd scrape and sand the
inside of the trunk, and the paint would wear off quickly anyway with the
board going up and down — so looks like this is something I'll just have to
deal with periodically as long as I'm in mussel infested waters! But I got
some nice pics of the diamond board.
Slim
Fandango

On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 4:30 PM Steven Alm <stevenalm at gmail.com> wrote:

> Rick, yeah, did that a lot and it did help some.
>
> On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 3:00 PM Rick Lange <sloopblueheron at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi Stephen,
>>
>> You could just pull the board up and down a few times to scrape off the
>> mussels.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Rick Lange
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 3:40 PM Steven Alm <stevenalm at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > I got a quote from my marina to hoist the boat up with their travel
>> lift to
>> > inspect and scrape off the zebra mussels. He agreed that was almost
>> > certainly my problem. I don't need to drop the mast for this so it's a
>> > fairly simple matter. As for swimming in the Mississippi — I'm gonna
>> pass
>> > on that. Here in the heart of ag country as well as being just
>> downstream
>> > from Minneapolis/S. Paul, there's any amount of toxic waste and who
>> knows
>> > what else flowing down the river. Not only that but I know you've heard
>> of
>> > "Nessie" lurking in Loch Ness — here in Lake Pepin, many-a-tale of
>> "Peppie"
>> > have circulated for years. I'd stay out of the water if I were you!
>> > Slim
>> > Fandango
>> >
>> > On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 10:35 AM David Talbot <talbotdavid50 at gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > > As they say, experience is something you get just after you needed it…
>> > >
>> > > On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 11:30 AM, Charles Nieman <
>> > > blue66corvette at hotmail.com>
>> > > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > A word to the wise …. The top of the centerboard cover is below the
>> > > > waterline. If one tries to remove the cover while on water, you will
>> > end
>> > > up
>> > > > testing the positive flotation system.
>> > > >
>> > > > Don’t ask me how I know
>> > > >
>> > > > Sent from my iPhone
>> > > >
>> > > > Charles Nieman
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > > > > On Aug 23, 2021, at 9:32 AM, Graham Stewart <gstewart8 at cogeco.ca>
>> > > wrote:
>> > > > >
>> > > > > This might be completely obvious to everyone else but I
>> "discovered"
>> > > > that the best way to make centerboard cover bolt removal easier is
>> to
>> > > place
>> > > > them with the head down and the nut on the top. Obviously the bolt
>> must
>> > > not
>> > > > be so long as to tough the floor boards. It is much easier to hold
>> the
>> > > head
>> > > > with a box wrench and remove the nut with a impact driver.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Graham Stewart
>> > > > > gstewart8 at cogeco.ca
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > >
>> > > > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > > > From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org]
>> On
>> > > > Behalf Of Steven Alm
>> > > > > Sent: Monday, August 23, 2021 9:42 AM
>> > > > > To: Rhodes
>> > > > > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Swing Keel Problem
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I have the diamond board on my 1990. For the first time yesterday
>> it
>> > > was
>> > > > > not operating smoothly like it always has for 25 years. I have not
>> > > > grounded
>> > > > > or anything. I suspect the board and trunk are clogged up with
>> zebra
>> > > > > mussels. I’m slipped in Lake Pepin, which is really a stretch of
>> The
>> > > > > Mississippi River and yes, there’s a major infestation of these
>> > little
>> > > > > bastards on the river but I’ve not had this happen before. This is
>> > our
>> > > > > third season at this location and like a lot of the country, we’re
>> > > > > experiencing drought conditions and the river is much lower than
>> > usual
>> > > —
>> > > > so
>> > > > > maybe being that much closer to the bottom at my slip puts me
>> closer
>> > to
>> > > > > their habitat.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > But this is all an assumption at this point. My marina does have
>> the
>> > > big
>> > > > > sling lift and we could inspect it that way, but before I incur
>> that
>> > > > > expense I thought I’d run it by y’all first in case anybody has
>> had
>> > > this
>> > > > > happen — maybe it’s something else or maybe someone has a better
>> > idea.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > I have removed the board from the inside before to replace the
>> > control
>> > > > line
>> > > > > but it’s a real chore that I’d love to avoid if possible.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Note: the 50 or so bolts around the centerboard cap were
>> originally
>> > > > > Phillips heads and each and every one was a struggle to remove. I
>> > > > replaced
>> > > > > them with hex heads so it won’t be near as bad the next time, if
>> > ever.
>> > > > >
>> > > > > Thanks for any ideas
>> > > > > Slim
>> > > > > Fandango
>> > > > >
>> > > >
>> > >
>> >
>>
>
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